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Lap Quilts for Veterans

I am a self-taught sewer who has been sewing for many years. It was during a trip to visit family in North Carolina approximately five years ago when my sister Allison asked me if I would be willing to make some lap quilts for veterans. I agreed to do it, but I never thought that it would turn into a multi-year project. I am a firm believer in honoring our men and women who have served in the armed forces. This project has become very important to me as my Grandpa Witherspoon and my Aunt Kat were both in the service. I think of them often when I am making these quilts. Once I finish a quilt I ship it to my sister who takes the finished quilt and donates it to the local VA patients.

Jennifer H.

Sewing for Military Men

"In 1963, when I was 19, I moved from South Texas to Washington DC for a government position. I, along with many other government employees, lived in a boarding house on Massachusetts Ave. NW. As I grew up in a family of sewers, the first thing I did was buy myself a used sewing machine. I do not remember the name of the sewing machine. I know it was not a Singer, which is what my Mom had at home. This sewing machine's bobbin was shaped like a torpedo. I had no sewing projects to do, however, I just could not imagine living without a sewing machine. It was so much a part of my life. Only government employees lived at this boarding house and it's annex directly behind it on Q Street. Some of the boarders were young military men and women who worked at the White House. They did not wear uniforms to work but were given a clothing allowance for business style clothes to wear. As soon as some of the young men found out I had a sewing machine in my room, a line started forming.

All the young men wanted their dress shirts to be form-fitting. The dress shirts they bought at the stores were too loose fitting for their taste. I was asked to take in the sides to make the shirts more snug to their bodies. The word spread and I had more than enough work for me and my sewing machine. When I eventually moved to Ohio I kept the sewing machine and taught my daughters to sew on that machine. I finally gave it to another woman in 1986 who needed a sewing machine and could not afford it. At that time I was able to buy a new machine."

Janet M., Louisville, OH

The Most Marvelous Needles

"I've been sewing for 35 years. I've always used Singer needles. I bought a package of your SCHMETZ Universal Needles because I liked the packaging and thought I might try something different. I was mildly amused by your packaging slogan 'Enjoy sewing with good needles!'. I was totally amazed. You were right. These needles are a joy to use. When I finished the project I was working on I brought out some sari material I gave up on because it pulled and frayed too much with the needles I was using and have just completed the waist bands and hems with your most marvelous needles. I feel kind of silly getting so excited about needles. (My husband thinks I've gone quite mad.) I have bookmarked your site and will continue to use your most wonderful product."

Marian B., San Francisco, CA

The Princess Frog

"Well, I wanted to make a really neat and original Halloween costume. I work at an elementary school and the kids always enjoy seeing all of their teachers dressed up. About a month before Halloween, I was in the class and I had asked several of the kids what they were going to be for Halloween. Form most of the girls, I got the reply, "princess." "Well that is going to be a popular and over done costume," I thought. It was then that I got the inspiration for my costume. I could be a princess too (the kids would like that), but I will be different. I will be a frog princess. " I'm so not going around all day in green spandex, though." So, I decided that I needed a skirt. "What kind of skirt does a frog princess wear? Do they wear pink tutus? Eww! That would not look to good either." I decided that if I were a frog, I would wear things that a frog would find around the pond; lily pads. "How would I be able to make lily pads cheaply?" I'm a recycling sewer and so I decided to make the lily pad skirt out of t-shirts. I would not need to hem it then either. I took a blue t-shirt and made a mini-skirt that would fit my hips. That would be the "water" for the lily pads. Then, I cut out ten lily pad shaped green t-shirt pieces and sewed them onto the skirt so that it looked a bit like the thing Peter Pan wears. I then added a lily flower made out of white t-shirts. " Perfect frog princess wear; girly, but, froggy." I then made a matching crown out of the scrap cloth and wire. So, I guess I might still wear some green spandex, but my lily skirt and crown really make the costume what it is."

Johanna H.

Learned on a Treadle Machine

"My first sewing was done on a treadle machine in the 1940's. That is where I learned and through 4-H how to put together clothes. My Mother didn't like to sew but she made me some cute dresses from scraps. One in particular from blue and white organza. You see we were pretty poor. She was glad to turn the job over to me. When I graduated from high school in 1948 she bought me my first electric sewing machine. It is a White Rotary heavy duty machine. I am still using it after years of two boys and making my own clothes. Now I have a couple of attachments like a buttonholer and overcaster. I have thought of getting one of the new fancy machines but I understand this one. I turned to SCHMETZ to get needles that fit. I hope the ones we ordered over the internet are the same as the one's I have been using. The treadle machine did duty for a while as my husband turned it into a pottery wheel."

Norma D.

Better Late Than Never

"My sewing hobby began in 1962 before the arrival of my firstborn. Six daughters and one son later I graduated to a few better sewing machines and more recently added an embroidery machine. I LOVE SEWING AND EMBROIDERY! Just today as I was weeding through all my little SCHMETZ needle boxes I decided to organize them better. When doing so I realized that I wasn't sure what some of the needles were used for. Fortunately, one package was unopened and I read the back cover to discover your online site. Now I wish I was just beginning my sewing hobby. I learned so much and printed up the "needle primer" and the "sewing machine pages." I do believe that all sewing courses should suggested to beginner sewers that they have this information available to them. Thank you for this site and I guess I have to adopt the attitude "better late than never."

Pat C., Rosemont, PA

SCHMETZ Microtex 8/60 is the Best!

"I am so thankful for the SCHMETZ 8/60 Microtex needle! It allowed me to quilt a Chintz quilt I have been working on without any problem. I used metallic thread for the bobbin and the top and the quilt is beautiful. I bought the fabric in Amsterdam last year when I was doing a talk in the area. Little did I know how difficult it was to get a simple needle through the fabric. The 8/60 Microtex worked great! Here is a photo of the quilt!"

Elaine E., Mathematical Quilter

The SCHMETZ Presentation Gets an A+!

"I attended Linette Benedict's SCHMETZ PowerPoint Presentation to the Redbud Quilt Guild in Anderson, IN  on August 1, 2009. It was an excellent presentation, clearly articulated by a knowledgeable speaker. The slides were clearly illustrated and informative. Some important things I learned: My needles should be changed periodically, according to wear or sewing fabric choice . . . not just when they break; needles are color coded to aid in selection; the manufacturing and engineering process of SCHMETZ needles is a huge undertaking with many years of experience behind the company. I would give this presentation an A+!"

Martha M., IN