Thank You to Hancock Fabric for the Fabric used in today's post.

Hey, Hey..... today I am going to talk to you about THREAD and how it is the best notion in your arsenal. You don't have to have fancy machines to do amazing things with thread, but if you DO have fancy machinery and aren't using it.... dust it off and let it show you all the beauty it contains!

Now, there are tons of different types of thread. Standard thread, embroidery thread, jean thread, coat thread, wooly nylon... the list goes on and on. Learn your thread and pick the right thread for your project or you may end up cursing and throwing projects against the wall....ummmmmm, yeah.

My favorite use of thread is top stitching, I love top stitching it just adds an extra pop. I have recently started using decorative stitches for my hems and it is so much fun to play with.

A year ago I invested in an embroidery machine - squeeeee. I mean, really, it is so much fun to play with and I don't use the embroidery function nearly enough, but I just love what it can do.

When you are playing with thread, it is best to start with a blank canvas, so I decided to give you a Free Poncho Tutorial to play with! YAYAYAY!!! I've used a combination of decorative top stitching and embroidery to bring this poncho to life and Mack loves it.

The Big Bow Poncho

You Need:

2 yards fleece
Embroidery Thread

This will fit approximately size 4-10, you can adjust the size of the square to fit a smaller or larger child.

Cut:

Main Poncho - 54 inches x 54 inches
Cowl Neck - 14 inch x 20 inch (along the stretch)
Bow - 10 inch x 14 inch

Instructions:

3/8inch seam allowance

Take the main poncho square, fold in half, and then fold in half again - you now have a square 1/4 the size of the original square.

At the double fold corner, you are going to cut your neck hole. Measure 3 inches from the point along each edge and mark. Measure 3 inches from the center point and make another mark.

Connect these marks with a curved line and cut.

Fold the Cowl Neck in half along the length, right sides together, and sew the short ends together.

Fold in half, wrong sides together, and match the raw edges.

Pin the cowl neck into the neck hole and sew in place.

To hem, fold the edge of the poncho to the wrong side 1 inch and stitch.

For the Bow: Fold the bow in half along the length, right sides together, and sew along the long edge. Turn right side out, and press in half with the seam in the center.