There is one piece of artifact that is, IMHO, an eye-sore. It is a necessary evil, the ceiling fan. Manufacturers have tried to make these more eye-appealing with bamboo, metals and various configurations. Still, the hunt for beautification continues.

Or, you could select this little number, at only $20,920 you do get free shipping (blades and controls sold separately).

I got this idea from the HGTV Magazine which is my new favorite magazine. So many great ideas and so little places to put them all. Here is the photo, courtesy of HGTV. I think painting is a little too 'permanent' for my taste. I know that there will be 'lines' left over even if I do a good job of covering up the green.

What about some sort of tasteful embroidery?

I could not decide if my embroidery should be outstanding and very colorful or more muted and subtle. I chose something in between. This Grape Vine design. I actually could not wait to get my hands on this design, I felt like it said to me - “Pat, I am just right for a ceiling fan.”

I might have chosen a Free Standing Lace as well but I really liked this design, it is free and perfect. 

Here is a tip for sewing/embroidery. In commercial machines, you will see that the thread always comes from a height above the needle. The configuration may vary a little, but mostly you will see something like this:

The spool unwinds from the top. I always say, when in doubt, do what the professionals do.

This is what I have been using, and I guess many of you may have one as well.

I am in love with the one I found on the Net. My original stand has been known to - toss off the thread (even when the "V" is pointing its bottom to the machine), knot my thread in the inside of the "V", and even get caught under the spool.

The one thing the pipe cleaner does that my thread spool stand cannot do is actually keep the thread in among the threads of the pipe cleaner without being too snug. It may add just a small amount of tension but I don't think enough to be an issue. I will be picking up some of these cleaners soon!!

If you did not pick up the free tension test for your machine in my last blog, check here. It is important to do this test about every 4 to 6 weeks to keep your machine in top condition and your projects professional.

Here is the freebie for this blog. I think it is a simple and charming way to say "I love you" any time of the year. Fifteen-millimeter is just over  1/2", so it fits just about anywhere.

ab 15 mm.zip (24.1KB)