Ditch the brown bag and lighten up your lunch table with this very cute insulated lunch bag. It uses a half a yard or less of two decorator weight fabrics for the exterior with PUL for the lining. Insulating fleece between the layers helps keep your lunch warm or cool. We added Velcro® to seal it shut while still allowing for a quick open... gotta be able to get in when you're hungry! If you wanted to amp up the insulating properties, you could reconfigure the design to add a zipper. The wipe-clean PUL on the inside makes any spills easy to remove. And, extra long handle loops mean you can grab it and go or slip it over your arm, leaving your hands are free to grab a drink or tote your latest lunchtime reading material.

The biggest sewing category around the world is quilting. If you've been thinking about jumping on the bandwagon, we recently finished a five-part Quilting Basics Series and have included links to all the parts below. It's a great way to get started. Today during Janome Week, to show off the quilting features of Janome's sewing and quilting machines, we've chosen the Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP to create a beautiful bed runner: a decorative throw for the foot of your bed. It's lovely to look at, but can also be used to help protect a fancier full-size quilt or bedspread. You can sit on a bed runner or even stretch out and place your feet on it. Ours finishes at approximately 92" x 24" and is sized for a king or queen mattress. Our sample is shown on a king; there would simply be more drape down either side on a queen. We've done basic nine-patch blocks with each inner block made up of four pieced triangles. The clever mixing of the colors creates a three-dimensional effect within each of the inner blocks as well as in the finished nine-patch itself. Stitching in the ditch was used to quilt the center, while the inner and outer borders are done with stippling.

I still remember the first sewing machine I bought with a full compliment of decorative stitches. I was in seventh heaven. It felt like the same unbridled choice as when you open a fresh box of 64 crayons. Variety unleashed! But we often get so busy with the construction process, we forget about all those great stitches. Not today! It's Janome Week on Sew4Home, and all Janome machines have at least some decorative stitches, many of them have hundreds! Today's pillow project gives you three different decorative stitching options to try, and we've included three free template downloads to re-create our exact designs. There are random intersecting lines, which allow you to mix and match a variety of stitches. Our starburst showcases the option to program stitches, creating what appears to be individual dots. And finally, we give you the steps to stitch a spiral, using a padded satin stitch in variegated thread. It's all to encourage you to take advantage of your patiently-waiting decorative stitches... or maybe it's time to look for a new model with even more selection.

A great scarf can elevate an outfit from drab to dynamic in an instant. However, really nice scarves don't come cheap at the department store or boutique. Here's a little fashion secret: scarves are SUPER easy to make, and this week's Mother's Day sponsor, Fabric.com has an amazing selection of perfect chiffons for under $4.00 a yard! We have two designs today for you to try. If you have a serger, cut on the bias and create a ripply "lettuce edge" all around. For your sewing machine, go long and lovely with a rolled hem and hand sewn sequins all around.