Oh that we were spiders and could simply spin our own silk thread. Then there'd be no difficult thread choices. But that scenario would also require eating flies, so I guess it's worth the trouble to try to unravel the secret to thread selection.

I'm always eager to get started with my sewing project, so test stitching feels like a roadblock to me. With experience, I've learned that ripping out a bad seam is an even greater roadblock to finishing my project. Now I test about 80% of the time. It's the 80-20 rule, right. Here's how I decide...

Sewing over pins is faster than removing them, but it’s a gamble. Often, the machine needle misses the pin, but when it doesn’t it can break your needle, thread and worst of all, seriously damage your machine. It’s not unheard of for a piece of the broken pin or needle to end up embedded in your eye. So, NO, don’t sew over pins.

The very first pillows were likely just heaps of moss or grass in our ancestors' cozy caves. However, even the more recognizable fabric-stuffed pillow reaches far back into history. Wealthy Greeks slept with their heads and feet resting on ornately embroidered cushions. Ancient Egyptians, who believed the head to be the seat of life, not only spent heavily on lavish pillows for themselves, they also placed them in the tombs of their honored dead. The Chinese thought soft pillows robbed the body of its vitality and therefore made their pillows from wood, leather or even ceramic.

Today, our cushy lifestyles demand comfortable and beautiful pillows of all shapes and sizes. If you want to impress your friends and family, throw out a few of these definitions at your next holiday gathering. Everyone will be impressed... or, they'll all just ignore you like they always do.