All Categories

New Year New Needle

1/8/2023

We are one week into 2023. How are you doing with your resolutions? Have you made any plans for change this year? Do you have a new focus? Maybe you are ready for a change but not sure where to start? I have a simple one for you that will make all the difference in your sewing and embroidery world at least.

Your sewing needle is one of the easiest things to change. They are inexpensive but can make or break your stitching. My last blog was all about bobbin cases and when to change them. I would say that 90 percent of my problems with tension in my embroidery machine are usually related to my bobbin. The other 10 percent can be attributed to my hooping, stabilizer, fabric choice and needle. Now I don't know if you realize this but a brand new needle out of the package can have flaws. I recently tried a new brand from a local big box store and every machine needle in the pack was off center. By that I mean the flat part of the needle back and the eye were not struck the same. When sewing, my thread kept shredding if it picked up at all. Have you seen a lowering of quality in your sewing needles lately? Maybe other notions you usually purchase are not up to the norm? Buying your supplies from the cheapest outlet will sometimes lead to disappointment. I know I won't buy that brand anymore.

Here is another sign that the needle needs to be changed. You are sewing along and you start to see the bobbin thread. Normally on my flatbed machine, I don't need to adjust the bobbin tension at all. On my multi needle, I usually check the tension at each bobbin change. When my flatbed single needle starts acting up like the picture above it is usually an indication that the needle has become dull. Instead of piercing the fabric and moving in between the thread fibers, it will pound the top thread down. It may look like white space or poorly digitized fill shapes at the join areas. You may even hear a distinct sound change in your machine as this happens.

Here is a second stitch out after a needle change. Look how much smoother the fill is with no separation of thread at the junctions. Everything is the same except the needle. I used the same design, kept the original hooping, original stabilizer, bobbin and thread. When you change one thing at a time, you can isolate the problem more easily.

This was the needle I changed to. I have a local sewing machine dealership and the owner has been repairing sewing machines for longer than most people in my age group have been alive. He has seen it all. On a recent trip to his store and in speaking to him about my needle woes he recommended I keep these in my studio. They did the trick on my flatbed machine. Like a knife through hot butter. Just a plug for your local dealership or quilt shop. They have so much knowledge and training. It is worth it to drop by and talk to them. They love helping you with sewing and embroidery.

So here is that stitch out comparison again. What a difference a new needle can make. What does all of this have to do with resolutions? If you need a New Year change and aren't sure where to start, here it is. Change your needle. You can do this one. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

When To Replace Your Bobbin Case

12/28/2022

Your bobbin case gets a lot of use in your embroidery machine. Think of it like your car. You maintain it by keeping gas in the tank, changing the oil and washing it on a regular basis. For bigger problems, you have a mechanic look at it and if needed you replace parts.

Your bobbin case and bobbin area on your machine needs to be maintained by cleaning and applying oil on a regular basis. Through use, the bobbin case that holds your thread can become damaged if you have dropped it or you might not be able to adjust the tension to your normal setting. So the case might need to be replaced with a new one. I have had bobbins work one day and the next day when I turn on my machine, they are extremely loose on the tension. After cleaning and trying to adjust them with no success, I will usually put them through my Bobbin Tension Gauge to see if the thread pulls off smoothly. If I see any jumping or uneven movement of the bobbin in the case, it is an indication the case may be warped or "Out Of Round".

A good clean bobbin with tension adjustments appropriate for your machine, thread, fabric etc will usually produce even separation of color. This example shows the upper thread on the outside blue color and the inner white bobbin thread.

A dirty bobbin can cause the middle or bobbin thread to look very jagged. When I see this in my stitches, especially satin, I will normally pull the bobbin thread out of the case and clean underneath the tension area with a business card. Sometimes that is all it takes along with using your tension gauge and adjusting the small screw on the side. If all of this fails, you may have a bobbin case that is out of round from wear or being dropped. It doesn't take much as the small metal flanges on the side are thin. You will feel a wobble when you pull the thread off the bobbin.

It is a good idea to keep extra bobbin cases with your machine spare parts. They aren't expensive and you can find the part number through your manufacturer or dealer. Another place to look is your owner's manual. I have a video below you can watch that shows how to clean the tension area and what the bobbin will look like with a wobble. This one was replaced and my machine is back to smooth stitching. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Fringe Christmas Tree Mug Rug

12/23/2022

Christmas is almost here and our area is experiencing one of the coldest weather spells we have had in years. I thought a mug rug would be perfect to enjoy some hot cocoa with. It has been a while since I released a fringe design so my Fringe Christmas Tree Mug Rug is in my store today.

This embroidery design has a lot of different skills for such a quick project. You will have quilting. I love the Christmas tree motif that fills in the background.

There is raw edge applique on the trunk and the tree. This reduces the stitch count and makes it easier to work with the next step which is the fringe.

Fringe on your embroidery machine is a lot of fun. You will need to do some creative cutting on the bobbin threads once everything has completed. Don't worry, there are color instructions included.

A blunt object or your fingernail will pull those loops to the front. It is very satisfying to complete this step.

A little hand sewing and pressing then VOILA, you have a mug rug. I can see you now sipping something hot while you watch Christmas movies or the kids opening gifts. If you would like to see the entire project come together, watch the instruction video below. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Design Patches Using Built In Embroidery Machine Files

12/18/2022

Did you know that most embroidery machines come pre loaded with designs? This way you can get stitching right away. My Baby Lock machine has so many designs I don't think I have even looked through them all. I was contacted recently by a You Tube viewer who saw my Beanie Patch Video. In fact I have a couple of patch videos that have some great information in them if you are just starting out. See the video links to the right. As a beginner, she didn't know where to start. So I wanted to share details on how to create patches herself without software. Learning your machine and becoming friends with all of it's functions is the best way to begin embroidery. Then you can add to your skills with downloading designs once you are comfortable. So after we emailed back and forth for a bit, I knew what type machine she owned. With this information I realized she had a great tool box of Embroidery Design Frames built into her Brother multi needle. Baby Lock and Brother are close cousins in their function and design so I was able to talk her through some options to make a patch without digitizing software or downloading a design.

This information is helpful and I think it would be a fun way for you to play with your machine even if you don't have a Baby Lock or Brother. Sometimes we need to move through all of the menu items and just look. Also, that quick read you did on the owner's manual when you opened your machine the first time has probably been forgotten. You may have some of these options available in your embroidery machine but you won't know unless you get brave and search.

A patch is usually a series of steps and all you have to do is let each one stitch out, then perform a task. If you have a run stitch and a satin stitch shape in your machine that are roughly the same size, you should be able to create a patch. My Baby Lock also has an Applique button so it will turn a run stitch shape into an applique with a satin outline.

In between those two steps there will usually be a tack down stitch that will sew and then stop allowing you to remove the hoop and carefully trim away the excess fabric. You don't have to have a satin outline on your patch. You could do raw edge applique, frayed edges on your fabric, decorative stitching, blanket stitching etc... In addition to the Applique button, you can manually add each step into the machine. You might prefer that method as it is a great way to become familiar with how patches will run on the machine.

If you have purchased a blank patch embroidery design like these, you can add your own fonts or text from the machine catalog. In the Baby Lock you press the add button and it will take you to the design area. So many fonts are available and you can resize them to fit inside the patch.

Your patch can be embroidered onto a clothing item or if you use Wash away cutaway stabilizer, you could have a patch with clean satin edges ready to adhere with stitches, glue or adhesive to an item like a beanie or shirt.

I made this quick patch using the manual process in my Baby Lock and I filmed a video to show you the applique and manual processes. Don't forget, I have digitized several blank patch designs in my store also. Just in case you don't have time to play and you need something right now. Are you ready to design a patch without software? Click on the video below and I know it will make you curious about your machine for sure. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Machine Embroidery On Toilet Paper

12/14/2022

Christmas usually signals cute gifts or promotional products. Machine embroidery on toilet paper can be a great inexpensive item that you can gift to so many different people or organizations. It is not hard to accomplish but you do need embroidery designs specifically digitized for toilet paper.

I have six new embroidery designs ready to help you with those gift exchanges, secret Santa games or possible promotion if you have an embroidery business.
Click on the link and you will be taken to the store page.

Some people will only use really thick toilet paper, but I have used both thick and cheaper brands. To accommodate the thin paper, just fold the end of the roll over itself several times. I hoop cutaway stabilizer and use a little spray adhesive to hold it in place while it sews.

In fact I buy the cases at my local Sam's Club and as of this blog post they are about .54 cents each. I also use the Great Value brand twist tie bags to wrap the completed rolls in. They are currently .03 cents each and you get 100 in a box. So with my time , stabilizer and the material cost I can make a promotional item or gift for very little money. I know you have a list of people like teachers, doctors, dentists, veterinarian etc that you might need a small gift for. Here are a few pictures of the Toilet Paper Embroidery designs available in my store.

Are you ready to try your hand at Embroidery on Toilet paper or do you just want to see how it is done? I have a video you can watch below that will show a complete design being sewn. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Embroider A Bah Humbug Santa Hat

12/9/2022

Do you need a cute Santa Hat to wear to work or a party this holiday season? I have a brand new Bah Humbug Santa Hat Embroidery Design being released today. It is digitized for two layers of fabric and cute text. You can customize it so may different ways and I know you will get the most comments from friends and family. Here is a little bit about the design.

Look at those two fabrics I used. An animal print and a polka dot! Who would have thought they would look so cute together? Then I topped it off with Lime green thread for the text.

Santa hats come in lots of colors and sizes. This one is an adult large and I used T Pins to secure it to the stabilizer while it sewed out. It really is a versatile design because you can change Bah Humbug Santa Hat Embroidery Design to any fabric and thread color that matches your Santa Hat

Look at that grumpy bear. This would be so perfect as a gift to that person who walks around saying Bah Humbug! If you want to see how easy it stitches out, watch the instruction video below. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Free Standing Lace With Mylar Christmas Ornaments

12/2/2022

Free standing lace embroidery designs are fun to make especially when you add mylar. Christmas is a perfect time to go over the top with sparkle. Mylar gift wrap is very inexpensive and comes in alot of colors so you can create an infinity of different looks. I am releasing a brand new set of FSL Mylar Christmas Embroidery designs.

The most important thing to remember about free standing lace is to use a matching bobbin. You will see both sides of the finished project and since this is designed to hang on a Christmas tree or wreath, you want both sides to be pretty.

Another great tip is to use two pieces of wash away stabilizer. This gives extra structure while the design sews out. I like to use silver Mylar because it is a great neutral to let your thread colors really show.

A FSL embroidery design will have loose fills to capture and tack the Mylar. It should also stitch around the perimeter enough to perforate the Mylar so you can tear it away.

Once you have removed the Mylar, a satin outline will clean everything up.

A short dip into some warm water will melt the stabilizer away. Not too long though. If you leave a little of that stabilizer in the design, it will dry just a bit stiffer. Here are the six designs included in the FSL Mylar Christmas Ornament Set

A Christmas Bird With Heart Wing

A Sparkly Christmas Tree With Red Trim

A Christmas Present

A Christmas Ornament that can be changed to so many different colors.

A Christmas Star

A Christmas Poinsettia. Stitch this is White or Red

Each design has less than 7000 stitches and they sew up within 15 minutes. You can either embroider them individually in a 4x4 hoop or gang them up in a larger one to save stabilizer. I have an instruction video below you can watch that will show how fun and easy these are created. I bet your kids or grandkids would love making these! How about slipping these ornaments into your Christmas Cards this year? These would also be great stocking stuffers for teachers, your doctor, dentist, postal carrier or any other person you want to give a small item to. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Stitch A Christmas Card With Your Embroidery Machine

11/29/2022

The time is here to get those Christmas cards in the mail if you want them to arrive in time. I am releasing a brand new design today that will stitch a card using your embroidery machine. The Holy Night Card design is easy to complete. All you need is blank greeting cards designed to do embroidery on. OR... Heavy duty card stock. At least 80 pound similar to business cards. You can cut your cards to the size indicated in the pattern download and get to stitching.

I picked up these greeting cards from the OESD booth at the Houston quilt show and wanted to design a card for the Christmas Holidays. They do make it really easy since the envelopes come in the package also. Your local quilt shops probably have these in stock right now so they would be a great place to check.

You will use tearaway stabilizer in your hoop and once the placement line sews, adhesive spray. This keeps the card in place while stitching. Use the embroidery thread of your choice also.

Within about 15 minutes, you will have a completed card. Pretty paper and glue can be used to cover up the inside where all of the bobbin threads will show. Want to see how this Holy Night Card sews up? Watch the instruction video below. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Customer Appreciation Sale

11/24/2022

Every order through our website will have an additional 20 % taken off at checkout NOVEMBER 25 - 30, 2022. The only thing you have to do is
add the item to your cart and enter the coupon code.

Christmas

This includes items that are already listed on our sale page! One coupon per customer
so grab everything you want in one swoop.
REMEMBER TO ADD THE COUPON CODE AT CHECKOUT!

I hope you enjoy your shopping spree!

In The Hoop Crafter Koozie Set

11/21/2022

My latest design is an In The Hoop Koozie. Even better, there are four different designs in the set. These are perfect for those family and friends who are crafters. If you are looking for stocking stuffers or inexpensive gifts, these are a really great option.

Each design stitches out in an 8x12 hoop. You will use a piece of fleece so it is a good stash buster for those smaller leftover pieces. Three of the designs will sew these cute sewing machines all over and have a place to add your own monogram like the one above.

They also have cute little sayings on the bottom of the koozie. This one is for embroidery lovers.

There is one for sewing lovers

I couldn't leave out those quilting lovers

The fourth design has sewing machines all over it and the bottom is plain. So you can make bunches of these up in advance and pass them out at your next quilt guild or hand out to friends and family who love to craft.

The design stitches out in about 25 minutes and is so simple. You will do some creative cutting in the hoop and then flipping of fabric. It really is a fun project to complete.

The koozies aren't insulated, but fleece feels so good and I am a person that loves tactile things. Holding a can or bottle of water with one of these elevates it in my opinion. Not to mention you can keep up with whose is whose in a group setting. So are you interested to see how these In The Hoop Koozies stitch up? There is an instruction video you can watch below. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Easy Quilt Using A Focus Fabric

11/16/2022

Have you ever walked around your fabric department and a fabric spoke to you? That is what happened to me with this quilt project. I wanted to make a quilt for my mom but my inspiration mojo was at a low point. I wanted something feminine for a ladies bedroom but I didn't feel like a whole lot of piecing. So I let the fabric "speak to me". As soon as I saw the bee print, my plan began formulating.

Isn't this so pretty? It just looks inviting. I could imagine my mom snuggled underneath. I went in search of other fabric that would be a good match.

Now quilt math and calculating fabric are a another story for me. I freely admit that I am no expert and if a math problem has more than two parts, I am at a loss. Quilt math reminds me of word problems. Yuck. There is light at the end of the tunnel though in the form of a wonderful website. Quilters Paradise. They have several FREE calculators that will take away the math pressure and allow you to just be creative.

I decided to treat the bee fabric as a panel and then sew increasing borders around it. The border calculator allows you to enter the measurements of the center part of your quilt top and then add up to five borders. It will tell you how much yardage to purchase.

They have a batting and backing calculator and a binding calculator also. I like to use these before I make my shopping trip so I am prepared to purchase. Really the fabric is enough stimulation in the store. I don't need to add math in the mix. Check out the Quilter Paradise story and their retail store. They have such an interesting background.

I wanted to incorporate some embroidery on the quilt top so I digitized the bee logo from the fabric and added quilting as an applique.

Here is that central focus fabric with the embroidery and two of the three borders. On my shopping trip I also looked for a special trim that I could use to break up the center panel.

I pinned it across and then used a zig zag seam to attach. Something this small can make a big impact. Up to this point, I really haven't done much piecing either. So this top came together really quickly. I think I had it ready to go on the longarm frame in three days from initial cutting.

Here it is loaded up on my frame ready to quilt. Since there are multiple borders, I decided to do different quilting patterns on each. Now I did work vertically down the quilt and once I got all of the borders done across, I took the whole quilt off the frame and rotated it. Then loaded it back on the frame and quilted the two side borders. That way I didn't have to chunk any borders or figure any math as I was advancing the quilt in my frame.

Look how pretty all of those feathers are on the back. That center oval is where the embroidery was and I had plans for it. I put the quilt label inside.

Here is a view of the label without my heartfelt quote. Some things are between a mom and a daughter..... You can see that I added another cute bee and I did hand sew with turned edge applique.

I had extra fabric and trim so I made a small throw pillow that she can decorate with.

The best part of making a quilt as a gift is seeing it in the space it will be used. I think it matches my mom's bed perfectly. She loved it and I even got to talk to her the day after she slept under it for the first time. That is a memory that will stay with me. Maybe you have been inspired to sew a simple quilt using a focus fabric you love. I filmed a video you can watch below showing more of my process and even the quilting in case you want to see how that came together on the longarm. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Veteran Quilt From A Panel

11/10/2022

Veterans Day is this week and this is a time to thank those who have served. Our little community always has special events for the local veterans and it makes me proud to see. My dad served in the Navy during the Vietnam war and did two tours. Then he enlisted in the Army National Guard. I grew up with Army green supplies and Meals Ready To Eat in the house. We loved the Chiclet gum in those meal kits. I have fond memories of my dad and his sense of duty and honor to country. So I am always proud to make something for a Veteran and one of my recent quilts was specially made to donate.

I started with a panel from Northcott Fabrics. This jumped out at me when I was shopping my local fabric store. I thought it would be a perfect throw size quilt. Now this pattern is not my original idea. I have seen many people online cutting a panel and adding strips. It just seemed like an easy project to get done as I had recently finished a harder quilt. Sometimes you have to give your craft brain a rest and this did just that.

I used the panel and a yard of gray fabric. I cut about 12 inches off the yardage and sewed it to the bottom of the panel and then to the top so it was a loop of fabric. Then I cut six even strips lengthwise and cut the looped fold so I had 6 inches of yardage on top and bottom of the panel. The strips of gray fabric were cut 2 inches wide and pieced so they were as long as the panel strips. A 1/4 inch seam allowance was used to sew them all together. This is easy straight seams but I would advise using pins to keep the strips from stretching as you sew.

Here is the panel and strips sewn together. Even though the print is separated, your brain "sees" it together. Kind of cool and it levels up the print so it is a bit fancy. Pressing as you go really helps this process also. You could stop right here but I decided to add some borders.

Red white and blue border strips were cut 2 1/2 inches wide and then sewn round robin style. Again pressing each one keeps it flat. I also made sure that all of the loose threads were trimmed before I quilted it. My white, blue and red fabrics were side by side and I didn't want any loose threads showings through the white.

Here is the quilt after I pulled it off my Handi Quilter longarm machine. An edge to edge star pattern was used.

I trimmed the quilt and sewed the binding strips by machine so it would be nice and sturdy.

Now that is a beautiful simple quilt and I delivered it to my brother when I travelled to Houston for the quilt show. He is a member of a Veterans Riding group and I can't wait to see what they decide to do with this quilt. I filmed a video showing a more in depth look at how I sewed and quilted this project. You can watch it below. Has this inspired you to make a quilt for a veteran or organization? I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Lagniappe Peddler Travels to The Houston International Quilt Festival 2022

11/9/2022

The Houston International quilt festival has been on my bucket list for many years and I finally got to check it off. I have heard that it is the convention where you will see new items, techniques and get inspired. It was definitely all that.

Now I live about 12 hours from Houston so we decided to break the trip up by staying in Natchitoches Louisiana the first night. The length of the drive is doable in a day for me but I have a soft place in my heart for this little historic town. My husband and I both spent time at Northwestern State University and we have many fond memories of the Christmas Festival of Lights, Cane River, Front Street, Restaurants, Bed and Breakfasts, Pecans from Little Eva Plantation and so many other things. So it is always a place we will try to get a visit into.

Gumbo-YUM!

This bread pudding from Fontenot's Restaurant is some of the best I have ever had.

Even though we haven't reached Thanksgiving, the town was already setting up for the Christmas Festival of Lights. Here is an iconic light fixture on Cane River

I have to give some love to Lasyonne's Meat Pie Restaurant. This was our breakfast Thursday morning before we pulled out of town.

We had an obligatory stop at Toledo Town which is right before you cross the Toledo Bend Reservoir bridge into Texas. This is a spot my husband loves because of the fishing tackle.

We made sure to drive slow enough to Hit Lufkin Texas right about lunchtime so we could eat at another old haunt of ours. Cafe Del Rio has some of our favorite Mexican food. Order the green sauce and you will know why. Cool creamy and addictive with their hot crispy tortilla chips. Can you tell we judge our trips by the food? If you travel with us, you are gonna eat well.

We pulled into Houston on Thursday afternoon and Friday Morning bright and early an Uber picked us up at my brother's house. This was a first time for me and I am now hooked on the Uber app. I think the worry of driving and finding a parking place in a downtown area or garage is one of the worst parts of travel. No more because I now understand why so many people say they just "grab an Uber"

I met the Gourmet Quilter. I couldn't believe she travelled all the way from New Zealand and I was worried about finding a parking spot. This lovely lady got me through Covid quarantine. She had so many videos to watch I was constantly learning something new.

I saw Emily who is the Collage Quilter. She was plenty busy so I didn't get to talk to her. I love her quilting designs. If you haven't seen her work, check it out.

Here is a lineup of guests at the All Brands Booth. SO many talented people.

I got to visit with Becky from Power Tools With Thread. We had a nice chat and she was super popular. I saw a lot of people coming up for photos with her.

Adam from Adam Sew Fun is one of my favorites. If you have never seen his videos, look him up on YouTube. I have learned so much from him and he is always being brave and trying new things with his Long Arm machine. He is also a hot Handi Quilter Ambassador traveling all over the country teaching.

Kaffe Fassett was on one of the main stages. He was very popular as you can see. I was at the back of the standing room only crowd. Did I mention there were quilts there? LOTS of beautiful quilts to get you inspired and make you drool.

I also brought several quilts to my family that I had been working on. My car was stacked with them. It felt really good to pass on those beautiful quilts that they will enjoy using.

When we got home, I was welcomed by this beautiful mum in my yard. I had to share this because it came from a very small piece that broke off another one last year. I nursed it all last winter and look how beautiful! What wonderful memories I have from this trip. I feel so lucky to have been able to go and that we can congregate once again with others that enjoy our crafting journey. I have a video you can watch below with more footage from my travel. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Plain Beanie Embroidered Patch Designs For Longer Names

10/30/2022

It is that time of year and I have been seeing my Original Faux Leather Beanie Patch Design being a very popular download recently. One of my YouTube viewers asked if I could make more patches but larger for longer names. So that is just what I did. The original design completes a patch that is roughly 1.5 inches high x 3.3 inches wide. Here are the new sizes available in my store.

There is a 1.5 x 4 inch Beanie Patch Design that will require at least a 5x7 hoop. The original design was sampled in a 5x5 Mighty hoop, but this one will exceed that sewing space. You can use regular hoops or sticky stabilizer and fast frames.

A 1.5 x 5 inch Beanie Patch Design will give extra stitching room. It requires at least a 5x7 hoop as well. If you are curious, you can read my older post here also.

The largest is a 1.5 x 6 inch Beanie Patch Design. This will give you maximum stitching room to fill up the front of a beanie. It will also stitch in a 5x7 hoop and you may need to rotate your beanie when sewing out or the hoop position in your machine.

Here is a view of them side by side so you can see what they look like. There is also a Plain Beanie Embroidered Patch Set available in my store now. So if you want to have all four sizes available, you can.

There is a video you can watch below to see how my original design stitched out on a beanie. These new longer designs will embroider similarly. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Machine Embroidery Designs For Fake Fur

10/27/2022

Brand new Embroidery designs are being released today for Fake Fur. I know you might not want to think about it, but Christmas is really close. For those in the decorating world, our season is already underway. Stockings and Santa Hats are a big part of this time of year and fake fur will surely be at least one item you might be asked to embroider.

The Fake Fur Underlay design pack includes six different sizes you can place on your fake fur item and then add additional embroidery right over it. This will keep the fur pile laying down so your embroidery doesn't get swallowed up. Another name you may have heard this called is a "Knockdown Stitch" I like to call it a global underlay because that is a great way to think about it. It is essentially a light density fill underlay that covers the "global size of the design" Stabilizer is a matter of choice when using these designs. If your fake fur is very stable and you have a Mighty Hoop, you may not even need stabilizer. It is best to make samples before you try the designs on Client items. Fake fur differs between manufacturers. If you feel a stabilizer is needed or you are floating the items, tearaway can be used or sticky stabilizer for hard to hoop items.

Each design in the Fake Fur Underlay pack is going to have a height slightly larger than 2 inches. In researching Christmas Stockings and Santa Hats, the 2- 3 inch cuff is pretty common, so each design should fit well within that standard height. The widths will vary from 3 to 8.25 inches. So you should be able to find a global underlay design in this pack that will work for you as long as it will fit your hoop and the item to be embroidered on. Don't forget you can take seams out of items, do the embroidery and then re sew the seams. This is a common practice on things that are too tight to get in your hoop or over the arm of your embroidery machine.

As a bonus, the Christmas Text Design above is included in the download also. So are you ready to get started on your seasonal embroidery? I have a video below you can watch that shows how the designs will stitch out. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Make Patches Easily With Your Embroidery Machine

10/25/2022

If you have been doing embroidery for any length of time, you have probably received a request for patches. They are very popular to wear on clothing or add to accessories. Different groups are also known for them like law enforcement, fire departments and motorcycle riders to name a few. I have a brand new Blank Patch Embroidery design that is perfect to practice your patch making skills with. It finishes to 3.25 x 2.5 inches and can be made in a 4x4 hoop.

Since it is a plain patch design, you can add your own embroidery elements to it and customize. If you are not certain how to make the patches, I have a brand new video you can watch that shows the material I use as well as different tips for success.

I have found this Poly Patch Twill from DIME and it is one of my new favorite tools in my embroidery studio. There are many colors to choose from and it already has been stabilized. This makes for easier prep work.

I use my Silhouette Cameo to cut the twill and have good success with getting nice clean edges.

Here is an example of a test cut using the Silhouette. A cutting machine isn't the only way to prepare your patch fabric. You can also trace the paper pattern included in the download and use scissors or a rotary blade. If you do have an electronic cutter, an SVG file is included in the Patch design download for your use.

Once the patches are sewn there is final clean up work that needs to be done. This is just a teaser for you as the video has so much information , I know you will enjoy watching it. So drop below and click on the link. Don't forget to look for my new Blank Patch design. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Sew Beanies From T Shirts And Use Your Quilt Leftovers

10/1/2022

October is breast cancer awareness month and I love to dedicate some time to sewing and donating. I recently finished a large T Shirt quilt and I have an entire plastic tote filled with leftover material. Throwing it away is not an option for me because I can't let all of that soft worn in material go to waste. So I thought why not create a project that recycles and goes to a great cause. The Free Beanie Pattern is here to download in my store.

Cancer patients get cold. That is just a fact. The first time I donated to my local treatment center, they actually let me tour the area where the patients receive their medication. That was an eye opening day for me. It was a large room with chairs and IV equipment. Several nurses were present and the people waited in the lobby until everything was set up for them to enter. A small area was set aside for donations. You would not believe how many crafts, magazine snacks, blankets and other wonderful things were stacked neatly and with care. So if you are unsure about your donated items being used, forget your fears! It will be loved and is most welcome. That is where this beanie comes in.

The T Shirt material is perfect for beanies because it is usually a good weight is buttery soft and has some stretch retention. This a great item to have readily available for patients to grab. The tag on the front is made using 100% polyester Grosgrain ribbon 1 1/2 inches wide. There is a graphic in the download ready to print and sublimate then heat press. Set your press to 380 degrees F for 60 seconds. The graphic is part of the Creative Commons images from Microsoft Publisher. I thought it was most appropriate for the project and month of October.

Maybe you don't want to use the graphic or you don't have a heat press and sublimation printer? No worries, Just find some cute pre printed ribbon like these above and you will have a captive audience for sure.

You will also receive a full sheet of these in the download for gift cards. Just print on card stock and attach with a small safety pin. This would be an excellent service project for your quilt guild.

How cute is this? Simple easy sewing even though it is knit. Just use a ballpoint needle and some zig zag or stretch stitching. You can also use a serger for the construction. I used my regular sewing machine and had no problems.

So use up that pile of leftover T Shirt material for a great cause. My month of October will be dedicated to this project in between other crafting. I have an instruction video below you can watch to see how easy everything comes together. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

Fall Machine Embroidery With Variegated Thread

9/21/2022

Fall is here and the changing seasons mean more inside crafting to come; but, maybe you are in a dry creative place. It's totally ok to say that and I would encourage you. This summer has been a busy one for me as I decided to go deep into quilting. In fact, I created three smaller quilts, one queen size and one king size in the span of a few months. I immersed myself in so many detailed techniques, that I have run my tank a little low. So how do you get some of that tank filled up? You go easy on yourself and instead of hard projects, you do simple.

How's this for a pretty fall embroidery design? When I digitized it, the colors were plain, but the stich out gets a WOW factor from variegated thread. I took my time while digitizing this brand new Love Fall Most Of All embroidery design. I didn't think about anything in particular and just played. Once I was done, I did feel that tank slowly filling. Using the variegated thread added a little pizazz. So instead of needing too much extra energy to make a complicated design, thread makes it pop. Sometimes you just need
SIMPLE.

I sewed a cute little mug rug out of the stitch out and that made me feel even better because I realized my creative MOJO isn't gone, it just needs to get on a different track for a while. Do you sometimes feel that way? Maybe you need to pivot and do something different for a while. Changing weather and seasons are exciting for some people. Others have a harder time. You do you. Your sewing and crafting will be there waiting for you when you are ready.

Here are some other ideas for this Love Fall Most Of All embroidery design. You can click on the link to see it in my store. I also have a video below that shows the actual stitch out and finished mug rug. Maybe it will inspire you to do a small project and get past that creative block.

Welcome Fall and our future crafting endeavors! I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work

Install A Patch Over A Monogram For Busy Prints

9/12/2022

Monograms on backpacks and lunch kits are very popular but you never really know what you are going to deal with until you start working on the actual item. Backpacks usually have larger front pockets but they can also have additional zippers, flaps or hardware that make them difficult to hoop for the actual embroidery. Lunchboxes will most always have some kind of fabric designed to maintain temperature. I have another blog post about doing patches on hard to hoop items. You can read it here. From that older blog post, I showed that the backpack had a lot of pockets and some of them were made of the ice cooler material. So I didn't want to undermine the quality of the fabrics. I made a patch and had to hand sew it to the pocket. If you have been doing machine embroidery for a while, you might think that hand sewing anything is not ideal, but don't feel that way. It is a tried and true way to adhere patches and before fancy sewing or embroidery machines were made, most patches of any kind were hand sewn to items.

In a perfect world, decorators love items that are designed to be embellished. When the stars align, this is how I hoop back packs that will fit into my hoops. I like to use my multi needle machine and Mighty Hoops. The 5x5 Mighty hoop is perfectly sized for an average monogram or name. The bonus is I usually don't use stabilizer because the magnetic hoop and layers of backpack fabric are sturdy enough to carry the tension of the thread as it sews. Final products are commonly flat and without puckers.

This particular brand backpack is Viv and Lou. The entire line is designed with embellishment in mind. If you are looking for an excellent product to purchase and either embroider yourself or have done, keep this one at the top of your list. Most of the backpacks are sewn with large pocket openings. The lunch bags have an additional flap on the outside that you can sew through and the inner hot cold area is separate.

Here you can see from underneath my machine how wide the opening is on the backpack pocket and that there is no stabilizer in the hoop.

Viv and Lou is also known for their colorful prints and on trend styles. Each season they release new items. As you can see from the picture above, the print is bold but the monogram gets lost in it. Once my client saw this, they asked if we could do anything to make the name stand out more. So I brought images of the back pack into my digitizing software and tried other thread colors.

I superimposed the monogram above the actual sewn one on the backpack and tried white then green thread to match the colors in the print.

Then I tried a light pink and a navy. All of the colors disappeared into the busy print. Any addition of colors to match the print would simply not show very well. So I thought about using a patch instead.

Now the name could be seen from any distance. So once I confirmed with the client that this was a good plan moving forward, I created the patch in my software. I didn't rip the original monogram out of the backpack and lunch bag. I knew that all you would be seeing once it was complete was an additional stitch line around the patch. The original monogram would have already shown with bobbin thread on the reverse side. So essentially it would look the same and my biggest concern was to line everything up correctly to have a neat interior pocket.

I made sure the patch fit over the original monogram name in my software first.

Then I embroidered the patch using this Poly Patch twill from DIME.

Instead of trying to embroider the finished patch over the original design, I wanted to be more cautious, so I used my sewing machine. A few pins held everything in place exactly positioned while I sewed. I was glad that both of the bags were designed to be embellished because I was able to manipulate them much easier around the foot of my sewing machine. Had they been another brand, hand sewing might have been the only option.

The final result speaks for itself. A beautiful patch monogram that really stands out. If you are interested in seeing my sewing process, I have a video below you can watch. Machine embroidery isn't perfect and each item is usually like a brand new day even if you have worked with that brand before. The key is to stay open minded and to work with your client in the best way you can so they have a product they are happy with. It also feels pretty good to come up with an alternate fix to a difficult design choice. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

September is National Sewing Month!

9/3/2022

Did you know that Sewing has it's own month set aside by official proclamation? Officially named by President Ronald Reagan. If you are interested in the history, check out this link to read all about it!

I truly believe that sewing has many benefits for the crafter and receiver of finished projects. If you have read my blog articles, you will find out that I have an ongoing sewing journey and my knowledge continues to grow each year. There seems to be no end to the different ways you can use and incorporate sewing. It is the one thing in my life that I have never gotten bored with. If I get a little low, I can always count on feeling better once a new project is begun. Gifting my completed items to someone in my family or my community makes me feel better also.

Are you ready to lift someone up with your sewing or embroidery skills? Read through my past blogs and you will find so many ideas for sewing, embroidery, and quilting projects. Visit my page with FREE project downloads to get started. My link page has a button at the bottom of the page that takes you to all of my free project downloads. As always.......I hope you enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work.

<<Previous