-
June Birthstone Block: Gemstone Quilt Sew Along
The June Birthstone Block by MJ Kinman is the first block I’m making to create an entire Birthstone quilt. Here is the process I followed to piece the block, following the expert instructions from MJ in her pattern. I worked from the June Birthstone Gem kit, which includes the pattern, fabrics by Paintbrush Studio and Sulky rayon threads. Yes, MJ uses rayon thread for quilting! And she switches colors for each facet to not compete with the hues or color value. It’s an amazing process that really leaves you with a work of art. I have the complete thread collection, as I plan to make each Birthstone block. Plus, I…
-
Take a Germany Trip with Sulky for your Sewing Vacation
The Germany trip with Sulky registration closes soon! Have you ever taken a sewing vacation? A vacation where you’re surrounded by fellow sewists, quilters and crafters? It’s so nice to meet people from all over the country who are interested in the same things you are. These are fast friends that we sit on the bus with, chat about our past experiences with, hand sew or hand quilt a little project with while venturing from place to place, experience different parts of the world with, eat different cuisine with, and get inspired for our future projects. Don’t you want to make this apple strudel (or at least EAT it!)? I’m…
-
July 4 Machine Embroidery Designs & Projects to Make
Celebrate Flag Day and Independence Day with July 4 machine embroidery! These projects are easy to make–all that’s needed are some cute designs to add to your collection. Pick up the Sulky Patriotic Machine Embroidery Palette, including 10 spools of coordinating rayon thread in red, blue, white and metallics, to make things super simple. 1. July 4 Machine Embroidery Placemat This project is completely free! The pattern and Fun Fireworks designs are all available for download in the format of your choice. They work perfectly in Sulky metallics, too. Just be sure to install an Organ metallic needle to account for the friction produced by metallic thread. 2. Reflective July…
-
Father’s Day Gift to Sew & Give: Free-Motion Hand Print Tie
Need a quick Father’s Day gift? Jazz up the standard tie gift with free-motion stitching using your child’s hand print. This up-cycling project starts with a standard tie straight from the closet or thrift store and makes it a keepsake that dad can wear to work on the daily. Trace the child’s hand on the tie and refashion it by free-motion stitching around the hand print. Use Sulky Tear-Easy stabilizer to keep the tie from stretching out as you sew. The full instructions come from Heather at heatherhandmade.com. From Heather I love sewing, up-cycling, and refashion, and I share that love when I teach others how to sew with sewing…
-
Cork Tote Pattern using Metallic Cork + Tips for Metallic Thread
Make a metallic cork tote pattern to have the perfect travel accessory this summer. The inner padded pocket fits a laptop and the zippered pocket is perfect for smaller essentials. The bag fits under the seat in front of you on the airplane and has purse feet to keep the base off of dirty surfaces. ALL ABOUT CORK Cork fabric is the latest trend and it’s sticking around as a great alternative to leather. It’s soft and supple and super easy to sew. Use it for small items, such as wallets and luggage tags, or as garment accents, such as epaulets or collar points. Anywhere you’d add an accent of…
-
Laser Cut Appliqué Wall Art Kits for Summer Décor
Laser cut appliqués are the coolest thing in appliqué! These precut pieces allow you to put together seemingly intricate appliquéd projects in a mere fraction of the time, cutting (pun intended) out the tedious cutting, trimming and recutting needed in most cases for a layered appliqué project, such as our Summer Simply Appliqué scene. HOW LASER CUT APPLIQUE WORKS This pattern comes with a layout sheet to aid in layering the laser cut appliqué pieces properly to achieve a beautiful end result. Use a nonstick pressing sheet to place each piece and fuse the layers in order. A lightweight table-top lightbox is also SUPER helpful for this process. Tweezers also…
-
Embroidered Swim Coverup for Kids & Adults
An embroidered swim coverup is great for beach or swim days. This one has dual uses–it’s your towel and your coverup all in one. Using terry cloth and a cute embroidery design, this project is easily achievable in two hours or less (depending on how large the chosen design is). My daughter is always tripping on her towel after swimming so I thought this was a great solution for her. This project is also suitable for adults–even as a bath towel! Choose a design based on the recipient’s interests. The placement of the design is also your choice. Move the design to the curved lower edge on the front of…
-
5 Father’s Day Gifts to Sew & Embroider
Here are five Father’s Day gifts to sew, some of which are even easy enough for kids to sew themselves. Dad String Art Pick up a canvas and outline letters using a lightbox. Poke holes along the letter outlines and then thread a needle with two to three strands of Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites thread (choose a Blendables™ thread for a neat look). Instruct the kids to sew back and forth through the holes until the desired look is achieved. Dad can hang this in the office, garage or work space and keep it forever! This project by the blog teachbesideme is great for kids of all ages as…
-
3 Outdoor Embroidery Projects to Make in an Afternoon
Summer is coming and it’s time to get the patio furniture out of hiding and gather some fun outdoor embroidery projects to jazz up your deck decor. Using blanks, like tea towels and bath towels, is one super simple way to embroider personalized projects in a fraction of the time. Weigh the cost of purchasing a blank, or set of blanks, rather than the yardage needed to create the project if the main focus is embroidery. You may save a couple of bucks along with a couple of hours (or more!) and end up with something just as sweet. Here are three ideas for outdoor embroidery projects to get your…
-
5 Summer Break Sewing Projects for Kids
Now that the kids are out of school for the summer, it’s time to keep them busy with some summer break sewing projects. These easy projects for kids to sew require just a bit of fabric and beginner hand-sewing skills. As the summer goes on, move on to more advanced sewing techniques, like machine embroidery. They will love watching the machine do its magic and picking out all the thread colors for the design. 1. Glove Monster This cute project by Craftaholics Anonymous repurposes all those single gloves you have left from winter. Add a bit of felt scraps and choose a few colors of Sulky Cotton Petites™ threads and…
