• Machine Embroidery Series: Leather

    This series is written by guest blogger, Pamela Cox. Pamela is an expert embroiderer, designer, digitizer and all around wonderful girl! We are so happy to have her contributing to the Sulky Blog! Leather Leather is not as difficult to embroider on as one might imagine. However, it is important to first understand leather’s properties and then to follow a few rules to ensure success. “Fabric” is made up of woven or knitted threads which can stretch, move and recover. Leather does not have this “memory” and is therefore not forgiving. Once a mark, or a hole, has been made in leather, it is forever there. “Unforgiving marks” also encompass…

  • Machine Embroidery Series – Delicate Fabrics

    This series is written by guest blogger, Pamela Cox. Pamela is an expert embroiderer, designer, digitizer and all around wonderful girl! We are so happy to have her contributing to the Sulky Blog!   Delicate Fabrics   Today, let’s talk about how to be successful when embroidering on light-weight, semi-sheer cloth. This fragile, woven-fabrics category is not specific to a fiber content. In other words: Batiste (cotton)   Handkerchief linen (linen) Organza (silk) or one of the many synthetic fiber look alikes, all require the same steps and supplies for machine embroidery. Prior to use, it is always recommended to pre-wash and dry fabrics which can be cared for this way.  This…

  • Machine Embroidery Series – Embroider on Satin

    How to Embroider on Satin This series is written by guest blogger, Pamela Cox. Pamela is an expert embroiderer, designer, digitizer and all around wonderful girl! We are so happy to have her contributing to the Sulky Blog!   Embroider on Satin     The fabric we call “satin”, actually refers to its weaving pattern which produces a shiny, slippery, easy to fray fabric. Read on for tips and techniques to embroider on satin with ease. The “fabric” can be manufactured from silk fibers, or synthetic threads, both sold under the “satin” label, although with much different price points!  “Satin” fabrics produced by weaving cotton or polyester threads often are…

  • Machine Embroidery Series – Velvet

    This series is written by guest blogger, Pamela Cox. Pamela is an expert embroiderer, designer, digitizer and all around wonderful girl! We are so happy to have her contributing to the Sulky Blog! Velvet Picture Christmas represented by a fabric…..it would be a rich, elegant fabric, yet soft to the touch, bringing joy when caressed. Only velvet can fulfill all these wishes! Originally made from silk, velvet is now manufactured from synthetic fibers bringing price points down without sacrificing the deep nap or the soft-flowing drape of the cloth.  Check “care instructions” found at the end of the bolt as most velvets do require dry cleaning. Velvet should never be directly…

  • DIY Tassel Necklace – It’s Super Easy!

    In case you are like me and need a couple more gifts, here is a fun and quick gift you can make.   These trendy necklaces can be made in any color you want, and you can get them done fairly quickly. Here is what you need: Beads – I picked mostly glass beads with a few natural stone and painted beads thrown in. I got 3 necklaces out of each 112-inch string of glass beads. Bead Stringing Wire, .024 in – I bought 30 ft. since I knew I had a lot of necklaces to make. You need 34″ per necklace Connectors – I like the triangle ones, but…

    Comments Off on DIY Tassel Necklace – It’s Super Easy!
  • Machine Embroidery Series – Embroider Felted Wool

    Embroider Felted Wool Felted Wool? or is it Wool Felt? Felted wool and wool felt are terms often used interchangeably. But they are, in fact, two different materials. The common factor is that both fabrics are made from wool. The difference comes in the way the wool is processed. Wool felt is produced by applying moisture, heat and pressure directly to wool roving, compressing the roving into a solid compact fabric. Felted wool is a woven fabric, washed in hot water and dried at high temperatures. Basically, the woven fibers shrink into each other. Probably difficult to see in a photo, the red felted wool has a softer look and…

    Comments Off on Machine Embroidery Series – Embroider Felted Wool
  • Gifts For Sewists

    Finding the perfect gift for my sewing friends should be easy. They love sewing, just like me; so if I would like it, they will like it! Well, I have found that isn’t always the case! More than once, I have given a gift to a sewing friend and been met with that fake smile and forced, “oh, thank you.” Some have even said, “Oh good! something else I won’t have time to make.” (Don’t worry, those people went on the “don’t buy a gift for them” list). In an effort to become a better gift-giver myself, I have done some research and made a list of gifts that sewists…

  • Machine Embroidery Series – FREE Baby Blanket Tutorial

    This series is written by guest blogger, Pamela Cox. Pamela is an expert embroiderer, designer, digitizer and all around wonderful girl! We are so happy to have her contributing to the Sulky Blog! Baby Blanket Directions Approximate Finished size: 40”x 32½” Life has been good to us, especially if we can afford an embroidery machine; not that we didn’t have to work hard to make this happen!  However, we still must be, not only “in a good place” with our lives, but possibly in a “better place” than many others. We have the ability to create many beautiful items while uniting our love of sewing with the technology of computerized,…

    Comments Off on Machine Embroidery Series – FREE Baby Blanket Tutorial
  • Embroider Fleece – Machine Embroidery Series

    How to Embroider Fleece Embroider Fleece How to embroider fleece is one of the most asked questions. Here we explain the techniques so the fleece you embroider looks great every time. The term “fleece” truly means “the coat of sheep or other long-haired animals”.  However, much like the trade name “Xerox” is interchangeably associated with “copying a document”, “fleece” is now associated with several types of synthetic fabrics, all characterized by a some-what stretchable, soft, comfy, napped fabric. Fleece is available in a wide range of colors, to include many prints and comes in several weights, textures and price points.  More expensive fabrics will usually display a thicker, deeper nap…

  • Machine Embroidery Series: In-the-Hoop Baby Bib

     In-the-Hoop Baby Bib Now that you have some great tips on doing machine embroidery on flannel, let’s try it out on this cute in-the-hoop baby bib project! This is a great little gift for Christmas or a baby shower. Simply change the colors up to fit the decor (and gender) of the little one you’re making this bib for. Skill Level: Embroidery – Beginner Bib Stitching – Not Applicable – since it is stitched automatically In-The-Hoop (Bonus!) Decorative Stitching is optional and makes this project Beginner-to-Intermediate depending on your chosen stitch. Supplies: 1/3 yard of cotton flannel Sulky® Tear-Easy™ Stabilizer Sulky KK 2000™ Temporary Spray Adhesive Sulky 40 wt. Rayon…