Sewing Tips
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Clean Your Sewing Machine – the Dos and Don’ts
How to Clean Your Sewing Machine Today is National Sewing Machine Day! Let’s celebrate our precious babies and learn how to clean them in order to keep them in tip-top shape. Cleanings should be done frequently if you’re a frequent sewer, in addition to a yearly “spa day” with your machine dealer. Here’s how to clean your sewing machine and favorite notions to ensure a smooth sewing experience every time. Eric Drexler, Sulky educator and sewing machine mechanic, weighs in. Q: How often should I clean my sewing machine? A: How often to clean your sewing machine depends on how much you use your machine daily, weekly or monthly. Generally…
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Sewing Machine Maintenance – a Sewing Spa Day
Sewing Machine Maintenance A Sewing Spa Day Sewing machine maintenance is an essential part of sewing. Eric Drexler, National Sulky Educator and sewing machine technician, shares his recommendations for sewing machine maintenance and why we should get our machines in tip-top shape for all of our 2021 makes. from Eric: I have been repairing sewing machines for over 35 years and I’ve seen a lot of crazy things. A sewing machine is in fact, a machine. Machines need to be serviced. More often is better. Not only do they need to be cleaned and oiled on the inside, but also inspected for damage and to make mechanical adjustments. The following…
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Fleece Embroidery Tips for Perfect Stitchouts
Fleece Embroidery 101 + Tips for Perfect Stitchouts Fleece embroidery doesn’t have to be tricky. With the right tools for the job, you can embroider fleece like a pro. Fleece is a popular fabric for gifts, as the fabric is comfy, cozy and warm. Plus, it’s easy to sew because it doesn’t fray and the edges can be left raw. If you have a serger, it’s even easier to create projects using fleece! A few tips are all you need to remember when sewing fleece, and then we’ll get to the personalization options and fleece embroidery fun. SEWING TIPS When sewing fleece seams, a walking foot helps guide the fabric…
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T-Shirt Embroidery by Machine + Fun Teacher Gift
T-Shirt Embroidery with Great Results T-shirt embroidery is super fun and a great way to personalize a gift. Add any phrase you like, be sweet or cheeky, and decide from a number of available fonts either built into your machine or by using software. The featured “got sanitizer?” design was created using Drawings 10 software. It was digitized with each letter as a separate “color,” yet stitched in the same thread color. This is to ensure you move the T-shirt fabric out of the way of the next letter as you work your way through the design. “Got Sanitizer?” is provided to all of you readers for free if you’d…
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10 Water-Soluble Stabilizer FAQs with Patti Lee
10 Water-Soluble Stabilizer Questions Answered Patti Lee, VP of Consumer Relations at Sulky of America, answers your questions all day, every day. She’s a true expert on Sulky products, so we asked Patti to share the 10 most common questions she receives about Sulky water-soluble stabilizers, including Solvy®, Super Solvy™, Ultra Solvy™ and Fabri-Solvy™. Here are the top 10 water-soluble stabilizer questions answered. Q: Why should I use a water-soluble stabilizer and where? A: Use it anywhere that dissolving the stabilizer would be preferable to tearing, cutting or heating it away. They are widely used in the following techniques: Quilting, computerized embroidery, lace work, buttonholes, thread sketching, as a time-saving…
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Embroidered Baby Onesie with Patriotic Pride
Hand Embroidered Baby Onesie for Memorial Day or July 4 Add a special patriotic phrase to a baby onesie for Memorial Day or July 4 festivities. Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites™ thread is the perfect substitute for embroidery floss, as it’s on a spool so doesn’t tangle like pesky floss can. Plus, one strand of Petites equals two strands of traditional embroidery floss, so there’s less thread to contend with as you embroider. If you’re new to hand embroidery or want a video tutorial for using the Cotton Petites and Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch, look to our Hand Embroidery for Kids video series. (Kids of any age, or kids…
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Cotton Petites Thread: Top 10 Uses for Sewing Projects
Top 10 Uses for Sulky Cotton Petites™ Thread Sulky 12 wt. Cotton Petites thread is a great thread choice for so many sewing applications. The thread is heavyweight, 12 wt. to be exact, comes in myriad colors (even Blendables®) and one strand equals two strands of traditional embroidery floss. HANDWORK vs MACHINE SEWING Yes, you can use this heavyweight thread for hand or machine sewing. For serging, try this thread in the loopers for a full coverage rolled hem or decorative blanket edging. For machine embroidery, try this thread in “heavy,” “fur” or “brushed” designs (just don’t brush the design out; use Sulky Filaine to achieve that effect). For standard…
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10 Machine Embroidery Myths – True or False?
10 Machine Embroidery Myths To kick off National Embroidery Month, we’re diving into 10 machine embroidery myths. Are these myths true or false…or both? Join us all month long as we learn all about hand embroidery, machine embroidery, free-motion embroidery and more. Fun projects, freebies and product reviews abound! 1. Machine Embroidery Is Too Complicated FALSE. Most people believe that machine embroidery is a very technical skill to master. It’s assumed that because a larger, typically more expensive, machine is required, the skill level must be off the charts. While machine embroidery does require some basic knowledge, practice and “recipes” for success, the actual process is as simple as pressing…
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Knit Pajamas – Patterns to Make & Give + Hemming Tips & Tricks
Knit Pajamas for All! Knit pajamas make great holiday gifts, whether you make them to match for holiday greeting cards or make them different to suit each recipient’s interests. My children have come to expect new pajamas each Christmas and I like to change them up a bit year after year. They’ll get footie pajamas here or a cozy onesie there. Whether I change the fabric type or the style, they’re all a bit different. This year I’m making knit pajamas for the kiddos. I’m even making myself a pair, using a FREE leggings pattern! In the past I’ve made flannel PJs, nightshirts for my girls and fleece PJ pants…
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Machine Embroidery Appliqué + Fuzzy Quilts to Make
Machine Embroidery Appliqué is Super Fun & Easy! Create a fuzzy quilt featuring machine embroidery appliqué using an easy-to-make quilt kit. Don’t you just love a cozy quilt? Using Cuddle fabric is always a go-to when making a baby quilt or holiday-themed throw, amirite?These kits include Cuddle fabrics by Shannon Fabrics, precut (so you don’t have to shed-proof your sewing area) and ready to sew and embellish with machine embroidery appliqué. Also included is the Tear-Easy and Ultra Solvy stabilizer you need to create a fun motif, either the Frankie or Elephant. What is Machine Embroidery Appliqué? If you’ve never tried appliqué in an embroidery machine, you’re in for a…
