Sewing Tips
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Is Cotton Thread a Good Choice for Machine Embroidery?
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! Cotton Thread and Machine Embroidery Rumor has it that synthetic threads are the best threads to use for machine embroidery. They flow through the machine’s mechanics effortlessly, plus they reflect light and shine just like an angel’s halo! I must admit; this rumor is all true. These threads ARE perfect for machine embroidery! However, there is also a rumor floating around that you should stay away from cotton thread because it will only bring embroidery heartache. And…
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Thread Applied to Machine Embroidery
Thread Applied to Machine Embroidery 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! Crayons, oil paints, water-colors, and even chalk are ways in which an artist expresses creativity. Thread articulates individual creativity when machine embroidering! Just as all artists look for “quality” raw materials in creating their next masterpiece, so should a seamstress, quilter or a machine embroidery enthusiast. But what defines “quality” in thread? One that is strong, smooth (not fuzzy), consistent in thickness, and resists tangles One that is made from long, tightly…
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Shortcut for Machine Embroidery on Linen
Confession Time: I wait until the last minute. I know I should plan ahead, especially when it comes to a gift that I am making for someone’s wedding. It’s not like I haven’t known the wedding date for almost a year. Yet, alas, I still seem to wait until the day before to start on the gift. Although this is a horrible idea, and I have more than once been caught in a pickle because of this practice, I have also learned some nifty tricks for getting things done rather quickly! One of my favorite wedding gifts to give are monogrammed linen towels and napkins. What new bride doesn’t want…
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April Spools Day – Tame the Tangle
April Spools Day! We love spools here at Sulky so much that we put our hand embroidery thread on a spool! No more dealing with that tangled mess of floss, no more separating strands (one strand of our 12 Wt. Cotton thread equals two strand of regular embroidery floss) and no waste! It’s the same, great, Sulky Solid Color and Blendables 12 wt. Cotton Thread you know and love – but on a “petite” 50 yd. snap-end spool. We all know the “threadaches” that can come with floss thread. Our Sulky Cotton Petites Thread are the perfect remedy. Here’s why: One strand is equal to two strands of the typical…
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Big Stitch Quilting with Sulky 12 Wt. Cotton Thread
I have to be honest, I had always looked at beautifully hand-quilted quilts and thought, “Well, that’s just crazy.” Although I loved the look feel and texture that hand quilting added to a project, I never saw myself doing such intricate work. The funny thing is, I love hand embroidery. Ah, the slow pace, the relaxation of having a project to work on at all times (I always have a hand embroidery project in my purse); and the satisfaction of finishing something that only required a simple needle and thread. I don’t know why it took my so long to realize that hand quilting is just one big hand embroidery…
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Free Webinar – Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine!
Join us for this special FREE webcast with Eileen Roche, an innovative expert in the field of computerized machine embroidery. Even if you do not have an embroidery machine, or if you have one and are ready to expand your skills, you will be inspired to create in new ways and learn some really great tips. Eileen will show you how you can use an embroidery machine to quilt anything from a pillow to a full-size quilt. For those of you who do not do computerized embroidery, you can apply some of her methods with your preferred way of quilting. In this 60-minute webinar, Eileen Roche will share her 20…
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How To: Upcycle Clothing with Embroidery
Our Friend Laura from Trash to Couture shares how to upcycle clothing. She takes a boring shirt and transforms it by adding embroidery using a Sulky Stabilizer, Sulky Rayon Thread, and the BERNINA 560 machine + embroidery module. We love this concept and are so excited to see more of her work. Take a look! What did you think? Let us know in the comments section! Happy sewing!
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Liquid Solvy Starch Recipe and Uses
As I said in my last post, I prefer to make my own starch and my favorite recipe the is one from the last post because it takes the wrinkles out of the fabric without leaving anything but a nice smell behind, but sometimes, I need a little more stability. When I am piecing anything on the bias or sewing with more delicate fabrics, I really want the fabric to act more like cardboard than fabric during the actual sewing process. The best way to achieve that is to make Liquid Solvy! An added bonus is I can make this with the left over Solvy bits that I pull off…
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My Favorite Homemade Starch Recipe
Several years ago I started making my own starch from scratch. I took a class with Edyta Sitar, and she made her own and gave me her recipe. I changed it slightly to fit my uses, but this is basically the same recipe. Homemade Starch Recipe 1 cup of Potato Vodka 4 cups of distilled water 15 drops of organic lavender oil Why make your own starch, you ask? I have several reasons. First, it’s the absolute best at getting out wrinkles and not leaving any residue. Second, I have friends with allergies and this starch doesn’t have any harsh chemicals. And lastly, but arguably the most important reason, if…
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Easter Egg Holder Made In The Embroidery Hoop
Easter Egg Holder Make an Easter Egg Holder completely in the hoop of your embroidery machine! This cute Easter Egg Holder design can be changed up by recipient by choosing different felt colors and further personalizing with a name or monogram, too. Grab the design and minimal materials and get started quickly and easily. A plastic egg fits inside nicely, but a dyed Easter egg does too! Add a name to the chick’s belly and treat these as place cards for your Easter table. Simply add a name using your machine screen before advancing to the embroidery steps. Because there isn’t much room for a large name, sub a monogram…
