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Why Sulky Partnered with Frond Design Studios
Have you ever met someone, or even seen someone on TV or at a lecture and thought, “We could be good friends!” That is what we thought when we first met Stephanie Brandenburg, the creator of Frond Design Studios and saw her fabric. Well, just see for yourself. Look at this amazing fabric! If the fabric wasn’t enough to inspire (which it totally is, by the way), Stephanie’s passion and vision for her company sealed the deal for us. This is what she says about starting Frond Design Studios in her own words: A quote from Stephanie Brandenburg, Owner and Creator of Frond Design Studios “Frond Design Studios is the perfect example of…
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Top 10 Notions from Eric Drexler, Sulky Educator
Eric Drexler’s Top 10 Notions If I was on a deserted island with power and my sewing machine, these are the 10 notions I would need, and why: Collins Sewer’s Aid: It is a silicone lubricant that helps with some speciality threads, and fabrics. What I like the most is it keeps the adhesive off my needle when using any sticky-back product (including fusible webs). Simply put a drop on your finger and rub on the needle. Reapply as you start to see a build up again. Sew Steady Table: Since I first laid eyes on this extension table, I knew I was in love. The square inches of extra work area…
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Quick Gifts for Dad to Sew & Create
Gifts for Dad to sew & create! Father’s day is just around the corner! We have some wonderful embroidery designs with a mustache theme in the Sulky Embroidery Club for Dad (Click on the picture of the design to take you to the Sulky Embroidery Club site to purchase the design): You may remember this post I wrote about gifts for dad that gives lots of tips on doing machine embroidery for dad on a handkerchief On a shirt cuff And this great tutorial for a notebook cover So don’t forget dad! He deserved a little something homemade with love too. Happy Sewing!
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Stabilizer Basics: When & How to Use Different Stabilizers
Understand each type of stabilizer and how and when to use each one. This blog series includes helpful tips, hints and expert advice to ensure you choose the right stabilizer for your projects. Bookmark this post to refer to it later, as it’s a great resource for all things machine embroidery (and more!) Stabilizer Basics References The Stabilizer Basics – Series The Stabilizer Basics – Cut-Away and Tear-Away Stabilizer The Stabilizer Series – Your Questions Answered The Stabilizer Series – More Questions Answered The Stabilizer Basics – Water Soluble and Heat-Away The Stabilizer Basics – How Do I Get Started? The Stabilizer Infographic The Stabilizer Series – Tender Touch Once…
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Learn From the Best to Improve Your Sewing Skills
Learn from the Best How to learn from the best? When people ask me what is the best way to improve their sewing skills, I tell them two things. First, practice! Nothing takes the place of good old fashion trial and error. The second thing I say is take a class from Ellen Osten! She has forgotten more about sewing than you and I will ever learn. I remember my very first class with her. I left that room empowered to try new things and with a whole base of knowledge. I have never learned more in a single class than I did in that first class with Ellen. Ellen…
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Free-Motion Fun with Eric Drexler
If you have seen any of Sulky National Educator and Free-Motion Guru, Eric Drexler’s work, then you know what an amazing artist he is. Last summer, he learned how to Zentangle®. The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. When Eric learned it, he immediately thought, “I could do this with thread!” So he did! And he has created some amazing things. (Eric did the above pattern using a FriXion™ pen, but once ironed this amazing pattern is gone! So, he figured out a way to get the pattern on the fabric and yet still keep it – learn his secret.) So…
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Some Inspiration!
Sulky Certified Teacher and Quilt Artist Chris Eichner recently sent me these great pictures of a maple leaf that she thread painted. I was already impressed and then I asked her about how she made these two leaves. She answered, “Those aren’t two separate leaves, that is the front and back on one leaf that I thread painted onto an already quilted wall hanging.” How cool! She said she used Sulky Solvy® as her template. She drew the design onto the Solvy with a pen (I recommend using a FriXion pen), then she stuck the Solvy to the front of the quilted wall hanging with Sulky KK 2000 Temporary Spray Adhesive.…
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Easy Computer Bag
Remember I did a tutorial on Matchstick Quilting awhile back? (if not, here it is). I took those pieces and made them into a very simple bag to carry my computer! Here is how I did it. I took my 2 pieces that I had Matchstick quilted and squared them up to 2 matching pieces at 15″ x 17″. Next, I added a zipper to the top (The top for me was the 17″ side). Sometimes people are a little nervous about zippers so I thought I would walk you through this one. Start by unzipping the zipper a couple inches, then lay the zipper face down on the right…
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Upcycled reusable shopping bags
I need to confess. I am obsessive when it comes to the environment. I recycle everything, I compost, I reuse and I upcycle as much as posssible. I think it is important to be a good steward of the one and only planet in the Galaxy that God made for us humans to live on. I always have my reusable shopping bags in my car in case I need to stop at the store, but the ones that I had purchased are starting to wear out. Instead of going and buying more, I started looking around the house for something I could use to make shopping bags. I found this…
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Simple and Sweet Baby Quilts – Tutorial
When I received this baby shower invite, I was ecstatic! My friend Vicki has wanted a baby for so long so and to hear the news that it was twins just added joy. I knew that I wanted the gifts to be special. So I called my friend and Professional Long Arm Quilter, Donna Cusick, and asked if we could make some baby quilts for these two little baby boys. These are the quilts we made and here is how to make them for your next baby shower. Supplies: (2) 12-1/2″ squares from 3 coordinating fabrics for the front 1-1/2 yards of fabric for the back (We used Cuddle™ fabric)…
