-
Denim Embroidery Digs – Tips, Tricks & Takeaways
Denim Embroidery Tips for Machine Embroidery on Denim Garments Denim embroidery is striking, colorful and just plain fun. Denim is a great canvas for embroidery designs because it’s a stable, heavyweight fabric that can take a lot of stitches without puckering, buckling or show-through. Here’s how to prepare your denim, jeans, jean jackets and more for machine embroidery. DESIGN CHOICE There are loads of great choices for denim embroidery. Choose designs with lots of fill stitches, dense stitching and even appliqué embroidery designs. Steer clear of line-art style designs, unless they’re digitized for heavyweight threads. These designs are easily lost in the heavyweight fabric fibers and you’ll want the embroidery…
-
Garment Sewing for Beginners & Beyond
Garment Sewing – Yes, you can! If it’s been a while since you did any garment sewing, or you’ve never tried sewing a garment, now’s the time to give it a try! In the second Summer Sewing Session of 2021, beginning August 2, sewing star Meg Healy will teach you how to draft, sew and embellish the all-new DIY Lounge Wrap pattern. The Session is $14.99 for a limited time (you must register before Aug 2 to get this discount!), and then it goes up to $19.99 (still a great value!). Pattern Particulars This garment sewing pattern is a loose-fitting wrap, easily dressed up or down depending on the fabric…
-
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…
-
Salley Mavor of Wee Folk Studio talks Artwork & Embroidery
Salley Mavor, Wee Folk Studio, Featured Artist We sat down with Salley Mavor of Wee Folk Studio to learn about her handwork creations. Salley creates embroidered artwork that’s photographed and reproduced in children’s books. Her pieces are truly remarkable. Read on to learn more! How do you describe your art? A needle is my tool, thread is my medium and stitches are my marks. My artwork is decorative and detailed, full of patterns and found objects, all bound together with stitching. I create sculptural scenes in bas-relief, much like miniature, shallow stage sets, with figures imposed on embellished fabric backgrounds. There is a certain over-the-top quality to my work that…
-
Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches: Hand Embroidery for Kids, Episode 3
Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches Hand Embroidery for Kids, Episode 3 with Laura Bray of Laura Bray Designs When learning hand embroidery, three basic stitches are essential for most embroidery patterns. Learn these three easy stitches to begin learning the wonderful world of hand embroidery! The below video is great for teaching kids in a safe, fun environment. Have your child practice these stitches on a piece of scrap fabric. They won’t be as nervous about their stitches, which will help them grow their stitching confidence. Backstitch This is one of the easiest stitches. The backstitch is a great stitch to use when outlining a pattern. For beginners, outlining a…
-
Give Thanks Pillow with Embroidery Made Easy
Give Thanks Pillow by Ellen March This Give Thanks Pillow is a great last-minute decoration for Thanksgiving. Whether you’re planning on hosting the big day or staying in, this Give Thanks pillow sets a nice tone for the season. Add a zipper to the cover to easily remove the cover when swapping decor for different holidays. SUPPLIES 1/2 yard of medium-weight fabric or 14″ square pillow blank 14″ pillow form Tear-Easy™ Stabilizer Poly Deco™ thread (construction) 40 wt Rayon thread (machine embroidery) Machine embroidery design (approx 6″x9″; such as Give Thanks by Urban Threads) 14″ all-purpose zipper (optional; if not using pillow blank) GIVE THANKS EMBROIDERY If using fabric yardage,…
-
Embroidered Apron, Free Design & Free Pattern
Embroidered apron patterns are fun and functional, plus they remind us of our moms, grandmas and other influential women in our lives (I’m sure aprons remind some people of certain men in their lives, too). On the week before Mother’s Day, we invite you to make a new embroidered apron pattern using fun fabrics and a cute spring-inspired embroidery, courtesy of Chelsea Briner of Sew Simple Home. We hope it gives you the warm fuzzies! This embroidered apron pattern is a great gardening apron, as it gathers up to hold your fruits and veggies as you pick them! Fun and functional at its best. About Chelsea Chelsea Briner is a…
-
Pieced Pillow + Embroidery-Springtime Decor
Make a Pieced Pillow with Embroidery for Spring! designed by Pamela Cox In case you missed our free project for March, here it is! This pillow is pieced in a whimsical, funky way that lends itself to modern home-decor. The fabric is by Cotton + Steel, but you can use any fabric in your stash and change the threads in the design to suit your existing home decor or bring in a little brightness for springtime. Follow the link for all the how-tos and full pattern instructions. The designs are from the Cotton + Steel Scout collection, including Medium Lovebird design #80141-04 and Happy Daisy design #80141-11. With this pillow pattern, you’ll…
-
Christian Dior: From Paris to the World Exhibit & Inspiration
Find inspiration to fuel your creativity from the Dior: From Paris to the World exhibit. Fashion Influence Christian Dior, French fashion designer, was influential for his cutting edge shapes and silhouettes. The Dior: From Paris to the World exhibit at the Denver Art Museum showcased many of Dior’s original sketches and works and followed the timeline of the House of Dior into the 21st century. A selection of 150 couture dresses, as well as accessories, costume jewelry, photographs, drawings, runway videos, and other archival material, all combine to explain the history of the iconic haute couture fashion house and its founder, Christian Dior. Christian Dior Exhibit The exhibit ran in…
-
Travel More this Year & Take a Sewing Vacation
Take a Sewing Vacation & Travel More This Year New Year’s resolution: sewing vacation! To avoid a resolution that’s unattainable, I like to keep it simple and vow to simply sew more, have more fun, spend more time with the kids…things like this. This year my New Year’s resolution is to take a sewing vacation. I’m vowing to feed my passions by traveling more and absorbing inspiration from other cultures, other cities, and other people. I know it’s a lot easier to do this sort of thing if you don’t have to work most days, as it can be hard to get days off work. I’m assuming though that a…
