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Gifts to Sew + Free Patterns
Quick Gifts to Sew + Free Patterns We’re all running out of time to make holiday gifts, so we’ve compiled eight quick gifts to sew that you can make before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve. These quick gifts to sew are also small-scale projects, which means you can utilize your fabric stash! Plus, you can choose different embroidery designs, add fun embellishments, and experiment with various thread weights and types to make each quick gift unique. Fleece Hat Everyone can use a hat during the winter months! This fleece hat pattern comes in kid and adult sizing, and it’s easily sewn in less than two hours. If you…
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Machine Embroidery Series: Rayon vs. Polyester
Rayon versus Polyester Thread Crayons, oil paints, water-colors, and even chalk are ways in which an artist expresses creativity. Almost all of us began our machine embroidery love affair by stitching designs in a 40 wt. Rayon or Polyester Thread. Embroidery supplies and techniques tend to be very personal, and we may have, at one time or another, engaged in a somewhat excitable conversation in defending our choice. Hopefully, after understanding a bit more about both Rayon and Polyester Thread you will agree that not only is there a place for both threads in machine embroidery, but that it is a must to include both thread types within your own…
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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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The Color of the Year for 2015
Since the year 2000, the experts at Pantone have been choosing a color of the year every year. Last year was Radiant Orchid (Sulky Color: #1032, Medium Purple). This year Pantone has picked Marsala and I for one, could not be more thrilled with this choice! I love this rich earthy color. I love the warm tone and sense of home it invokes in me. In Sulky threads, it matches several of our colors. For Rayon, it is color #1237 Deep Mauve, in Sulky Cotton Thread it is #1190 Medium Burgundy, in Sulky Metallic Thread it is color #7010 Dark Copper but in Sulky Sliver it is color #8011 Lt.…
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Make Your Own Award Ribbons With Your Embroidery Machine
Recently my quilt guild had our bi-annual Quilt Show. This year we had a new division: The Young Quilters’ division. Since this is not a juried show, we normally only give one award, the Peoples’ Choice award, but I just couldn’t in good conscience let the Young Quilters go away from our show without a ribbon. Confession time, I procrastinated and never got real ribbons ordered. So there I was sitting in my sewing studio the day before the Quilt Show was to open and I needed 4 ribbons to go on the four precious quilts that were entered in our Young Quilters division. I looked in my drawer and saw…
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Embroidered Clutch Purse
Sulky Certified Instructor Rita Gamela recently sent me a picture of this great little clutch she made for an event. She told me that she didn’t have a ton of time on her hands, but she really wanted a new clutch purse for the upcoming event. So she went into her stash and found a place mat! That place mat turned into a great accessory. She used Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Threads for the machine embroidery design and Sulky Blendables® threads with a twin needle in her machine for the background grid pattern. She inserted a zipper using the buttonhole stitch and a brand new purse is born! What a great…
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Off to College Bag and Towel Gift Set – Tutorial
It’s back to school time! Here in Georgia, my kids are happy to be back at school. They love getting to see all of their friends, and quite frankly, we all do a little better when we are on a schedule. I also know several young men and women who are heading off to college for the first time. Do you need a gift to give an entering college freshman? If so, this bag and bath set might be perfect. It is quick and easy to make and is sure to be appreciated. I started with monogramming the towel. I think monogrammed towels at college are a must. With new…
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Upcycled Denim Dress to Purse
National Sulky Educator Nancy Sapin upcycled a little denim dress and made this adorable purse! She made it out of an Oshkosh B gosh overall dress, size 24 months. Here is what Nancy said about making this purse: “I simply took the overall dress and sewed the skirt closed to be the bottom. I then took the pockets off, embroidered on them and serged around the pockets to add some flair before reattaching them to the purse. That’s it! I use the overall straps as the purse straps. It was really easy and turned out so cute. I would have taken more pictures while I was making it if I…
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Sulky Thread’s Color Coded Spools
I love things that make my life easier: automatic needle threaders, programmable thermostats, drive-through Starbucks, and when things are color coded! I jumped up and down when Schmetz introduced their color coded machine needles. Most people know that Sulky’s stabilizers are color coded but did you know that Sulky’s thread is color coded? Here is your cheat sheet to know which color means what: Rayon: 40 wt. Rayon (our most popular thread) has Blue on the end of the king spools, and the writing on the small spools is boring black (yes, that was the first thread type we introduced – who knew we’d have end up having so many!) 30 wt. Rayon…
