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Rod Art with Sulky Threads
Did you know you can even glam up your fishing rod with Sulky Threads? Rod art is a great DIY gift idea for the fisherman in your life! We talked with John, who has been building rods to help make fishing easier for people with disabilities since becoming disabled himself. He uses Sulky Threads to turn his rods into beautiful works of art. Here are a few of his tips and tricks to making Rod Art: How did you get started with rod building? After I became disabled my hands became very weak and the pain in my body made fishing very difficult. My wife gave me the idea that…
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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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Rayon Thread: It’s Beautiful and It’s Earth Friendly
Sulky Rayon Thread is, and always has been, a favorite in the machine embroidery world because of its soft, warm feel and natural-looking luster. What many people don’t realize though, is that Rayon (sometimes referred to as Viscose) originates from nature! It is made from ENKA Viscose, which is 100% biodegradable; and the availability of the renewable resource, wood, is virtually unlimited. The raw material needed for the production of viscose is cellulose pulp, and the original material for the pulp production is wood. Cellulose is the natural building material needed by plants for forming their cellular walls. There are only a few wood types where the cellulose develops the properties…
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Upcycled Tote Bag
Since two of my favorite past times are shopping and going to quilt shows, I have acquired my fair share of tote bags. I love these bags because they are usually well constructed and they were free! The problem is, I don’t love walking around with advertisements on my bag (Unless I’m advertising Sulky, of course!), so I decided to give this bag a makeover. I started by seam ripping the pocket open. I knew I wanted to add an embroidered design to the pocket so I measured the pocket to see the size of the space and figure seam allowances. I chose to add 1 inch to the top…
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Machine Embroidery “The Right Way” on Knit
I have a confession. When it comes to machine embroidery, I am a newby. I love it, I’m just not very experienced. If you ask me to put a monogram on basic cotton, I am all over it, but anything beyond that I a refer to my embroidery bible or I ask Patti Lee, Sulky’s resident guru and VP of Consumer Relations. Recently, I wanted to put this design onto t-shirt material, so I asked Patti what stabilizer I needed for this design. She said I needed to use Sulky Solvy® as a topper, Sulky Soft n Sheer Extra™ as a backing and Sulky Tender Touch™ for the back. Confession number 2:…
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A Great Quilt and a Great Reaction!
Mary and Ron Mangum are great friends of Sulky. As a matter of fact, they went to Germany with us! They were the winners of our 25th Anniversary Contest. You can read all about the dream vacation that they received here. Mary has been working on this very special quilt for a very special guy, her grandson, for a while. She knew he loved the Beatles and wanted to be sure to capture that love, and her love for him, in a quilt for his graduation. Have you ever made a quilt for someone and wondered if they would truly appreciate all of your hard work and artistic effort as much…
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For Father’s Day – The Perfect Monogram
I am a southerner and southerners do love all things monogrammed. My favorite quote is from one of my girls’ teachers who said, “I would monogram my toothbrush if I could!” It’s true, we do go a little crazy with our monograms, but a well placed, well done and perfectly sized monogram can also be a perfect thoughtful Father’s Day gift. Here are three ideas: Monogram the cuff of his dress shirt – When I was growing up, the only person I knew with a monogrammed dress shirt cuff was a gentleman at my church who was the vice president of a bank. I remember seeing that detail and thinking how…
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No Math Notepad Cover Tutorial
I hate math. Funny, I know, since we use an awful lot of it in sewing, but this little project has almost none! After you cut the stabilizer to the right size, the math is done. This little notepad would make a great gift for Father’s Day or Graduation and it only took a couple hours to make. What I used: Brown faux micro-suede and a matching batik fabric leftover from another project 6 – 8″ x 10″ pieces of Sulky Fuse ‘n Stitch™ Sewing thread Sulky 40 wt. Rayon #1266 Toast I have an 8″ roll of Sulky Fuse ‘n Stitch, so all I had to do was measure off…
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Introducing Our Friend Lori Kennedy: She is doing a Sulky Giveaway on her blog!
I love reading blogs. I have been known to waste an entire day that I could have been sewing, just reading and looking at pictures on different blogs. I have had to reign myself in. Now I only give myself a set amount of time before I will then get off the computer and go make something, instead of just reading and looking at pictures of what everyone else in the internet world has made (don’t get me started on Pinterest, although I would love for you to follow us). Like everyone, I have my favorites that I always check to see what they are up to. One of my…
