I have many projects waiting to be started or in various stages of finishing, but this past week I have had trouble getting myself motivated to work on any of them.  I am definitely a sewer who needs to be interested and motivated to work on any project.  This is probably the reason I am such an eclectic sewer.  If I lose interest in one type of project, I have something from a completely different area of sewing waiting for me.  I find inspiration in many different places.  I often just stand in my sewing room and look around at the different bins of fabric and all the projects those fabrics represent (the curse of the “just in case” rather than the “just in time” buyer!)  This week I found some inspiration watching some videos on different presser feet, accessories and a special easy quilt to try.  I’m sharing them with you hoping you too will find some inspiration.  Happy Sewing!

Husqvarna Viking Facebook Page – please remember the link takes you to the page, not to the individual daily posts. I have given you some post dates I watched and you might find helpful. For instance: October 6th – Mickey Hudson’s post on how to use the quilt binding attachment. Mickey shows how to use the attachment but also shows some advanced concepts on how to adjust the accessory for different binding effects. Those of you who purchased or are thinking of purchasing this attachment might find this very interesting. October 13th – how to add a ruffle to a plain piece of fabric using the Ruffler attachment. October 14th – how to embroider with puffy foam. Remember, you need to use an embroidery design that has been digitized to use puffy foam. September 23rd – a recorded Facebook live program by Karen Charles, educator for Husqvarna Viking. She is talking about different embroidery hoops and stabilizers, but also has a great “trunk show” to share that everyone will enjoy seeing. September 29th – Karen Charles gives some tips on the metal hoops available for hoop driven embroidery machines.

Pfaff Facebook Page – October 12th – Attaching and using the Quilting Guide. This is usually an included accessory for most machines. October 6th – using the circular attachment to create an original appliqued quilt block using your machine’s decorative stitches. September 29th and October 8th – using the multi-line decorative foot to create interesting original decorative patterns.

A Youtube post from Donna Jordan of Jordan Quilts. This is a great looking quilt, easy to assemble, but striking when done. This quilt, “Dresden Bloom” uses my favorite Dresden template in an original design layout.

Last week I talked about a needle storage option that works well for me.  I thought this week I would share some of my favorite specialty needles that you may not have known were an option.  There are those that are more readily available, such as twin needles, and then there are the ones that you will probably only find in the shop of an independent dealer, such as Bonny’s Sewing and Fabric.  If you have not tried these options before, you may want to explore a bit.  I have used each one of these options on projects and have been really pleased with the results.  For all of the specialty needles I use, I always slow the speed of my machine and increase the stitch length.  This is not the time to sew at the fastest speed the machine can handle and by increasing the stitch length, the specialty needles I am using really show off the stitches they are creating.  Also, depending upon the specialty needle I’m using, I make sure to stabilize my fabric really well.  Because there are many top threads coming into one bobbin thread, the chances of your top fabric being taken into the needle hole of the zig-zag plate is high.  This will jam the machine and probably result in broken needles.  Since most of the specialty needles have a width to them, you will not be able to use a straight stitch plate to prevent this problem:  thus the use of stabilizer under your fabric to help keep the fabric supported and out of the needle hole.  Happy Sewing!

With the double and triple needles, I want to remind you to go into your machine’s Settings Menu and choose twin needle. The machine will ask you which one you are using. They are referring to the width between the two needles, which you’ll find on the needle package. If you are using a triple needle, don’t worry about it’s size. Just choose the largest option your machine has: usually that’s the 6.0mm.

For years I kept my sewing machine needles in a drawer in my sewing cabinet.  Each time I wanted to change a needle, I went through the sizes and types that were lined up in one big row inside the drawer until I found the one I wanted.  As you can imagine, my lineup of needle packages was neat, but it was not in any organizational format that allowed me to access the needle I wanted in a quick and efficient manner.  One day a few years ago, I decided to take the time to organize my needles, not only by size and kind, but by whether or not they were used for sewing or embroidery.  My organization took the form of an inexpensive lock-lid plastic storage box with two Dollar Store baskets inside.  Not much to brag about, but it works very well for me.  If you have been thinking about organizing your own needle collection, I hope this gives you an idea to get you started on your organizational journey!

After organizing your own needles, please remember to change your needle every 6 to 8 hours of sewing time, if you are using a standard needle. If you are using a chrome or titanium coated needle, that sewing time between needle changes usually stretches anywhere from 20 to 25 hours. As a general rule, if you are breaking the top thread more than twice in a sewing session or if your machine is skipping stitches, you may want to change your needle. Chances are, all your troubles will disappear! Happy Sewing!

I told you a couple weeks ago that I was interested in a deeper exploration of the quilting stitches themselves rather than concentrating on the piecing aspects of my own quilting projects this fall.  I really love the embroidered quilting designs my machines can produce for my projects, but I am also interested in what I can do outside of embroidery to really make my projects stand out.  I am the first to admit that I am not an accomplished free motion quilter.  I have not put in the kind of practice time that art form requires, but I can still make quite a statement in my projects outside of my hoop driven embroidery by trying a straight forward technique I know I can do:  echo quilting.  I have been exploring the online offerings lately (what did we do before YouTube and Facebook?) and have found some things that might interest you as you also plan your upcoming projects.  I have included video links as well as links to accessories needed.  Remember, accessories for Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines are still 20 percent off through September 30th! 

If you happen to own a walking foot, this video by Angela Walters gives some good instruction on quilting using the feed teeth and this foot.

I think you will find this Angela Walters echo quilting video quite inspirational. I know I did!

Happy Sewing!

Now that machines have hoop driven embroidery, the built in stitches that come on our machines, which used to be considered “embroidery”, are now known as decorative stitches.  Whatever you call them, even though they are not, for the most part, as big as hoop driven embroidery designs, they can still make a very big impact on a project.  Brother, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff all have the ability to sew these decorative stitches as borders, and if you use the programming/sequencing feature on these machines you can create your own patterns, but don’t forget the impact that can be made by using just one decorative stitch placed at just the right spot!  All three of these machines can produce a one-at-a-time striking decorative stitch; they just go about it in different ways.

My Brother and my Pfaff machine have an icon that allows me to isolate just one decorative stitch out of a border and use it as a stand-alone accent.  My Husqvarna Viking goes about the same task a little differently.  Let me show you…

I hope this gives you something to consider for your next project, big or small.  Remember, it’s the little things that sometimes make the biggest difference! Happy Sewing!

No matter what projects you like to sew, using gathers in material will, at some point, be included in your project.  If you are a garment sewer, you will use gathers most on waistbands, sleeves and for embellishment.  Home décor sewers will use them on projects such as pillows, curtains and dust ruffles.  Quilters will use them for embellishment; to really make their creations pop.  Gathering by hand or by pulling draw strings is always an option for smaller areas, but there is a special presser foot for the sewing machine that can make such quick work of this often tedious task when tackling larger projects.  With a little knowledge, this Gathering foot can be your new best friend!

There are a few tricks to using the Gathering foot to your greatest advantage.  I have included a YouTube video done by Sarah from Heirloom Creations for a complete demonstration.  (Even though the demonstration is on a Husqvarna Viking machine, the same information applies to any machine.)  The first thing you need to remember with this foot is that once you sew the gathers, you will not be able to adjust them.  For this reason, the Gathering foot is best used on larger projects where a lot of gathered fabric is needed in a specific size.  Trying to use this foot to gather the material to fit into a sleeve opening, for example, would simply not be practical.  (If you are really interested in this foot, you may want to check out the September 2nd Facebook Live post by Husqvarna Viking’s Vanessa Dyson on the difference between the Gathering foot and the Ruffler foot.)

You will need to decide how much material it will take to make the amount of gathers you will need.  I usually use a few 10” long pieces of the actual material I will be gathering to test and create all my machine settings.  Since gathers look best when they are two to three times greater than what they are attaching to, you will want to use these 10” test pieces to decide your stitch length and upper thread tension.  I use 10” long pieces of material for my tests simply because it makes the math really easy.  For example, if I gather my 10” long piece of material and, when I’m finished, it is 7” long, I know my machine’s settings are gathering my material by 30%.  I can calculate the amount of material I will need for my gathers based on that information and the size of my project.  Increasing stitch length creates more gathers and decreasing stitch length creates fewer gathers.  Increasing upper thread tension creates more gathers and decreasing the tension creates fewer gathers.  You can use a combination of stitch length and thread tension to create the exact gathered effect you want.  Once you have created all of the machine’s settings for the perfect gathers for your project, don’t forget to save them to your machine’s memory!  I also tend to write down my information so I don’t inadvertently erase my settings in memory by saving over them at a later date (just ask me how that could happen!).

Remember, if you think this accessory might be helpful to you, all machine accessories for Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking machines are on sale for 20% off all during the month of September!  Happy Sewing!

P.S. In last week’s blog I was talking about using the Circular Attachment for quilting purposes. Check out this Pfaff Facebook post from September 11th on using the Attachment for another clever piecing use!

This month is National Sewing Month, which got me thinking about new ways to use some of my favorite accessories.  Some years ago I purchased the Husqvarna Viking Circular Attachment to help me stitch accurate circle appliques for a project I was working on.  It did a great job and the gift was well received, but I must admit, I have not used the accessory much lately.  On Facebook, there are a number of videos showing how to use the attachment to make, not only circles, but a four and six petal flower, usually as an applique.  As I am planning my fall quilting projects, I’ve decided to explore more of the quilting itself rather than have all the attention on the embroidery, applique or the piecing and this provides a perfect format for that.  So… the question becomes, “What if I used the flower template from the circular attachment to simulate ruler work?”  This is how I answered that question.

Now, for this demonstration, I used only one block that was not attached to anything else.  My plan is to piece the project first, leaving 5” plain blocks where the four petal flower stitching will go. (I could even do some free motion quilting inside or outside the flower for a very different effect!)  Once the blocks are pieced and the quilt sandwich is basted, I can use the circular attachment to create the four petal flowers in random blocks, filling other blocks with other quilting stitches; either free motion or embroidery.  Maybe you’d like to give this new quilting option a try.  Accessories for both Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff are on sale for 20% off during the month of September!  Happy Sewing!

Husqvarna Viking Circular Attachment (page 38)

Pfaff Circular Attachment (page 32)

Last week I used three embroidery hoops in different sizes as examples to demonstrate one of the most obvious reasons why every embroidery hoop will not fit onto every embroidery machine.  Each hoop I used was the same in height (360mm or 14”), but they each differed in their width. 

In my 5.3.20 blog I talked about the machine embroidery hoop size in terms of the usable area inside the hoop.  The discussion today pertains to the outside of the hoop.  Specifically how far a hoop can go to the right of the needle and not hit the side of the machine, while still maintaining the allowances needed along the three sides and the top of the inside of every hoop.  This space issue is one of the most obvious reasons why a hoop will or will not fit on a particular machine.  There are other factors, such as the size of the embroidery unit itself, but this factor of the space to the right of the needle is very clear to see and understand.  Remember, each hoop must have enough space to move so it can maintain a ¼” allowance along the bottom of the hoop and the two sides and 1 ¼” along the inside top (see the May blog for pictures and examples of this).

For each hoop, no matter what the size, realize that designs are always going to be a tad smaller. For example, designs for an 8″ x 8″ hoop will only go to 7.90″ x 7.90″. This is to allow for moving the design for precise placement on your project.

Remember, if a particular embroidery hoop is supposed to fit your machine, but your machine will not recognize it, try updating your machine from the website (at the bottom right of the Husqvarna Viking or Pfaff homepage named “Machine Updates”).  Just follow the given instructions, or have Bonny’s Sewing and Fabric install the update for you during your next machine service.  Happy Sewing!

Buying a sewing machine or sewing/embroidery machine, for most of us, is an emotional as well as intellectual decision.  When you create on this machine, you will be giving a piece of yourself to the project, whether or not it is for yourself or for a gift.  That’s why we all like as many options as possible to come with our machines, to give us as many choices as possible, and tend to feel a bit disappointed if we don’t have everything we want.  On the other hand, sewing machine manufacturers tend to market machines based on features, so they make it very tempting to move up the line of machines to get as much as possible.  It’s human nature to want the most! 

When it comes to sewing/embroidery machines, we tend to advise the customer to buy the machine you can afford to buy that accommodates the largest hoop size.  There are several reasons for this.  First, generally, the larger the size of the hoop, the more stitches you can use in your design.  Entry level machines usually have a stitch limit of about 50,000 stitches, which sounds like a lot, but in the world of embroidery, is an average amount of stitches.  Second, the larger the hoop the less hoopings will be required to complete a design group.  This saves you time, both in stitch out and in design placement and composition.  Third, who doesn’t love those large, eye-catching designs?  Designs are sold by their size, so a small hoop limits what designs you will be able to purchase and use.

So, when a new hoop comes out, why can’t every sewing/embroidery machine use it?  There are several reasons a hoop will not be compatible with all machines, but one of the most obvious reasons is the distance between the needle and the inside arm of the machine body.  The smaller the distance to the right of the needle, the more hoop size is limited.  For example, look at the pictures below.  I used three hoops for my demonstration:  the 360 X 200mm hoop (14” X 8”) that comes with many machines, the 360 X 260mm hoop (14” X 10”) that fits the Husqvarna Epic and Epic 2 machines and the Pfaff Creative Icon, and the 360 X 350mm turntable hoop (14” X 13”) that fits the top of the line machines.  Look for part 2 of my demonstration in photos in next week’s blog.

While waiting for Part 2 of this blog, check out these chart links based on your sewing/embroidery machine (Husqvarna Viking or Pfaff) to see what fits your specific machine.  When buying a new machine, no matter whether or not it has embroidery, the best advice is to buy as much machine as you can afford.  Once you have the features, you will use them all!  Happy Sewing!

Husqvarna Viking Hoop Chart (the link will not take you to the exact page. You will need to go to page 88 of the flip book. Sorry!)

Pfaff Hoop Chart (the link will not take you to the exact page. You will need to go to page 76 of the flip book. Sorry!)

Each of us has purchased our machine for our own reasons; taking into account what projects we hope to work on most.  Every machine sold by Bonny and Frank comes with an accessory tray that can be removed to expose a free arm, making sewing small round areas, such as sleeves, a little easier.  We are all able to sew with the machine the way it comes; with the accessory tray and the free arm, but we may want to add something else that can give us more sewing space.  A way to extend the area around the needle is very important to almost every type of sewing I know.  Having the ability to support your project’s fabric so it does not pull or distort as it leaves the needle gives a much more professional look to the finished project.  I have three different types of extensions that I use on my machines.  If you have not used an extension before, I hope this helps you decide if this optional purchase may be just what you need to give your sewing that extra bit of ease, enjoyment and professional appearance.

The three types of extensions available as an aftermarket purchase are the extension table made by the machine company, an extension table made by a third party or a sewing machine cabinet.  Over the years, I happen to have acquired one of each of these (says the “just in case” instead of the “just in time” buyer!), so let’s give you something to think about if you have none.

Happy Sewing!