Quilting – Sewing Scoupe

Fun Free Embroidery Designs

In past years, Christmas in July has always brought out lots of sales and free stuff from embroidery companies and quilting sites. This year was no exception. I think the online embroidery companies have outdone themselves this year. July isn’t the only month you can download free or inexpensive designs. If you are new to embroidery, this is a great way to add to your stash of embroidery designs. With costs of everything the way it is, saving money on designs is always a good thing.

Whether you are a newbie to machine embroidery or a seasoned professional, you can never have enough machine embroidery designs. The companies I have listed below are just a few of the companies that I found have great sales or free designs. Check out all the “creative Links” on the right and see what fun and wonderful designs you can find free or inexpensively. Here are just a few to get you started.

http://www.oesd.com has pages and pages of $1.00 designs. Many are part of a pack of designs. You might like that one design and then buy the whole pack. They also have some free standing lace/applique Christmas ornaments that are gorgeous

http://www.emblibrary.com gives you one or 2 free designs every month, then all throughout the month they have deep sales on different designs. Be sure to sign up for the Christmas Club. You can get free designs before Christmas.

Oh My Crafty Supplies http://www.ohmycs.com has a free design every day. If you miss the free one you can usually get it next day for a dollar.

Check out http://www.designsbyjuju.com. because they have great designs. If you are a quilter and want to do you own quilting with your embroidery machine, then check out their “end to end” quilting designs. They are amazing, easy to do, and your quilts look like they were quilted on a long arm machine.

Anita Goodesign at http://www.anitagoodesign.com always has something on sale on their online store. Their designs are beautiful and instructions are easy to follow.

I love doing Mylar embroidery designs. Get some fun, inexpensive or free designs from http://www.charmingstation.com They have a whole series of snow men designs that are free. Their free turkey design is adorable. Their packs of designs are also inexpensive. Check out the chocolate mug rugs. They have no calories!

I was just given a new site that a friend just loves. http://www.sarastockdesigns.com has great in the hoop projects and the big thing is key fobs.

Many of the embroidery companies have “IN THE HOOP” projects. You can complete the project totally in the hoop or with a minimal amount of sewing. These make great presents for friends or relatives. Instructions are generally easy to follow and everyone will be amazed at what you created.

This is just a few places you can find wonderful embroidery. Check them out and enjoy starting on some great presents for the holidays.

I will be doing more educational blogs in the future and I genuinely hope you enjoy them. Please pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizers, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Happy Sewing,

Molly

Embroidering with Mylar, The Dos and Don’ts

Mylar Embroidery® is the trademarked name owned by Patricia Gates, the owner of Purely Gates Embroidery. For the last 15 years she has been creating machine embroidery designs made specifically for use with Mylar which is an opalescent film. Her designs are beautiful and always turn out perfect when you use the proper Mylar that she sells. Her product can be washed and dried and there is no loss of film from flaking. The designs are exquisite and you can get just about any design category you want. How about cute lady or male chefs on an apron for a Christmas present, or a fun glitter camper on a tea towel as a gift for someone who owns an RV. You can purchase her products direct or at your favorite quilt or embroidery shop. Check it out here https://purelygates.com

Embroidery designs for Mylar are digitized differently than regular designs. They are more like machine applique with the Mylar, and sometimes fabric, being the component that makes the design. They are fun because they are shimmery, giving that design some bling and pop! Designs for Mylar have light, spaced out stitches, that show the Mylar applique off. Regular machine embroidery is more solid, so the Mylar would be buried under the fill stitches. You can use these designs on Christmas cards, projects and quilts that are designed for use with this versatile product.

What is Mylar? There’s a website that sells all types of film that everyone calls Mylar, both washable and non washable. That website is https://www.heirloomsbysharon.com/. On her site there is a wonderful explanation of what Mylar is. She also explains the difference between washable and non washable and how and when to use each. I learned about this site not long ago, through a virtual webinar with Anita Goodesigns. https://www.anitagoodesign.com/. .

Many people have been buying the clear colored package wraps from Michael’s. You know, the kind they use for wrapping gift baskets etc? I tried it and wondered why it flaked off or lost it’s color when I washed the towel I put the design on. I found out there is a WORLD of difference when you use the correct product with the correct embroidery designs. The companies I talk about here, guarantee their Mylar will wash and dry, and won’t flake off.

Another nice site is Charming Station Designs. She has beautiful designs and her prices are very reasonable. http://www.charmingstation.com/ She has some great free snowman designs. How about some fun in the hoop mug rugs you won’t be able to resist., and at a reasonable price. They come in all sizes from 4 x 4 and up. Check it out. She also has a nice explanation of Mylar.. What it is and what it is made of.

I could go on and on about the virtues of using Mylar in your projects. Why not check out the companies I have mentioned above and below, and jump in and do something fun. Some of these companies also have video tutorials that show you how to use their products. You will be amazed at how beautiful these designs are with Mylar. Why not go all out and use Floriani’s metallic thread over the Mylar. Your designs will be a stand out.

The following companies also have some designs that use the product called Mylar. All the companies I mention in this blog use Mylar in a different way. Be sure to follow the instructions that tell you when to place the Mylar in that particular design, or when to take off the excess. Each company is a little different.

https://hopeyoder.com/ – https://www.kimberbell.com/ –

I will be doing more educational blogs in the future and I genuinely hope you enjoy them. Please pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizer, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Meantime, stay safe and happy sewing,

Molly

My Love Affair With The Featherweight Machine

1950 Singer Featherwweight Sewing Machine

Way back when I was 8 years old, my Grandmother bought me my first sewing machine. It was that darling little black Singer Featherweight Machine. I still have that same little gem, and I love it as much now, as I did when I first got it. That special little machine has seen a lot of stitch miles over the years and it still purrs right along, thanks to our service tech Rob, at Expert Sewing Center in Port Charlotte, FL where I teach.

These machines have regained popularity thanks to the quilters around the country. They are light weight to take to a class or sewing bee. They only sew a straight stitch, but that is all you sew when piecing a quilt.

For many years getting service and parts for them was a problem, but not any more. People on Ebay started finding spare parts and selling them, also machines that they found in garage sales, or old shops, etc. Of course you never knew what condition they were in so you take your chances buying one of those.

The original price of this machine in 1950 was $150. A few years ago, quilters were paying $350 t0 $500, depending on the condition and who was selling them. Now you are looking at paying any where from $800 to $2000 depending on the year and condition and if it has the original case, parts, manual and accessories. The ones made back in the 30’s and 40’s are the most expensive ones.

Getting parts has been a problem, but not any more. I discovered a website that caters only to the Featherweight. Of course, it is called the Featherweight Shop. Here’s the link https://singer-featherweight.com/ They have EVERYTHING. Parts, machines to buy, manuals, feet, cleaning supplies, etc. They have video tutorials that show how to thread the machine, clean it, service it yourself, and the history of the machine to name a few. It’s a family operated business and they eat sleep and breathe the Featherweight.

If you are a fanatic about your Featherweight, like I am, or you are interested in maybe buying one, then you must check out this web store.

As always, I will be doing more blogs in the future and I genuinely hope you enjoy them. Please pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizer, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Meantime, Happy Sewing!

Molly

A Time For Reflection and Sewing

This has been a time of reflection for all of us, but one thing has been brought to mind. Something I have said for years. Sewers are some of the most generous people in the world. Every day I hear of a group of sewers who are making masks to donate to nursing homes, rehab centers, hospital visitors, relatives and anyone who needs them. My hats off to all of you who are doing what you can to help people be safe.

EmbLibrary In The Hoop Mask – free digital download

Many of the vendors are giving away free mask designs. http://www.emblibrary.com has an In The Hoop design that I have been making. http://www.shabbyfabrics.com has a tutorial on making a mask with a sewing machine. YouTube has several very good sites making masks. http://www.accuquilt.com has a nice easy to follow design to sew on any size sewing machine. Check them all out and make some for family or friends to help keep them safe. Be creative with fancy fabrics and even some trimming, like lace or ribbons. Young children are more apt to wear them if you make them fun. http://www.smartneedle.com designs has some fun animal face masks that kids would like. They have a free pig embroidery mask. Why not make some of these for any children you know in the hospital. Check out your favorite vendors and see what they have.

You may need to type in a search for “free mask pattern” to get the pattern. With EmbLibrary just go to their free designs page. If you are not already signed up to get emails from these companies, it is worth it to do so. They all send out emails with sales, free patterns, designs, etc.

This is also a good time to start sewing projects you may want to give for Christmas. I find sewing helps to keep me focused on life while I self isolate. At the end of the day, I’m amazed at where the time has gone.

Meantime I hope we all stay safe. Keep your family as close as you can. Life is good and beautiful. This won’t last forever and hopefully we will get back to normal, renewed and grateful for life, loved ones and the chance to share our art with someone special.

I will be doing more blogs in the future and I genuinely hope you enjoy them Please pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizer, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Meantime, Happy Sewing!

Molly

UFO Catch Up

These are troubled times and we are all staying home to stay safe. We sewers have a nice advantage in that we can sew, embroider or quilt to keep us busy. Maybe this is the time we can get out those UFO’s and finish them up. Or, maybe you have had a project in mind that you wanted to do but just couldn’t get to it. Well, now is the time to be creative.

I don’t know about you, but I have at least 3 projects that I have started and hopefully I will get them finished or at least on the way. While other people are looking for things to keep them occupied, sewers never have enough time to do what they love to do.

Whatever you decide to do, be grateful that we can spend time doing what we love. I have a couple of UFO’s that are not sewing, namely blogs that I have started and need to finish. Maybe this is the time for me to get those done.

Whatever you do, please stay safe. Life is precious and this too shall pass.

I hope you enjoy my blogs and you pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizer, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Meantime, Happy Sewing!

Molly

Class & Retreat Travel Bag and Supplies

The holidays are almost over and it’s time to think about taking some classes or going to a retreat. This is one of the joys of being a sewer, a quilter or embroiderer.. It’s especially great when you have all your supplies ready to work and enjoy class. But wait! What if you forgot to pack a thing or two? Then you get frustrated because you don’t have all the supplies you need. If you are in a store like Expert Sewing Center where I teach, you can buy whatever you need. BUT … if you are taking class some where that you can’t buy what you forgot, then the frustration begins. You might be able to borrow something from another sewer (I have found sewers to be incredibly generous). But maybe no one has what you need.

I figured out years ago, that I needed a complete set of most supplies to always be ready to go. I have a sewing bag that I purchased at my store, about 8 years ago. This way, all I need to do is add whatever supplies my project calls for.

You don’t need to purchase a sewing bag, unless you want to. Pick a small suit case, maybe carry on size, that you can stock with what you need. There are plastic bins that Joanns Craft Store sells that would work. Whatever you choose, make it comfortable for you to have all supplies ready to go.

This is what I carry with me…..

Various scissors, pins, wonder clips, water soluble, air erase or iron off marking pens or chalk, (I have all of these markers in my case but my go to most often is a purple air erase marker). You need a rotary cutter, travel size cutting mat maybe 17 x 28 or smaller but still big enough to cut your fabric or quilt blocks, a small travel iron & ironing pad. Some companies, like OMNIGRID, or combo cutting mat/ironing pad that is padded on one side and has a cutting mat on the other side. Either of these would work and not take up too much space. Don’t forget various sizes of rulers. My bag will carry a 6 or 6.5 by 18 ruler and I also carry a 6″ ruler for small measurements. You can also get a folding ruler that would give you a longer length if needed.

Don’t forget! Needles to fit your machine in various sizes to suit what you are working on, ie; 80/12 sharps & ball point, 90/14 sharps & ballpoint, embroidery needles 75/11 & 90/14, maybe a top stitch needle. If you are working with metallic thread, be sure to have a needle made to stitch metallic thread.

Threads in neutral colors for quilt piecing such as white, ivory or light grey. I also have a black in my case to go with dark neutrals.

Scotch tape, and medical tape, or Floriani Perfection tape. These hold your embroidery topper, or pieces of applique’ or parts of quilt blocks. Tweezers are another staple in my class bag, to use in embroidery, pulling my bobbin thread to the top of my project, or picking out threads in an embroidery designs gone wrong!!

If you are bringing a sewing machine or embroidery machine, make sure you pack your electric cord, or buy an extra cord that can stay in your class bag. Don’t forget the case that has all your machine feet. Have extra bobbins to wind if you need to change bobbin color. Maybe put a tube of pre-wound embroidery bobbins in, if your machine likes them.

These things are separate from what is at my sewing table. I have 2 separate sets of everything so all I have to do is grab what supplies or designs I need, plus my machine and my travel supply bag and I am ready to go and enjoy a day of sewing without frustration.

You will be happy you did this. I have students who don’t and they always seem to forget something. Those that have followed my lead, walk into class confident, relaxed and ready for any kind of class.

Here are the 2 bags I use. The small one is for smaller supply classes and is 14″ square and 2″ deep. It has individual pockets to store things in. The big one is 18″ x 15″ x 7″ deep. It has room for a small iron and more full size items like best press, 505 spray, and a roll that you can put all your small items in. It has a large pocket to hols various size rulers. Yes, I have duplicates in both bags that are separate from my sewing machine. You do what works for you, but be guided by what I have suggested. You can figure that out by being guided by my list, or with a list of things you forgot at class, or by just looking around your sewing stuff to see what you always use or may need at class or retreat. A word of note, Omnigrid has a lot of storage options that are geared to the sewing industry. The middle bag is the Sew Together bag that you can make yourself to store the smaller things for class like needles, pins, marking pens, small scissors. It holds a LOT!.

2-gear-bags-2 I hope you enjoy my blogs and you pass my link on to your sewing friends. I try to make them informative and help you to enjoy what you are creating. If you haven’t already, please sign up to follow my blog as Google likes us bloggers to have followers. You will get an email each time I publish a new blog. Also, please check out my past blogs. They cover things like, stabilizer, threads, needles, etc. Use it as a reference source. Also, if something new or different has come on the market, I will revise that particular blog, so you are always up to date.

Meantime, Happy Sewing!

Molly

Free is Fun Again!

Whenever I teach an embroidery class my students ask where did you get that design and most times, if I give them a design, it’s because I got that design for free. Every body likes to get things free. In the quilting and embroidery world there are a lot of companies who every month, give you a free quilting pattern or free embroidery designs. My last “Free is Fun” blog talked about some of the free embroidery designs you can get. Well here are a few more.

Check out Hatched in Africa. This is a wonderful company in South Africa that has “All Sorts of Embroidery” as well as projects and supplies. You can download your designs and you will get a free design with each purchase. Secrets of Embroidery has 60 different designers. Each one has their own unique style and you can go crazy trying to decide what you want. You can download some of their free designs to try out the company. Be careful, you will get hooked and want to try more. I told you about Zundt Designs in my last Free is Fun blog. I said their designs are beautiful and stitch out well. Try their FSL – “free standing lace” bowls with Floriani metallic thread. Lovely! Their designs are a little pricey but whatever your buy, you will make often, which makes it worth the price.

Almost all the companies have free designs and some give you free designs every month like Embroidery Library. They also have a special Christmas Club. As you buy designs, you get points towards free designs. Like your very own Christmas present of embroidery designs.

Anita Goodesigns have exquisite designs. Up until now, you could only purchase their designs from a store like ours, Expert Sewing Center, but now you can purchase designs direct. Register with them and you will get word each week about a $5 or $10 “mini pack” that you can download immediately.

Embroidery Garden has a lot of “In The Hoop” projects that are always fun to do.

Embroidery Panda has sooo many designs that they sell for twenty five cents. Can’t beat that price!

If you can’t afford to immediately buy “everything you love” then these free designs are a great way to build your stock of patterns and designs, try out their company and find they suit your style. Naturally, I will always buy a design or two along with my free designs.

Many of these companies will have video tutorials to answer a lot of your questions. In the future, I will add some that I think you might like.

Not an embroiderer? Quilters have just as many free things on line. Nancy’s Notions isn’t just a store to buy supplies, it also has a section where your can download free projects and quilting blocks. Check it out.

Another of my favorite sites is QuiltersCache.com . They have traditional and new style quilt blocks in all sizes, complete with instructions, etc that you can download for free.

There are so many resources of free “stuff” if you just take the time to search them out. I will have more for you in the future. It’s a great incentive for you to check my blog often to see who else I can tell you about. 🙂 I will only talk about the companies that I personally love and I know are honorable and reputable to do business with. These are companies I have purchased from for many years. To get many of these “freebies” you need to register with the website, then you will get emails for when they have sales, or you can just sign in to see what they have new.

TIP: Make sure you use the proper needle for your embroidery project. Most projects you will use a 75-11 embroidery needle. If you are working on denim or thick fabric projects, you may want to try a 90-14 embroidery needle. If using Metallic thread, use a needle rated for metallic thread. The eye is a little larger to allow the thread to travel through the eye a little cooler. Please read my blog that tells you about the various needles and when to use them. The proper size needle really can make a difference in the quality of your project.

Check all the Creative Links on the right to go direct to the various websites I talk about.

Please click the follow button and sign up to follow my blog. You will get an email each time I publish something new. Check out my past blogs and I’d appreciate it if you would pass on my link to your sewing, quilting and embroidery friends.

Until next time …. happy sewing!

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Plaid

With all the heat we have been seeing around the country, it may seem a little premature to be talking about plaid flannel or even cotton plaid. But, the weather will get cooler and those flannel PJ’s, quilts and throws will be looking pretty cozy soon. Even in the south there are times when flannel feels awfully good. Flannel backing on a cotton top quilt makes your quilt feel so nice and snugly when curled up on a couch with hot chocolate and a good book or movie. Flannel quilts give your home a country cottage feel and it doesn’t matter if your decor is modern, sleek or country. Flannel also makes nice rag quilts and you don’t need batting in between the top and backing unless you live in the frozen north of Greenland or even Northern Canada where temps average 20 or 30 below.

Flannel does need special handling and if you don’t know these things, a beautiful quilt, that you put a lot of work, heart, and soul into, can end up looking awful over time. The most important part of working with Flannel is the prep work. It’s vital to not only pre-wash, but also machine dry and starch, because Flannel shrinks significantly. Continue reading “The Do’s and Don’ts of Plaid”

Thread; Thick or Thin – Which Do I Use?

thread-clip-art I just did a class where I must have had 10 different questions about thread. So, I thought I would update and re-run this blog with the hopes that it may answer any questions you may have.

When I teach a free motion quilting class and I try to explain the difference between the thread sizes, I get lots of question. For some people, thread thickness can be very confusing. It’s hard to compute in our brains why the higher the number, the thinner the thread and the lower the number the thicker the thread. I am going to try to simplify which is which.

Normal sewing thread is usually 50 weight thick. This is the standard in the industry. This is the normal thread you buy at Joann’s or wherever you buy your everyday sewing or quilt piecing thread.

To sandwich my quilts together I like to use a 30 weight quilting thread Iuse a 90-14 needle or higher. It’s a little thicker and shows up nicely when you are machine quilting. There are many good brands of thread but my personal preference is Sulky quilting thread solid or variegated, or King Tut solid or variegated. King Tut has nice large spools. Great if you are quilting a large quilt that will use a lot of thread.

There is one more thread for quilting. It’s a 12 weight that is much thicker and nice for hand quilting. It gives a nice texture to the finished quilt. If you use in a machine I would use a top stitch needle like a 90-14 or 100-16

Embroidery thread is 40 weight. This is the standard for anyone using embroidery thread for their machine embroidery designs. This thread is a little thicker than your normal sewing thread to give you more depth in your design. It can also be used for quilting your quilt sandwich when used on a machine. It has more sheen and can look very nice on the more modern style of quilts. For quilting you would want to use the same weight thread in needle and bobbin.

60 weight thread is what you use in the bobbin of your machine when doing machine embroidery. It comes in several colors ie; white, tan, cream, grey and black. You can buy it in pre-wound packets or your can buy Finishing Touch bobbin thread in spools that you can wind on your own machine if that’s what you prefer. Also, some machines don’t like pre-wound bobbins. My Brother Quattro and Dream machines love both pre-wounds as well as bobbins I wind myself. There is also a 60 weight cotton thread you can buy to use in your bobbin if you want the back and front of your project to look the same such as in lettering. 60 weight cotton thread is also nice to use when sewing applique’s on the machine or by hand. If you are machine embroidering small lettering, like on a recipe dish towel. then you may want to look into using a 60 weight embroidery thread. It has a nice sheen and softer hand for small fonts. You can use the same thread top and bottom if you like. That’s what I do. It gives me a nice finish.

The last one I want to talk about is a beautiful thread you can use for heirloom sewing and for tacking down appliques. It’s 100 weight thread. It’s the finest thread on the market. It can be purchased in cotton and silk. Very delicate and lovely when sewn.

I hope this helps any one who may have been confused about thread weight and the use of each type of thread. Except for embroidery I always use the same weight thread in my needle and bobbin. My favorite threads for sewing and piecing are Aurifill, Mettler, Superior, Sulky and Gutterman. For embroidery threads I like Floriani, Isacord, Brother Madeira, Robinson Antone and Sulky. All are excellent brands.

If any one has any questions please email me through my contact page. I will try to answer questions as best I can and if you have any suggestions for future blogs, I would love to hear them. I would also like it if you click the follow button (google likes it if we have followers) and check out the creative links of businesses I buy from.

Until next time….. happy sewing!

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