by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 21, 2016
I am in the middle of a sewing journey. One that begins with me not knowing anything about machine embroidery – and ends with me (hopefully) knowing better what I’m doing and sharing tips and tricks with you along the way.
As with all good journey’s this one includes a diary – so the explorers that went before can share their experiences after they have moved on to the next place. Overly dramatic, I know, but I think it works! (hee hee)
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada.
I’m treating this 3-part series as a diary of the good, the bad and the seam ripped. I’m sharing all my mistakes, things I should have done, tips for next time and the successes too! Along the way, we will learn a lot about machine embroidery together. You can also check out the Sewing Diaries – Get to Know Your Machine posts if you want more sewing machine information.
As a very honest aside… I know many of you do not have an embroidery machine. I understand that and will highlight sewing tips as well. (Including a brand new sewing tutorial next week.) If you are curious about how machine embroidery works, there are behind the scenes photos and video links!
Hello, My name is Skyline S9… Janome Skyline S9.
Ok – it’s not quite James Bond, but it comes pretty close! This combination sewing/embroidery machine has everything a maker could ask for and lots more I’ve forgotten to mention or don’t know about yet! I featured the S9 a bit in the Maker Style posts this October, but I should give you a proper introduction.
Basic Machine Embroidery Supplies
To start embroidering you will need some basic supplies.
- Embroidery Thread & Bobbin Thread
- Needles – Blue and/or Red tipped Janome needles are recommended for the Skyline S9 machine
- Stabilizers – one of about a zillion types!
More about Stabilizers…
This extra layer (or two) is used to stabilize the fabric you are embroidering. They give it more rigidity and strength, and allow the weave to hold the threads better.
I have so far liked the dissolving stabilizers since they are easy to remove and I have been making items where the back will show. This article from Threads magazine has lots of really useful information about how to choose the correct stabilizer.
Rule of Thumb: If you have a loose weave fabric or a more dense embroidery design you will need a stronger stabilizer (or more layers of a thinner one) OR If you have a dense weave you can get away with less/thinner stabilizer.
Where to Start + Some Beginner Tips
The best advice I got was to practice, practice, practice! Linda Pidzameky (from Janome) told me to start embroidering all of my dishtowels – and it’s the best advice I got. The easiest way to learn how to machine embroider is by trying it and making mistakes and trying it again.
I used an Anna Maria Horner design that looks like cross-stitch and one layer of Janome Aquasolv as the stabilizer. Since the towel fit in the embroidery hoop, I cheated and adhered it to the towel with my quilt basting spray – which seemed to work just fine!
For comparison, I also decided to embroider another dishtowel with a different design and a different stabilizer. This time I used the Unique Rinse Away I picked up at my local fabric store.
If you are curious what machine embroidery looks like, here’s a quick video I put on Instagram!
What I learned:
- The dense stitching on the “S” monogram took about 34 minutes to embroider, despite being the same size as the AMH Cross-Stitched design. The AMH embroidering took about 11 minutes.
- Both stabilizers worked well and held up great.
- It would have been good to use a top layer of stabilizer. Called a “topper”. It’s clear and disappears after the design is washed. The topper helps to hold the stitches out of the fabric weave – which is showing through the monogram a bit much for my liking. I used a topper on this towel for comparison. You can see that the stitching isn’t affected by the plush towel fibres.
By the way – the Janome Aquasolv won by a long shot! (See the photos below) My Unique Rinse Away barely disappeared. I’m hoping it will go away with more washes.
Learn from My Mistakes
My mom has a saying we use whenever one of us does something “less than smart” – we call it “dumb things I have did”. I feel like that is a good title for this section!
- Start with the Basics:Umm… what size is that design again?
- I actually managed to start embroidering the “S” monogram onto my dishtowel before I realized it was about 4 1/2″ tall! Somehow I thought it was much smaller. Oops! *face palm*
- Think it Through:Smarter stabilizing!
- I used a tear-away stabilizer for part of my Design Diva Apron embroidery. Turns out it’s a lot of work removing all those tiny pieces! Might have been simpler to use a wash-away version.
- Turn it Over:What will it look like when they see the back?
- Colour the stabilizer and bobbin to the colour of the back of your fabric. Seems like a no-brainer, but I didn’t figure this out in time and the back of my Design Diva apron has white bobbin thread and white stabilizer on navy. Argh. This also would have been a good place for a better dissolving stabilizer!
- Baste for Success:Right, until you try to remove them!
- Trust me, I know from experience! It’s much simpler to remove the basting stitches from the back than the front. The automatic tension is much looser on the back so they come out way more easily.
- Desk Depth:Check the size of your furniture!
- I just built a new sewing space, and it happens to have an 18″ deep area for the machine. Which is perfect, until your embroidery arm needs a 24″+ depth to work. Thankfully I can run the machine from my cutting table. No harm done.
Funn-est Thing of the Week
Random fun fact about the S9? LOVE that you can change the screensaver to whatever photos you want. Which means, wait for it… the sewing machine HAS a screensaver! And I changed the photos over wifi!
Wanna know what photos I used? You can find a video of it on Instagram!
Never in my life thought I’d be using a sewing machine with a screensaver and a wireless connection to anything. My tech-savy husband also thinks that’s awesome and gives it a thumbs up! (Plus he’s plotting planning all the things I can now embroider on his friends’ Christmas gift bags!)
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 18, 2016
Up here in the (not so) frozen North, Canada is celebrating it’s 150th birthday next year. Lots of buzz is going around about this sesquicentennial celebration. (Try saying that 10 times fast!) There are quilting bees, specially designed fabric and this amazing red and white Canadian Block of the Month Sampler!
It is being run by my sponsor Sew Sisters Quilt Shop. Twenty amazing quilters designed these blocks, and I was thrilled to be asked to make one myself! (*check* Just adding quilt block designer to my resumé, hee hee!)
Actually, I am quite humbled to have been asked to be among this great group of designers. Just check out who’s involved!
Berene Campbell from Happy Sew Lucky ~ Brenda Miller from Among Brenda’s Quilts ~ Christine Baker from Fairfield Road Designs ~ Daphne Greig from Patchworks Studio ~ Elaine Theriault from Northcott Fabrics & Crazy Quilter on a Bike ~ Felicity Ronaghan from Felicity Quilts ~ Irene Dewar from Brambleberry Cottage Quilts ~ Jean Boyd from Patterns by Jean Boyd ~ Jennifer Houlden from Quilts by Jen ~ Kathy Schwartz & Lori Suss from Highway 10 Designs ~ Krista Hennebury from Poppyprint ~ Leanne Chahley from She Can Quilt ~ Mary Elizabeth Kinch ~ Michele Foster from Aiming for Accuracy Pattern Co. ~ M-R Charbonneau from Quilt Matters ~ Nellie Holmes & Christine Baker from Upper Canada Quiltworks ~ Sandy Whitelaw from Upstairs Hobbyroom ~ Sherri Sylvester from Thread Riding Hood ~ Stacey O’Malley from SLO Studio ~ Judy Baldwin from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop
You can register for the Canadian Sampler in the Sew Sisters shop. You’ll get the instructions for two 12″ blocks each month starting in January, and next October the instructions for how to finish it up in time for Christmas! Check out more about the sampler, and the block names and designers from the Sew Sisters blog.
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 15, 2016
Hi there! I’ve been taking in the late-fall weather with a few books and detoxing my house from a month of neglect.
The lead-up to Creativ Festival was full of preparations, and while the event itself was fun, I needed to intentionally take time a bit slower afterward! There has been an overabundance of Creativ Festival talk here in the last month. And I promise we’ll get back to our more regular programming now.
My kids and I with a Janome #makerselfie after a long day!
I have scheduled post ideas all the way up to the end of January. (Eeep – trying to be organized!) They include lots of fun stuff that’s been sewn and waiting, new tutorials and Christmas things!
It’s hard to sum up my experience at Creativ Festival this year. Instead of my usual booth perusal and fabric stashing, I concentrated on my workshop, speaking engagements and emceeing Project Creativ Catwalk. Quite a step away from my usual behind-the-computer life – and I’m excited to be slowly learning how to get better at speaking. Even when they put me up on a huge stage riser!
Be Brave and Sew – Day 1. My daughter’s Easter dress is one of my most favorite makes.
Be Brave and Sew – Day 3. My wheeled Bluefig bag was perfect to transport everything for each show.
Yikes that stage was high!
I want to give a huge shout-out to the fabric shops that provided giveaways and discounts for everyone that came out to the Be Brave and Sew Talks. Sew Sister’s Quilt Shop for their super-cute Tula Pink Bundle. Fabric Please! for the Farm Fun Panels, Charm Packs and discount cards. And Meerkat Shweshwe for their great discount cards as well.
Fabric Please! a Canadian Online Fabric Shop. Check out the Moda Stacy Tsu Farm Fun Panel animals on the top shelf.
Sew Sisters Quilt Shop. LOVE that they covered their tables in quilty goodness! Check out their Tula Pink fabrics.
Meerkat Shweshwe‘s unique fabrics are imported from South Africa. Check out more details along with this free pinafore tutorial!
I’d be hugely remiss not to mention Janome – so much thanks to them for all of their support! They sponsored all of my events and introduced me to so many amazing people over the 3-day event. (Plus I love their machines!)
My Design Diva Apron in the Janome Maker Studio. Get the free pattern!
The Maker Studio had so many projects from the new M Series Look Book – and most are free tutorials/patterns!
Love this giant tomato pin cushion at the Janome Booth. It was about 10″ across!
Last, but not least… I am so thankful and grateful to my husband for his amazing support of this blog and everything I do. He came out every day to out postcards and giveaways, help with set-up and take-down, shuttle kids and props around and was kind when my tiredness and nervousness took over. I do not know what I would do without him. (Ok – gotta quit – getting teary eyed over here.)
I’m still taking it in and am sure all will come out in some sort of emotional post when it’s ready. For now, here are some more photo highlights of everything that happened.
Mona, one of my workshop attendees with her daughter’s new Fat Quarter Skirt!
Gorgeous quilts in the Lens Mills display – I really should have gotten some close ups of these!
Tamara Kate’s “Whatever the Weather” quilt is a free Sew Along on the Janome Life blog.
Rachelle from That’s Sew Venice thought to take a selfie of us. I never remember!
I love meeting blog readers! I happened to run into the lovely Irene, from Irene’s Studio on Day 2. I also found Melwyk from Magpie Makery and my friend Laura from Seams Sew Laura came to visit too!
Cynthia Frenette’s amazing Making Merry Quilt was on display at the Janome Booth. Get the free Mod Pods Matching Pillow tutorial!
Loveliness from Tamara Kate‘s booth where she was selling her fabrics. I had so many photos tried to only pick these three. It was so pretty!
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 31, 2016
We’re big fans of the Disney movie Frozen over here.
Since we have two girls – so it’s hard to avoid! But, my husband and I are also impressed with the direction Disney has been taking in their movies lately.
Less “Princess + Boy = Happy Ending” and more “Princess/Girl + Bravery = Happy Ending”.
It’s a win-win for us and our kids. They get the princess story, and we get the more positive role model.
Earlier this year (think spring!) my oldest decided to be Anna for Halloween. No questions asked – this was happening. From here on in there was talk of being Anna. Especially as costumes started to appear for sale.
With my time being directed at getting ready for Creativ Festival, I didn’t think I could make costumes. But, even when face-to-face with the “perfect” Disney Store Anna costume my daughter decided that a mommy-made version was better. Awwww…. good for this sewing mama’s heart – and of course I could be convinced to make a costume!
I really am pleased this year – it’s a minimal effort, maximum effect kind of deal – like their Jake and the Pirate costumes. Thankfully it was also a quick one.
Here is a run-down of how I sped things up:
The Cape:
- Non-fraying and no-hem-needed Fleece for the cape
- Trim inspired by the Simon and Co – Simple Anna Costume tutorial
- Pattern: Cape from “Little Things to Sew” by Liesel Gibson (Same as this Little Red Riding Hood costume )
- KAM Snaps on the front instead of a tie.
- Cut a shorter duplicate of the top of the cape for the second layer.
The Hat:
- self-drafted using the hood pattern pieces from the “Little Things to Sew” Cape (see above)
- I placed our previously made cape inside-out on my daughters head and traced the general shape of the hat. Then transferred it to the pattern pieces, adding a facing to finish the edges.
- To get it to stay on, my daughter had the idea to use a headband – which easily slipped into the facing around the front of the hat.
The Dress:
- Bodice is based on the Annabelle pattern by Violette Field Threads (also made in my favorite blue chambray, and as Easter dresses)
- I had some quilted knit in my stash that was perfect!
- We put a blue ready-to-wear shirt underneath instead of sewing sleeves.
- My daughter drew and painted the “embroidery” herself using fabric paint.
- Skirt is sewn from broadcloth, with a bit of a “V” self-drafted into the front.
What about the little one?
She was happy to wear an Owl costume we found at the consignment shop. Easy peasy – photos later today on Instagram I’m sure!
Funny thing though. I wanted to wash it – being thrifted and all – so it went in with all the week’s socks and underwear. When I opened the washer – Surprise! I had a tub full of stuffing! The owl’s lining fabric frayed, leaving holes where a large bucket of stuffing escaped and mixed with my clothes.
After spending 1/2 hour cleaning stuffing off of socks and underwear I’ve learned my lesson – always read the label. This one says “Spot Clean Only”, of course!
What are your kids dressing as this Halloween?
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 25, 2016
I am preparing once again for the event this past spring that had me crazy worried. I spoke at Creativ Festival for the first time in April, and, as it turns out – it’s terrifying the first time, easier the second time and much, much easier this time! #practicemakesbetter
But – it wouldn’t be fun without something new, right?! So I’m teaching a workshop and emceeing a super-fun event on Saturday. Eeep! Though it may sound otherwise, I am really excited for the new opportunities, and (as always), interacting with other creative people is my favorite.
If you are in the Toronto area, I’d love to see you there. The show starts bright-and-early on October 27 (Thursday morning) and runs until Saturday, October 29th at the International Centre. 3 days of exhibits, workshops, demonstrations and booths full of amazing crafting supplies. #petallthefabric!
Join me for my Fat Quarter Skirt Workshop, 9-12 Thursday morning. I’m so excited to teach this beginner-friendly workshop – and maybe addict more of you to the goodness of sewing! 😉 You’ll leave the workshop with a fully finished skirt for your favorite little girl, and a pattern for sizes 2-6 so you can make more of them! Register on the Creativ Festival website – click the “Feature Classes: Thursday…” button and find “Fat Quarter Skirt”.
I’ll also be presenting a Janome-sponsored talk called “Be Brave and Sew II” on the Fashion Runway Thurs and Fri at 2:30 and Saturday at 1:30. There will be sponsor giveaways and exclusive discounts – plus, lots of information to help you conquer your sewing bucket list!
I hope to see you there!
