by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 11, 2016
Welcome to the second installment of this week’s Sewing Diaries! Yesterday we talked about: 1) Unboxing the Machine, 2) Preparing to take care of it and 3) Learning what it can do.
Now we are ready to sew! Today we talk about getting the machine ready, two projects I chose to sew first, (and why!) plus a bonus tip and tutorial for them. (BTW, isn’t the Sewing Diaries logo amazing? It was made by fellow Janome Artisan and amazing graphic artist Cynthia Frenette for this project – #loveit! )
Meet Your New Machine – Step 4: Get Ready to Sew!
It is important to learn how to get a bobbin wound, thread the machine, and insert the bobbin correctly.
Again, this information is in your manual, or on your included instructional DVD. (Yay S7!) All of my Janome machines have had a similar thread path, but each has been a little different. I like to make sure I’m doing it correctly the first time because it’s harder to change once you’ve memorized it incorrectly! A tip when threading the machine: It is important to use a spool holder to hold your thread on the spool pin. Make sure it is the correct size, the S7 comes with large and small size thread caps. (For reference, I’ve used the small cap in the photo below.)
When filling the bobbin, note the correct winding direction for the thread in your manual. When filling it, most machines will stop once the bobbin is full, then you can cut the threads. The S7 includes 5 small cutters under the bobbin area for right before you wind it, and one for cutting the main thread once you are done. #noscissorsnecessary
When threading your machine, follow the path and be sure to pull the threads as indicated in your manual to ensure the tension discs are engaged. Don’t skip threading through that tiny hook right above your needle! Use a needle threader to thread the needle, or the automatic threader if your machine has one. I made an Instagram video of the advanced needle threader on the S7. It is truly amazing!
The bobbin should be inserted as per the manual again. Noting that it is especially important to insert it so it spins the way your machine wants it to. My Janome machines have needed the bobbin to spin counter-clockwise.
Meet Your New Machine – Step 5: Sew a Simple Project (or two!)
Alright, we are ready to sew now. I think the best way to start out is to make a simple first project without any closures, leave the buttonholes and zipper feet for The Sewing Diaries – Week 2. I decided to make two of my all-time most popular tutorials, The fat-quarter friendly Sunny Glasses Case and the Pretty Floral Divided Tote.
Both of these are really quick and satisfying projects. Good for confident beginners and advanced sewers alike. They allow you to use your new machine to make something useful and fun, while not having to reach for your manual with each step. (P.S. I changed a few things from both original tutorials, so I’m sharing a tip and a mini tutorial for them at the end of this post.)
I broke out my hoarded Mochi Dot linen for these, and some Paris fabric my mom gave me years ago. It’s so gorgeous I’ve been saving it for the perfect project (and I’ve got some left still, yay!) You can never go wrong with linen, canvas and polka dots!
Meet Your New Machine – Step 6: Plan to test your machine
One great way to test your machine is to tackle your mending pile. There is usually a varied selection of fabrics, lots of knits and wovens of different weights to work with. It even provides different situations such as mending a pant leg by using the free arm or fixing a ripped tee with an overcasting stitch.
The second way to test your machine is to plan several specific projects that use different features of your sewing machine. This is the way I am going to write the Sewing Diaries, since I’m sure you are not interested in seeing my mending pile. (I’m pretty sure I don’t want you to see it either!)
How to Choose Your First Projects
- Incorporate fabric types that you tend to already sew. Save the uncommon ones for another time, unless you bought your machine specifically to use it for an uncommon fabric you want to learn to sew.
- Incorporate feet that you will use all the time. Buttonhole, Zipper foot, Blind or Rolled Hem foot – sew a woven dress. 1/4″ Foot, free motion quilting feet – make a quilt. AcuFeed Flex, Overedge foot, zigzag foot – choose a simple knit top.
- Find projects that are simple or ones you’ve sewn before. Learning a new machine might be frustrating because you are not familiar with where everything is or how it works yet. Choosing a complex project will just add to your frustration and it would be so sad if you quit!
This process resulted in me writing the The Sewing Diaries Overview you found at the beginning of yesterday’s post. But, no matter what projects you choose, make sure your manual is on hand to help as you go along – you may need to know how to use a certain stitch, install the knee lift, or change the default height of presser foot for pivoting (Yup, the Skyline S7 can do that!).
I found out how to use one of my favorite features when I was checking the manual for something else, a tiny black button on the back of the S7 zigzag foot. If you push it in while lowering the presser foot it will lock the foot in a horizontal position. Meaning, if the front of the foot is elevated on some thick fabric, the back of the foot will stay elevated until you are past the beginning of the seam ! It helps your seam to begin smoothly when sewing thick or layered fabrics like the french seam on my Sunny Glasses Case.
The Pretty Floral Divided Tote is made with just 1 yard each of outer and lining fabric. I had just a bit less than that, so I slightly shortened the pattern piece and also omitted using the lining fabric on the Straps. Instead I used 1 1/2″ webbing and sewed strips of outer fabric over the front to add detail. Here is a mini tutorial on how to make some yourself.
- Cut 2 OUTER Straps: 1 1/2″ x 21″, Cut 2 from Fusible Fleece: 7/8″ wide by 21″, Cut 2 pieces of 1 1/2″ webbing 21″ long.
- Fuse the Fleece to the wrong side of the Outer Straps, directly in the centre of each piece.
- Fold the Outer Strap fabric over the fusible fleece on both sides. Use the edge of the fleece as a guide.
- Glue Baste the Outer fabric to the centre of each length of webbing.
- Top-stitch the Outer Fabric on both sides about 1/8″ away from the edge to finish the strap.
Each time I make a Sunny Glasses Case I find a new and improved way of sewing it. I have been collecting tips for at least a year now and plan to post them sometime soon! For now, however, one thing that makes a big difference to the final product is a very simple step. Instead of only using Fusible Fleece on the Outer fabric, cut a second layer and fuse it to the wrong side of the Lining as well. The extra padding makes the case sturdier. It holds it’s shape better and looks more professional.
Thanks for checking out the first installment of the Sewing Diaries. I can’t wait to tackle learning about closures this coming week! They open up a whole new area of your sewing. Remember you can come #alongforthreadride anytime to see sneak peeks and project photos!
by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 10, 2016
Sewing on a new machine, or even infrequently on an old one might make you wonder how best to learn about it. Even a seasoned sewer doesn’t likely know everything their sewing machine has to offer – and how do you go about planning to learn?
I felt this way a few weeks ago when Janome gave me the opportunity to use their new machine – the Skyline S7. It has so many features it’s hard to know where to start! Short answer is: #allthehearts for this machine…. Long answer is this and the next five weeks of this new series.
Welcome to the first ever The Sewing Diaries – Meet Your New Machine! Janome asked me if I’d like to write about how you can easily learn to use your new sewing machine. I know some of you are thinking, “Why can’t I just start sewing?” And of course you can… but I think it would be helpful to go about it a little more slowly. Try to stop the urge to pick up a project right away – I know you can do it. By step 4 of this week’s process you’ll be a pro at knowing your machine, and the sewing will come easily after that!
This week I am sharing what I think are the best 6 Steps to Unboxing your Machine. This post accidentally became ridiculously long so full of awesome information *winky face* because I am long winded thorough, so I’ve decided to split it into two parts! The overview and first 3 steps today and the last 3 steps and tutorial tomorrow.
During this 6 week series I will talk a lot about the Janome Skyline S7 because, *spoiler alert* these posts are made specifically for it! But, don’t be discouraged, my ultimate goal is to provide you with information about how to learn about your sewing machine, Janome or not! Each installment of The Sewing Diaries will list step-by-step ways you can get to know YOUR amazing machine. I am being extra careful to make each post applicable whether you own a budget basic, or the latest and fanciest model available.
Disclaimer: Janome has loaned me a Skyline S7 for the purposes of writing these Sewing Diary posts. Please know, as with all products I write about, that I always tell you my own honest opinion. I bought and loved Janome products long before they contacted me and they have not asked me to qualify my opinions in any way.
The Sewing Diaries – Meet Your New Machine! Overview
This diary and sewn topic-related projects are happening in real time! One topic per week. This gives you a chance to follow along with your new machine. You can see sneak peeks of the projects as they are sewn on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Here is what we will talk about: Week 2: Closures ~ Week 3: Heavy/Uncommon Fabrics~ Week 4: Knits (without a serger!) ~ Week 5: Embellishing your Projects (ie. Stitches and Machine Feet) ~ Week 6: Quilting/Piecing
This Sewing Diaries series ends right before the Creativ Festival in Toronto where I am excited to be presenting a Trunk Show once each day. I will be showing off these Skyline projects, some of my older favorites and giving tips and tricks to make your sewing easier and more fun! Plus, the Grand Prize at the Festival is your chance to win a Janome Skyline S7!
Let’s get started!
Meet your New Machine – Step 1: Un-boxing
After you wrangle your new machine out of it’s packaging and up onto your table, *oof* where do you start? To stay organized, first put away all of the extras that came with your sewing machine. That way you have seen them all and can keep track of them while learning the machine.
Putting these pieces away also helps to make sure you have everything you should! For example, when I unpacked the S7 I thought the cord for it’s extra-large foot pedal was missing. A quick consult with the manual shows it wound up neatly in the bottom of the pedal, in it’s own covered compartment – high five for that one Janome! One of my pet peeves is tangled, messy cords.
If you can, store everything in the body of your machine. This way all the pieces stay together when you take your machine out. If you don’t have a storage area in your machine – find an appropriately sized container (or sew one – just not yet!). Thankfully, the Skyline S7 has a lot of storage space. A flip-down compartment at the front and a shallow tray underneath the extension table. The top of this machine even has a small space I use to hold needle cases for the current needle type I’m using.
Meet Your New Machine – Step 2: Mentally prepare to take care of your investment
This might not be the most fun to think about right away, but I think this step is really important. Taking good care of your machine will help it to last longer. Cleaning your machine and taking it in for maintenance on a regular basis helps you to get great tension and straight stitches every time you sew. It also helps when you all of a sudden *need* to sew that great new project you just found – without any machine issues!
Find your manual and head to the section called Care and Maintenance and look it over. I was really happy to find that the Skyline S7 does not need to be oiled, Hooray! The back of the S7 manual tells how to clean the bobbin (or hook area) and thread guide, and recommends they are cleaned once a month. I figure, if the vacuum cleaner is out once a week to rid my office floor of threads, it can’t hurt to take off the needle plate and get rid of any excess build up there as well!
As a general rule, I found out that these machines work best when regularly cleaned and that machine needles should be replaced after about 8 hours of sewing. These are good guidelines for any machine type. I’ve learned over the last year that changing your needle (and using the right type) can drastically improve your stitches.
Meet Your New Machine – Step 3: What can your sewing machine do?
You probably know this, since you bought the machine – otherwise you wouldn’t have it, right? Even so, there are probably a few things to learn. Take a few minutes to overview the basics by scanning the brochure, manual or even the outside of the box!
Here’s a shortened run-down for the S7:
- Automatic presser foot lift, 240 stitches, multiple alphabets, 15 included feet, 9mm stitch width, 5mm stitch length. Full colour backlit LCD touchscreen. AcuFeed Flex feeding system (it’s a souped-up walking/even foot and it’s amazing!). Stitch Composer with software for designing custom stitches. Computerized tension, automatic foot pressure, advanced needle threader, free arm, drop feed, thread cutter, adjustable knee lift. It also has an included second needle plate, only for straight stitching a start/stop button and more. *whew!*
Some features won’t be apparent until you scan information about the different feet or read how to use them. A random fact I found out through stalking a few blogs is that the S7 can apparently learn the length you stitch when strip piecing and repeat it, stopping and cutting the threads between blocks. Other things are more subtle, like the backward stitch. It sews backwards continuously and is great for things like mending a ripped pant leg when you can’t easily pivot to stitch the other direction and need both hands to sew straight.
See you Tomorrow with Part 2!
Now that you’ve collected all this information, only one more step and you will be sewing! Tomorrow I’ll share the rest of this week’s information, a mini-tutorial, and more about the projects I made this past week.
by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 7, 2016
Last fall my husband and I went away on a week-long vacation. We’d been planning for forever because it was for our 10th wedding anniversary. As I was packing, last minute of course, I realized it might be nice to have a large beach bag to use while we were there. Quite a few of the bags I’ve made so far would do nicely – but of course I needed to make something new! #sewallthebags
Enter the book Handmade Style from my favorite bag blogger, Noodlehead. I treated myself to a copy last year and it’s gorgeous. So many great project, clear illustrations and pattern pieces. Anna’s bags are simple, and perfect for showcasing your favorite fabrics. I’ve made so many of her projects I can’t list them all, but I think my favorite is my first Cargo Duffle.
Of course it was last-minute (as usual) and I auditioned fabrics from my stash. Heading to the fabric store afterwards to buy vinyl and a metal zipper. The fabric came from Warp and Weft a few years ago. I had grand plans of turning it into a quilt, but the bright colours looked perfect for the beach! The prints makes me think of elaborate tiles, which lead to piecing them as simple patchwork with some straight line quilting. I maybe should have quilted it 1/4″ on either side of the seams to add to the tile look. What do you think?
I added a fancy turn-closure to one of the open outside pockets, so it was a bit more secure to use on the plane. It’s a little nerve-wracking to cut a hole in the side of a finished piece. Yikes! #holdyourbreath Thankfully it came out straight. In fact, I’m pretty happy with the whole bag! Only thing I don’t like is the zipper tape width. The handles are added in directly beside the tape at the top of the bag, which makes for very little room and sometimes the zipper catches on the handles. Next time I would use a wider zipper, or add some width with fabric before sewing it in.
As far as the instructions, they were great too. And the bag is a good size. Over-sized for sure, but not too big to carry. Great for holding road-trip snacks or even to use as an overnight bag for the kids. It’s so big that I really didn’t need that much room for our plane trip, with just my husband and I. Of course, it would be a different story if the kids had come with us. Maybe I would have needed two of them!
In the end, I didn’t use it on the beach. The bag turned out fancier than I imagined, kind of by accident. The vinyl, fussy closure and pieced quilted body really dressed it up. Who would want to get that sandy? No problem – I filled in the gap with a souvenir bag from the gift shop – because I also needed to remember where we went, right?!
Have you made anything from the Handmade Style book?
by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 4, 2016
You know that little sticker on the end of your thread spool, the one with the colour number on it? It’s great, until you try to place it on your machine. The sticker comes off and gets lost, breaks unevenly or sticks to the spool pin making it hard for the spool to turn evenly. It’s easy to fix all that with this little trick from Granny! (Find out how this series started.)
Within all Thread Riding Hood patterns and downloadable pdf’s, I’ve included “Notes and Tips from Granny’s Sewing Basket”. Granny capitalizes on the story of Little Red Riding Hood and takes creative license in proposing that Granny loves to sew! Throughout the patterns, these Notes and Tips are included to make your sewing go more smoothly. This series includes tips I’ve found helpful in my personal sewing. Find them pinned here: “Sewing Tips & Tricks” Pinterest board.
I don’t like losing the stickers from the ends of my thread. Then the colour number goes missing and it’s more complicated to buy more or match spools.
To keep the stickers in tact and attached: place a new spool over the spool pin backwards or “sticker first”. Wiggle it around to get the sticker to stay on tightly. It also helps to even out the opening in the spool since part of the sticker is now stuck inside. Once you’ve done this it is easy to put the spool back on correctly. Make sure it spins properly! Replace the spool holder, thread the machine and go!
While you are getting your thread ready, maybe you’ve forgotten how to thread your machine? Head over to my latest (aptly named) Craftsy post, “How to Re-thread Your Sewing Machine in 4 Steps” and get that sorted out too!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’ve got projects upon projects to work on and photograph for the start of a special 6-part Janome series coming next week! Head over to Instagram or Facebook if you’d like some sneak peeks ahead of time.
What are you working on this weekend?
by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 1, 2016
I have a good stash of ribbon… well, maybe more than a good stash. More like an entire cute Ikea garbage can full! They collect much faster than I can sew them into all the things. This skirt , however, saved me a bit of stash-guilt by using up about 44″ each of 10 different ribbons – all in one skirt, hooray! Plus, I got to play with lots of fun stitches on my On-Loan Janome Skyline S5!
I decided to use some gray Essex linen, left over from my Camber Dress a few years ago. After checking with my “anti-gray” oldest child to make sure she’d wear it, I got to pull out my bucket ‘o ribbons and decide which ones to use. I wanted to add in some decorative stitches and since my oldest loves to draw, I found a few quotes to add in.
Love, love being able to personalize this skirt for her! One quote says “Creativity takes courage. ~ Matisse” and the other is “Everything you can imagine is real. ~ Degas” The Skyline S5 has a 50 stitch memory. After programming it, all I had to do was start stitching and it continued the pattern until I stopped it at the other edge of the skirt.
After using this machine for about 6 months, one of my favorite features is the automatic tension. It is so nice not to have to think about it when sewing through multiple layers and different thicknesses. I used a pink bobbin throughout this project, to match the lining, and it doesn’t show even once on the outer fabric.
As a word of caution, I am new to the world of embroidery and stitching and did not have any stabilizer on hand. *collective gasp* Yes, I know, I did just do that. #liveandlearn You can do better than me and make sure to have some behind all of your decorative stitching. Thankfully the waviness pressed out with a bit of steam – whew. I did put a layer of woven fabric behind my linen, because I was worried the loose weave and the stitching wouldn’t play well together. This helped a bit, but stabilizer is now #1 on my shopping list.
Materials
- 44″ wide outer fabric – see sizing/cutting instructions below
- lining/stabilizer – see sizing/cutting instructions below
- various ribbons/embellishments
- 3/4″ elastic, non-rolling
- thread to match ribbons for top-stitching
- removable fabric pen/ruler
- decorative stitches and thread (optional)
Note: Make sure your ribbons are machine washable, and the colours won’t run. Pre-wash them if you can. Be sure to test if they are colour-fast with hot water as you would another fabric. If you are worried, wash skirt in cold water and hang to dry. It is also recommended that you check to see if the ribbons can be pressed Some synthetic blends will melt when heat is applied. It is best to press the skirt from the wrong side with not much heat unless you are sure the ribbons can take it.
Prep Work:
- Measure the desired length of your skirt (I used a ready-to-wear size 7 skirt as an example and measured 15″)
- Add 3″ to your length to leave room for hemming and an elastic casing.
Sizing: If your child’s waist/hips are between 21″-27″ a 44″ width of fabric should be fine. If not, fabric should be cut to the final length x double your child’s waist measurement.
Cut Your Fabric:
- Cut your outer fabric from selvage to selvage at your desired length (including the 3″ from Prep Work Step 2).
- If using a lining fabric, cut this to the same size as the outer fabric. If not, prepare strips of stabilizer to be adhered behind decorative stitching.
Here We Sew:
- If using a lining fabric, place lining and outer fabric wrong sides together. Baste if desired, from now on treat this as one fabric.
- Use a removable fabric marker to mark the casing on the outer fabric at 1 1/4″ down from the top long edge. Mark the hem with a line 1″ up from the bottom.
- Lay ribbons along the width of the skirt in your desired layout. Place stiffer ribbons near the middle/bottom – since they won’t gather as well. It is good to leave about 1″ of room under the casing and before the hem. Be sure to leave room for some decorative stitching, too! If you don’t have fancier stitches on your machine a zig-zag stitch or some closely sewn straight stitched lines would be cute too.
- Mark the ribbon placement on a short outer fabric edge. It is helpful to take a temporary photo or write down the order so you can remember it later!
- Mark lines for the top edge of each ribbon across the width of the skirt, so they all end up straight! It helps to fold the skirt so the two short outer edges are lined up and transfer the ribbon placement marks- this way the ribbons will hopefully match up along the back edge of your skirt.
- Add your decorative stitching and ribbons as desired. Switch thread colours as necessary to top-stitch your ribbons neatly.
- Trim the ribbons to match the fabric edges and finish the sides so the fabric does not fray. I used the “M” overcast foot that came with this machine, and a double zig-zag overcasting stitch. This fabric is NEVER going to fray now! You could also finish the edge with a serger or a zig-zag stitch and some Fray Check.
- Pin the short edges of the outer fabric right sides together, matching ribbon placement as you go. Stitch with a 3/8″ seam. Press the seam open to reduce bulk.
- Fold and press the hem under 1/2″ then under 1/2″ again. Top-stitch a generous 3/8″ away from the folded edge.
- Fold and press the casing under 1/4″, then 1″ to leave room for the elastic. Stitch near the first folded edge, leaving a 3″ opening.
- Insert the elastic into the casing and feed it through with a safety pin. The elastic will be roughly the length of your child’s waist measurement + 1″. Though, it is best to try the skirt on and fit it accordingly.
- Overlap the elastic and stitch it together. Push it back into the casing and stitch the casing closed. Remove any marked lines. You are finished!
Enjoy your fancy skirt! My oldest was so cute and made sure to thank me “for the most beautiful skirt ever.” She’s a keeper! 😉
Thanks for reading to the bottom of the post. Join me for “thread ride” so you don’t miss more great content!
Disclaimer: Janome Canada has kindly allowed me to borrow this loaner machine on a 1 year contract and I am so grateful to them! I want to say again, as with all the products I write about – I always tell you my own honest opinion. I have bought and worked with Janome products for 90% of my sewing life and used their products long before they contacted me. I am so happy to give them a great review because I already love and support this product.
