I am a sewing blogger and teacher, with an interest in WW2 fashion. I am keen to recycle as much as possible. I love helping people to learn Imy craft so do get in touch, Angela.
Also Blogger for Jaycotts.co.uk
I am Angela and I really love to sew. I started sewing as a child and by the time I was a teenager I was wearing the very latest fashions to go out in. I wear my Handmade clothes almost exclusively
Years have passed and I am passionate about reducing the amount of textiles sent to landfill. So I started this blog in order to have a way in which to pass on my gained knowledge, and my professional knowledge to you, free of charge. Sewing is empowering, you can save money by making items, make money by selling then,
and you can pass your knowledge on to others. What is not to love?
Interestingly I am a direct descendant of the Flemish weavers who came over to England in the 1300's. I find that fascinating especially as most of my family from as far back as I can trace are somehow involved in the manufacturing of fabric . As a child my Saturday mornings were spent at Dads factory playing amongst razor sharp Card Clothing . My grandmother worked in the cotton mills and one of my aunts made bespoke car seats.
I have a degree in tailoring with a special interest in WW2 fashion.
I have Parkinson's and support disabled people without question. Do ask if you need help or advice on sewing aids and techniques
Angela.
Showing posts with label Machine Emboidery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Machine Emboidery. Show all posts
What do you do with your leftover bits of fabric? I like to use every scrap of my fabric and this is my go-to favourite project.
We all need bags now and what could be better than to make your own? A pretty bag is less likely to be left at home and no matter how simple the design they are always admired. In fact mine are often admired so much that I give them away and end up with none for myself
This particular Tote bag was made almost entirely on my embroidery machine. Sweet Pea Australia
It is made from quilting cotton and trimmed with fau
The designs are far removed from the traditional embroidery designs in that they are dimensional and the entire piece is completed In The Hoop - Backing, wadding,and zips included!
If you visit their website from the link above you will be able to view the catalogue of designs available to purchase. They are not at all expensive. They also have a gorgeous range of fabrics and their own range of thread which I am coveting.
The designs are mostly applique with added Embroidery which are built up gradually starting with wadding and ending with the backing.
What else can I do with an embroidery machine other than embroider clothes?
"An embroidery machine is an investment, so what else can I use an embroidery only machine for" is something I get asked a lot and I know Jaycotts have the answer!
These are a few of the items I make on my Brother embroidery machine.
To view the range , this is the link Embroidery Machine
If at all possible it is well worth a visit to try a few and to discuss options
I have to admit that once my embroidery machine comes out, I never want to put it away, I find it addictive and before I know it I have been sat at it all day long.
So I hope that by sharing some of the things I use it for will make you realise that they are a really good investment. There are so many ways to use it and even when you think you have tried everything you could purchase the software needed to make your own designs!
Fascinating to watch, no matter how many times you have used your machine
Sweet Pea "In the Hoop" Machine embroidery designs.
A while ago I was fortunate to meet the Sweet Pea team and see their amazing designs close up.
Sweet Pea were invited by Brother UK to do a roadshow in the UK and Germany and we were very fortunate that Jaycotts was chosen as one of the few locations to host an event promoting their incredible in the hoop embroidery designs
Cutest Cupcake Collection
Since then Jaycotts have been able to stock three of their designs to sell online and in the store.
If you have not come across Sweet Pea before then you are in for a treat. This is embroidery at its most exciting, the designs are mostly made entirely in the hoop,and what stunning designs they are!
Just suppose that you have had your Brother Embroidery Machine for a while now and you have been downloading additional Embroidery patterns from the internet, and everything is going fine but where do you go from here?
You may want to create your own designs from a photograph or clip art, perhaps you want to add lettering to a design and create your own logo, with this software you can do all that plus add colours, change colours, change hoop size, arrange several patterns to make one design and much more
If this appeals to you then this software is for you.
The software is easy to install and there are full instillation instructions in the box with step by step pictures showing each stage. You cannot go wrong.
Machine embroidery is such a massive subject that I will be coming back to it frequently.
In this post I wanted to talk more about it because I know that some of you are still undecided if an embroidery machine is something you will use.
I will be honest and say that Embroidery machines are only as complicated as you want them to be. They come with designs built into them so you are ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box. Furthermore if you are reading this then you have enough computer knowledge to download and use designs off the internet too. You may then want to further your new passion and create your own designs using specialised software - more about that later.
In this post I am making a dress and simple unlined jacket in black cotton, but you will excuse me for not going into detail about the construction of these garments as there are plenty of instructions elsewhere on my blog and the instructions inside the pattern are excellent too. If you do want more detailed information then please let me know.
This embroidery only machine makes short work of embelishing anything from garments to bed linen and home wear. But it is not just an embroidery machine, it does free standing lace and applique too. The long arm makes it suitable for larger projects but it is equally at home with small intricate designs. Interested?
Not only does it embroider beautifully it appliques with ease and makes free standing lace. I make these bookmarks to give as gifts.
Watch this short video to see it in action
It's such a pleasure to use this machine , and so uncomplicated that within minutes of it being delivered I was producing my very first embroidery.
This is one of a set of velvet cushion covers I have been making. Velvet is notoriously difficult too work with but this machine had no problem with it whatsoever. More about how I made them later.
As you know I recently spent a day with Jaycotts to ask owners of the wonderful Brother Innov-is VQ2 sewing, quilting and embroidery machine
The post is here if you would like to read it. The Brother Innov-is VQ2 .
Many of you already own a sewing machine which you do not want to replace, but if you would like to own an embroidery machine too, look no further than the NV800E from Brother.
I have this machine at home and I wanted to tell you more about it and why I like it.
First of all it has a large colour LCD touch screen. This is the place where you select your pattern and make alterations to it.
Once a pattern has been selected you then have editing options, so you can easily change the shape, size and position of the design. Not only that you can also change the thread colours and rotate the design creating a mirror image.
Each design gives the total time to sew and the amount of time before the next thread change.
It is easy to combine patterns and to change the font on your lettering.
A useful feature is that you can easily check that the embroidery fits inside your chosen frame.
Once you start embroidering the LCD screen displays the thread being used and the minutes it will take to complete that section. The colour list and thread number moves after each colour is stitched and puts the next colour at the top of the list.
There are many other functions easily accessible on this screen, for example you may need to go back a few stitches or save a design to a memory stick. There is also a stitch counter which comes in handy if you need to turn the machine off and come back to it later
Once editing is complete the design is previewed in full colour.
I recently spent a day instore at Jaycotts finding out from owners of this wonderful machine just what it is that excites them so much.
What became obvious very quickly was the tremendous amount of enthusiasm and passion for this machine shown by both owners and staff, so I had to find out more!
I interviewed a group of Jaycotts customers who all own this fabulous machine and have put their comments and thoughts together so that you can see it though their eyes
Quilt by Sue from Liberty Bell Chester
Ann has been sewing all her life and has not had the VQ2 for very long so she is still learning. She loves the electronic side of it, in particular the extra-large colour touchscreen which is so easy to use
All Ann needs to do is to simply touch the screen to edit stitches, customise the settings, change to one of 13 built in languages and set the clock. She also loves the on screen video tutorials and built in tutorials and help guides which recommend the perfect settings for her project.
Another feature which she loves is the lighting. This machine has ultra-bright LED lighting giving a crisp natural light, it is also adjustable, so it can turned down or brighter as you require .The lighting is not just in the needle area as usual though - this machine goes better than that as the whole arm area is illuminated.
The VQ2 with quilting by Elaine
As soon as Elaine saw the VQ2 she knew instantly that she had to have it. She loves the way the fabric is fed through easily which was instantly apparent when she went for her demonstration.
Elaine recommends that when doing free motion quilting you practise first on a small sandwich of your quilting fabric, wadding and backing until you are happy with the effect you want to create.
This is a continuation of my previous blog post, Making free- standing lace.... I have made exactly the same top but this time I have embroidered it instead of putting applique lace on.
The pattern is as before by Simplicity - Simplicity 4149
When I find a pattern I like I keep it in a large plastic envelope to use again. I liked the Navy Blue top on the previous post so much that I wanted to make another one straight away.
The fabric is a length of embroidered Indian cotton from my own stash of fabrics. I have been looking for an opportunity to use it for a few years!
Machine Emboidery, free standing lace, embroidery stabiliser, French seam,
My embroidery machine does so much more than just embroidery and I am working through all the different functions and applications. In this blog post I want to show you how easy it is to make free-standing lace and how to add it to a garment. Have you noticed all the embroidered garments everywhere? With this machine your own unique garments can be made quickly and easily.
