News

SWEET PEA EVENT AT JAYCOTTS

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 23 APR

We recently hosted an exclusive event with Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery Australia, and Brother Sewing Machines.

Sweet Pea were invited by Brother UK to do a roadshow in the UK and Germany and it was great that Jaycotts were chosen as one of the few locations to host an event promoting their incredible in the hoop embroidery designs

First of all let me introduce you to the team. On the far left is Holly, and next to her is Allison. Next to Allison is Annette and on the far right is Emma.
Allison is actually the creator of Sweet Pea Embroidery, about four years ago she was looking for something new and exciting to make and as she couldn't find anything she started to produce free-standing lace earrings which she sold on market stalls.
So this is a very new company

Emma is relatively new to the company , she only learned how to digitise a year ago, and it was she who gave the demonstrations. Here she is at the beginning of the day, which was very early morning, preparing her fabrics and threads ready for the first demonstration.

Sweet Pea are unique in that they specialise in " in the hoop" embroidery, and the photographs on this page show examples of the 500+ designs they now produce and sell.

This form of embroidery is different to other forms of machine embroidery where a part made article is embroidered and then made into a garment or other item. With this method the actual piece of work is either fully or partially completed without removing it from the hoop!

The designs are available to purchase directly from them online so do look at the
Sweet Pea website But very soon a very limited number of places will be selling some of their exclusive designs instore. More exciting news about that at a later date!

It should be mentioned that the staff at Jaycotts, Melanie from Brother, and the Sweet Pea team all worked incredibly hard to get the store ready. Brother sewing machines needed preparing, tables moved, and the exhibits prepared and displayed - so thanks must go to everyone for the tremendous work done to prepare for this event.

So, what designs can be made? Well the answer is almost anything! Toys,table runners, bags with zippers, quilts and much more. Even the fluffy teddy is an in the hoop design

Following the continued trend for embroidered clothes, don't you just love this Toucan and Hibiscus embroidery set? It is available to purchase and download from the website Toucan and Hibiscus Embroidery design this is one of the few designs done on an actual garment

Sweet Pea Designs support a number of Charities,and produce some designs where all the proceeds to directly to a specific cause Sweet Pea supported Charities

All proceeds from the sales of the Duck purse go to UNICEF to purchase water pumps for people who have to walk miles each day to collect water. This was their first charity design.

The second one is the Worry Monster, the proceeds from this design go to World Vision to purchase classroom furniture in third world countries. The idea of the worry monster is that children can write down their anxiety or fear and the monster will eat it away. (Of course a parent will remove the worry, but anybody with a young child will see the reasoning behind this idea)

Another charity design is this Owl mug rug. The proceeds from sales of this design will go to the Fred Hollows foundation. Every time Sweet Pea reach $250 AUD they will be able to restore sight to 10 people. So isn't this a worthwhile cause.

With all these designs Sweet Pea will show records that will verify that they are doing what they say they will.

The final design shown is a cute mug rug with an Owl appliqué for the 4x4 5x5 6x6 and 7x7 hoops.

The mugrug requires only one hooping and it is completely finished requiring only a few centimetres of hand sewing to close where the mugrug is turned out the right way. It is a great design for anyone new to this type of embroidery.

You will notice that a lot of the Bags and Purses contain pockets holding soft toys. These are fabulous for girls and boys as they include dolls, mermaids, cars , fire engines and lots more! I love this Australian themed bag don't you? The toys are fully removable and are meant to be played with.

There are a lot of designs for quilts and quilting blocks Quilts and quilting blocks as well as table runners and place mats. The colours used are amazing, but your design will be unique too as you can choose your own fabrics and block placements.

One of my favourite designs is this table runner, Cactus table runner. It is one of their latest designs.
You will find table wear designs for all the different seasons and holidays. There are some gorgeous Christmas designs for example

For all these designs you need an embroidery Machine. Sweet pea recommend Brother machines.

There is a wide choice of embroidery machines at Jaycotts and your choice is dependant on whether you want an embroidery only machine or a machine which does both sewing and embroidery. These machines sew normally but easily switch to an embroidery machine at the touch of a button.

Of course there is also the incredible Brother Innov-is XV " Dream machine" which is thoroughly amazing.

Take a look at the machines on offer at Jaycotts Brother. Sewing and embroidery machines and for more information visit Jaycotts Showroom in Chester or call on 01244 394099

One of the more popular designs for gifts and fundraising are soft toys and little purses which can all be found on the Sweet Pea web site. Yes, you are allowed to sell the finished design once you have completed it.

Some of the comments I heard from people who have used the designs are that the instructions are very clear and easy to follow with pictures for every stage.

In addition, the web page Sweet Pea gives tutorials on a wide range of subjects including articles on using Leather, sewing with Metallic thread, thread breakages, choosing the right stabiliser and much more. You will also find details of the monthly sew along on this page

Another comment is that the designs are a very good price and that there is plenty of choice.
Marion was one of their very first UK customers, she found them by accident by doing an internet search for embroidery designs and since then she has remained a loyal fan.

Sweet pea have a terrific Facebook page by the way, with a massive following
Sweet Pea on Facebook you can show your own sweet pea makes and enter into their competitions. There is a monthly sew-along with prizes to be won.
There is also a quilt block of the month.

One of the things I love most about the designs is how the zipper is stitched in the hoop too! I only wish zipper insertion was this simple for clothes!

I also liked the demonstrations given by Emma who made these zippered purses. People were transfixed by her knowledge and expertise and friendly manner.

She created the fabric using scraps of lace and ribbon (you could even use cellophane apparently) She placed lots of little pieces of lace and ribbon on top of a base fabric , covered it with a wash away stabiliser and stippled all over it to hold the pieces in place.

This is the design being stippled on the embroidery machine. Which means that a lot of random stitches are being worked to bind everything together as one fabric .
Notice that embroidery machines are not like sewing machines in that an embroidery machine just gets on with it whilst you sit and watch, you only need to touch it to change a thread or to move to the next stage

Emma drew a large crowd around her as she gave other ideas on how to create a unique effect. She told us that she has seen people use sweet wrappers and even a crisp packet effectively!

This is one of the beautiful finished designs.

There is a whole range of designs on most topics you can think of, I like the TEA TIME
designs where you can find pot towell holders, coasters, cushion, table runners and more.

This is the lovely Holly. On the day she was downloading designs which people had purchased onto a disc to make it easier to start using the design once they got it home.
There are full instructions on the web site on How to download our designs which need to be followed carefully.

If you purchase a design from the web site it is important to remember that you cannot just transfer the whole thing to a pen drive and stick it into your embroidery machine

Each of the design comprises of a full set of instructions which you can either print or open on your computer and follow them off there. The instructions are very comprehensive and easy to follow with photographs and text to show you exactly what you need to do step by step
.
There are options for different hoop sizes and English or German.

The part which needs to go onto a pen drive is marked "pes" file. Once you have found that click on it, and you will find that it will be in the correct format for your Brother Embroidery Machine.

The pes. file shows on my computer as a blue flower but that is only because it was opened in the Brother PE design 10 software which I use to digitise my own designs and to make alterations to others.

The instruction booklet for each design is in colour and you really cannot go wrong if you follow it exactly. It is very comprehensive so you may wish to keep it on your lap top if you have room for it next to your embroidery machine. Otherwise you can make a printed copy.

I have put a pen drive into my lap top ready to receive the embroidery design. I keep my embroidery files in a folder on my laptop and they are also backed up on my pen drive.
I have a separate folder for the Sweet Pea designs on both .

The embroidery designs are shown on my PE design software but if you do not use it then there is no need to panic - you do not need it. Simply open the design from your downloads .

This is the design I have chosen just for an example to show you, it is called Pretty House Applique.

What you need to do next is to send your Embroidery design to your USB media stick ie your pen drive.

It is very important that you do not try to open any pes. designs on your computer.
simply drag or right click the pes.files and transfer them to your pen drive.

I am only able to open them on my lap top because I have the corect software which enables me to do it.

When you have transferred the file to your pen drive insert it into your embroidery machine.

The icon on the right of the above picture will appear and so you need to click on it to open it.

You then need to scroll through your designs until you find the one you want

Once you have found your design on the LCD screen, click on it and it will appear on the LCD editing screen. This is where you would make any minor changes to your embroidery design.

Click END EDIT

Your design is now ready to embroider. You will notice that the screen shows how long it will take to complete the design, the thread colour order and the area which is currently being embroidered etc.

At the moment all the designs are only available to purchase through their web site, but soon a few select outlets will be announcing that they have some designs to purchase in their own stores. These will come ready on a disc so there will be no necessity to download these particular designs from the internet.

I hope the photographs of just some of the Sweet Pea designs have inspired you to want to have a go yourself.

I have made a couple myself and the process is fascinating and easy to follow. I especially like the zippered purses - this is the easiest zipper insertion I have ever come across. Do use a plastic zip though as it needs to be trimmed and besides a metal one will damage your machine.

Jaycotts was transformed into a riot of colour and everyone who came was totally impressed with the unique and special Sweet Pea ladies and their beautiful designs.

Thank you to Allison, Holly, Annette and Emma for including Jaycotts in your tour. Thank you to Melanie from Brother for arranging it all and Thank you to the Jaycotts family - and I include all the staff here because they are one big happy family - for giving up your time and space for this incredible event.

For enquiries about any products - sewing and embroidery machines, haberdashery, patterns and anything else sewing related Contact Jaycotts via the online contact form by telephone or by calling into their Chester showroom.

Lastly a huge thank you from me to everyone mentioned for including me in this very special event.

Angela

AN EVENT WITH SWEET PEA EMBROIDERY AUSTRALIA

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 22 MAR

You are invited to an event with Sweet Pea Embroidery from Australia who are visiting Jaycotts and a very limited number of other places in the UK.

Sweet Pea Embroidery Australia

This is a unique event so make a date in your diary and come along to the Chester showroom and meet Alison, Annette and the team from Sweet Pea.

You will also meet Melanie who is the Regional Manager and Product Specialist for Brother Sewing Machines.

Alex and the team from Jaycotts will be there and of course myself.

Booking is not necessary.

THURSDAY 12TH APRIL 2018

10am to 4pm

JAYCOTTS

Chester Trade Park,

Unit D2 Bumpers Lane,

Chester,

CH1 4LT

Tel: 01244 394099

Sweet Pea Embroidery specialises in "in the Hoop" embroidery and examples of just some of the designs you can make are shown on this post.

What is " in the hoop" embroidery? Well, usually embroidery is done on a finished article or a part made blouse front for example, but with this method you are making an actual piece of work which is fully or partially completed in the embroidery hoop.
The designs are perfect for people who want to expand upon the normal activities done on an embroidery machine. You need to see it to believe it!

It is incredible to imagine that all of these designs were made on an ordinary domestic embroidery machine, even this soft toy.
Sweet Pea go to endless trouble to produce thoroughly detailed instructions so you can follow each step closely with words and photographs.

There are designs for all sorts of cases and purses as well as tote bags, sewing kits, and handbags

There are panels which can be used as table runners or wall hangings, quilts, table mats and coasters. Bunting, bibs, hats - the list goes on!

And do look at this, what child of any age would not be delighted with it?
One point which I found interesting is that Sweet Pea allow you to sell your finished designs, something which a lot of companies forbid.

There are such a lot of beautiful designs to choose from so do go to their web site and take a look Sweet Pea website
Don't forget to sign up for their mailing list too.
Sweet Pea recommend BROTHER sewing machines which is why Brother are accompanying them on the tour

This bunny purse is so cute don't you think? One thing I find amazing - and you won't believe this - but the zip is inserted in the hoop by the embroidery machine!

There are a few free designs to try on their website and Facebook sites so there is no need to purchase a design initially. Be warned though, Sweet Pea designs are very addictive as I am finding out!

I have of course tried a couple of designs myself. This is a pillow. I used a good quality craft cotton, wadding and a stabiliser. It is vitally important that you take care to hoop your fabrics tightly because the fabric needs to stay taught in the loop. If you don't then there will be a lot of wrinkles around the embroidered areas.
The instructions tell you step by step how to prepare your fabrics.

The first thing which happens is that the embroidery machine sews around the outside of the design to hold all the layers together.
Then the outline of the hill is sewn and you then need to take the hoop out of the machine and place the fabric for the hill over the outline, put it back , stitch it in place and then trim the fabric before satin stitching the applique in place. Each piece is added in the same way.
It is a little bit fiddly but the results are really worth it. It is not difficult and once you get used to working differently you will work through the designs quickly. It is so pleasurable you won't want to leave your craft room!

This is my finished design. I was amazed to find that the embroidery machine sews the side panels on too, still in the hoop!
Once the design was finished all I needed to do was to add some lace trim and sew the backing on with my regular sewing machine.It was simple enough to then stuff it and slipstitch the opening closed.

And this is my finished pillow. I have some more designs to work, and I'll let you know how they progress.

About Jaycotts and Chester

If you have never visited Chester before you are in for a treat, so why not turn your visit to this event into a short break?

The Chester lifestyle website gives lots of information on things to do and see, places to eat and stay and where to shop.
It is certainly worth staying for a night or two,there is plenty to see and do in addition to visiting Jaycotts

It is a very pretty city and you will find that it caters for everybody from history lovers to boating enthusiasts. Chester Lifestyle has some Hotel Ideas and will be pleased to tell you more about Chester if you contact them - details are on the website.

Brother sewing machines

Jaycotts are proud to stock an extensive range of Brother Sewing Machines and accessories. Senior staff are always on hand to talk you through the various machines and let you try them out.

If you love Sweet Pea embroidery, and I know you will, then you will definately need an embroidery machine, or a machine which does both embroidery and normal sewing

Take a look at the range of Brother Sewing machines on Jaycotts web site and make a note of what type of machine would suit your needs best. This is a great opportunity not only to say hello to the famous Sweet Pea ladies but to take advantage of the expertise of Melanie from Brother and the wonderful Jaycotts family.

So, I hope that you will save the date in your diary and come along. I'm willing to answer your sewing questions too. So don't miss out!

The contact details for Jaycotts are above, but there is an online contact form on Jaycotts web site where you can also register for the newsletter and be the first to hear about special offers, events and new products.

I look forward to meeting you on Thursday April 12th at Jaycotts.

Angela

STARTING TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT MACHINE FEET

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 22 MAR

I do have rather a lot of Brother machine feet to get through so I am going to go through them all for you one or two at a time, showing them being used on a garment or other project.

As you know I recently started to use the Brother Innov-is 1300 .If you have not yet read my first impressions of this incredible machine then I urge you to read the blog post. Introducing the Brother Innov-is 1300

The pattern I chose to make is McCalls M7657
The fabric is Plain combed cotton Lawn from Minerva
This top is tunic style which pulls over your head. There are two sleeve options but I adapted the pattern to make the sleeves in a different style.
You will need Gutterman Sew All thread in white
You also need a new Sewing machine needle For Lawn I would choose a Fine one. This link is to a large box of machine needles which is great value but they are also sold in smaller packs.

I must tell you that I have just had to opt out of a discussion on a social media site because a group of people were insisting that machine needles do not need to be changed frequently. No matter what argument I put forward they were not listening and in the end I left the conversation. Let me tell you that it is absolutely vital that you change your machine needle with every project. It is most certainly not a " waste of money" you have paid a lot for your pattern and fabric, why risk your project failing or your machine becoming damaged because you didn't spend a small amount of money on a new needle?
If if you would like more information on machine needles, sewing thread and general help on troubleshooting your machine then do please read this blog post. Troubleshooting your sewing machine .The advice is invaluable for any make of sewing machine

I marked the position of some machine embroidery on the front tunic and on each sleeve. The tacking marks the centre of the design and the placement lines to enable me to ensure that the design is level
The thread I chose is Brother embroidery thread White

My embroidery machine is the Brother Innov-is 800e and there are plenty of reviews and tutorials about this machine on my blog.

I chose a lace design which I placed centrally on the front and on the sleeves. There are many designs to choose from so pick what you like best.

When you first get a new sewing machine it can seem daunting at first, but just get your machine manual out and follow the instructions to the letter.
The LCD screen displays the stitch or function which you are using at the time, making it so simple to use.

All of my machines are by Brother and it makes life simpler because they share many of the same functions, for example threading is the same, the automatic needle threader is the same and so on.
When threading the machine and winding the bobbin for the first time take particular attention to the manual so that you are perfectly satisfied that you have the bobbin of thread the correct way round and that the threading process is followed correctly.

Similarly when putting the bobbin thread into the bobbin thread case you need to look at the machine itself as it clearly indicates which way the bobbin needs to be inserted. If you do not thread the bobbin or the top thread correctly you are very likely to get tension problems.

The first foot we are going to try is the Gathering foot. I like Brother sewing machine feet because they are inexpensive to purchase so you can soon build up a selection. Not only that each foot comes with an instruction leaflet which is totally invaluable.

To attach this foot you first have to remove the presser foot holder. You do this by loosening the screw holding the foot holder in place with one of the tools which come with the machine

Once you have done that then you attach the gathering foot in its place.

To use the gathering foot take some spare fabric and practice. You need a longer piece of fabric to gather onto a smaller piece.

The fabric which needs to be gathered goes under the pressure foot and the fabric which does not need gathering goes on top taking it through the gap in the foot. The bottom fabric gathers according to how much tension you put on the top fabric, so for more gathers put more tension on the top fabric, for less gathers don't put any tension.
Have a practice and see what works best for your project.

This is a sample I did using twice the length of gathered fabric to top fabric .

This blouse pattern is lovely but I didn't want a cuffed sleeve and the full sleeve is too fussy for me.
I cut the sleeve pattern out to the shorter length and then cut two lengths of fabric one and a half times the width of the lower sleeve and pressed them in half lengthwise.
This was then placed under my sleeve and gathered into place with very little tension applied, creating a slightly ruffled edge to my sleeve

To decorate the edge of the sleeve we now need to attach the monogram foot. This comes with most Brother machines.
The presser foot holder needs to be reattached and then the monogram foot simply clips onto it.

The monogram foot is wider and enables you to see the pattern you are stitching clearly.

I wanted to stitch a scallop edge to my sleeve. using my stitch guide I selected the scallop I wanted. The LCD display shows a diagram of the pattern, the foot needed and the stitch length and width. These can easily be adjusted as necessary.

I test stitched a few stitches before deciding on which one I wanted to use.

After completing the scallop edge I trimmed away the excess fabric very carefully so as not to cut the stitches. This makes a really pretty finish to any hem.
You may find it easier to stitch if you use some spray on starch first.

Using the same monogram foot I selected a decorative pattern to stitch above the scalloped edge. I also used this same stitch around the centre of the neckband.

I chose yet another design to add just above the seam.

These are the finished sleeves. I have not stitched the seam yet as I find it much easier to attach sleeves flat before I stitch the side seams of the body.
I ran a gathering stitch around the top edge of the sleeves to make it easier to attach the sleeves later.

The facings need to be interfaced . I used Vilene Ultra soft interfacing . Always use a good quality interfacing on garments .

Attach the facings according to the pattern instructions

Then make up the neckband and using a Point Turner to get crisp edges and corners turn the neckband right sides out. Do the embroidery and then attach the band to the garment

This is the front of the neckband.

And this is the back. We now face a new challenge - sewing a buttonhole, which we will do later once the side seams have been stitched so that we can make sure the fit is correct

Pin the side seams matching the sleeve edge, the underarm seam and the hem very carefully before stitching the seam in one long operation.
Please note that it is not a good idea to stitch over pins, they can damage your needle and even your machine, so remove them as you approach each one.

I could have used a French seam on this top, but instead I chose to overlock the edges.
The new upgraded model of my Brother 3034D overlocker has a few more functions and is a fabulous,easy to use machine.
My review of this overlocker can be found on my blog My review of the Brother 3034d overlocker

There is a compartment on the sewing machine itself which contains spare machine feet and bobbins etc. Take out the buttonhole foot - the long one at the back.

Don't be daunted by sewing buttonholes, modern sewing machines make it so easy.
I have got my manual out together with the buttonhole foot and a button. Always keep your manual handy to refer to.

This machine has a large selection of buttonholes but even basic machines have at least a couple to choose from.
I chose the Heirloom buttonhole stitch for my top.

The buttonhole foot has a button guide into which you place your button. The machine measures this and sews a buttonhole to match it exactly. However it is still very good practice to try it out first!

Clip the buttonhole foot onto the presser foot holder with the button at the back.
Pull the buttonhole lever down as far as it will go and position it behind the bracket on the buttonhole foot.

Select the buttonhole appropriate for your garment. The LCD screen displays the chosen buttonhole, and the stitch lengths and widths, and reminds you to attach the correct foot.

Take two pieces of spare fabric and place interfacing between them to mimic your actual garment. Stitch the buttonhole and carefully cut between the sides using sharp pointed scissors. Please take great care not to cut the stitches.
Try your button and if you are happy with the result go ahead and stitch it onto the left side of the neckband

It is a very good idea to use Beeswax on your thread to strengthen it when sewing your button on. There is nothing worse than buttons falling off is there.

This is the finished back neck, with the button and buttonhole finished.

This is a very unusual tunic top, the neckline is very elegant but the shape of the body makes it very easy to wear.

There is a choice of low and high backs on the pattern.Both have the button closure

These sleeves are not so bulky that they cannot be worn under a jacket. The top has no shaping and I think that if I made it again I would alter the pattern to give it a bit more shape. The fabric I chose though will soften a lot when I wash it again and give it a more floaty look.

All the notions and machines are from Jaycotts so give them a call to place your order or do it online.

If you want to discuss any of the products then do please Contact Jaycotts

If you are planning a visit to Chester then why not call beforehand and try out some of the marvellous machines for yourself? Ring between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday on 01244 394099

Finally sign up for the Jaycotts Newsletter and be the first to hear about new products, sales and much more.

Thank you for reading this post, as always your feedback is appreciated.

Angela

EMBROIDERY DESIGN SOFTWARE - GETTING GOING!

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 01 MAR

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.

My embroidery machine is the Brother Innov-is 800E but there is a choice of other embroidery machines depending on if you want a stand alone Embroidery only machine or a machine which does normal sewing AND embroidery. This might be a good choice if you only have space for one machine
Take a look at the range of Brother sewing machines at Jaycotts Don't forget that the very knowledgeable staff are on hand to guide you through the process of choosing the correct machine to suit your needs and pocket. Brother machines come with aftercare and tuition should you want it.

You will also need a basic supply of accessories including thread, needles, stabilisers and so on which we will discuss a bit further down the post.
Your new embroidery machine can seem daunting at first but I hope to show you some useful tips to get you started. Whatever you do please don't be afraid of it! These machines are very clever, they are designed for domestic use and they won't let you do anything wrong, so you are very unlikely to make a mistake and break it. If something does go wrong for example your needle is in the up position when it should be down, or your thread breaks the machine will tell you exactly what the problem is.
I strongly advise you keeping your manual next to you at all times when you are sewing so that you have it to refer to.

To start off, plug your machine in and take a look at some of the inbuilt designs. The design you have chosen will appear in an LCD window which gives you all the information you need to enable you you sew the design.
The green cross on the picture shows where the machine is up to in the embroidery , on the top left it shows how many stitches the design takes to stitch out, how many stitches you have sewn already, the total time the design takes to sew and the time spent sewing it already. It tells me I am using my second colour in the sequence and shows a diagram of the shape being sewn in that colour, it shows too the next threads in the sequence.
The icon at the very bottom allows you to go back or forwards a chosen number of stitches, and there are many other functions once you get used to the machine. For example it is simple to rotate the design, to mirror it or to make it larger or smaller. This is so easy to do on the touchscreen LCD display
In case you are wondering how to transfer designs from your computer to your embroidery machine, this is easily done with a USB stick. The manual explains how to do it, but I will go over it in a future post

I am not going to talk too much about construction of this lovely dress and jacket NewLook Dress and Jacket , but I will give you some tips for altering the pattern slightly. For example I wanted a short sleeve in the dress. Cutting a sleeve pattern was easy in this case as when I came to compare the dress and the jacket patterns I found that the armscye was exactly the same in both garments so all I needed to do was to shorten the sleeve in order to use it for the dress

Once you get the embroidery bug, and you will - you might want to create your own designs. The PE Design 10 software for Brother embroidery machines is fabulous. the good news is that as with all Brother products there is expert tuition available to help you. I have just taken advantage of this and have recently spent a day learning more about this incredible software.
The software deserves a post all to itself, so watch out for a blog post in the future. This software enables you to do so much more and combined with your embroidery machine you have literally thousands of designs at your fingertips. You can create your own designs, monogram, applique and more, the possibilities are endless. The software comes with a comprehensive manual which is also available to use on your computer as you plan your project

This is one design I chose. I wanted to increase the size without stretching the stitches, the software keeps everything in proportion so that I could make the design larger whilst keeping the design just as dense.
It was easy to alter the curve so that it complemented my dress shape. It was also very easy to drop my finished design onto a memory stick and transfer it to my Embroidery machine.
There will be much more to come about this incredible product, there are so many functions which I want to tell you about, it really does deserve a post all to itself!

I have cut my dress out and marked the position of the darts but not stitched them as the fabric needs to be flat. I have also used a ruler and tailors chalk and marked the centre front. These lines will be used to position the embroidery so that it is dead centre and level.

There is a grid for your hoop which you use to position your embroidery.

You need to stabilise your fabric or it will pucker as you embroider it and spoil the effect. I always advise doing a test run to make sure that your chosen stabiliser is firm enough for your fabric and the design.

Your stabiliser is crucial and you need a supply of various types. More about them in a minute

You also need Embroidery thread. You may start by just using a few colours but in my opinion boxes of thread are much better as then you have a good selection for your project. There are individual threads you can buy of course but I like this Brother box of embroidery thread It contains most of the colours that Brother use in their designs.

You will also need Bobbin thread , I suggest filling several bobbins when you have some spare time so that you never have to stop to fill a new bobbin part way through your project.

Embroidery needless are a must. You will need a couple of different Embroidery needles Some for normal embroidery and metallic ones if you intend to sew with metallic thread. Embroidery needles have a different shaped eye to ordinary sewing needles to accommodate the embroidery thread. The eye is larger which helps avoid friction and therefore reduces the risk of your thread fraying or snapping.

One of your stabilisers should be this Gunold easy tear stabiliser This is hooped with the fabric and is great for most woven fabrics. It tears away very easily when you have finished your embroidery.
It also comes in an iron on version Gunold iron on Stabiliser which again is a medium weight.

Another very useful stabiliser is Filmoplast self adhesive stabiliser. This is useful when you cannot fit your entire fabric into your embroidery frame. I had this happen when making my dress because the neckline did not reach the edge of my frame, son this stabiliser was perfect. It tears away after embroidery.
You may need water soluble stabiliser if you intend to make free standing lace. Other stabilisers are available but these are enough to begin with.
Always make sure that your stabiliser is enough to support your fabric and do a test piece before you start your garment.
Stretch or jersey fabrics can be used for embroidery and I have used them successfully but I would start with a medium weight woven fabric so that you are not put off as you need to stabilise the fabric so that it does not stretch at all during embroidery and this can be a touch challenging at first with some knits.

Other threads available are Brother Country threads, which you should request details of from Jaycotts. These are lovely as they have a mat finish and look lovely on heirloom sewing. I like them on blouses and bed linen too.
Brother has a large range of beautiful Embroidery Threads

Other threads you may like to try are Madeira Potpourri which has a lovely little speckle in it
And they do a range of Madeira Variegated threads which I also like.

This is an example of the variegated and potpourri threads. the effect is more pronounced in larger areas, I was experimenting with colours on my normal sewing machine.

Going back to the dress. The pattern has a bound neckline but I do prefer a facing. These are easy to make,just draw around the paper pattern neckline at the front and back and mark a curved line from the shoulder to the front (and back) and then cut out your facing. These need interfacing. Do choose a good quality interfacing such as Vilene stretch lightweight interfacing cheap ones will spoil your garment.

Before we start any embroidery it is a good idea to mark the position of the darts on the back of the fabric . I have used a combination of chalk lines and a tailors tack at the dart point, this will help me to position my embroidery in the frame. Don't stitch the dart yet as the fabric needs to be flat.

Again, with my chalk and a ruler I marked the exact position of where I want my embroidery to go, and I marked vertical and horizontal grain lines so that I can ensure that my design is perfectly aligned.

Earlier in the post I showed you my design being altered by using my PE Design 10 software, what I didn't tell you is that there is a ruler function so you can make a note of the design size before you send it to your memory stick. If it is the wrong size for your project you can amend it. This measurement is important to know as it ensures that your embroidery design is the correct size.

This is my completed embroidery still in the hoop. You can still just about see the chalk lines marking my grain lines and the tailors tacks marking the points of my darts. You can also see where my neckline does not reach the edge of the hoop, and the thread left behind when the embroidery machine moves from one area to another. These threads need to be trimmed away.
We now need to remove the embroidery from the hoop and tear away the stabiliser. The small pieces inside the various parts of the design can easily be picked out with tweezers.
When you press it out the embroidery face down on a soft towel and use a pressing cloth, otherwise the design will flatten.

This is the finished dress - with sleeves, and with a row of embelishing done on my regular sewing machine around the edges of the sleeves.

If you remember I cut facings for the neckline instead of using a binding. In order to turn any facing to the wrong side you need to clip the curves. You can either cut out little triangles of fabric as on the left or, and this is the only time I use them, you can use pinking shears. Cut close to your stitching but not through it. This works best on woven fabrics which do not fray very much .

Another important step is to understitch the facings. Do this after you have inserted the zipper. Simply press the facing upwards and stitch the seam to the facing only. Press the facing to the wrong side again. Your under stitching will only show on the wrong side of your garment and will prevent the facing from rolling out during wear.

I chose a different design for the front of the jacket but used the same colours. You can of course choose your own design.

Do you purchase ready made bias binding? Please don't, it's so easy to make your own and it will be of a much higher quality too. Because my jacket is unlined I needed to make the inside look attractive. I debated Hong Kong seams but thought them unnecessary on such a small garment So I opted for edging the hem and the facing with a pretty binding to match my Embroidery.
All you need is a Bias binding maker and an iron. For small jobs like this I use a Mini steam iron and a sleeve board it saves getting the large ironing board out .
Do you know how to cut your fabric on the bias? Fold the (straightened) edge of the fabric to the selvedge forming a triangle, and press the crease. This line is the true Bias and you measure strips in the required width along this line and cut them , joining them as necessary to make a strip the length needed.
Then pass the end through the bias tape maker and pin the end to your ironing board. Pull the tool and press the binding as it emerges. It's quicker than going out to buy some and you will always have the colour you want.

This is my facing edged with my hand made binding. Don't you think it pretty?

I did the same with the hem, edging it with my binding and I think it just lifts the jacket
The final thing I did was to add three black hooks and eyes to close the jacket front.

This is the jacket nearing completion. I am still trying to decide if it needs small shoulder pads inserting. If it does, I will make some very small ones out of an oval of thin wadding folded over and covered with my fabric.

If you like my blog and found it helpful would you please leave me some feedback? It takes me a couple of days to write each blog post which is often longer than it took to make the item so I would really like some positive comments! I do not make any money from my blog so it would be extremely rewarding to read some positive feedback

All of the items on this post can be ordered directly from the link highlighted on each product.
Alternatively there is a Contact Jaycotts form
Or you can telephone them on 01244 394099
Or you can visit them, the Address is here and whilst you are on their page do request a copy of the latest free catalogue and sign up for email alerts so that you are the first to hear about special offers, new blog posts and new products.

Please do not hesitate to contact Jaycotts for more information on any of their products or to book a " test drive" and try out their beautiful machines.

THE BROTHER INNOV-IS 1300

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 18 FEB

The Brother Innov-is 1300

An introduction.

This is one of the most amazing domestic sewing machines I have ever used, and of course it is by my favourite brand Brother from my favourite store Jaycotts.

The Brother Innov-is 1300 ticks all the boxes both for versatility and ease of use. It is packed with so many features that I cannot hope to go over them all in this one post, so I am going to concentrate on getting you up and running.
It is fabulous for both dressmaking and quilting having just over 8" workspace to the right of the needle, quilters will know the importance of this.

It has an advanced square feed drive system (SFDS) which delivers a really good feed on all fabrics but - and this is my favourite - it enables the machine to sew sideways as well as backwards and forwards and it means too that it has the capacity of sewing extra wide decorative stitches.

This is my machine which I unpacked as soon as it was delivered. I know some of us feel out of our comfort zone with a new machine, but please do not worry, take it slowly and you will be fine.
Don't forget that Jaycotts can arrange tuition for you from Brother which I do recommend you take advantage of if at all possible.

I was really pleased that it fits into my horn cabinet even with its hard case. The extension table for the machine, available separately is not shown.
There are many styles of Horn sewing furniture so there is bound to be one which suits the style of your decor and the size of the sewing space you have available. I love the fact that I can put everything away in a matter of minutes and the room is totally tidy.

There is storage space built into your machine both at the front and the rear so you can keep your spare feet and bobbins safely where you can access them.

There is space in the hard cover to hold you foot control, knee lifter and manual etc.

All of the instructions are displayed clearly on a large LCD screen. It is from here that you access and amend all of your utility and decorative stitches.
These are the basic utility stitches which you access just by touching the buttons shown. The other features are in "folders" which are again accessed from this screen.

The machine itself has a list of all the stitches it is capable of actually printed onto them inside of the top cover. But don't worry that they look small, they are printed in the manuals too!

The machine comes with a comprehensive instruction manual and also a quick start guide.
It is important to thread the machine and bobbin correctly so follow the instructions in the manual to the letter. There is also a blog post Troubleshooting your sewing machine by Alex Jaycott which explains the importance of correctly threading your machine and choosing and replacing machine needles and much more, so do have a read.

Can you guess which feature I was desperate to try first? Really a normal straight stitch is a good place to start, but I longed to know how the sideways function worked.
The instructions were easy to find in the manual, so armed with some thread and a piece of cloth I set off on a mission to sew sideways!

This function has so many uses, it can be done in a straight or zigzag stitch. Imagine the ease of adding a decorative patch or new pocket to a pair of jeans or a sleeve ! There is absolutely no requirement to turn your fabric as the machine stitches a perfect square.

Each stitch has its own section in the manual, for example these are the utility stitches. Don't forget that these are easily accessible by pressing the relevant button on the home screen.

Some of the sections are rather longer as there are 182 built in stitches and 10 styles of buttonholes to choose from but the manual breaks down each type of stitch into sections and numbers them which makes it easy to find them and program them into your machine.
The instructions really are very easy to follow, don't forget this is a Brother machine we are talking about, and Brother machines are very user friendly.

The manual is yours to keep and forever, so don't be afraid of writing in it. Mark the pages you will want to refer to and write down notes and suggestions. Keep it handy at all times so that it is always available when you want to try something new.

Another thing I often do is to print off certain instructions and fasten them to the cupboard door in my sewing room.( I also do this with my current pattern instructions so I am not hunting around for them )

I was exploring other functions too. I especially like that when you are using a decorative stitch there is a button to press which stops the sewing exactly when the end of the pattern is reached. This is especially useful on garments when you want exact placement of your design or when you want to combine designs

The machine is the easiest one I have ever used for programming characters. It has a massive memory too which is easy to access so when you produce something you like you can save it very easily.

This character embroidery took seconds to program and stitch. And don't forget that this I the first time I have used this machine

It is easy to combine letters and patterns to make your own designes in fact up to 70 patterns can be combined into one design

There are so many other things I want to tell you about this marvelous machine but I am going to stop here for now, but I will come back to it very soon when I make my first garment on it, which is going to be a blouse .

Jaycotts as you know sell a large variety of machines, habberdashery and patterns. They sell online but are extremely helpful and knowledgeable if you want to pay them a visit to try out some of their machines.

The Contact details for Jaycotts are on this page or you can telephone them on 01244 394099

Why not sign up for the newsletter and be the first to read the new blogs and to hear about special offers and new products? Newsletter sign up

Thank you for reading this post, if you found it helpful do let me know.

Angela

#sewingmachine #jaycotts #Brother # sewingblog #blog #newmachine #sewing #sew

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Posted By Blogger to #SewAngelicThreads on 2/11/2018 05:05:00 pm

WHY GO TO THE TROUBLE OF MAKING A BEAUTIFUL GARMENT IF IT DOES NOT FIT YOU PERFECTLY?

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 10 FEB

I don't know about you but I read a lot of blogs and I see a lot of people showing themselves wearing lovely hand made clothes which quite frankly just do not fit.

What's the point? Why go to all that trouble and expense only to end up with a garment which is either too big, or worse far too small?

I bought some stretch denim Stretch Denim from MinervaCrafts as I wanted to make a skirt. Some stretch fabrics - as this one does, just stretch across the width, some stretch in all directions. You need to ensure that with a two way stretch fabric the stretch goes across the garment.

This is a pencil skirt which needs to be fitted close to the body, so a fabric with some give in it is perfect. The design has a centre back pleat to make it easier to wear and a long exposed zip down the centre front.

I used the pattern from the Bernina Inspiration magazine which is available to purchase from Bernina UK

The sewing machine I used is a Bernina 350PE from Jaycotts.co.uk

The design in the book has an open metal tooth zip, but I couldn't find an open zip anywhere near to the length I wanted ( it is possible to shorten an open end zipper by removing teeth from the top of the zipper)
I altered the design to accommodate an exposed closed end zip instead.

You will have come across these patterns before, all the various designs and sizes are printed onto both sides of the paper and you need to trace the design you want to make onto tissue paper. Tracing Paper. The easiest way to do it is to identify the pieces and size you require and go over the outlines with a coloured pencil before you attempt to trace anything
You will find the measurements for each size on the pattern sheets. So take your measurements carefully and make a note of them. Identify the size closest to your actual measurements using the larger size if you fall between sizes. Don't forget if your hips and waist fall between two sizes you can merge the seam line between the two sizes and use both.
You will find it much easier to keep your tracing paper still if you use Pattern Weights

You will also need a ruler and a pencil.

This pattern does not have seam allowances so you need to add them. I love this handy and inexpensive gauge to measure my seam allowances which in this case are 5/8" You also need some Tailors Chalk to mark your cutting line.

Cut your pattern out at this stage and mark the pocket positions and darts with tailors tacks using Tacking thread

I wanted to add some pockets to the back of the skirt. There is a lovely product on the market which is a set of Pocket templates, marking and ironing set
This pack contains sets of templates to make three sizes of pocket. One template is to draw around , the other is to use with your iron to enable you to press perfect corners

I am going to embroider a simple design on each of the pockets so I am not going to cut them out yet.
Instead draw around the template and mark the seam lines. Then measure and mark the centre of the pocket as shown.
This will ensure that your chosen design is dead centre.

There are many Embroidery stabilisers but for this project I wanted to use an iron on stabiliser to ensure that the stretch fabric remained taught during the embroidery process. The product of choice was Gunold iron on stabiliser

The embroidery I chose is by Brother which I got from their website. You will find that there are a lot of free embroidery designs available .
The machine I use is the Brother Innov-is 800e embroidery machine I have written a few blog posts about machine embroidery, but if you would like advice on choosing any machine then do contact Jaycotts on the contact details below.
Do not forget to flip the design for left and right pockets.

When you have finished embroidering your pockets pin and press and put them to one side I love this pretty Magnetic pin cushion

And you need a supply of Various types of pins . Don't forget that they go blunt with use and need replacing every so often. When disposing of your old ones put them inside a tightly closed container.

At this stage I tacked the skirt together to check the fit. It was far too large. In the end I pinned and tacked it three times until I was happy with the fit.
I do not understand people who omit this stage. I understand not making a toille for some garments, I usually only do them for a bodice I admit, but please always fit your garment to your body each and every time. This is the only way you will produce something which is flattering to wear.
Once you have pinned and tacked as many times as it takes carefully remove the garment and mark your new seam lines.
My skirt was reduced in size by a total of eight inches! So can you imagine what it would have looked like on me? And by the way I measured myself carefully and cut out the correct size so please don't take the pattern measurements for granted!

There are limited pattern instructions in the magazine, and if you are reasonably competent at sewing you won't find them a problem.
I repositioned the pockets and darts as I had taken the skirt in so much and then I started working on the front.
The first thing I did was to insert a long exposed zip down the front and then I started work on the side pockets using pink Top stitch thread and a Topstitch needle to add a decorative touch along the pocket opening.

You will need to choose the correct size of needle for your fabric. Topstitch thread is very thick so you definately need one of these needles as they have a large eye.

Topstitch thread comes in lots of colours to blend with or contrast to your fabric.

Then I worked on the back, stitching the pockets in place at the base of the dart and forming a large pleat for wearing ease at the back.

Time to try it on again, so tack the sides and make any last minute adjustments to the fit before attaching the waistband.

I did one buttonhole and used a silver button to match my zip.

I chose not to use a contrasting top stitch to attach the pockets, instead I did two rows of stitching for strength.

The side pockets were also attached with two rows of stitching .

This is the exposed zip in closer detail.

I am delighted with my skirt. It fits me perfectly - as it should do!

The exposed metal zip makes it look a bit different to the rest, and it would be easy to insert into most patterns
This is a very slim fitted skirt, called a pencil skirt. They look very classy in a wool or crepe fabric which I would line.

Have a go at taking a pattern you have not used before and see how well you can get it to fit you. A skirt is a really good garment to start with.

To contact Jaycotts telephone them on 01244 394099

Or fill in the contact form Contact Jaycotts . You can also pay them a visit and sign up for the newsletter and be the first to hear about new products, sales and so on.

Thank you for reading this post. Feedback is always appreciated

Angela

TALKING ABOUT MACHINE EMBROIDERY

POSTED BY ANGELA ON 23 JAN

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.