Add texture, depth and individual style to all your projects
A new spin in decorative sewing is Bobbin Work. Bobbin Work allows sewers to use various threads, yarn and ribbon that can’t pass through the eye of a needle in decorative stitches to add texture and make them look hand stitched. Wow, my grandmother would really have appreciated this!
It really is an easy process, simply wind the heavy decorative thread on the bobbin. Insert the bobbin into the special bobbin case and stitch on the back side of stabilized fabric. Using an embroidery thread that coordinates in color with the bobbin thread in the needle, will yield a superb look.
It is helpful to fuse or use spray adhesive to attach the stabilizer to the back of the fabric. Then it is possible to draw lines or designs to follow when doing the decorative stitching.
The Laura Ashley Machine from Brother includes a special bobbin work bobbin case and door cover. The bobbin case has a tension system that makes it work beautifully with the heavy threads.
Decorative Bobbin Work and crystals accent this table topper creating a unique conversation piece
The special bobbin door cover helps keep the bobbin seated just perfectly and prevent any bouncing around that might occur when using heavy, uneven threads.
The Brother Quattro upgrade and the Baby Lock Elissimo upgrade also includes the special bobbin work set. It also includes 14 beautiful embroidery designs that can be stitched with the decorative threads or even narrow silk ribbon.
Embellishing the outside edges of the floral pattern with Bobbin Work creates an intricate border around the flowers that appear detailed and hand sewn
The best news of all is that now both Brother and Baby Lock have put together bobbin work sets that fit most current models! These kits are an economical way to add exciting new stitching styles to most any Brother or Baby Lock sewing machines! The heavy threads give the look of hand stitched. Stop by one of the Quality Sewing locations and ask to see a sample of the bobbin work stitching, it really is fun! Heavy thread yields the look of hand stitching!
For even more information on bobbin work, check out this informative blog from Threads.
Come to November Sew Fun and see how uncomplicated it is to create this stunning ornament! It is made simply from a Styrofoam ball, twisted cord, glue and a little ribbon for embellishment. This idea for an easy Christmas ornament was shared with me by an Everett Sew Fun member, Sharon.
Decorate with these simple yet sophisticated ornaments
The braid lengths supply list:
For a 2 inch Styrofoam ball use ..1 yard & 24 inches braid
For a 2 1/2 inch ball use………..2 1/2 yards braid
For a 3 inch ball use ……………..4 yards braid
Note before starting: ALWAYS TAPE THE ENDS OF THE BRAID !!!!!
I poke a skewer or pencil all the way through the center of the ball so I know where to start & finish the braid. Make a loop to hang the ornament and tie a knot at the end. Use hot glue gun to make a hole at the top. Squeeze a little hot glue in and place knot in hole. Place taped end of the braid in hole and use more hot glue & the heat from the glue to force the braid into the top of the Styrofoam ball.
Now wrap the braid around the ball hot gluing about an inch at a time until you get the feel of it keeping the rows of braid close to each other. When you get to the bottom, make a hole in the ball bottom for the taped end of the braid . Place a tassel in the bottom hole, either a matching or a contrasting color. You can also add a pretty bow on top to dress it up.
In September Sew Fun we featured embellished Pashmina scarves. In November Sew Fun you will see more samples of embellished Pashminas. There have been questions about how to care for your Pashmina and what the fiber content is. First off, what is Pashmina?
Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh, made from Persian wool. This wool comes from the pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Kashmir and made from fine cashmere fiber. Pashmina shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for thousands of years.
The pashmina goat sheds its winter coat every spring. One goat sheds approximately 3-6 ounces of fiber. To meet the demand, the goats are now commercially reared in the Gobi Desert in Inner and Outer Mongolia. This region has identical harsh weather conditions to those of the Himalayan region to grow this inner wool, but also has acres of grazing ground to produce cashmere economically and commercially. During spring (the molting season) the goats shed this inner wool, which re grows in winter. The inner wool is collected and spun to produce beautiful shawls.
How do you care for your Pashmina while embellishing with embroidery? When choosing an embroidery design for embellishing, a lighter digitized design works well. Choose a water soluble stabilizer and embroider your design. Cut the excess stabilizer around the perimeter of the design to get rid of as much stabilizer as possible. Don’t tear the excess stabilizer away, as the Pashmina isn’t strong enough to allow for this.
Once you have removed the excess stabilizer, immerse the Pashmina in a basin of warm water and soak in a phosphate free detergent for hand washables. I wash all my scarves in this and it works great. Once the stabilizer is removed, rinse and gently wring out excess water and put in the dryer on a medium heat cycle. Promptly remove from dryer and press with a cool iron, using a press cloth to protect from the direct heat of the iron. It’s as easy as that!
Pashminas make fantastic gifts for the fashion forward crowd to use as a shawl or fashion scarf. Now that the airlines charge for blankets, many women use them on the airplane in place of the customary blanket. Great versatility!
Paul & Christine with their daughters Carmen & Annalee. Circa 1985.
So it was September 1985 and Christine and I had our 1200 square foot store in Juanita and our friend Jerry Belvill had his store in the Burien area. We had been sharing the cost of advertising in the Seattle Times with John Coan who owned Ballard Sewing. John decided it was time to retire and sold his store to Jerry and me. This was the start of Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers.
A lot has changed since then. I remember the first fax machine we purchased for the company. It cost over $700. It used the thermal paper roll, so you had to photocopy anything that you wanted be able to read six months in the future. And the salesman came to the store to install the machine and teach us how to use it!
Like fax machines, sewing machines and vacuum cleaners have made huge improvements in the last 25 years. They are much easier to use and actually offer more value for the price (even without adjusting for inflation). In 1985 our top of the line Pfaff, the model 1469 sold for $1200 and was roughly equivalent in features to machines that sell for $600-$700 today.
In 1985 many people sewed to save money and needed solid basic machines. We still sell many of that type of machine today. However, this business has grown much more fun over the years. Today we offer a full range of machines from very basic to wonderful embroidery, quilting and serging machines. Today’s machines are more than sewing machines. They are designed for creative sewing and enjoyment. Along with these wonderful machines we continue to grow our education offerings, seminars and special events to bring you the latest sewing techniques, products and creative inspiration.
In the vacuum world a lot has changed as well. Sure, we still have upright and canister vacuums, they still are designed to clean our homes, and we still service most brands of vacuums. In 1985, every vacuum out there was repairable, made in the USA and designed to last 20 years. Today, we hand pick our vacuum offerings to bring you great vacuums that actually clean well and are designed to last.
While looking back over the last 25 years, we are also looking forward to the next 25. Along with our dedicated staff of over 100 full and part-time folks, several of our children are involved in keeping Quality Sewing & Vacuum strong and viable for the next 25 years and beyond. I would like to thank each of you, our loyal customers, for your business over the years.
Sincerely,
Paul LaPonte
Owner, Quality Sewing Centers
Quilters often struggle with keeping an accurate ¼” seam. Garment sewers have always known that being just a tiny bit off the seam line can really impact the way a garment fits. That must be the reason that last pair of slacks were a little too tight!
Fortunately for all sewers there is a perfect answer to accurate seam widths. Edge sewing is a precise method of sewing that is available on the Brother Quattro. Any seam allowance from 1/16” to 1½” can be achieved accurately by the InnovEye™ edge sewing feature. Sure the seaming is convenient, but wait until you see the precision in topstitching. Just in case you like to stitch along a curved edge, it can do that too.
Edge sewing is very simple to set up. Select the icon on the Quattro’s screen and directions will instantly appear.
The special V foot and the edge sewing sheet are both included with the machine. There are even extra copies of the special sheet just in case one gets misplaced.
After the items are in place press OK and the machine will ready itself for perfect seaming. Slide the fabric under the foot and watch the screen, when the screen displays the desired seam width put the presser foot down. Start sewing. It is not necessary to guide the fabric. The InnovEye system will keep the fabric at a precise seam width for the length of the fabric. Perfect strip piecing is a snap with this feature.
Did I mention there are a variety of stitches that will work with the Edge sewing feature? You really have to see this feature in action to believe how exciting it is. Come by any one of the Quality Sewing Stores and let them demonstrate this amazing feature for you.
Be sure to watch KBTC this Saturday morning October 9th from 9am to Noon. Not only will you see the wonderful flight of sewing and quilting shows that broadcast every Saturday, but you will see many Quality Sewing Sew Fun educators and staff answering the phones during the annual pledge drive. Before you say, “pledge drive, I don’t want to sit through that”, listen to what we are doing to help support sewing programs in the Great Northwest:
Pledge & You Could Win One of These Machines!
In conjunction with Baby Lock, our new joint sponsor, we are giving away two different Baby Lock machines! The Baby Lock Sofia 2 and a Baby Lock Eclipse DX serger! The Sofia 2 with USB is a perfect travel machine, a great 2nd machine or the ideal starter machine for someone who is just getting into sewing and wants a machine that’s fun and easy to use. The Baby Lock Eclipse serger has the amazing Jet Air Threading and will take your sewing to a new level. Everyone who pledges on Saturday morning will be entered into the drawing for the Baby Lock Sofia 2. We will draw the winner Saturday about Noon. The Eclipse DX serger will go to the individual who tenders the highest pledge on Saturday morning.
We are also going to donate 2 special classes that we have coming up this fall or winter. The Nancy Zieman Love of Sewing Retreat on Jan 6, 7 & 8th at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. See Nancy Zieman in person! A $299 Value. And the John Deer Embroidery Event October 30-31st at Mount Vernon Convention Center or November 6-7 at Puyallup Fairgrounds. A $69.99 Value. Everyone who pledges will be entered to win these events as well!
But that’s not all, to help support public television and keep sewing programs on the air, we will give everyone who pledges $35 or more a ticket to the Northwest Quilt Craft & Sewing Festival, a $10 Value and a Quality Sewing Gift Card. You will have to watch on Saturday to find out the full details! Plus KBTC has special gifts for everyone who pledges as well!
So don’t miss the fun. Look for us on TV and place or renew your pledge to help keep Sewing on the air in the Great Northwest.
Roselyn with the kids holding their finished projects.
Six years ago, I was asked if I would like to teach kids to sew. Since I was a retired Home Ec and Elementary school teacher it was a dream of mine for several years. The Kids Summer Sewing Camp was launched and has become a summer tradition at the Bellingham and Mount Vernon store locations. This camp is designed to introduce kids ages nine and up to the joy and fun of sewing. I have now added intermediate and advanced classes to the original beginning class. This summer’s camp was a great success, ten girls ages 9-15 completed four projects. While completing these projects they learned how to operate their new Natalie Baby Lock Sewing Machines, cut out a pattern, read a pattern, make french seams, how fabric is made, what grain lines are, the purpose of finishing raw edges, using a variety of built in stitches, and many other sewing skills.
A student working on her project.
They all said how much fun they had! It really kept me hopping to help each one. One young girl asked me how old I am and I said 75 years old, to which her Mother exclaimed “No way”. The more you enjoy what you are doing, the younger you feel! Plans are already being discussed for next years camp. NOTE: Thank you Moms, Dads, Grandmas and all who let me teach your girls this year. I look forward to these camps every year and the fun and joy of working with these kids. Check out all of the fun classes that Quality Sewing has to offer here.
Edge sewing is very simple to set up. Select the icon 
