Posts Tagged ‘preparation’

The Right Tool, The Right Time

Friday, June 10th, 2011

A good tool is valuable; a great tool makes the job easier. A great tool always saves money in the long run because it saves time and frustration.

I bought my Brother PR 600 in 2004 and have always relied on its workhorse ethic. It has always been ready to tackle any job. In fact recently I was asked to complete an order for a shop that couldn’t complete in time to meet a deadline. The only issue occurred when the customer questioned why some hats were “cleaner and more precisely stitched” than others. The shop owner was quite distressed to find out that his customer preferred the hats that had been stitched on my machine!

Brother PR1000

The Brother PR1000

My machine has paid for itself a dozen times over. I have never seriously considered a different machine (even though I will confess to looking). New features became available, but I’ve never been seriously tempted to upgrade until now.

The new beauty that has caught my eye is the Brother PR 1000. It isn’t just the beauty of the design, the larger hoops, support table, new software integration features and new accessories that make it attractive. Isn’t that enough? Hooping an item consistently perfect is always a challenge, so I am confident the Innoveye™ camera will save me lots of rehooping time. The new hat hoop embroiders up to 14” wide – ear to ear without rehooping. This feature will also be a big time-saver for me. I can do the cap front and 2 side designs without rehooping!

Brother PE Design NEXT Software includes some amazing business features that are designed to save time:

    Brother PE Design Next Software

    Brother PE Design Next Software

  1. Link: lets one computer control up to 4 PR 1000 or PR 650 machines. Each machine can be working on a different task with up to 100 designs in queue.
  2. Name drop: names can be typed or imported from a spreadsheet. The software will place them in the proper position in the design and save them all in one quick process. I used to do this task manually and I had created a routine to be efficient – this tool has reduced my design prep time by 90%
  3. Database provides printing a catalog of designs for customer viewing and selection. (This is huge because different design color and font choices may be printed–to be viewed by group members prior to a decision.) It has a special page that can be printed with all the design and item information included for easy filing in your records.
  4. It also includes manual and auto digitizing, photo stitch, impressive resizing capabilities, editing and much more.

Time=Money. Saving time in my work process will create more income for my family. I will be taking a PR 1000 home to join its older “Brother” in my sewing room. I’m looking forward to using the exciting new features.

Stop by one of the Quality Sewing locations and see this beautiful machine in action – it truly is amazing!

Happy Stitching!
Carol


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Vacuum Survival Tips for the Holidays

Friday, December 10th, 2010

It’s that time of year that we are all scurrying around trying to clean our houses before company comes over! It’s work enough preparing to entertain, but when your vacuum doesn’t work right, it is even harder. Your vacuum cleaner is an important tool to keep your carpets and floors clean. With the holidays coming, your vacuum will be put to the test. The holidays bring an abundance of dirt, soil, food, pet hair, leaves and pine needles into your home. While we can’t prevent the mess, we can prepare our vacuum for it!

Tips on readying your vacuum:
1. Change all the filters.
Even if your filters say they can be washed, don’t…replace them instead. Dirt and water make mud and create mildew. Clean filters create better air flow and reduce particulates including the added pollen that a live Christmas tree will add to the air in your home.
2. Change the belt.
Most vacuum belts are rubber and they stretch out. When your vacuum belt is stretched it does not allow your brush roll
to agitate your carpet fibers and deep clean. The next time you are in the market for a new vacuum, be sure to ask about cleaners with lifetime belts that never stretch, and never require replacement.
3. Clean Your Brush Roll.
Take the time to turn your vacuum upside down and remove hair, ribbon, thread and other items that have become twisted around your brush roll. Try using a pair of scissors to quickly cut away the foreign fibers from your brush roll. If you do this frequently you can often remove all debris from your brush roll without having to take the faceplate off your vacuum!
4. Change the bag at least every month.
A fresh vacuum bag keeps odor and mildew from exhausting into your home. Changing the bag regularly also improves the vacuums “vacuum” and allows for the unit to perform at its maximum performance. As your Christmas tree dries out, the extra pine needles will fill your vacuum bag up quicker than normal…if your vacuum smells like a Christmas tree, it’s time to change the bag!
5. Watch out for what you vacuum up.
Vacuums are designed and built around vacuuming small debris. So if you can see it, pick it up with your hands. Also,
vacuums with hoses are more susceptible to clogging. Pine needles, leaves, wrapping paper and clothing tags can block hoses causing clogs. Pine needles are the usual culprit for clogged vacuums this time of year, while its temping to suck them all up in your vacuum, its a good idea to scoop up as many as you can with your hands and throw them in the garbage before turning your vacuum on!
6. Get your vacuum serviced.
A clean vacuum cleans better. Vacuum service centers experience more service volume the first week of every new year, the reason is clogged vacuums. Pine needles are the # 1 reason for a clog during this time of year. Have your vacuum serviced at Quality Sewing and Vacuum prior to the rush. We will replace the filters, replace the belt, clean and oil the brush roll, completely wipe down the housing and motor. So you can clean throughout the winter into the new year!


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How To: Prepare a Pattern For Fitting

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Fitting a pattern prior to cutting and sewing a garment is one of the most important steps to ensuring a successful garment project.  In training to be a Palmer/Pletsch Certified Sewing Instructor, I have learned some great tips for pattern preparation.  Preparing a pattern prior to fitting takes a few steps, but makes pattern fitting much easier and more accurate.

First:
Remove the wrinkles from your pattern using a dry iron on medium heat.  I prefer to press from the wrong side of the pattern, in case the ink wants to transfer to my iron.

Second:
If you are using a multi-size pattern, mark your size line with a colored pencil. It’s easy to confuse the different size lines, and inaccurate cutting of these lines may result in unpleasant surprises during fitting and construction.  If tracing a pattern, such as from a Burda magazine, it’s especially important to make sure you can see which line is the correct one to follow.

Third:
Once the pattern is cut, mark the seam allowances and hemlines, so you can pin fit the pattern accurately.  Remember to check the seam allowances noted on the pattern – they may not be 5/8″.  For garments such as pants, you may want to increase the seam allowance on the side seams and waistline to 1″ to facilitate fitting the pattern and fabric easier.  This may seem excessive, but remember it is much easier to make something smaller than to try to make it larger after cutting!

Fourth:
Are there any curved areas, such as princess seams, crotch seams or armhole seams?  If so, you will want to reinforce these areas with small, overlapping pieces of 1/2″ tape.  Please note the 1/2″ size – it is easier to tape around curves with less bulk than a wider tape.  Reinforce the pattern “seam” for fitting by taping along the stitching line on the body side of the stitching line - not in the seam allowance! Taping the curves allows you to clip the seam allowance up to the stitching line just as you would in the sewn garment.  It also keeps the pattern from tearing in these stress areas; if taped properly, you should be able to gently pull on the curve without the paper tearing.  This means you can try on the pattern as you would a garment, allowing you to make the most necessary adjustments prior to cutting your fabric.

I’ll discuss further steps in pattern preparation, fitting and alteration in a later posting.  I have lots of projects bundled up and waiting to be sewn.  That means lots of pattern fittings and alterations, too.  Marta Alto says that pattern preparation is easily 1/3 to 1/2 of her total project time.  This may seem excessive but preparation is the key to a successful garment.

–Katrina


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Project Preparation Tips for Streamlining Your Sewing

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Photo: The back pieces of a vest lining pinned together for quicker assembly.

I do not sew quickly. Sometimes it’s one of my greatest frustrations. Part of the problem is my penchant for experimentation and challenging projects. I just can’t resist trying out new tools and techniques – after all,that is how we learn. While it definitely broadens my sewing horizons, it also leads to a lot of ‘backwards sewing’!

The other factor is a lack of organization. I am easily distracted, and when I have several deadlines (and their related projects) stacked up at once, it’s difficult to avoid total chaos.

That’s when I turn to the experts. I am very grateful to Pati Palmer, Marta Alto, Nancy Zieman, Sandra Betzina, Claire Schaeffer and the rest of my reference book and dvd collection authors for their invaluable advice and suggestions.

So, as I scramble to churn out my projects, I thought I’d share some tips for getting the most out of your sewing time.

Step 1:
Do one task at a time for multiple projects. For example, rather than cutting out one project at a time, cut out several. Or fit several patterns. It’s easier to stay focused if you are doing the same task. Plus, if your studio/work area tends to become an unnatural disaster when you work (guilty!) you will be more likely to use your space more efficiently. Cutting out or altering patterns takes dedicated table space – quite a bit of it. So while you have it cleared off for one project, you might as well keep going.

Step 2:
After you cut your garment pieces, pin them together. This helps prevent the dreaded ‘two left sleeves’ scenario. When possible, pin them in their construction order, as in the photo above. This vest back is ready to be taken to the sewing machine and sewn, without having to get up or down to pick up pieces or guess “now is this for the left or right back?” I don’t normally use pins when sewing, but you get the idea!

Step 3:
Consolidate your sewing and pressing. Sew as many seams as you can, then go and press them all rather than sewing and pressing each individually. Again, projects may vary but often this is possible. There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to do that with my vest project shown above.

Step 4:
You don’t always have to use different colored thread for every project. Seriously. If you are sewing for a competition, that may be a different story. But otherwise, no one should ever see your basic construction threads unless your seams are too loose or are straining. If you’re sewing a lined, interfaced bag or garment, as long as the thread color doesn’t show through to the front, you’re fine. Similarly, when serging, only the needle thread is likely to show, if at all. The looper colors aren’t as crucial.

There are many other ways to help speed up and streamline your sewing. I hope you will share some of your best tips with the rest of us! Keep sewing!

–Katrina


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