March Sewing Blog
Hello Sewing Friends,Proms, weddings, Easter and springtime are just ahead and this year we will celebrate the season with plenty of lemon yellow, seashore blues and accents of salmon rose.March is National Crafting Month and the perfect time to get together with all of our crafting friends. There are many things we all have in common. 1) We enjoy the satisfaction of making things ourselves. 2) We’re coordinated and work well with our hands. 3) We’re visual, tactile learners. 4) We need a creative outlet. 5) We like to think out of the box and HAVE FUN!Crafting is an adventure. I remember when my husband George and our son George lV and I decided to make plaster face masks for Christmas presents one year when we had no money. George lV was only six years old when we covered the living room floor with newspapers and put straws wrapped in cotton up our noses. Then we took turns covering our faces with Vaseline, sprinkling them with powder, and lay quiet and still while the plaster mold heated up and set on our faces. (My over enthusiastic husband had to cut my bangs and sideburns away to get my mask off!) What a scary messy memory of family crafting time!!!The results captured a moment in time in 1995 and I’m thrilled that I have a three dimensional face of our (now age 20) son George lV when he was a little boy.
Anyway, I’ll keep my day job~ and continue to sew. There are many ways to marry sewing and crafting. Sewing a tote and then stamping it, making napkins and then painting them, completing a new machine embroidery design and adding Glamour Gems iron-on rhinestones, etc…. Challenge yourself to come up with something new by expanding your world of creativity to crafting. Stitch a few scrapbook pages, sew a few postcards or make a scrapbook quilt or pillow. PINWEAVING TABLERUNNER:  This is a home décor project that can interest crafters and sewers alike. Made with inexpensive ribbon purchased by the spool, a little hand manipulation and one sewing machine stitch, the unique table runner will definitely add surface interest to any table-scape. SUPPLIES:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Enjoy your new Runner! It’s amazing what one stitch and a little assembling can accomplish! EMBROIDERY TIPS: Stabilizer:  There are many types and weights of stabilizer and the choice you make will be determined by the type and weight of the fabric that you are using and the embroidery design. Listed are four of the basics to get you started. SULKY offers a nice value on a variety pack that will get you started and keep you going! Item # 257-815 Tear-Away – This stabilizer comes in light, medium and heavy and is used with woven fabrics to make a sturdy foundation that will stay with the item for the life of the design. It should tear away from the main design easily. For best results, use on a substantial fabric (nothing too flimsy) with a medium design (not too many holes and spaces—they don’t tear out well) Cut-Away – Comes in a variety of weights from light polymesh to heavy and white, beige and black. Use the lightest one that will work without changing the hand of the fabric. Cut-Away should be trimmed to within ¼” from the design edges. Choose the cut-away color that will least likely show through. Heat-Away – Best for delicates and sheers that are non-washable. There are several versions. The film type is great as a topper, (monogramming towels so they terry doesn’t poke through the stitches) while the woven version is good when making lace or creating a fabric with only threads. It will crumble when heated with a dry iron. Wash-Away -This magic stabilizer can be used as a backing and a topper. It is available in many forms such as woven, paper, plastic film and liquid. All of these will wash away with water so the item must be washable. Manufacturers call for different water temperatures so read the instructions carefully. Thread – MELROSE tri-lobal 40 wt. Polyester thread is a superb choice for embroidering with the Futura. It is durable, strong, colors won’t run or fade and it won’t shrink and distort your designs. Check it out on our website. SEWING TIPS:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:  Q: Why do I need special embroidery scissors? WHEN TO WATCH: March 1—2am, 4pm and 11pm I’m looking forward to seeing your creations posted in our SHARE section on the crafting page. Look for the pink box and upload your finished project today!! Continue to Sew Your Dreams,
|
Darlene, when you were on the last time you were talking about you could use clipart;how would you get clipart into future ses 2000 program? please tell me how. Barbara in NC
I ENJOY WATCHING YOU AND LEARN SO MUCH. WISH YOU WERE ON MORE.
Where can I find the instructions for the bra made from men’s underwear? I have seen this on one of the sewing machine demonstrations. thanks
HI Darlene, I bought SES1000 futura so far I love what I can do with the machine. But would like to know more about the difference between the SES1000 and the 350CE? because I would really like to have more of the decorative sewing, heirloom sewing stitches. Is there a site that I can add those into the machine or do I need to buy the 350CE to get them.??? thank you,Jay
I cannot seem to find where you download the manual for the singer serger? If you can or someone guide me as to how to do that, that would be awesome.
Thank you!
Darlene: Really enjoy sewing on the Future SES 1000. I have done everything on it and tried all the presser feet and they work great. What is the difference between this machine and the CE 100 and CE 250? I viewed all the videos which were so helpful and just jumped in and started using the machine. Can’t say enough nice things about this machine. I made a lap quilt, embroidered napkins, made placemats, and although the throat of the machine is shallow, I even quilted on it.
I want one of the brother embroidery/sewing machines? I don’t know which one. I do know I want it with usb port, but do you still have to buy ped thing? As you can tell, I am new at the embroidery thing. I want to do gifts for family and friends and charities. I am an advanced hand embroiderer. Just want to do it faster and the least expensive. Can anyone help. If you can email me please. Have a great day!
Hi Darlene, I love your sewing and embroidery demos. I always learn so much. My husband bought me a new Innov-is 1500D for my birthday last March. I’m still learning on it. I was wondering if you could show some things on your shows about this machine. Also, I would love for you to have a show all your own for teaching sewing and embroidery from beginners to expert. We don’t have enough of these shows on. You could teach like Nancy Zeaman does and your shows would be great. I know a lot of
Hi Darlene, I love your presentations, beacuse of you I have bought three machines
from hsn. The euro-pro computer machine, the singer quantumlock 5-4-3-3 and the
Brother P70011 and I love all of them. I would not miss any of your presentations
beacuse I have learned so much. Thank you so much!!!
Darlene
The measurements on the Crumb catcher bib are NOT readable from the drawings. Please update with the measurements.
do you know how to make a dog backback? I would like the directions if you have them. Thanks
Darlene, Just a quick question, I purchased a Brother HE-240 from HSN and seem to have a problem with threading the machine. I have checked the manuel and the cd that came with the machine, but after it sews one inch, it beeps and says, check upper threading. I do this and it keeps, it seem more miss than hit never had this problem with a machine before….can you give me some insight to my problem?? Thanks Trish
Hi, Darlene…I want the Singer CE-350 with all the software including the editing software. Please try and bring to HSN. Also need needles for the felting machine.
Hi Darlene. I own the Singer Quantum Futura 200 and just got a new computer with Windows Vista. I’ve installed the CD that came with the machine and the Vista patch on the Futura website but I still can’t get my Futura to open. I get a message that the drivers aren’t downloaded. I’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work. I’ve written to Singer but got no reply. Can you help? Or has anyone else on this blog had the same problem? And if so, how can I fix this? It’s so frustrating.
Hi Darlene!
I’ve just gotton the Futura 350 that has it all, experimented with your polyester threads and love them, my question is though, it’s time to purchase all the colors of embroidery thread I’ll need, I WISH YOU HAD A KIT THAT HAS ALL THE COLORS; otherwise so expensive by single spools. If you could possibly respond to my email with any advise I’d really appreciate it.
Best to you and always enjoy watching your demos!
Renee H.
Hi Darlene!
Really like to watch you, I’ve just gotton the Futura that has it all, experimented with your polyester threads and love them, my question is though, it’s time to purchase all the colors of embroidery thread I’ll need, I WISH YOU HAD A KIT THAT HAS IT ALL, otherwise so expensive by single spools. If you could possibly respond to my email with any advise I’d really appreciate it.
Best to you!
Renee H.
Hi, I concur w/Dena….
I scream, you scream, we all scream for more sewing projects. Please update the sewing projects and provide a page or link to display our versions of them to keep customers comming back to HSN and Darlene for their sewing needs, help, and advice.
Darlene: Could you work with Singer on adding the Melrose embroidery threads to their color charts in the software. I have been using your thread and really like them. I had problems in the beginning with the threads fraying, but figured out I was threading wrong. Since I corrected that, I have had no problems with the threads and would like to see them added to the Futura software.
I see questions on your blogs about projects, but no answers, Where do you get the patterns for example -the beach bag they are talking about? I love how you are teaching people to sew with all varieties of talent and machines…Haven’t bought anything yet–I own four sewing machines/embroidery machines myself!!! Keep up the great work..I know it’s your job to promote, but you seem to enjoy it…Diana
Hello Darlene,
I so enjoy your presentations on HSN, and try to make time to see each and every one. I own the Singer Futura 150, as well as the Singer Stock Designs. I have been having the time of my life. I highly recomend these to anyone. It is so much fun to learn new ways of creating machime embroidery at a fraction of the cost of so many other brands. Not only does it embroidery, it sews like a dream. I will be looking foward to seeing you later in the month.
Love all your sewing shows but would like to see more Brother products and hints. I have the HE120 and the Brother serger and love them both! (Seems like everything has been Singer lately.) Thank you!!!!
HI DARLENE,
THANK YOU !!! I FIND IT AND I DOWNLOAD IT THANK YOU!
YOU ARE THE BEST NOW I COULD BUY THE SERGER THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!
I’M HAPPY NOW I COULD SERGER .
Hi Darlene
I watched you before when you showed how to make dust covers for your clothes hanging in the closet. Could you put the instructions on your sewing page. I would like to make them for gifts
Thank you
HI DARLENE,
I WANT TO PAY SINGER QUANTUMLOCK 5-4-3-2
I WATCH YOUR SHOW ALL THE TIME I CAN’T WAIT WHEN
YOU SAID THAT IN MARCH WE WILL DOWN LOAD THE PAPER HOW TO SET IT UP.SO I’M WAITING
SO I COULD HAVE THE PAPERS AND HAVE MY SINGER QUANTUMLOCK 5-4-3-2
Hi Darlene, I love to watch your presentations. You give me so many new ideas. I have been sewing for about 3yrs. I just wanted to say thanks for all your wonderful ideas.