A Little Applique Test with ScanNCut and Dream Machine

I’ve been meaning to do this little test for awhile. It’s simple: take a drawing of an applique shape and scan it on the ScanNCut for fabric cutting and scan it on the Dream Machine to create an applique embroidery file. Will the fabric piece and the embroidery design be the same size? If this experiment works, then I don’t need to use any additional software to create cut files and embroidery files for my applique. Continue reading “A Little Applique Test with ScanNCut and Dream Machine”

lynnenewFebruary 23, 2015February 21, 201510 Comments

Challenges, Reviews

Sylvia’s Threads Challenge and Bionic Gear Bag

One of our Sewing Collective members, Sylvia, has been sewing up a storm lately! In response to our January Threads Challenge, she completed a dress she was inspired to make from the July 2012 edition. If you may recall, Sylvia asked me many months ago to digitize the rose that Jennifer Stern had drawn for her machine embroidered embellishment. I wrote about that process here. You never know what becomes of these requests, so I was astonished when she told me she had finished the dress! Continue reading “Sylvia’s Threads Challenge and Bionic Gear Bag”

lynnenewFebruary 3, 20158 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Intricate Applique Made Possible by Stitch Artist and a ScanNCut

You may recall that I once tried cut out a rather intricate monogram of the letter K on the ScanNCut using marine vinyl (see here). It didn’t go so well because the marine vinyl just wouldn’t stay stuck to the cutting mat. I’ve decided to revisit that monogram to showcase how you can make some really intricate appliques with the help of a ScanNCut. Along the way, we’ll end up doing a little Dream Machine trouble-shooting. Continue reading “Intricate Applique Made Possible by Stitch Artist and a ScanNCut”

lynnenewFebruary 2, 2015January 30, 20159 Comments

Reviews

A Look at Embrilliance Stitch Artist Level 2

I purchased Embrilliance Essentials not long ago for the sole purpose of creating cut files for my Brother ScanNCut (for appliques). It works beautifully for such purposes and I talked about it here. Lucky for me, Embrilliance recently released a reasonably priced digitizing package as well called Stitch Artist. It works on both the Mac and the PC and comes, for the moment, in Level 1 and Level 2. I have been hoping to find an embroidery design package that is relatively easy and convenient to use so my husband can make all of the patches he’s ever dreamed of making. To this end, I purchased Level 2 and gave it a run-through. (For this review, I am using version 1.137 on a Mac running OS X 10.9.5, but as of today, there is a new version 1.138.) Continue reading “A Look at Embrilliance Stitch Artist Level 2”

lynnenewDecember 22, 2014December 15, 20148 Comments

Challenges, Finished Projects, Reviews

December Challenge: A Vintage Grumpy Care Bear

My daughter has a large collection of Care Bears, purchased in the early 2000s by her mother. I love these little bears, but thought some were a little far removed from the original collection of Care Bears from the 80s: Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear. I mean, really, who is “Share Bear” or “Harmony Bear”? These must be the politically-correct cousins. Anyway, I always thought Grumpy Bear was underrepresented. I’m generally a happy person, but sometimes I’m just masking a melancholy undercurrent of holiday anxiety. Anyway, a vintage challenge is a fabulous opportunity to finally make that Grumpy Bear pattern I purchased on eBay a few years ago (Butterick 6228). And if you don’t believe it’s vintage, try and decipher this copyright year: MCMLXXXIII. Continue reading “December Challenge: A Vintage Grumpy Care Bear”

lynnenewDecember 16, 2014December 14, 20148 Comments

Finished Projects

A Little Christmas Sewing

Christmas is probably the only holiday I get excited to do some sewing for. This year I had ambitions to finish a Christmas-themed quilt called “First Snow” from Quilters Newsletter Magazine. I got all of the houses done, but did not make a single tree. Oh well, there’s always next year! Continue reading “A Little Christmas Sewing”

lynnenewDecember 8, 2014November 29, 20145 Comments

Reviews, Tips & Tricks, Tutorials

Brother Dream Machine – My Design Center Review

Well the highly anticipated Brother Dream Machine is finally here! I think many potential customers are intrigued by the possibility of creating their own embroidery designs on the machine. And I am certainly one of them. So let’s see what it can do. Continue reading “Brother Dream Machine – My Design Center Review”

lynnenewNovember 12, 2014November 12, 201417 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

Logos, Applique, Rhinestones and a ScanNCut

My husband and I belong to the Mile High Hook and Ladder club in Colorado. Their website is a little out of date, sadly, but you can find them on Facebook here. It’s for owners and lovers of antique fire trucks. They have a lovely 3-color logo that I thought would be perfect for a little exercise for my own personal amusement. Continue reading “Logos, Applique, Rhinestones and a ScanNCut”

lynnenewOctober 27, 2014October 23, 20147 Comments

Challenges, Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

October’s Sewing Challenge – Suede

I purchased a little piece of leather suede from Colorado Fabrics a few years ago with the intention of trying to make something out of it someday. That day finally came with Jamie’s challenge! I decided to try two things: general sewing and machine embroidery with suede. Continue reading “October’s Sewing Challenge – Suede”

lynnenewOctober 21, 2014October 6, 20144 Comments

Finished Projects, Tips & Tricks

Fire Dog!

My husband loves his fire truck and no fire truck is complete without a Dalmation! Well we don’t have a Dalmation, but we do have Ginger Pickles. So I made her a little jacket to wear to turn her into a Dalmation when she goes out on “calls”. Continue reading “Fire Dog!”

lynnenewSeptember 15, 2014August 31, 20149 Comments

Tips & Tricks

Sylvia’s Rose

A Denver Sewing Collective member, Sylvia, asked me weeks ago to digitize a rose design that was referenced in Threads Number 161 July 2012. The article is by Jennifer Stern-Hasemann. The project is to cover a bodice with a bouquet of sewn roses and it is quite lovely: Continue reading “Sylvia’s Rose”

lynnenewSeptember 1, 2014September 13, 201411 Comments

Reviews

A Look at the Brother Dream Machine

I had the chance to check out the latest top-of-the-line home sewing and embroidery machine from Brother courtesy of Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in Littleton, Colorado. It’s called the Dream Machine and it truly makes you dream. Note: I am not associated with Brother or with Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in any way. I am just an interested consumer of sewing and embroidery machines! EDIT: For a more recent review of My Design Center, see this blog post. Continue reading “A Look at the Brother Dream Machine”

lynnenewAugust 25, 2014November 17, 201421 Comments

Tips & Tricks

What Can I Do With Muslin Scraps?

When I made the pants muslin for the Silhouette Patterns One-Day Seminar in Denver, I actually made two of them! I chose the wrong size initially, using my hip measurement, not my sitting hip measurement. I ended up with an extra pants muslin and lots of scraps. At first, that extra muslin and those scraps were in my trash bin. But the Kitty sitting on my shoulder suggested that maybe I could do something useful with those scraps. I really didn’t have many ideas at all and I still don’t. Do you have any ideas? Continue reading “What Can I Do With Muslin Scraps?”

lynnenewJuly 7, 2014June 29, 20148 Comments

Tips & Tricks

How To Machine Embroider Logos for Corporate Gear

Once a year I get asked to embroider my company’s corporate logo onto some garments for the Christmas party. Every year I have to reteach myself how to do it! So I’ll give you a quick run down of how I do it. The process I use can be used for any sort of machine embroidery. Continue reading “How To Machine Embroider Logos for Corporate Gear”

lynnenewMarch 21, 2014March 5, 20144 Comments

Finished Projects, Reviews

In-the-Hoop Fun: Owl Sewing Kit

I have two embroidery machines, a 6-needle and a single-needle. The 6-needle is great for production work. But the single-needle is not as efficient for repetitive embroidery. It is, however, excellent for making in-the-hoop projects. An in-the-hoop project is a project created on an embroidery machine which yields something other than fabric embellishments. For example, you can make small stuffed animals, luggage tags, small bags, door knob hangers, and many other things. My favorite resource for in-the-hoop projects is Embroidery Garden. Continue reading “In-the-Hoop Fun: Owl Sewing Kit”

lynnenewFebruary 28, 2014January 4, 20142 Comments

Finished Projects

Clucky Chicken

My husband and I survived the September 2013 flooding in Colorado without any property damage, but suffered a water line break last night (Feb 8) in our storage unit as we went from freezing temperatures for two days to a relatively warm 40 degrees. Some of our boxes were wet and we brought them home to unpack and dry out. One of these boxes was labeled “Chickens” and lo I rediscovered this “Clucky Chicken” I made a few years ago. Continue reading “Clucky Chicken”

lynnenewFebruary 15, 2014February 9, 20143 Comments

Finished Projects, Junk Drawer, Reviews

“Attack on Titan” – A Cosplay Jacket and Shirt

My daughter attended Nan Desu Kan 2013 last September. 2012 was the first year she attended but this year she wanted to go in costume! One of her favorite anime shows is “Attack on Titan” and she wanted to attend as one of the soldiers:

I nearly had a heart attack! She would need a custom made shirt, jacket (with embroidered patches), strapping, and a “skirt”. Thankfully I knew I could buy the pants and the boots. And I would need to complete all of this in about a month. Continue reading ““Attack on Titan” – A Cosplay Jacket and Shirt”