Nancy's Tip of the Month

July Tip of the Month Embroidery Tip To add dimension to white areas of embroidery such as snow or clouds use two threads in the needle. White and iridescent are my favorites for realistic looking snow.

June Tip of the Month Embroidery Tip: To soften the edges of outlined embroidery designs, use grey, brown or navy thread instead of black. The edges are defined but much less harsh.

May Tip of the Month Garments Tip: The hem of your garment is an ideal place to add some unique touches. Try using one of your machine's decorative stitches with a contrasting color for an interesting effect.

April Tip of the Month Binding Tip: Fan fold quilt binding and place it in a plastic bag. Tape the plastic bag to the table in front of your machine. The fan folding makes it feed nicely from the bag as it’s sewn on the quilt. This keeps the binding from twisting and ending up in a knotted mess on the floor!

March Tip of the Month Notions Tip: Slip a small piece of vinyl tubing (found at a hardware store) over the point of your scissors. It will keep the tips safe and sharp while they’re in a drawer or in your sewing bag.

February Tip of the Month Embroidery Tip: If a tear-away stabilizer stretches and tears in one direction, layer two pieces at right angles to achieve proper tension.

January Tip of the Month Serger Tip: Use a serger chain stitch with decorative thread in the chain looper to create “yarn” for making your own tassels. It takes about 20-22 yards for each tassel.

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December Tip of the Month Embroidery Tip: For the best embroidery tension, use the smallest hoop that will hold the design.

November Tip of the Month Serger Tip: If a serged edge ripples rather than being straight and smooth, slightly tighten the differential feed. When the differential is tightened, feed dogs bite more fabric, eliminating bubbling or bowing. It’s especially helpful when serging around curves such as a neckline.

Bonus Tip Notion Tip: To remove tiny burrs from your hand sewing needle, pass the needle through an emery cloth or the “strawberry” from a tomato pincushion.

October Tip of the Month Stabilizer Tip: Use cut-away stabilizer on designs that will be touching your body from the wrong side of the garment. Tear-away stabilizers tend to be scratchy.

September Tip of the Month Lining Tip: Use the old lining in a suit or coat as a pattern to replace the lining. To determine the grain line, pull a thread to create a run in the old lining piece. This will give you a guide for determining the correct grain.

August Tip of the Month Braiding Tip: To make a beautiful braid, I serge over 1/4" wide ribbon using decorative thread such as Pearl Cotton in the upper looper and fusible thread in the lower looper. To attach the braid to your project, position the braid with the fusible thread next to the fabric, cover with a press cloth, and press. Permanently stitch in place with monofilament thread on your sewing machine.

July Tip of the Month Sewing Tip: When stitching sheer fabric, hold the fabric taut as it feeds through the machine. This will prevent the seams from puckering.

June Tip of the Month Sewing Tip: Sew, press, sew, press! Pressing is just as important as sewing. Your finished project will look better if you always press each seam or construction detail before you cross it with another seam or construction detail.

May Tip of the Month Pressing Tip: Pressing can permanently set air- and water-soluble pen marks. To avoid this, completely remove marks before pressing, even if that means using water on air-soluble marks.

April Tip of the Month Quilting Tip: The most hassle free way to transfer photographs to fabric is to use 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of fabric that are designed to be used with a photocopy machine. Gently tape the photographs to a sheet of paper and place on the photocopy machine as to make a copy. Manually feed the fabric sheets into the photocopier, and press, "start!" The fabric is colorfast, washable, and ready for your quilt project. And for more quilting tips, don't forget to read "The Quilting Buzz" by Eleanor Burns in upcoming issues of "The Inside Thread". I'm so pleased that my friend Eleanor will be sharing tips with you, too!

March Tip of the Month Sewing Tip: Make a practice of changing your needle frequently to eliminate sewing problems. Changing the needle with each new sewing project, or after eight hours of use, is an inexpensive way to maintain stitch quality.

February Tip of the Month Embroidery Tip: To soften the edges of outlined embroidery designs use grey, brown or navy thread instead of black. The edges are defined but much less harsh.

January Tip of the Month Serging Tip: Removing serged stitches can be a messy procedure! Use a Sticky Fingers Mitt or a Lint Roller to remove the excess trimmed stitches.

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