Baby Lock educators #6

 Another great Baby Lock educator is Lori Hernandez.  She has been to Sewingly Yours teaching a class. Very delightful and full of energy!  She is proficient in embroidery, sergers, IQ Designer and sewing. 

1. Find her Facebook page here.  It seems to be a mixture of her personal page and projects from her business.  It is interesting to read.   

2.  Her Instagram page here seems to be more about her business.  She also runs the Serger Fun Club with Embroider Shoppe.  She has great projects. 

3.  She does have a website located here.  In Baby Lock Tech 2022, she taught a class on setting up the hexie files.  If you like hexies, you can crank out a bunch with your embroidery machine.  She then sews them together with a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine.  Fast way to do hexies.  

4.  Check out her blog here.  It has many videos about IQ Designer and I just discovered she has one detailing how to create fills for the Big Dream Panel on the Solaris.  I need to go watch that one!  

5. She also is on You Tube.  Her channel is here.  You can also do a search on her name and find her on other channels also.  

Lots of education and project inspiration on her website and social media channels.  Check it out. 

Until next time, Happy Sewing! 

Janet

Baby Lock Educators #5

 Another fun Baby Lock educator is Missy Billingsley.  Her expertise area includes embroidery, sergers, sewing and IQ Designer.  

1. Find her website here.    You can find free embroidery designs here.  

2. She has a Facebook page here.   You will have to join her page.  She has a lot of files that you can download under the files tab. Some are embroidery files and others are instructions to make different projects.  She has a digitized design of the Solaris there also.   Check out the media > videos tab for her video lives.  She has them frequently. 

3.  She has a You Tube channel here and you can also do a search on her name to find more videos.  She does them when she is visiting and teaching around the country. 

She has an entertaining personality and gives lots of tips and techniques.  Very inspirational with great ideas.  Check her out! 

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

Janet

Baby Lock Educators #4

 The next educator is Evy Hawkins from A Bit of Stitch.  She does embroidery design and works with the Shashiko sewing machine.  

1. Her website is here.    Be sure to sign up for the newsletter.  She gives lots of discounts and will tell you about them in the newsletter.  She also has many lamb designs and I love her hedgies!

2. You can also find her on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.  Links are located on her website.  

3,  She has lots of free videos here.  

Her newsletter always makes me laugh.  Be sure to check it out along with her blog.  She has an enjoyable sense of humor!

Until next time, Happy Sewing!  

Janet

Baby Lock Partners - EmbroiderShoppe and Zandra Shaw #1

 I did not get to go to Baby Lock Tech this year since I was in Alaska so I was reading up on the information that Teresa gave me today.  

I have long said that Baby Lock has better training than any of the other sewing machine companies that I have checked out.  

I was reading the list of educators and thought about how much knowledge those educators have.  I plan to add an educator to my blog every day until I go through all of the educators listed.  

I will try to give you their social media sites and websites and other special information.  Most of them have free designs that you can download and all of them have lots of inspiration for you.  

I am starting with Zandra Shaw and EmbroiderShoppe.  They have been a partner with Baby Lock for about 3 years and have some of the most creative embroidery designs that I have seen. 

1.  Beyond the Frame is a program that is free to join.  Zandra Shaw has a webinar every month with a new project technique.  The design is generally $5 at the webinar. Check out the link here.

2.  The website has lots of free designs.  You can download all of them free if you are a member of the Beyond the Frame program.  Look at the free designs here. 

3. Take a look at their website.  From there, you can look at their Facebook page as well as Instagram, Twitter, You Tube and Pinterest.  

Check it out!  

Until next time, Happy Sewing! 

Janet

Looped needle threaders make long arm needle threading easier.

 I have been using these looped needle threaders on my Coronet for a while.  It makes it easier to thread the needle and also to see if the needle hole is straight.  

One end goes through the needle and the thread can be pulled through the loop in the front.  After the thread is in the loop, pull the threader through the needle.  

Threads from front to back with no difficulty.  It can also be used on sergers and sewing machines when needed.  

We carry these at Sewingly Yours if you want to purchase.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing. 

Janet 

This is one of those "took a long time to make" quilts.  My daughter started this about 8 years ago and finished it up over Thanksgiving. I quilted it with Pro-Stitcher Lite and gave it to her at Christmas. She did a great job on it.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing.  

 

 Just finished the Kimberbell Wallhanging for "One Sweet Spring."  It is on display at the store.  We will be having a class to teach this on March 11th and 25th.  Check it out at Sewingly Yours website.  

Check it Out! - Free Embroidery Projects

 I was just looking at Baby Lock's website and I was blown away about all of the changes.  If you have not looked at it lately, please check it out. 

I have been following Zandra from the EmbroiderShoppe since she did some sessions at Baby Lock Tech.  It is a sister team from South Africa and they have wonderful designs.  

They have a program called "Beyond the Frame" with Baby Lock and free designs are provided monthly. Yes, you heard correctly  ---  FREE. 

Check out the page HERE. 

Until next time, Happy Sewing. 

Check it Out! -- Free patterns

 Here are some really cute Fall and Thanksgiving designs FREE from Baby Lock. 

Check it out. 

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/gobble-it-up

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/serger-pumpkin

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/give-thanks-table-runner-apron

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/floral-pumpkin-quilt

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/quilted-pumpkin-table-runner

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/projects/fall-leaves-wall-quilt

Until next time, Happy Sewing!  

Janet

Recent Projects

 Here are some other things that I have been working on over the past few weeks.  

Just finished this for a friend of mine. 

I was recently able to take the certification class for Kimberbell.  Our shop has been certified for over 4 years by one of the shop owners, Teresa Conrad and another lady who has since "retired."  I am officially legal and will be teaching the "No Place Like Home" pillow again for the third time in July.  

It is scheduled for Sat and Sun, July 23 and 24 and we can open a few more spaces if you are interested.  Go to our website to sign up at sewinglyyours.net.  

Here are some more projects from the class that I have finished.  

One is from the Red, White and BBQ Spark event and I absolutely love this apron.  

The other project is from the North Pole event that is coming out later this year.  It is the sparkly lights that are draped on the apron in the top picture.  You use the fairy lights with a snowflake that is embroidered.  

That's all for now.  Until next time, Happy Sewing.

Janet

Cute zippered pouch on Brother Sews Facebook page

Saw this cute zippered pouch and design on the Brother Sews Facebook page today.  It includes the directions for the Brother machine but the Baby Lock Solaris can follow the same directions.  

Sew cute with the embroidery.  I am looking for a tool pouch that I can make for work and when I am sewing.  Maybe I can adapt this??  

Check out the link.  

 https://www.brother-usa.com/blogs/stitching-sewcial/free-design-march-quilted-zipper-bag?fbclid=IwAR3dazCf_Ia2lwzf5RIkpY6LQVwrkH-p1yBs5g14pdZC3w5wpyL6NIHxR8g

Until next time, Happy Sewing! 

Janet

Quilting on an Embroidery Machine #2

 This is a second way to quilt on an embroidery machine using IQ Designer and the fills.  On the Solaris 2, there are over 35 fills that can be used for quilting.  Each fill can be made larger or smaller and can be adjusted in other ways based on the individual fill.  For the purposes of this video, I made the fill that I used larger but did not change it in any other way.  

I have used these fills for quilting tote bags and zippered pouches.  

Here is the video.

Quilting on Embroidery Machine #1

 One of the questions that comes up at Sewingly Yours is how to quilt on an embroidery machine.  When beginning to learn how to do this, it is good to start with the basics. I made this short video to show how to quilt 2 fat quarters with batting on a Solaris using a quilting file that is already loaded on the machine. 

The Solaris 2 upgrade came out with 2 quilting designs.  I have read on Facebook that they will be adding more.  

I do this technique frequently for tote bags and zippered pouches.  I quilt it on the machine and then cut it to size.  Due to the thickness, no stabilizer is needed. I generally use a magnetic hoop but have used a regular hoop before I had the magnetic one.  

Here is the video.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

I am very disorganized organized....

 I am constantly looking for things.  I lose my keys, things I have recently bought, things I have recently cleaned up and on and on.  I really like organization tips and try to do as many as I can.  If I can see the item, then I can keep up with it.  If I have to put it in a drawer or box, then I never remember it. 

I recently discovered that the Solaris, Solaris2, Destiny, Altair and many other Baby Lock machines have a magnet in each corner of the machine.  One on the left:  

And one on the right:     (see the black handled scissors next to the pincushion.)

In the picture above, look at the scissors to the left.  This is for the back of a cell phone and used as a grip or holder.  I took a class with Denise Schober about long arm quilting and she made this recommendation as a holder on all machines.  Here is a close up picture: 

I also have one on my Jazz 2 and my Coronet. 

Comes in very handy! 

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

Moravian Mug Rugs and being Moravian

 I was not born Moravian but my family joined Unity Moravian in Lewisville when my daughter was 3.  (about 37 years ago.)  We embraced the Moravian traditions particularly the Lovefeasts.  My husband and I were Head Dieners for over 25 years.  (Dieners are the ones that serve the Lovefeasts.)

I also worked at Salemtowne for over 20 years.  We followed the Moravian traditions and it felt like home to me.  When I first started, I still remember my first Christmas there.  I started working on December 26th so the facility was still decorated for Christmas and, wow, did they decorate for Christmas. 

Since I had worked at Blumenthal Jewish Home for over 10 years, I was used to having NO red and green colors at Christmas nor any Christmas music, Christmas clothing, Christmas trees - anything Christmas.  It was like being in heaven! (We had a lot of blue and silver which was for Hanukkah.)

I remember sitting in my office during my first week and suddenly hearing Christmas carols being played on a piano.  I followed the sound and found one of the residents playing the piano in the living room.  What a wonderful inspiring sound after having 10 years of non-Christmas!  

I am now working on some Moravian items to sell in the gift shop at Salemtowne.  Here are a few pictures.  These are made mainly in the hoop.  I used a Kimberbell mug rug pattern and then added the Star or the Lovefeast embroidery.  I use the projector on my Solaris for exact placement.  I love the way that they turned out. I will take custom orders if anyone is interested.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

Baby Lock Embroidery Machines and Sizing Embroidery Files

 I work at Sewingly Yours part-time and we get lots of questions about sewing, machines, etc during the day.  I want to start posting some of the questions that we get on my blog.  Hopefully, they will be helpful to others. 

This video is about resizing an embroidery file on a Baby Lock embroidery machine.  

When you go into Edit then Size, you will see 2 icons.  

The one on the left will increase up to 200% and decrease down to 60% WITHOUT stitch recalculation. The density will change based on the size. Less density when increasing and more density when decreasing.   

The one on the right will increase and decrease by a larger amount based on the design and hoop sizes but WITH stitch recalculation.  It will keep the density of the original design.  

I have recorded a short video explaining the difference between the icons.  

Feel free to send any questions or comments to my email at jpsowers17@gmail.com.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing!!

Solaris 2 and new Christmas Designs

 There is a new Baby Lock Solaris 2 that just came out.  If you have a Solaris, you can purchase an upgrade kit to make your machine the same as the Solaris 2.  Right now, Sewingly Yours has 2 Solaris machines which have been upgraded to a Solaris 2.  You can get a great deal! 

Here are some Christmas designs from the latest upgrade. 

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

Janet

Higher End Baby Lock Machines

One of the nicer features of the higher end Baby Lock machines is the fact that they will both embroider and fill a bobbin at the same time.  I am using a Solaris upgraded to the Solaris 2 and that is one of the features that comes in handy when I do a lot of embroidering.  

I know it is hard to tell in this picture but I am embroidering and filling a black bobbin at the same time. 

Until next time, Happy Sewing!