What is Premier+ECQ?

It is the new stand alone software by the creators of the Premier+ Embroidery System and we have it at Scrap & Sew.

ECQ stands for Embroider, Cut and Quilt and is designed for the beginner to intermediate sewer.  It is also designed to be used with a digital cutting machine and a quilting automation.

Here is a fun activity practice that didn't take me very long to complete and finish.

Download the Snowflake dingbat from dafont.com here. A dingbat is basically an image created by using the lettering or symbols on your keyboard.

Open it and install it onto your computer.  Then open up the Premier+ECQ software select INSERT and lpsnowflake for your font type.  Type the letter A in the box and then Insert Lettering. 

Now we are going to type in 'Let It Sn    w', leaving a space for the snowflake.  I select Arial Black as it is basically a bold and boxy font.

Then we are ready to EXPORT the design to a variety of formats.

Picture

Embroidery Fills

Embroidery Appliqué

Embroidery Outline

Automated Quilting

Cutting File

Once you have decided which design you will use, then you will EXPORT it to a file on your computer.

Formats:that you can use with the Premier+ECQ

• Embroidery: dst, exp, jef, pes, vp3, xxx
• Cutting Machines: dxf, fcm, svg
• Quilt Automation: 4qb, cmd, cap, dxf, hqf, iqp, plt, qcc, qli, txt
• Images: jpg, png, svg

Here is what it looks like in the Silhouette software. Perfect for Silver Glitterflex on a black t- shirt.

No worries if you have a Cricut Air2 or Maker.  You can cut this with the silver Glitterflex.  Just upload the design, find your T-shirt size and resize the design to fit.

Or embroider it onto the t shirt.

Whatever method you choose, it will definitely be quick and easy gift.  A rare occurrence in today's busy lifestyle.

Stop by on Small Business Saturday November 30th to preview this new software.

Where did the year go?

So many of us are saying this phrase as we realize that tomorrow is Thanksgiving!  If you haven't finished your holiday stitching, it may too late. :)

Here are some of the embroidery classes I offered this fall.  I hope you were able to finish them in time and add them to your holiday decorating.

 A pillow wrap which can be easily swapped out for another holiday.

Quilt blocks in the hoop and a quilt as you go technique for finishing. Janet F.nfinished hers and is sitting nicely on her kitchen table.

The Table Runner of the Month for November was Grateful.  Here is my version of the pattern.  We still have patterns and you can pick one up on Saturday on SALE!

Janet F was busy trying to finish all of her projects for the holidays. I think she made it!

Janine Babich 'Hello Autumn' flag and a stack of pumpkins.

The 'Stack of Pumpkins' was a huge hit!  The pumpkin layers were made using the Circular Attachment I LOVE that attachment. :)

Anna C. found a scarecrow at Michael's.  Perfect for a topper!

Jan G. made two! One for Halloween and one for Thanksgiving.  Way to go!

We love the holidays at Scrap & Sew and want to make sure you home is decorated with all of your works of art.  

We will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  We will be open on Small Business Saturday with lots of items on sale.  Be sure to stop by and fill your stocking with goodies.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Scrap & Sew

Patriotic Quilt Block Potholder

One of my very popular classes this year has been this potholder towel project.  This is not a new idea as it has been on Pinterest for quite a few years.

Click on this link and download it into your Mysewnet Cloud.  Be sure you are signed in.

https://projectcreator.mysewnet.com/project/preview/0cb738d8-c2fa-4225-b565-215abfa70a33


The first step is to turn on your machine.  Go to your Mysewnet cloud and open it up.  I am using the list format so you can read it clearly.

Then open up your project from the screen.

When you click on it, it opens up into the tutorial side of the machine.  How cool is that?

And yes, directions are written by me! The design I used is in the Quilt category of the icon and I added a star from the Super Designs in the Premier +2 software.

Look at this, it opens up right into your embroidery field on the machine!

Here is one of the photos I added to the directions.

If you click on the photo included, it enlarges so you can get a better view of it.  That is pretty exciting!

Here is my original design, hanging on the drawer next to my stove.

And of course I have a few examples to share.  Thanks to Janet F. for her project samples.

                               

Towels were purchased at the local Walmart, but I am sure you can find some in your area.

Please leave a comment if you give this project a try.  Feel free to share a picture of your project below as well.

Enjoy!

Thank you for attending our Summer Class Preview!

We closed the doors yesterday on another successful class preview, albeit with a few snags on Thursday night.  Lori is ready to start the Hawaiian Luau party!

We hope you enjoyed your gift bag goodies and the included complimentary Hawaiian shirt issue holder.  Thanks to Heirloom Creations for this fabulous idea. I did make a few extra and embellished them with the decorative stitches on my icon.

You either received a 12" square piece of fabric or a 9 x 18" strip of fabric.  Here is the basic cutting layout for both pieces.

Here is what your cut pieces should look like when finished.

Following the directions for folding the sleeves and the collar, I pressed them and topstitched the edge of the pieces.  I then placed them onto the one 4" x 6" piece and held them in place with Wonder Clips.  The raw edges of the sleeves are placed outside the piece and will be cut off after stitching.

I then placed the two folded top pieces on top of the the shirt.  Note the folds face the center of the shirt.

The last step is to stitch  a 1/4 " rectangular seam following the raw edges.  Trim corners and extra sleeves and turn right side out. EZPZ! I glued a tiny button from my stash using fabric glue and added the tissue pack.  

Here are a few other pictures I found on the site.

Feel free to use up your scraps and add decorative stitches to your shirt.  They make great gifts and stitch up quickly.

Again thank you for coming to our Hawaiian Luau.

Stabilizer Savvy

Sometimes life sends you for a loop and unfortunately I picked up Bronchitis from my little guy.  So, to make up for the missed event-thanks to Cindy S. for filling in for me - I will create a series of blog posts to share what information I had created.

There are all kinds of stabilizer on the market today but I am going to concentrate on Floriani and Inspira because those are the two brands we sell at Scrap & Sew.

There are basically 5 categories of stabilizers:

1. Water Soluble
2. Cut Away
3. Tear Away
4. Specialty
5. Batting

Inspira has a system to help you select the right choice for your project. They color code the labels to make it easier to identify the stabilizer type.

Lavender - Tear A Way, Tear A Way Light etc.
Coral - Specialty such as Clean n melt, Tear n Wash, Hydro stick etc.
Lime Green - Cut Away (including No Shop Mesh)
Blue- Water soluble

You will also notice the symbols  such as a water drop or scissors.

The larger 10 yd Value rolls have a color flower motif to denote the category of stabilizer.

They also have an app called Creative Cue and on your icon and JoyOSAdvisor on your Epic machine as well to give you additional information about the stabilizers.  Such a handy feature!

Pfaff Creative Cue

JoyOS Advisor

Floriani stabilizers are not so easily identifiable, but they have a wealth of accessible knowledge to help you decide what is the best stabilizer for your project.

Inside each tube of stabilizer is a handy 8.5 x 11" sheet of pertinent information regarding the use and care of each stabilizer. Here is an example of one from the Wet n Gone stabilizer.

Here is a link to the workbook and guides that they have created for you to download. I recommend that you download and print the Quick Reference Guide- is the tool I use all of the time.  The workbook is handy but you can create your own workbook as you collect the inside sheets from your stabilizers.

There is also an app for your Smart Phones- follow the directions to dl it to your phone.  It is nice to have  quick video explaining how to use the stabilizer.

Of course there was not enough time to go over an example of every type of stabilizer but I highlighted a few and I will share some of my examples in the coming weeks on the blog.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try and answer your questions as quickly as I can.