Friday, October 28, 2011

Notion of the Week

One of the chores of machine embroidery is snipping all those threads.

Snip-a-Stitch squeeze type scissors make the job easier. You simply squeeze the handles and the thread is cut.  This lessons hand fatigue more than conventional scissors.

These snips come in a couple of different varieties; one has a notched end for grabbing and removing stitches and there is a no-notched version for just clipping embroidery threads. They were hot items at our recent class events and students loved that this notion made the job so much easier.

Come by and see us at the Kalamazoo Sewing Center and pick up your own set of snips.      

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tip of the Week

Did you know that thread spooled on a cone should always be taken from a cone standing up and down? If your machine's spool pin is horizontal, you can stand the cone spool on the table rather than your horizontal pin.

As a general rule it is better to place your thread at a distance from the machine rather than on the machine pins to give the thread more distance to work out the twists. Running the thread through a loop can also often knock out the twists; this is why using a thread stand can reduce thread breaks

For added control we have a large variety of spool holders that hold from one to multiple spools of thread for those big projects. Come in and see us at the Kalamazoo Sewing Center and we'll set you up with the solution for those pesky thread breaks.

Happy Sewing!