What a joy it was to bring Diane & Bruce Magidson to the Sew, Tell Me LIVE show in June! It was yet another great time spent with sewing friends, talking fabric, fashion, fun accessories, etc., etc., etc. I've linked the replay below and I encourage you to watch the whole show from start to finish. You might just find yourself watching more than once!

You'll learn how SewBatik started up, where the idea for wide back quilts came from, why their batiks are so very special, what you can use them for, and MORE! I guarantee you'll be inspired by the passion, creativity, and beauty this duo brings to the sewing world with their extensive line of high quality batiks.

While Bruce heads up the design/production part of the SewBatik biz, Diane is constantly coming up with new videos, literally "playing" with the fabrics, then bringing tips, tricks, & techniques to the forefront so you can create beautiful batik projects of your own. Check out her videos on the SewBatik YouTube channel HERE.

Diane has also put together a whole page of care instructions for their unique batik fabric HERE.

I ordered a SewBatik Swatch Kit to sample the fabrics, especially the ones I don't currently have in my stash. Their website has lots of options for selecting swatches. Take a look at the ones I ordered in the above photo.

​Swatch kits solve the "will I like it, will it work?" dilemmas that often crop up while dreaming up your next project. I fell in love with the soft, silky feel of the Viscose Jersey Knit and that fabric will definitely be on my next "to order" list.

Diane shared project ideas for various batiks, and in fact their website has lots of kits available to make the decision making process easy. I've popped in pictures of a few categories below, with links attached to each photo when you click on the pic.

All these different fabrics raise questions like what needles and thread are best for each one. With Diane's help, I compiled a lst for you here:

• Thread recommendations: 40-50 weight thread, cotton for each of the woven fabrics is fine, while good quality polyester sewing thread is best for knits.
• Needles for Cotton, Rayon, Linen: Schmetz 80/12 topstitch needles for basic seams and 14/90 topstitch needles for sewing through multiple thicknesses on bags and such.
  
• Needles for 8.6 and 5 OZ canvas - Schmetz 90/14 Topstitch needles for both weights.
  
• Needles for cotton and rayon jersey knits - ​Schmetz 75/11 - 80/12 Stretch Needles.

When you visit their site be sure to scout out the bargains offered throughout. I snatched up these three remnants that I plan to put together for a blouse pattern I have in my summer/fall sewing queue.

This was such a fun show! If you were there live then you already know that, but I appreciate everyone who catches the replay too. The Let's Go Sew family of friends was the first to find out about the new SewBatik corduroy line of fabric as it was debuted on this show. I do believe batik corduroy is rare and wonderful! It's so soft and luxurious! If you have any comments about sewing with batiks I'd love to hear them. And, if you have any more questions for Diane or Bruce, feel free to post them here and I'll get the answers for you.

​Happy stitching!

Topic
Pucker Prevention Tips, Tricks, & Ideas

During a recent one hour presentation for *Sewing Machines Plus I shared some of my favorite ideas for preventing puckers in your embroidery projects. Indeed, it is a topic filled with a long list of pucker prevention possibilities!

I focused on Easy Ways to accomplish pucker prevention. ​I hope this tutorial works for all levels of embroidery enthusiasts. If yo haven't already done so, I invite you to watch the entire video segment featured at the very end of this post. As I often do after LIVE show presentations, I've provided a summary  to add to the video information by sharing an outline of some important points. I'll also include some links for you in this post.

Let's talk about he match up process, i.e., matching your design to your fabric. In simple, practical terms this means you'll want to marry light-weight designs with light-weight material and  heavier (more dense designs), with more firm material. For the sake of simplicity, we will call whatever you are stitching on "material." Here are some questions to ask before matching up design & material:

• ​Is my design and material a good, practical match as outlined above?
• Where will my design go? Think about the position of your placement.
• How will my finished project be cared for? For example: There's a distinct difference between something that will be framed to hang on a wall, a quilted item, and a t-shirt that will be frequently laundered.
• How can I maintain or closely keep the original character of my material? Remember, embroidery adds weight, even with light-weight or open designs. it may or may not matter if the base material changes depending on your desired results.
• Will I be ironing the final item? This may sound like a simple question, but it requires more analysis. Consider this short list as you think more about to iron or not to iron:
  

~Ironing can improve or diminish the final look.

~Ironing some finished projects may make the stabilizer pucker a little or a lot.

~Some projects can't or will never be ironed. Other projects will always need to be ironed.

~Perhaps ironing would flatten the piece and prove to be a negative, (think quilt blocks or puffy trapunto style designs).

Stabilizer is yet another BIG topic, and one you will hear me discuss over and over again. You can purchase the specific stabilizers shown in the video when you shop at *Sewing Machines Plus.

By now you may be realizing that we need to adopt a "big picture" approach to our embroidery projects. We tend to  think of stabilizer first, but in embroidery everything relates to everything else, so be sure to review all of the information as you decide what, when, where, and how you will use a selected stabilizer!

Questions to ask before choosing stabilizer:

• Can I get away with "less" stabilizer? Again, remember the match up process. Both under and over stabilizing can cause pucker problems.

• Will my material benefit from an aded layer of "disappearing" stabilizer? Dissapearing, meaning it will help add body, firmness, and a tight hold in the hoop during embroidery, but is removable so it goes away or virtually disappears when embroidery is complete. Possibilities include a wash-away stabilizer, a tear-away stabilizer that only has remnants left under the stitches, and a fabric stiffener such as Terial Magic or Perfect Sew. Read more about these liquid stabilizer products in this Let's Go Sew Tip Sheet HERE.
• How can I bond my stabilizer to my project? Is there a fusible or adhesive stabilizer solution for my project? Properly bonding material with an added layer of stabilizer means the layers are "stuck" together. This prevents stretching of the fabric in the hoop and keeps fabric smooth and firm. Note that bonding can be accomplished temporarily with temporary adhesive spray suitable for embroidery. It can also be accomplish with sticky stabilizers and fusible stabilizers.

• ​Is interfacing a viable option either in addition to, or in place of stabilizer? You can learn about more about how I use interfacing in this previous video segment broadcast on SMP HERE. Want a list of my favorite interfacings? Click HERE.

There are so many hoop choices these days! For many years my embroidery repertoire consisted of nothing but standard hoops. I learned to hoop efficiently and effectively with just the hoops included with my machine. However, hoops have improved and third party options abound. Watch for a future happy hooping tutorial. For now, here are a few of my best hooping tips:

• The smaller the hoop, the better the hold. Match your design size to your hoop size, choosing a hoop that matches the design size as closely as possible.
• Hoop so the material and added layer(s) are firm and smooth in the hoop. Never stretch the material in the hoop. Now, if you're stitching on a garment such as a swimsuit that will be stretched on the body, that's a different issue but that does not fall into the realm of "standard" embroidery. Drum tight is a term that gets tossed about in the embroidery world. I think that term can mean different things to different folks. If that means stretching tight then it is not good advice. Instead, strive for firm and smooth with no slack. In a past PBS It's Sew Easy TV show (2012-3 HERE), I show how to properly hoop. YOU'll find some of my same pucker proof tips in this video and a close up look at some of the things discussed here. 
• ​Consider specialty hoops such as the *Durkee Sash Frames available from SMP.

• Switching to an applique in place of a standard embroidery design will often result in less stitches, thus a lighter weight design.
• Consider deleting parts of a design to remove density. Some easy ways include skipping parts on your machine by fast forwarding, using a "No Sew" feature built in to some machines, and using embroidery software to select and delete design parts.
• Pre-pucker fabric by quilting with light weight batting or flannel as a backing. This textured fabric base is not only more stable, it can camouflage slight puckering.
• While alight ball point embroidery needle is suitable for lots of projects, woven fabrics often benefit forming a sharp needle such as a 10-12 topstitch needle or a designated sharp embroidery needle to better pierce fabric for less chance of puckering. 

Two of my own design collections are featured in the video below. For more info you can check out Wrapped in Embroidery and Just Jackets to learn more. I hope you enjoy the resources and the one hour video! Please feel free to share your thoughts and leave your comments and questions  for me. I'd love to hear from you!

Oh my! Few places have the country charm, unique opportunity to see the Amish life experience, and abundance of sewing shopping opportunities like Holmes County Ohio!

This is the third year in a row that I planned a special, albeit small and cozy, sewing retreat with with a few special friends. I wont' name them but you can see from the happy faces that we are quite a well bonded group of friends.

A few came early and a few arrived late so I'm missing three faces in this photo taken in the Courtyard of the 1847 Millersburg Hotel.

The timing coordinates with my birthday and they always find a way to make it a memorable affair that keeps me glowing for many days afterwards.

A Mexican fiesta across from the hotel was full of joy and laughter.

But the icing on the cake "literally" cam afterwards with a custom baked orange cake made by a master baker named Kim and delivered all the way from Virginia Beach by my dear friends June, Debbie, & Don!

In between everyone diving into their projects, eating, sleeping, and sharing the love of sewing, we shopped at the many incredibly special sewing establishments in the area. I have compiled quite a list HERE if you're interested in traveling around the area but I'll highlight a few stops during our 2025 excursions in this post.

Karen, the owner of The Plaid Sheep gave my friends a private tour of her store explaining all the fabulous creative possibilities with her unique product line. She coordinates quite a few retreats herself and I'm told they are great fun.

All those little drawers hold treasured pre-cut appliques.

Towels, toweling, and patterns to decorate them are abundant in this shop.

A nice selection of quilt fabric and a bunch of great patterns fill the store and many of them are Karne's very own originals.

Buckeyes go crazy over this one!

The bolts of wool for both applique and rug hooking are part of the line this store carries that is hard to find elsewhere.

After some conversation with Karen I discovered I have some hand-dyed wool strips from her original store in downtown Berlin. Oh how we love to hang on to pretty fabric bundles! I may just hang them on my wall at this point and admire them the way they are. So who says you "have" to use fabric to enjoy it?!? Any one else considering just putting some of your stash on display to enjoy it's beauty? 

This sign found at Zincks Fabric Outlet says it all! This warehouse style store is huge! You never know what treasures you might find here. One find for me was a full bolt of good quality low priced  flannel I can use as substitute for quilting batting when I want a less fluffy project. I also love it as a backing for unusual accents on some garments like this project HERE.

Visiting with my friend and owner of Somewhere Sewing​ is always a delight! As you drive up the driveway past their house and their stand alone big building set up for events, you have to take notice of the surroundings. Simply beautiful!

A trip to Holmes County just to visit Somewhere Sewing is well worth the trip! You'll find over 10,000 bolts of fabric, notions, embroidery designs, and a stellar Brother/Babylock dealership here.  

Met some delightful folks at Chestnut Ridge Sewing, the Bernina dealership just outside of Berlin. Don't judge a book by it's cover! I've driven by this shop before but it is way bigger and better once you get past the front door!

I think my friends were as surprised and delighted as I was.

Such beautifully displayed machines and the fabric and notion selection was really something to see! I never got chance to take a photo of their classroom but it was fuly stocked with gorgeous machines in a state of the art facility.

Seeing class samples is always interesting and their newsletter is chock full of happenings to satisfy your sewing soul!!!

​There's so much to see in Holmes County Ohio and exploring with sewing friends make the journey "Sew" enjoyable!

Have you been on a similar excursion or do you know of an area where sewing is part of the destination location? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!