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Sewing in Circles with the Circular Sewing Attachment

10/24/2020

11 Comments

 
This 45-minute video features tips and techniques shared on a recent Quilts & Lace Facebook live show.

We talked specifically about the Brother Circular Sewing Attachment for sewing and embellishment. There are other simple circle sewing tools available for generic use. Check with your sewing machine dealer to learn about options for your particular machine.

Below you'll find addtional circular sewing ideas and project links. I hope this video and the ideas presented here will inspire you to make something special with a circular attachment!

​In the first part of this post I'm showing the parts included with the Brother Circular Sewing Attachment bundle, (SACIRC1). This accessory item works on a wide variety of Brother machines. Check with your dealer for a current catalog of Brother accessories and compatible models. SAMDRIVER1, the Brother multi-purpose screwdriver is ideal for attaching the screw for the circular attachment.
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The bundle includes the circular attachment and placement pin for the machine, two embellishment feet (SA110, the 3 slot Cording foot & SA141, the Braiding foot), a protractor for figuring exact spacing for decorative stitching on circles, and two screws. Note: You only need one screw to secure the attachment. The second one is "just in case" you misplace the first one.
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In the above photo you can see a circular sample where I used both embellishment feet to add interest and texture to the circle. These are two of my favorite embellishment feet and I use them for much more than circle stitching.
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The three slot cording foot on the left is perfect for couching cords that are on the thin side. You can learn more about this foot HERE. The braiding foot is ideal for couching narrow ribbons. I used 4mm silk ribbon for this example.
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This attachment makes it really easy to sew a perfect appliqué in the shape of a circle. I started with a square backed with interfacing and placed it in the center of my felt practice piece.
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I set the circular attachment to sew a small circle using a straight stitch and then trimmed close to the stitching.
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Next, I selected a zig zag stitch and set it for a medium width and a short stitch length to make it into a satin stitch. I switched to the Clearview foot and sewed all around the circle to cover the raw edge.

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To couch down the cording I selected a stitch from the Character/Decorative menu. I love using this checkerboard style stitch to couch cords with the cording foot. The circular attachment makes it easy to do this in a perfect circle!
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I started by threading the cords in the foot, knotting them at the back to keep them from slipping out.
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I stitched all around the circle overlaping  stitches just a "smidge."
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After using the tie off feature for decorative stitches, I fed the tails of the cord to the wrong side of the fabric using a tapestry needle.
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For the next circle I selected yet another favorite stitch. This one is considered an heirloom hemstitch but I htink it's perfect for couching down thin cords. Tip: In my example I used Pearl Crown Rayon, a decorative serger thread. A similar, easy to find alternative would be pearl cotton sold on skeins for hand embroidery.
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This time I left tails of cording at the beginning and the end of the stitching.

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Tie loose cords together and for a tassel effect.

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I decided to tie them in a knot, add a bead, and then tie more knots to keep the bead in place.

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For my final row I threaded 4mm silk ribbon into the braiding foot. I selected another stitch that works well to couch ribbon in place. This time I started stitching at the side of the circle, sewing two half circles, leaving a tail of ribbon free at each end.
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See how I started and stopped at the half-way point, left tails, and then sewed a second half circle.
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I finished by tying the ribbons in pretty bows.

Looking for more circular sewing projects?
Here are a few links to explore on the Brother blog, where I contributed projects wearing my Brother Ambassador hat. Click on each image and it will take you directly to the project.
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Going Sewing Circle Bag

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Glamourous Circular Rosette

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Circular Potholders

If you have any comments or questions please let me know. I'd love to know if you have played with sewing in circles on your machine!
11 Comments
Eileen Onder
10/25/2020 12:46:24

I have had this circular attachment for my "other" machine and you just gave me some great ideas for gifts. Thank you, love your column. One day, when I hit the lottery, I will get the Luminaire. A girl can dream can't she.

Reply
Joanne Banko
10/26/2020 00:13:21

Hi Eileen!

I'm so glad you found something interesting and helpful in this post. Your kind comments warmed my heart. Happy Sewing!

Reply
Connie Beeler
10/25/2020 16:25:52

Always love your video's Joanne. Very enjoyable and full of ideas & knowledge.

Reply
Joanne Banko
10/26/2020 00:15:37

Awww, thanks Connie! I'm happy to share ideas and information to help fellow sewing enthusiasts have a happy sewing life. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts :-)

Reply
Cristina
10/26/2020 07:57:55

Thank you Joanne for this helpful tutorial!! I have the foot but never did anything with it , now I will!!! Helpful like always! Keep it coming 😊😊😊

Reply
Joanne Banko
10/26/2020 14:37:37

Hi Cristina! It was good to hear from you! Thanks so much for leaving a comment. You are going to have a lot of fun with your circular sewing attachment :-)

Reply
Ginny Raun
10/26/2020 11:12:27

Thank you Joanne for this turtorial. i have had this attachment and there wasn't a class so I am glad to see this. thanks for all the help for our machines. I have the Duetta 4500D and love it.

Reply
Joanne Banko
10/26/2020 14:42:17

Hello Ginny! I'm glad you liked the tutorial. If you come up with any questions feel free to reach out to me. You have a very nice machine :-) At one time I did a lot of sewing and embroidery on that model. It's nice that the Brother machines are so similar in the way they operate. That way if you see me working with a newer model you can still apply the principles and basic instructions to your machine. Happy Sewing!

Reply
Carol Jo McElroy
1/2/2022 11:02:28

Thank you so much for this fantastic blog and the Q&A video. I originally planned to read through the questions and click on those I had my own questions about, but I gained so much information and took a lot of notes. I encourage everyone to watch the entire thing! Having said that, I love that you took the time to write your blog with links to the section of the video pertaining to specific questions. Great idea!

I'm already looking forward to your next Q&A video. Can't wait!
Carol

Reply
Arnelle Burroughs
1/3/2022 08:28:53

If you make the mug mats-do you have to put a topper on them if they are made of cotton material and what kind?

Reply
Karen Poole
7/1/2024 01:30:13

Hi, I’m going to be using this attachment for the first time, in the instruction book it said I’m supposed to put stabilizer on the fabric before sewing. Is that essential? I’ve made a table runner that will be seen on both sides so stabilizer isn’t really something I want to deal with.

Reply



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