Video: Attaching A Flower With The Button Sewing Foot
This versatile foot can attach a number of decorative accents.
We've mentioned here before how the easiest way to sew on a button (and make sure it's sturdy) is with the Button Sewing Foot.
This foot has two bars that attach to the foot shank to provide extra stability and also has a textured, rubber sleeve to hold the button securely in place while sewing.
Whether it's a two-hole or four-hole button, you simply align the button under the foot so that the swing of the needle puts it in the middle of the holes.
The Button Sewing Foot can also be used to attach a number of different decorative accents, like flowers. With the foot attached to your machine, you choose the button sewing stitch (or a regular zig zag but be sure to put the feed dogs down). Adjust the stitch so it's narrow. Position the flower right up against the front of the foot and sew.
To see how easy it is watch Button Sewing Foot Video: Sewing On A Flower. You'll learn how to sew on a flower in less than a minute.
The video demonstrates the Button Sewing Foot on the Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition sewing and embroidery machine. There's also a version of the foot for front loading machines called Button Sewing Foot (front loading machines).
See your Janome Dealer to find out which foot is right for your machine.
Watch Video On Attaching A Flower
Janome Poll Results: What Did You Make For Mom This Year?
Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll.
Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. Last Thursday we asked you to vote in our poll about what you were sewing for your mother this year.
Home decor items were the most popular, followed by clothing, and "I think Mom should be making something for me."
Surprisingly, Table Linens didn't get a single vote. Could this be a new trend? Probably just our unscientific polling methods.
Click the box below to the see the poll results. You can scroll down the page to see results from past polls as well.
Last Minute Mother's Day Apron: Make It Cute With Cross Stitch
A Ready-Made Apron + Some Creative Embroidery = A Fast & Fun Gift For Mom.
We used Digitizer MB and its Cross Stitch program to create this beautiful trio of hearts then added our "Home Is Where The Heart Is" wording in a fun Flair script. Save the design, transfer it to your Janome embroidery machine (we used the Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition) and you have a winning Mother's Day gift in the blink of an eye.
Our instructions include screen captures so you can see exactly what to do every step of the way. Once you experience how quick and simple it is to create Cross Stitch embroidery designs from graphics, you'll want to do it again and again.
Cross Stitch Apron Project Instructions
Janome Poll: What Are You Making For Mom This Year?
Mother's Day is Sunday. Tell us about your project.
Mother's Day is traditionally the busiest day of the year for America's restaurants. Probably because Dad and the kids don't know how to cook anything more complicated than toast.
It's also a busy time for sewing machines as daughters (and some sons) are making something special for Mom.
Are you sewing anything for your mother this year? If so, vote in our Janome Poll.
Then check back on Monday to see the results.
Janome Heritage: Early Computerized Workhorse, Memory Craft 6000
Sturdy, precise and dozens of decorative stitches. No wonder sewists loved it.
In 1986 "Miami Vice" was one of the hottest shows on TV. It was cool for men to wear pastel suits with t-shirts, loafers with no socks, and three day stubble. That didn't last. But something else from 1986 did: the Janome Memory Craft 6000 computerized sewing machine.
The MC6000 offered the best of both worlds. It was a solid, heavy-duty sewing machine with excellent stitch quality. And it featured the latest in computerized stitching.
It stitched easily on heavy materials; like canvas, upholstery fabric, and even leather. But could still sew beautifully on lightweight materials; like chiffon, batiste, and silks.
Sewists also got some of the most advanced features available in the mid-1980s. The MC6000 featured 135 stitches with Program Memory, enlongation and three Memory Buttonholes. It had Block and Script alphabets, running designs like crocodiles and flowers, a 7mm stitch width, as well as overlock and blind hem capabilities.
Today, the Horizon MC7700 QCP carries on the tradition of Janome power, stitch quality, and advanced features. Try one today at your local Janome Dealer. (And ask if they remember the MC6000!)
Read More About The MC7700 QCP
Video: Piecing Triangles With The Clear View Quilt Foot Set
Precise piecing is easy when you can see what you're doing.
When piecing triangles with the Clear View Quilt Foot And Guide Set, which attachment should you use?
Actually, that was a trick question. The answer is "none." You simply use the presser foot by itself.
The Clear View Quilt Foot is made of a sturdy, see-through material. This allows it to have handy markings indicating 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch from center needle drop position, and also handy cornering markings for both 1/8 and 1/4 inch seams.
To piece triangles, just snap the foot onto your machine and choose a straight stitch. Align the edge of your fabric with the red quarter inch guide line. As you sew, keep your eye on the red line for a perfectly straight quarter inch allowance.
To see how easy it is, watch Clear View Quilt Foot Set Video: Piecing Triangles.
The Clear View Quilt Foot And Guide Set consists of the clear foot and two screw-on guides. You get three feet in one: 1/4 Inch Foot, Ditch Quilting and Clear foot. In addition to the helpful markings (mentioned above) the foot has an oval-shaped needle hole that allows needle adjustment for scant 1/4 inch piecing (computer models only).
The Clear View Quilt Foot And Guide Set fits virtually all Janome top-loading models. In the video above it was demonstrated on the Memory Craft 11000 Special Edition sewing and embroidery machine. See your authorized Janome dealer for more information.
What You Need To Know About Needles: Blue Tip
The best "all around" needle for your Janome machine.
If you ask your friendly Janome service technician, "What's one thing I can do to prolong the life of my sewing machine?", he or she will tell you to use fresh needles. The rule of thumb is to replace your needle each time you start a new project.
So you walk over to your dealer's Janome needle display. You see needles for denim, leather, heavy fabrics, knits and topstitching. But you're doing regular sewing and quilting. Which needle should you be using? For typical sewing and embroidery projects, the answer is the Janome Blue Tip needle.
The Blue Tip needle has the shaft size and type of point that gives your machine great performance on all kinds of medium weight fabrics--whether it's embroidery, quilting, or making garments.
At size 11, the Blue Tip needle is a little thinner than our Red Tip Needle, but without giving up strength and durability. It features a special flat back shank for easier installation, a sturdy shaft with front groove, and a larger eye to help prevent thread breakage.
Like all Janome needles, the Blue Tip has been designed to help your machine to stitch its best. And it will work on all Janome sewing, quilting and embroidery machines.
More About Janome Blue Tip Needles
It's The Day Of The Royal Wedding; Celebrate In A Hat Like Kate's
The world is abuzz today about Kate Middleton and her love of hats and fascinators (what Kate is wearing in the photo to the right).
A hat is usually made to custom fit the head of the wearer. It can be made out of any number of materials, such as straw, felt, or fabric; and is either sewn or blocked (steamed and stretched) on a hat form. A fascinator has a smaller body and perches on the head, attached by elastic or combs. Both can be decorated with ribbons, feathers, and flowers.
The millinery industry has been alive and well in England for centuries, as the wearing of hats across the pond has been perennially popular for weddings, funerals, and formal events like the Royal Ascot. At the Royal Ascot, held during the third week of June each year, attendees who will be seated in the Royal Enclosure are advised on the Royal Ascot website that "only formal day dress with a hat or substantial fascinator will be acceptable." In fact, this occasion has become famous for its hats and fascinators: the bolder the better!
As we all tune in today to the royal wedding and all the pre and post festivities, half the fun will be watching to see what everyone is wearing, especially on their heads. London-based milliners Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy have adorned many royal and celebrity heads with their designs but, according to Vogue magazine, have been sworn to secrecy about anything millinery-related for the Royal Wedding. No one is telling what Kate will be wearing, but she will soon get to wear a very special headpiece: the tiara of a princess.
Read More About London's Famous Milliners
Meet Our First Sewn With Love Contributor: Rebecca
Adorable matching outfits at a very cute price.
Rebecca lives on a small farm in rural Pennsylvania with her four children and husband Matt. Using her beautiful photography, she blogs about cooking, canning, and making things for yourself.
She shares how she sewed her whole family coordinating Easter accessories for just $5... wow!
To see Rebecca's project and read the story, click the "Read More" button below.
Join Our New Series: Sewn With Love
Send us your project photos. Tell us your story. So we can share with everybody.
Starting tomorrow, we're beginning a new series on Janome.com. We'll be featuring projects and the stories behind them sent to us by Janome sewists.
We're calling it Sewn With Love. And we'd love to feature something from you. If you have a project that included an interesting technique, used a sewing feature in a creative way, or just ended up looking really pretty--would you consider sharing it with thousands of other Janome sewists?
How To Submit An Item To "Sewn With Love"
- Take a few digital shots of your Janome project.
- Write a few sentences describing what it is, how and why you made it, and what kind of Janome sewist you are.
- Email your photos and description to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (our lawyer says that by submitting your photos and story, you're giving us permission to use them on our website).
We look forward to hearing from you.
Check back here tomorrow to see the adorable and money-saving project sent in by Rebecca from rural Pennsylvania.
How To Submit Your Project To "Sewn With Love"
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