Posts Tagged ‘needlework’

Selecting Home Decorating Fabric

Friday, January 7th, 2011

If you want to redecorate, you must be thinking about the textiles that you will use in your redecorating scheme. There are quite a lot of textiles that can play a function in a redecoration project, such as carpets, some wall papers, such as flock, furnishings, cushions, lamp shades and wall hangings like tapestries and embroideries.

You can use the fabrics in these items to create a decoration theme over any other set of objects. You can buy old furniture, but it is expensive, you can purchase old paintings, but they are expensive, but textiles can be new yet still convey different atmospheres for little money. Think about the fabrics and colours that you would require to convey primitive, Eastern, Hispanic, Victorian or contemporary themes.

Let’s say that you would like to decorate your home in a Victorian style. It is the case that it would be right to have some old furniture, but what will really make the style scream ‘Victorian’ is the textiles. You have to think about Victorian houses: they were fairly large (unless you would like to live in a hovel), and they were drafty.

This meant that the fabrics were weighty to hold back drafts. You could hang flock wallpaper, have weighty, lined curtains, lamp shades with tassels and weighty bedding with a real eiderdown or patchwork quilt.

The funny thing is that although Victorian textiles were very weighty, they tried to make them look very feminine, or maybe that was why they tried to make them look more feminine. However, men provided the earnings and women ran the home in those days, so that may be why as well.

Therefore, there were lace edgings, lace trims, tassels, beading, velvet and brocade. Embroidery exam pieces can occasionally be picked up quite cheaply , but they are often handed down through families as well.

A modern style or theme would have lots of bright and often contrasting colours. An extreme variation of modern style is minimalist with plenty of black and white but with perhaps one splash of yellow in a corner somewhere. This style can be hard to achieve, can be unnerving, but can be dazzling too. It is reminiscent of the Sixties.

Individuals try to recreate an Eastern or Oriental style, but you have to be wary because otherwise you will end up with something that no Easterner would recognize. A bit like Charlie Chan and western style curries. You will be told to use pictures and figurines of elephants, tigers, dragons, carp and geese or ducks. This is all very well if you want to persuade your Western friends that you have an Oriental theme of decoration, but few Orientals would recognize it.

It is very problematic to get this theme looking authentic unless you are from the Far East or you get an Easterner in to assist you. Jades and silks could form a part of this styles along with some figurines. Be very cautious of trying to imitate a style you know nothing about.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with the waterproof mattress pads. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

Choosing And Preparing Fabric For Quilting

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

A large part of the pleasure of quilting is gathering the materials that you will use. There are two methods: you can either select the pattern first or the fabric first or if you are an experienced quilter, you can disregard the recommendations on the pattern and use whatever cloth you please. However, this is a big step that the novice must not take lightly

Most quilters will opt for cotton, 100% cotton, because it is the easiest cloth to use, is pleasant to handle, is washable and is readily obtainable in different patterns and weights.

In fact, you cannot go wrong with cotton, whereas most people do not really want anything to do with man-made textiles and silk and satin are both a problem to use and costly.

When you go into a quilting or craft shop, you will see bolts and bolts (rolls and rolls) of 100% cotton fabric, so choice will seldom be a difficulty. In the beginning, a tip is to use tightly woven fabric, because loosely-woven cloth can ‘pull’ and distort leaving unsightly ‘holes’, which you cannot mend because they are not really breaks.

You will have to put a lot of work into your quilt so it is worth spending some time on planning your quilt and the pattern and the design that you want. The colour is particularly important because you or your customer will have to live with it for several years.

Attempt to use contrast as much as you can, but that is outside the scope of this piece, so you will have to look it up if you do not understand it already. However, basically it involves using warm colours like red, yellow, orange and brown with cooler colours like blue, green and violet. You can contrast black with white very effectively too.

You could also endeavor contrasting different textures. Smooth, coarse, high grain and low grain, high density and low density cottons can be mixed to stunning effect with a bit of consideration and practice. The same can be said of the pattern on the cloth. Therefore, you can alternate or mix colour, grain and pattern.

When you become brave enough, you can add other kinds of fabric too such as velvet or taffeta. Whichever fabrics you choose to use, you must test them for shrinkage.

Take a swatch, measure it, wash it as it must be washed, dry it out, iron it and then measure it again. This will tell you how much that cloth shrinks, so you can write that down in a notebook.

Pre-shrink all textiles that are going to shrink before sewing blocks of themt into our quilt or you will have big problems later. When you have washed and dried the block of fabric, it should be ironed.

If you choose to use a fabric that needs dry cleaning, you will have to make sure that anybody who buys it from you knows this. It would be a good idea to embroider a label saying as much and attaching it to the quilt so that neither you nor anyone else will forget.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with the waterproof mattress pads. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

Tips For Picking A Sewing Machine

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Picking out a sewing machine today is very different from machines in the past. As technology continues to change and advance every field and every market, the sewing market has managed to keep up with plenty of developments of its own. The following tips are designed to orient you as to what is on the market today and how you can find the perfect machine for your sewing needs.

For instance, you will find it more difficult to find an older style manual sewing machine on today’s market. This is because most consumers are now demanding electronic models which have a much stronger power source and are easier to operate. Your first decision when entering the market is whether you really want a more basic machine, or if you want to explore how technology has changed the world of sewing with a more advanced machine.

You also have to take into consideration the type of projects you will mostly be using this machine for. If you are going to be doing very simply projects or if the machine will be used by children just starting to learn, chances are you will not have a real use for the more advanced features currently on the market. On the other hand, if you want to use the machine for more creative purposes or for crafts, you may want some advanced features.

For instance, many people enjoy machines that come equipped with various types of foot pedal attachments which change the actual stitching style the machine is capable of producing. Other consumers are enjoying machines that come with digital viewing windows and the capability to zoom in on the project and see every stitch without straining.

Machines that come with built-in stitches and other programmable features are also in hot demand today. These include machines that double as embroidery machines, those that have hundreds of stitches pre-programmed into highly detailed digital controls, and even computerized machines that can connect up with your computer to access more detailed stitches and even pattern guides.

There is a large selection as far as price range and features offered on today’s market. The more advanced features a machine includes, the more you can expect the retail price to be. The market ranges from very basic machines and mini machines that are in the lower price range to loaded machines with huge price tags. The bulk of the machines today fall somewhere in between and offer a select variety of advanced features without offering everything under the sun.

Rather than purchasing a top of the line machine that you will never actually half of the features on, check into each feature on each machine that catches you eye. Ask yourself honestly how many of those features you will make use of on a regular basis.

When you try to select a sewing machine in today’s market, you have to take the time to learn what features are available on what models and what the price ranges tend to be. This will allow you to control expense while still getting the best machine for your regular sewing needs. If you aren’t familiar with the market you may end up shelling out a high price for more features than you will ever actually use.

Bridget Holmes owns a best sewing machine blog. You can find many top rated sewing machine reviews in her blog such asBrother sewing machine reviews, Singer sewing machine reviews and many more.

Make Matching Bed Sets With A Sewing Machine

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

The cost of living today has gone through the roof. Many people are living from paycheck to paycheck. Many people are cutting corners in their budgets to save as much money as they can. However, there are some things you can do save money and still have the things you need. How can a sewing machine help you to do this?

Sit down and add up how much money you have spent just on clothing in the past six months. You may be shocked. A little here and little there certainly does add up to be more than you would think. Have you ever thought about making the clothing you and your family needs? You might not be able to make all of it, but you can make some of it. Simple dress, t-shirts, and pajamas are the easiest in the world to make with a sewing machine. You also have a great selection when it comes to many kinds of material for sewing clothes.

How about the bed clothes you and your family need? With budgets being so tight, it would seem the days of buying whole matching bedroom sets are over. They do not have to be if you own a machine for sewing. Comforters and quilts are indeed some of the easiest items to make on a machine. You could make all the pillow shams and accessories you wanted to go with it as well. Think of what you could make for a baby nursery. You could also have a lot of fun as well.

Look at the curtains you have in your home. Think how really easy it would be to make them. You could have sets to change with the season if you made them yourself. Check into the cost of some material you would like to use for making window treatments. Go from there to the household items and check the price of one curtain panel. You will not believe the difference in price.

Covering the expensive furniture you have is really important. It is aggravating and costly to clean upholstery. The best thing to do is not to spend for a cover but to sew one. It is simple and you can choose any color or pattern you would like in material. You could even make covers that match the window treatments you have. You can do endless things like this in your decor when you sew.

Did you know that you could also make the all the towels you use in your home? You can buy terry cloth that is thick and luxurious for making as many as you would like. You could easily make ten towels to what a couple would cost you in most department stores. From bath towels to kitchen towels, you would be stocked up for less money. You might also add in a terry cloth bathrobe or two as well.

Need a toy for that birthday party your child was invited to but you are low on cash? This would be a good time to make a stuffed toy. These are fun to make and you can have your child help you. Children have an uncanny knack for being able to create many odd creatures. One of these creatures would be a great for a birthday gift. One tip is to get a lot of different material together and keep on hand for toy making. This way, you can sew one up at the last minute without spending a dime.

The art of sewing has become less of an attraction to many because it has always been so easy to just go and but it. However, with every one trying to save money, buying a sewing machine could be one of the best investments you could make.

Bridget Holmes is a housewife. She enjoys writing and owns a best sewing machine blog. She shares and write about her best sewing machine reviews to help others to choose the best sewing machines in the market.

Everything You Need To Know About The Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machine

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

The cadillac of sewing machines is without a doubt a Husqvarna Viking sewing machine. You can expect these machines to do everything you would expect from any other sewing machine, such as hemming and application of designs on fabric, but they also do so much more. They offer top of the line, innovative features that are certain to please even the most professional sewer.

Husqvarna Viking devices can be connected to your computer so that you can have access to all of the designs and stitches available on the internet, in addition to the numerous applications which come as standard packaging with the units.

Husqvarna Viking devices offer the largest touch operated screens currently available on the market and they are brightly lit and colorful, easily allowing you to see your embroidery designs and colors before you even begin sewing. 3D embroidery is now a reality with most of the Husqvarnas.

Husqvarna Viking is a respected brand in the world of sewing. With a worldwide reputation for excellence and cutting-edge technology, the company is based in Sweden, where it has been provided sewing devices since 1872. Without any doubt, this company is a leader in the sewing device industry!

Husqvarna Viking is on the leading edge of inventions in the industry. The bobbin, which oscillates, is a feature that won over the industry for more than 50 years. The initial “free arm” unit was created by this company in 1947, opening a path for new inventions in the sewing world. The sewing device that was produced by the company in 1960 came with settings coded in colors, and a means to sew elastic stitches by feeding them through an automatic system.

Just before 1980, this is the company that introduced sewing machines that could use small computers in order to automatically form patterns with the various kinds of stitches. And in 1980, Husqvarna developed the first sewing machine that was capable of sewing letters. Over the past 20 years this is the company that has given the industry increasingly clever innovations. It is been over 30 years since the first computerized sewing machines were introduced by Husqvarna, although the sister embroidery machines were not around until 15 years later.

If you see sewing as a form of art you will be satisfied with a Husqvarna Viking. With about 20 models to choose from, you are certain to find exactly what you are looking for among the various sewing machines available from Husqvarna Viking.

The E20 Husqvarna Viking sewing device is a basic machine – with a twist. This no-nonsense machine is an excellent one to learn how to sew on, and comes with 32 built in stitches. This sewing machine allows the user to adjust the stitch size and provides a simple one-step buttonhole. The Husqvarna website is also extremely informative, and provides instructions for stitching items like a party-dress, a hat or even a coat.

But if you are already accomplished in the use of sewing devices, you will be thrilled with the Designer Diamond machine which is currently on the market by Husqvarna Viking. This sewing machine combines the ability to do both sewing and embroidery with all of the best bells and whistles. No matter which model you select, you will be proud to own a Husqvarna Viking sewing machine. The company continually sets new standards in sewing and embroidery!

You can find a lot more reviews and material about Husqvarna Viking sewing machines at my website. I’ll also let you in on a small secret: How to get them cheaper than everywhere else on the web ;) Thanks for looking through, and all the best!