JUKI Spotlight: Finding your Passion with Ponderosa

Today we’re introducing and spotlighting Paige Anderson, the face behind Ponderosa. Paige’s sewing story begins before she was born. Her family has a strong tradition and makes sure their sewing skills pass with each generation. Starting as an ecologist, Paige studied the ponderosa pine trees for her candidacy. Inspired by her past work in the eco field, Paige wanted a way to tie her love for nature with her quilting, thus naming her brand after the beautiful pine tree – Ponderosa.

Inspired by trees, the back to the land movement, 2000s alien movies, and womanhood as a whole, Paige focuses on bright colors that merge well to create pieces that flow and feel balanced. As time has gone by, she’s found inspiration in multiple things from vintage fashion and home goods to ceramics and murals. Currently, Paige’s work focuses on freeform curves and semicircles.

As a mother, Paige transferred her career from ecology to creating a business as an artist. While she first feared that a journey like this wouldn’t be feasible, she found this to be her truest passion!

“After having my child, I switched gears from being in the ecology field to wanting something I could do with my daughter in tow. Up until that point, I had always told myself that being an artist wasn’t a feasible career path for me, but… it’s the only one I’m passionate about. “

Ponderosa was created to bring quilting into the everyday world. Working on our JUKI TL-2010Q, Paige knows the importance of speed! Designing and creating accessible goods like bandanas, keychains, pouches, and totes, Paige has been able to share her products again and again. Off the path of trends, Paige likes to focus on what speaks to her personally! Her proudest work to date has been a large quilt project she’s currently working on based on a landscaping painting she created, a difficult task she’s proud of, but one Paige says might not happen again!

The future of Ponderosa is a bright one, JUKI lovers! Paige’s next dream goal is to open up a maker’s co-op in Olympia, Washington. Currently, Paige is looking for a space with an abundance of natural light, room for makers in the back, and a retail space upfront. With her friends in tow, Paige is currently working on her master plan and hoping to make this dream a reality. She hopes to see you there once this dream is completed!

If you’re interested in learning more about Paige and her work, visit her on her pages! We’ll link them down below for you.

Click here to Ponderosa Creative Instagram!

Click here to shop Ponderosa Creative!

Sew Under the Sun with JUKI!

The summer is finally approaching us, and we hope you’re getting excited, JUKI Lovers! We wanted to make sure you were ready with some fun summer sewing projects with children coming home for the holidays and family getting together.

Get ready for the summer with your own Beach Bag!

When it’s time to go to the beach, we can’t think of anything better than packing up a bag you made all on your own.

Create at home!

We recommend using fabrics like canvas and duck cloth for that sturdy feeling that can hold its weight when it comes to this project. There are so many different designs that can go into creating this look. From creating contrasts with fabrics to embroidering bright colors and designs, each piece can be personalized to your aesthetic.

Using our JUKI TL-18QVP or J-150QVP, creating a beach bag is a breeze! Add in our Tajima Sai and Ricoh Ri 100 into the mix, and you’ll be able to create personalized embroidered or printed designs that make your bag stand out!

Take a dip in the water! 

Whether you’re creating a look from scratch or redesigning, personalization has no restriction!

Create at home!

There are two fabrics we recommend for your swimsuits; Nylon blends and Polyester blends. Not only is this material soft and comfortable, but it allows for a good stretch and will hug your body well. Perfect for the beach, we recommend nylon for those going more for the sand than the water. Polyester blends are a great second choice if you’re looking for something that will be diving into the water! It’s a soft material like nylon but very strong in addition to being chlorine and UV resistant. 

JUKI has plenty of machines up for this project! We recommend looking into one of the following if you’re interested in creating your summer looks. The MO-2000QVP and MCS-1700QVP are all-powerful machines that can handle stretchy material very well. Add cute beach theme embroidered phrases or designs with our Tajima Sai to personalize each suit at any time!

MO-2000QVP
Sit under the sun!

When you’re lying out in the sun, you want to do it in comfort! What better way to enjoy the summer days than on your very own beach blanket that you’ve created?

Create at home!

When you think of the beach, the combination of sand and wind often comes to mind. Creating a blanket that can handle the weather may be tricky, but not impossible! A top recommendation is picking a suitable fabric that will be on the sand itself. We recommend sticking with fabric like duct cloth for the bottom! This material is a great way to keep sand from seeping through repelling water well and adds a bit of lightweight to keep the wind from blowing it away. For the top of the blanket, we recommend looking into sheet fabric. You can look into repurposing old bedsheets or obtain new ones with fun patterns found in cotton. Don’t forget your canvas tape for that clean look we know you and your family will love!

Looking for a suitable machine to complete this project? We recommend looking into the TL-18QVP, J-150QVP, or DX-4000QVP! Superb for quilting and holding a large workspace, these can help you achieve the look you’re going for with little hassle. Don’t forget to personalize your creation and check out the Ricoh Ri 100 and Tajima Sai! It’s easy to personalize your creations with beautiful embroidery or fun images in an instant using these two!

J-150QVP

We love the idea of sending out your JUKI Lovers with your summer creations! Which project do you think you’re going to do? We can’t wait to see your final projects on our socials, don’t forget to tag us on Facebook and Instagram at @JUKIHomeSewing

Pride with JUKI!

Happy Pride Month JUKI Lovers! This month we’re so excited to share a couple of projects for pride that we hope you enjoy creating as much as we loved planning. Below we’re sharing two projects completed by our team to help you celebrate pride this month.

Our first project is the Rainbow Flag! Created for the LBGTQIA community, this flag consists of six colored tubes with a white strip holding them all together at the top ends. The tubes will be overlapped and top stitched for the length of the embroidery. They will remain unattached below the stitching to fly freely. Your finished size will end at 54” x 24”!

Click here to download our instructions for this project.

Click here to download the embroidery patterns.

Our Second project is an LGBTQIA Mask! Created using our 8 needle Tajima SAI embroidery machine, it is sewn in two halves, with 3 symbols on each side. This pattern was digitized in the Tajima Writer Plus software, which is included with the machine. Experience a fun way to wear your mask outside your home with this fun piece in your bag!

Click here to download our instructions for this project.

Click here to download the embroidery patterns.

Click here to download the Olson Mask Pattern created by Clayton Skousen & Rose Hedges

Business Spotlight: The Stitching Store in Tennessee

Celebrating National Small Business Month with JUKI Dealers

Owned by a team of family and friends, we’re proud to share The Stitching Store located in Covington, TN! Recently The Stitching Store has changed ownership to a trusted friend, Nicole, who recently purchased the shop. Being an employee before buying the shop, Nicole was able to gain experience in the sewing and quilting world.

Inspired by her mother, who created beautiful outfits and crib set for Nicole’s newborn daughter, she joined the world of quilting. Close to her mother, Nicole shared with us her favorite memory of being in the shop is her mother sewing her heart out every day there.

Offering a range of services, The Stitching Store is an excellent place for all your quilting and sewing needs. Feel free to stop by and turn your gorgeous quilt tops into quilts with their machines, where they offer both edge-to-edge quilting and free motion for more delicate tops. Find comfort in their classes available each month that focus on basic sewing and quilting and are held on a one-on-one basis to focus on you.

When you’re doing the project on your own, they can help there too! Having various sewing machines and models to choose from, they offer free lessons when you purchase one of their sewing machines and a two-year warranty on your favorite JUKI’s! Whether you’re looking for fabric, notions, patterns, or custom-sewn items, they make sure to supply what you need.

Make sure to check out their repair offers as well. When you’re having trouble with your machine, their trusty teammate Randy is there to help. Able to work on both old and new sewing machines, find comfort in knowing your sewing machine is in good hands.

If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and say JUKI sent you! Visit them at http://www.TheStitchingStore.net to learn more about what Nicole and her team can do for you today!

*Photo Credit: The Stitching Store Facebook Media Page

If you’re interested in The Stitching Store check them out today and follow their information below!

887 Highway 51 S
Covington TN
P: (901) 476-2030

The Comfort of Sewing

Sewing and quilting have long been a hobby for many people. Some turn to it to let their creative minds be free. Some find comfort in creating things for a family. Some enjoy it because it brings in extra income. Whatever your reason, you turned to sewing. As society has grown and changed, sewing and quilting have stuck around for ages!

A woman machine quilting/sewing three layers to create a grid pattern on a patriotic quilt.

At JUKI, we’ve been around for decades and have seen the changes in the sewing community. Still, one thing has stayed consistent, people’s happiness when they get their new machine and start working on new projects. The heart of sewing is often found in family hobbies being passed down, finding a pastime that brings tranquility and satisfaction in getting something done right.

Sewing in history was a meaning of expression during hard times. Whether used as a tool to bring privacy and comfort or sewing and quilting parties, sewing throughout time has brought the community together. As social media has grown, we’ve been able to find history through fabric and threads from around the world. From being hung in museums to art showcases, this channel of communicating with others is universal.

The therapeutic sense of sewing and quilting is a significant factor in many people’s days. Through non-profit organizations, systems like our prisons have created a safe space for those transitioning back into the outside world. As a way of offering a new art form and sense of expression, many of those incarcerated find this therapeutic. Some programs even allow them to sell their work and create savings when it’s time to go.

Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Also, sewing is a channel of occupational therapy for our veterans. The ability to learn sewing and quilting allows veterans to communicate through their work and even make a living. This has helped many veterans handle their mental scars. The self-confidence that grows when learning a new trade and completing a project can work wonders for anyone!

The relationship between creativity and well-being is a common subject. Whether it is found in sports, painting, or quilting, concentrating on a project has proved to assist in inner turmoil and relax one’s mind. At JUKI, we love that so many people find comfort when sewing on our machines. We know the importance of having a machine that will keep you going and excited to work!

Learn more about the programs and their stories that assist those who turn to sewing for therapy below!

Click here to learn more about Sewing Therapy for Veterans!

Click here to learn more about Sewing Therapy in institutions!