embroidery

5 Ways to Personalize Your Projects

February 18, 2023January 17, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

As creators, we love being inspired by other sewist and quilters, but how do we take their inspiration and personalize it? Today we will discuss five ways to personalize your sewing and quilting projects. From adding lettering to printing on designs, there are so many ways we can find a project and turn it into our style. So follow along and check out what machines and accessories we recommend for your personalization touches.

Adding Lettering

Whether you’re inspired to create a tote bag, or a sweater, adding lettering to your projects can be just the touch of personalization you need! Add your initials with your partners on a sleeve to create the perfect valentines gift, place your child’s name on their new school bag, or gift a quilt with a quote to your loved one using the lettering feature on your creations.

To add this personalization technique, you can use an electric computerized sewing machine that offers lettering, like the Kokochi DX-4000QVP! An electronic computerized sewing machine like the DX-4000QVP offers lettering stitch choices, ranging in different fonts, that will allow you to quickly and easily stitch in your child’s name, favorite quote, or number one sports team name!

Adding lettering is an easy way to personalize your next project and can be done with just a tap of your finger and a stitch!

Adding Embroidery Designs

Using a specialized embroidery machine, you can start adding your designs and bring texture to your projects by adding a touch of your personality! For example, add a cool design to sneakers, pet collars, or even a child’s teddy bear to create a project representing you or the gift receiver.

A machine like the JUKI/Tajima Sai 8 Needle Embroidery Machine is an example of a machine that can offer this feature! With 8 different color options, you can create beautiful flowers, animals, and a scenic view from your last hike. Art is limitless with what you can create on an embroidery machine. Adding embroidery can be an exciting art form when creating personalized projects!

Want to try your hand at embroidering and creating a makeup bag? Learn how to create this makeup bag with our JUKI Ambassador Nicole Moore here!

Designing Your Fabric

Have you found yourself wanting a specific fabric design? Been drawing some designs of your own? Then take the leap and design your own fabric! With a machine like a Direct-To-Garment printer, the options in patterns and designs for your projects are now endless, thanks to the ability to design your own fabrics right from your studio.

The RICOH Ri 100 can help you print your art designs and patterns onto fabric easily and quickly. From canvas fabrics for your tote bags to cotton for your memory quilts, enjoy the freedom of designing and creating anything for your imagination, and enjoy a material that no one else would have!

Try your hand at printing your own fabric with this east mini quilt project! Learn how to create your own with our JUKI Ambassador Nicole Moore here!

Adding in Photos

Whether it’s a family photo or a memory from your favorite trip with friends, adding a memory photo to a project like a t-shirt or a quilt is a great way to personalize your projects! Whether you’re embroidering designs with free motion quilting, using a Direct-To-Garment printer, or using an embroidery machine, there are limitless ways you can get to designing and including your photos in your projects.

Our favorite projects are memory quilts users create with photos! From sweet newborn gifts to anniversaries and holidays, a quilt created with personalized love is an excellent idea for your next gift project! Using a machine like our Direct-To-Garment printer, the RICOH Ri 100 can easily print and place your photos directly onto the fabric you’re creating, letting you put your focus on your quilt block designs.

Want to create your own memory quilt like the one shown for your loved one? Follow along here to learn more here!

Creating a Set

One of the best things about personalization is the freedom to be creative in what we embroider and print on. Personalize your next gift by creating a matching set! Whether it’s a set of make-up bags for traveling, or a matching set of t-shirts for the father and daughter duo, sets can be a fun gift that allows you to try different project ideas.

One of the best ways to create sets is to intermix your work! Print on your fabric, embroider your design and sew it all together to create something unique and different. Whether your project is small, like a glasses case, or large, like a king quilt, adding these touches of personalization will bring the whole idea together!

So the next time you create a project, add your name, embroider a design, or print on a pattern and show your personality when showing off your project!

Want to try your hand at creating a matching set? Check out our Daddy and Daughter duo set project here!

Want to personalize your next project? Then, visit us here today to find your nearest JUKI dealer!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Projects, RICOH Ri 100 (DTG Printer), Tajima Sai

JUKI Project: Valentine’s Day Printed Top

February 4, 2023January 23, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Join us for this month’s project as we create a printed fabric valentines top using the RICOH Ri 100, with a touch of texture thanks to the TAJIMA Sai 8-needle embroidery machine! For this project, our JUKI National Account Kelly will show us how she used the RICOH Ri 100 to personalize her top and make a love-filled gift!

With the direct-to-garment printer (RICOH Ri 100), you can complete a multitude of projects! From designing your own fabric, like you’ll see done in this project video, to placing images on already constructed bags and home décor, a machine like this will help you personalize your next dream project.

The first step when using a RICOH Ri 100 to print on your fabric is to cut out the blouse pattern from the fabric of your choosing. The reason we want to cut the pattern out first before printing on our fabric is so we can precisely place our designs, save ink, and save fabric!

Now that your pieces are all cut out let’s move on to the RICOH Ri 100 designer app that can be installed onto your laptops and computers. Depending on your material and project choice, you’ll set up the RICOH to understand the dimensions and print type you need before moving on to designing. In our project today, we’ll be choosing t-shirts and thin material since we’re working on a Knit jersey material. Keep in mind what tray you’ll be using because the program will ask!

Next is placing and choosing your designs. The best thing about printing is the ability to place almost any design on your material. In today’s project, we’ll be installing our own graphics, but keep in mind the selection of designs offered on the RICOH Ri program when first starting out. Place the designs as you’d like to see them printed. What you see on the screen is what you’ll see printed!

Once you’ve finished your design, you’ll pre-iron your fabric and then place it into the direct-to-garment printer. The time process depends on your designs; the more intricate and colorful, the more time for printing! Once your designs have been printed onto the fabric, go ahead and place your tray in the heater for finishing.

Having our completed fabric, we can now begin constructing our project and creating the blouse! Sewn on our MO-2000QVP and DX-4000QVP, Kelly puts together her pattern pieces to complete a beautiful Valentine’s blouse!

Lastly, if you’d like to add a special touch of personalization, we follow Kelly as she moves over to the JUKI TAJIMA Sai! This is our 8-needle embroidery machine which allows you to embroider a multitude of projects, including shoes, sweaters, hats, and so much more. To start off using the TAJIMA Sai, we’ll use the Writer Plus software that includes designs to choose from, as well as the ability to upload your own, like the RICOH Ri 100.

Like the RICOH Ri 100 software, you’ll choose your project type, material type, and segments that focus on how your stitching will look. If you choose to add embroidery, make sure to do this before constructing your project on the sewing machines.

Once you’ve completed your steps, you’re ready for a night out with your loved one in this cute blouse! We hope you enjoyed learning more about the RICOH Ri 100, and we hope this inspires you to begin making your own fabric and going the extra mile with personalization!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

JUKI Spotlight: Exploring House of Lilli with Anjori Halder

July 23, 2022November 29, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Meet small business owner Anjori Halder, creator, and designer for House of Lilli, a business that does embroidery a little differently. Known for her free motion embroidery work created by free motion quilting on the HZL-F600 sewing machine, Anjori has begun making a name for herself in the sewing world. From beautiful full portrait designs to small motifs that bring her apparel to life, let’s learn about how Anjori discovered her skills in embroidery work, where she began, and where she plans to go!

It all started with a wedding invite in 2010. One day, after becoming a bridesmaid to her dear friend Veronique, Anjori needed a crinoline slip for a themed dress! In her “I want to DIY everything” phase of life, she decided to take it upon herself to create a slip with the help of some blogs and a machine off Craigslist. Even after “crudely” finishing her first piece of apparel, her journey in sewing had truly begun.

Outfits created by Anjori through sewing, upcycling, and embroidery

“I call it my therapy and use it constantly to de-stress. But I also use sewing to keep my mind sharp.”

While the journey was on and off, Anjori would find time to complete refashions and housewares in her downtime from her career as a software engineer and project manager. It wasn’t until she transitioned to a stay-at-home mom that Anjori truly began immersing herself in sewing. Finding the need to do something and gain a sense of accomplishment, she threw herself into the hobby. However, she would soon find out that sewing could be toxic after experiencing the push of social media on her work.

“That need to sew turned toxic, though. Social media and the idea that you had to be creating content all the time to grow followers, to, in turn, grow your business took a toll.”

This moment would change the direction in which Anjori was running her business. After learning about slow fashion and revaluating how she was running her business, Anjori decided it was time to do things differently. Slowing down her work, she began creating again for pure enjoyment and not just for the sake of creating.

Outfits created for Anjori’s daughter through sewing, upcycling, and embroidery

Indie patterns and pattern testing brought the fun and creativity back to sewing for Anjori. She began by creating clothing for her daughter, honing her skills at a smaller scale, and was able to grow her confidence in garment creation. After sewing an Anarkali from a sari that her late mother had gifted her, Anjori’s confidence in garment creation for adults rose as well.

Inspired by those she was creating for, she focuses on how her creations will be used and enjoyed before sewing. Her favorite inspiration is her daughter, a strong-willed and goofy personality who had an obsession with construction vehicles! After her daughter requested a dress with a bulldozer on it, and Anjori had no luck finding one, she decided to test her skills in embroidery and make her one! Continuing to create for her daughter, Anjori focused on embroidering designs and sayings that would inspire her daughter in life.

House of Lilli showcases this with Anjori’s creations focused on positive & reaffirming messages. Her embroidered art shop concentrates on creating art with only a machine, thread, and her hands. Pulling from her heritage, she creates Indian garments, or garments with Indian motifs such as paisleys, peacocks, elephants, and tigers. Completed with free motion embroidery through the free motion quilting feature, you can see the pops of color and bright energy she pulls into her work. Described by friends as positive and always looking for the bright side, it’s no wonder she brings this into every project she creates, not letting mistakes in her projects hold her back.

“Mistakes are opportunities to learn and keep going or realize change is needed and pivot to something new.”

What’s our favorite part of her creative process? The unique use of free motion quilting as free motion embroidery! Gravitating toward embroidery work, even as a child, Anjori knew that adding images and designs would be the next step in going from homemade to handmade. Unfortunately, it was here where she hit a wall. Knowing that the cost of an embroidery machine could be high, she found herself at a standstill on what step to take next. It wasn’t until she stumbled upon creator Emma Giacalone on Instagram that she discovered the possibility of embroidering using free motion quilting.

A new door in creating had been opened, and Anjori walked right in! Finding a new way to bring her art to life, she was excited about how simple the process was to begin. All she started with was a sewing machine that could drop the feed dogs, thread, fabric, and a design. It would take time before she began using a darning foot, admitting to still skipping that step on some days!

Using the HZL-F600, she created her designs quickly and easily fill them in. Creating embroidery using the HZL-F600 is fun and different and has allowed Anjori the freedom of creation in embroidery while sticking to her budget. When asked about what she recommends for JUKI users out there who want to try their hand at free motion embroidery through free motion quilting, she advised having the following tools in your sewing kit:

Embroidery hoop
Stabilizer of some sort (washable or tear away)
Open toe darning foot
Heat erasable pen

While using a machine with ample throat space has been helpful, as well as her tools, she also advises to seek out training! After taking a sculptural embroidery class from Meredith Woolnough and learning new tricks and tips for her projects, she encourages others to invest in themselves and their hobbies.

“Never be afraid to invest in learning.”

While opening her small business has been a journey, she knows that planning and strategy are what build a business. As a small business owner, you are now the marketing manager, designer, producer, shipper, and so much more. Success can be different for everyone, so Anjori advises taking time to figure out what success is to you and not comparing yourself to other businesses. She also recommends getting to the nitty gritty and taking those “boring” business courses that can assist you in running yours!

Taking her own advice to heart, she’s recently taken a business course presented by Jan Ditchfield and has begun reworking her strategies and plan. So while we wait for the new and improved House of Lilli to rise, we’re so excited we were able to introduce her creations and technique!

Continuing her work in embroidery, Anjori hopes to keep instilling positive messages in her creations and sharing her work with others.

“Creating with my hands, whether it is sewing, painting, drawing, or knitting, is a treat for my soul. I find it relaxing and fun, with a sense of accomplishment when you complete a project. Of course, in the end, you usually end up with something nice to look at too.”

To learn more about Anjori and her journey in embroidery, follow along below for her social links!

Visit House of Lilli’s website today to keep up with her blog and sign up for her newsletter!

Keep up with Anjori’s free motion embroidery work on her Instagram here!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Projects

5 Projects You Can Create on Your Embroidery Machine

February 22, 2022January 5, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

When you own an embroidery machine, you can accessorize, personalize and decorate just about anything you can get your hands on. So whether it’s the denim jacket you’ve wanted to revamp or personalize your quilt, embroidery is another form of design taken to the next level!

While embroidery machines are not new to the home sewing world, their technology advancement has passed bounds for those who want to start a small business. Starting your small business is easier than ever with the ability to find top-speed and high-quality machines for home use now. Now that the machine is in your grasp, what can you start creating to sell for your small business?

Follow along below for 5 ideas you can bring into your small business that is fun and easy to complete.

Bags and Purses

Perfect for any season, everyone uses some form of carrier. Whether it’s a tote bag for groceries, a beach bag for toys, or a purse for going out, there are so many options when it comes to personalizing bags! You can place fun sayings, eccentric artwork, or beautiful designs and create a new and fun product for bag lovers.

Monogrammed products

Never out of style, people love owning and gifting monogrammed pieces! Newlywed couples, or those celebrating an anniversary, can enjoy gifts like monogrammed robes, towels, and more. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy having monogrammed sweaters with their favorite teams to cheer on at the games. Readers can find comfort in monogrammed blankets for nooks! The possibilities on who can enjoy this are endless, being a perfect niche to jump into.

Embroidered Pillows

Embroidered pillows from a small shop are an excellent idea for those who love to spruce up their home with fun and exciting décor pieces! Different from those in stores, think of how your designs can bring personalization into buyers’ homes, letting them share their passions in colors, designs, and more.

Baseball Caps & Other Apparel

Whether you’re creating hats to support sports teams, your city, or your brand, baseball caps are favorites for many. Think of designing pieces with local area code numbers, fun sayings, silly designs, and more so others can show off their personality with your work! A classic go-to, baseball caps are always in style and can be worn by everyone. T-shirts, sweaters, and other apparel pieces are always popular, a classic to create and work on! Allow your creativity to flow as you create pieces with original designs, fun and sassy quotes, and more. Look into different types of clothing like jean jackets, uniform shirts, and more to get a better idea of what you want to create.

Pet Accessories

Pets are like family, so it’s no secret why creating for pets is a fun niche to jump into! Create pieces like pet beds, clothing, food mats and so much more for those furry friends. Simply embroidering pet names can be a big selling point for those who want personalized pieces, and a way to express their style in their homes. Not sure what to create? Check out our business page here for ideas!

What Will You Create?

There are so many things you can customize and create with your embroidery machine. From pieces, we talked about to other exciting ideas like jewelry, ornaments, and more, the possibility of what you can create is up to you! So keep up with JUKI as we share our project ideas through the year that you can create on an embroidery machine and others. What project would you be most excited to create on an embroidery machine?

Business Plus, JUKI Posts, Tajima Sai

5 Reasons to get a JUKI Tajima Sai, Embroidery Machine

February 12, 2022February 23, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Thinking of starting an embroidery business? Trying to decide on a suitable machine? Then, follow along as we go over the top 5 reasons you should consider the Tajima Sai, JUKI’s 8-needle embroidery machine!

A hobby that is forever growing in popularity, it’s no wonder many creators are beginning to open their small embroidery businesses. With the ability to personalize, design, and create unique pieces, purchasing the proper embroidery machine for your small business is the first step to success. Before you take this initial step, here are some things to keep in mind when looking at our Tajima Sai embroidery machine.

Fast Production and Speed

Finding a suitable embroidery machine means looking into key features that are going to elevate your small business. One of the top things to keep an eye out for is the speed and efficiency a machine can offer. When your business picks up, and you need to push out many products, think about how fast your machine can create. While many machines can offer 1,000 stitches per minute, steps in between the stitching, like cutting and knotting, can slow that process down on other machines. The Tajima Sai, on the other hand, uses a system that doesn’t slow down, and in fact, keeps its momentum through the stitching process. Because of this, the Tajima Sai can, at times, finish a project faster.

As for production, think of what projects you’ll create and what accessories you’ll need. Many embroidery machine users will work on pieces like apparel, for example. The Tajima Sai machine offers 2 sets of accessories like our 200mm x 300mm frames, 100mm x 100mm frames, and cap frames. Having two sets allows you to set up the following product while one is being embroidered. Using these pieces, you can create customized sweaters, t-shirts, kitchen towels, and more.

You also have the advantage of 8 thread options on your machine at all times, making it easy to create beautiful multi-color designs with few thread changes. Inheriting the high-performance ability of industrial embroidery machines, it offers fine lines and wide areas that can be embroidered. It also provides a large laser pointing system, lining up your start point and tracing your design more effortless than ever, taking out the guesswork before you stitch.

Cost-Effective

When starting your business, it’s best to create a budget and focus on small investments before moving into a significant production mindset. However, the embroidery business doesn’t require a huge budget to get into. The Tajima Sai, for example, can be found for USD 14,999.00 (MSRP) and includes its easy-to-use software, frames, and/or other options depending on the package and vendor you purchase from.

Easy-to-Use Software

When choosing an embroidery machine, you can choose one that comes with software or is separated. Remember that selecting the machine with software included can save you money in the long run since programs can run from $600 – $1,000 depending on the machine’s brand and type. The Tajima Sai includes its program, the Tajima Writer Plus, a digitizer software for Windows with built-in design templates.

Having software included can also help you save on spending for designs and fonts since the Tajima Sai has integrated fonts and designs for your use right out of the box, allowing you to start working on your business the second you receive the machine. It offers more than 200 designs and 31 fonts pre-installed with an additional 1,000 embroidery designs by Pulse.

Space-Saving Design

Think of location when you’re going to open a shop, whether online or in person. If you’re starting your business from a small space in your home, a machine like the Tajima Sai could be a perfect fit. Compact sized and only 82 pounds, this machine is not only able to fit in small corners but can be used for on-location sales like your local markets or inside smaller brick and mortar shops.

Endless Possibilities

There are a limitless amount of projects you can create with an embroidery machine at your disposals, such as embroidered table cloth, t-shirts and sweaters, baby towels and gloves, embroidered memoirs, and more. Like any other small business, you only need to decide what your niche and products will be.

Starting a small business is exciting! Think of what embroidered products you enjoy purchasing or that you’ve thought of enhancing with some personalization. The wonderful thing about owning your small business is the endless possibilities of projects at your disposal and the ability to try and test new ideas.

With the Tajima Sai, you can create many projects, but some top ones we recommend are embroidered t-shirts, sweaters, home décor, hats, and socks. Designs can be used straight from your Tajima Software or downloaded by you to showcase the creations you’ve designed yourself.

When it comes time to buy your embroidery machine, remember to keep these things in mind:

What’s the production and speed like?
What’s the cost?
Does it include software, and what resources are available to learn the program?
Where will the machine be placed, and will I need to travel with it?
What accessories are available for the machine, and what can I create on it?

Make Your Embroidery Business a Success with the Right Equipment!

While the embroidery business continues to grow, there will always be a need for personalized and unique products. Your small business can bring a new and fun product into the fold, which is why you must be readily prepared and have the right equipment on hand. Remember, your machine is the base for your business, so make sure you research and choose the right one for you!

Tag: embroidery