Tag: juki sewing machine

JUKI Posts, New JUKI Products, What's New at JUKI

New Year, New JUKI!

by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment on New Year, New JUKI!

Happy New Year, JUKI Lovers! With another year around the sun, we at JUKI are so excited to introduce our new machines and accessories you can find this year at your local JUKI dealer. From sewing machines to accessories, follow along as we cover our new items and what they do.

New for Sewist

The MO-2800

Have you been looking to upgrade your serger? Check out JUKI’s new MO-2800! New and advanced serger users will love the new features and appreciate the ease of use. With features like our JUKI air threading technology, which allows you to thread your machine with the power of air and the touch of a button, and the automatic needle threader, you’ll enjoy the experience of serging like never before thanks to a quick and easy setup!

Sewists and quilters alike will appreciate the power of this machine and its ability to piece quilts or hem clothing beautifully, no matter the project. You’ll also be able to enjoy a new serger accessory! Our new Curve Foot was created to handle those curved portions of your material smoothly and produce beautifully finished seams, helping you create projects with a quality you’re proud of.

Provided with the patented Tweak with Adjustment (TWA, a JUKI exclusive), it is possible to easily correct excess thread and fabric curling during overcasting. This is just another step in how JUKI is here to help you create easily!

The MO-80CB

Update your sewing studio and skill by trying your hand at serging! With the MO-80CB JUKI overlock serger, advanced and beginner sewists can begin learning how to create. Thanks to its automatic rolled hem, differential feed, and free arm capabilities, garment creators can attach sleeves, hem pants, and more!

Work on building your own closet and updating your current wardrobe by re-creating your closet with the magic of serging! Whether you’re hemming old clothing or building new outfits from scratch using your favorite stretch fabric material, having a serger in your studio is the perfect way to up your sewing game and build your wardrobe.

New For Quilters

The MO-3000QVP

Introducing JUKI’s newest Air Serger, meet the Akane MO-3000QVP! Helping sewists like you sew like a pro, this new serger introduces features we haven’t had before. Features like a chain-off thread cutter, an automatic thread supply, a micro-lifter, and more will help you create with ease and raise our project quality!

Whether your focus is on garments or quilting, this serger will help you create those thicker and larger pieces thanks to the wider throat space! Additional features include a magnet needle tray, LCD screen, and the option to operate your machine by either hand or foot using the knee-lever or foot control.

Taking your serging to new heights, the Akane MO-3000QVP is an excellent addition to your studio space!

The Tabletop Fabric Frame

Now for quilters, JUKI has created its own Tabletop Fabric Frame! This frame is perfect for creators who work in small spaces and want to experience the joy of a long arm without committing to the space needed for a stand-up frame!

Offering quilters the opportunity to free-motion quilt on a frame that lengthens up to 48 inches wide and allows up to a 12″ throat space, you can comfortably create those designs you’ve been dreaming of. Above that, this frame is easy to store away and lightweight making it perfect to quickly get to work or end your project day!

Want stitch regulation? Check out the Sure Stitch Elite add-on! This LCD touchscreen addition to your machine will allow you to easily customize stitch length presets, handle speed adjustment, and give you an edge warning alarm.

JUKI Paddle and Quilting Rings

Whether you’re new to quilting, or an avid quilter looking for an accessory to help you create, our new JUKI quilting paddles and quilting rings are the perfect tools to keep in your studio!

Depending on your preference, these tools are great to keep on hand when it’s time to begin placing designs and free-motion quilting on your creations. Because of the non-slip grip material underneath these tools, they’ll be able to easily drag and move your quilt, helping you seamlessly move your project around your workspace as you free-motion quilt.

Also, due to the paddles’ size and the quilting rings comfort grips, these tools will help keep your hands and arms comfortable while free-motion quilting, helping you create more designs with less hassle and strain.

As we enter the New Year, keep up with JUKI for future new accessories and machines. Working on creating tools for sewists and quilters that you will love; we can’t wait to show you what’s coming up! Have you been dreaming of an accessory or machine feature from JUKI? Let us know in the comments below what future tool you want JUKI to come out with!

2023 Promotions, JUKI Posts, Save with JUKI

New Year, New JUKI!

by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment on New Year, New JUKI!

Happy New Year JUKI Lovers! Join us this month as we present what’s NEW at JUKI!

Check out our new Semi-Insurtial sewing machine, the TL-15! Continuing the TL legacy, this new machine is ready to help you start creating those heavy-duty projects, bags of your dreams, and quilts for days. 

We’re also introducing a new Serger to our JUKI line, check out the AKANE MO-3000QVP, a unique serger experience that includes features like our Micro-lifter, Chain thread cutter, and so much more!

Lastly, love quilting but don’t have the space for a long-arm quilting machine? We have a solution! Created for the quilter with small space in mind, the Tabletop Fabric Frame from JUKI allows you to quilt with your favorite TL or HZL machine, offering you the chance to create those beautiful projects you’ve been dreaming of with ease.

To find out more about our new JUKI sewing machines, contact your nearest dealer here. 

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

A Look Behind Center Street Quilts!

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From her beautiful quilt projects to pattern creations that we love to try our hand at, today we’re spotlighting Kristina Brinkerhoff, owner of Center Street Quilts! If you’re a quilter who loves finding new inspiration for your future projects or a creator looking for new patterns to try your hand at, you’ll love Center Street Quilts’ shop and blog! Follow along as we cover Kristina’s journey in quilting and design patterns creating, what inspired her to become a pattern designer and how her platform grew to where it is today.

FFP Blocks

Like many of us quilters and sewists, Kristina’s journey starts right home. Surrounded by women who loved being creative, she watched them at work as they designed sewing projects and spent hours crocheting and knitting. Memories of Kristina’s childhood include playing under those big quilt frames, surrounded by tying and hand quilting around her. These little moments led to her interest in the hobby, starting with her first quilt at 13.

During a slow-moving summer, Kristina, at 13, asked her mother to help her make her first quilt. The research wasn’t as easy back then as it is today, so they went to their local quilt shops with a plan in hand! It was here she chose her first quilt fabric, a 30s reproduction fabric and a simple pinwheel block. By the end of summer, she had undergone quilting training. From learning quilt planning to cutting and sewing, she even began creating her own designs. Sewing on and off the years, Kristina was able to focus her time on the hobby regularly after getting married.

Inspired by day-to-day life, she found ideas in nature, art, books, and even tattoos! Kristina loved keeping a sketchbook on hand because of this, ready to draw down a design when the idea made its way into her mind. But, beyond the inspiration she found in life, her other hobbies encouraged her to keep designing and sewing. Crocheting, knitting, paper crafts, and drawing; were all projects that brought out the creativeness in her.

“It can be extremely liberating and ignite ideas by changing things up and working on projects that are different than normal.”

When she does sew, Kristina uses her TL-2000Qi. Purchased back in 2016, she chose this machine, not for its fancy features but because it offered power and reliability in her creative process, becoming her go-to sewing machine! With its accuracy for piecing quilt blocks and the motor strength’s ability to sew through thick seams, this machine has helped create pieces from quilts to her beautiful bags.

Center Street Quilts sewing space

When asked what recommendations she has for quilters purchasing a new machine, Kristina recommends not focusing on the features and whistles but instead on a machine with power and reliability. Below are three other features Kristina recommends for quilters and creators alike.

  • An ample throat space. (Good for quilting quilts and maneuvering bags.)
  • The ability to lower the feed dogs. (Needed for free motion quilting.)
  • The option of stopping the machine with the needle down. (Super valuable for quilting and bag making, so your project doesn’t slip as you adjust your hands.)

Whether you’re choosing your first machine or looking to upgrade, having the space to create and the power to build those quilts can be the ticket to a better sewing experience.

Kristina isn’t always sewing and quilting, though! When she’s not building a new project, you can find her designing her shop’s next pattern. What first was a challenge that involved a whirlwind of decisions, all the different ways to make a quilt block, size options, color variations, and more have now become a game of balance.

“I’ve learned to balance ease of construction with the aesthetic I’m looking for, but it still takes me plenty of samples to decide on the end product.”

Merry Little Trees Quilt

One thing Kristina loves about pattern creation, no matter the challenges the process comes with, is picking her fabric! Enjoying the opportunity to play with color schemes and choose her favorite fabric patterns, Kristina only wishes there was more time to see all the potential fabric options for quilts and bag making. Don’t we all!

With quilting and pattern creation under her belt, it was only a matter of time before Kristina began moving her hobby into a potential business. During this time, the name ‘Center Street Quilts’ was created! Based on an address from Kristina and her husband’s old family home, the Center Street home witnessed countless hours of sewing and creating to get done.

Center Street Quilts is an online pattern shop where quilters like you can find fun new patterns to try your hand at! When we spoke with Kristina about how she decided what patterns to create and sell, she focused on her love for the hobby and process.

“From the day I started Center Street Quilts, I decided if I was going to succeed as a business, I’d have to LOVE what I was doing.”

While this hasn’t always equated to the best financial decisions, she says, like a request to add products for paper crafting to her shop, the idea of loving what she’s doing has helped her be creative and stay true to herself.

One of the ways so many customers have learned about her shop is through her work on social media platforms. With over 100k followers, Kristina mentions it’s been astonishing and supportive to see how many fellow creators and quilt lovers are interested in her creations. With the quilting and sewing community growing each day, she focuses on how enjoyable it’s been having a small corner of the world where she can share her work with her followers and creators.

If you’re looking to make your own corner online, Kristina reminds us to not underestimate the power of a beautiful photo! Focusing on clear, bright photos that showcase your product well will get you farther than 10 mediocre ones, allowing your work to look its best! She also advises interacting with your community! Reach out to fellow creators, uplift, comment on others’ projects, and get involved in the community and online events. Above showcasing your work, these interactions will help you make lifelong friends in a hobby you love!

Kristina also reminds us to love what we’re doing. With the flows of social media constantly changing, it’s important to find fulfillment and joy in what you’re creating!

“If you find fulfillment and joy in what you’re creating, and that joy is the primary reason you create, then opening an online shop or starting social media pages will be a much more peaceful process.”

Fleetwood Tote Moon Garden

As for Kristina’s online shop and quilting journey, many hopes and dreams are still to be brought to life! From several bag patterns in the works to a dream of providing online courses for beginner quilters to share her knowledge, we can’t wait to see where ‘Center Street Quilts goes. From her journey in quilting to her advice for content creators, we had a great time getting to know Kristina and her shop Center Street Quilts! 

If you’ve enjoyed learning about Kristina and her journey in quilting, follow along and check out her blog, socials, and e-shop below!

Etsy shop: Shop patterns here!

Center Street Quilt’s blog with free tutorials and patterns: find here!

Instagram: follow along here!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

JUKI Spotlight: An Inappropriate Quilter with Leslie Bercher

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Known for creating beautiful quilts, sharing tips and tricks for your sewing rooms, and her quilting podcast with co-host Rochelle Rice, we’re excited to spotlight Leslie Bercher, Quilter and podcast host for Inappropriate Quilters! Joining us for this month’s spotlight, we got to interview Leslie about her journey in quilting, the podcast’s beginning with co-host Rochelle, and how she created her brand.

It all started with Leslie’s grandmother, Helen. Helen was a member of a church that held Auxiliary Meetings where other members would quilt, crochet, and embroider. It took Leslie several years to watch her grandmother attend these meetings and see her create beautiful projects before picking up the hobby. So it was 2018 when Leslie, with two of her best friends, decided to take a class called ‘Quilt 101’.

“My first quilt was a log cabin, and I made two immediately. That was the beginning, and I haven’t looked back.”

Leslie began sharing her work online, finding a passion for creating and taking the time to build these quilts and designs. It was after a friend recommended she create a profile on social media, explaining she was missing out by not joining the online community when she opened her account. Opening herself up to the idea, she began posting and sharing her projects, excited to see how many beautiful quilters were out there in the world.

It was online that Leslie found a supportive community in her projects and offered her the opportunity to network and build relationships with new people! Consistently supporting one another in their ideas, and encouraging those who have lost their “sew-jo,” as Leslie says, has made the community, unlike any other group she’s been a part of.

This community has also been the inspiration for countless projects she’s created, inspired by other creators on social media. While not a modern quilter, she finds inspiration in all their designs picking from their color selections, patterns, and quilting textures. She also focuses on who she is creating, letting that drive much of the inspiration.

At one of these quilt retreats with the quilting community, she met Rochelle, someone who, according to Leslie, “has never met a stranger.” Leslie and Rochelle were placed in the same group, and their group’s theme was chickens! With their organized and over-the-top decorations, they couldn’t resist having a group mascot, Leon, the rubber chicken.

One day, during the retreat, Leon went missing! Leslie convinced Rochelle was to blame for the Rubber Duck disappearance, and she took it upon herself to ‘borrow’ Rochelle’s foot controller from her machine when she wasn’t looking. The joke would fall back on Leslie when Rochelle returned to the retreat the next day after a nice early night in, unaware her controller had been taken in the first place! They were fast friends after that, bonding over jokes and laughter.

 A couple of years later, the podcast topic would come up between the two friends. During a dream quilt vacation, a sewing retreat where two of their favorites, Camille Roskelley and Angela Walters, would attend, they were having breakfast when the idea popped into Leslie’s head.

With only an idea and some research, Rochelle purchased all the equipment while on their retreat and had it shipped to her home for when they arrived back in town. Excited about their new project, there was only one thing missing, a name! But, as their friends joined in on the conversation, one name stuck out. Walking away from their breakfast table, their friend Angela turned around and offered up “Inappropriate Quilters,” the perfect name for the inappropriate duo!

“Angela was getting up from the table and casually said, ‘oh, I know what you should name it. Inappropriate Quilters.’ We looked at each other and said, “that’s it!”

From there, the show project was on! Weekly episodes, released on Saturdays, became the norm where two quilting friends could join together to discuss life and quilting. With no script in hand, the two friends meet at Leslie’s studio weekly to record before she finishes editing and schedules the episodes Saturday morning. Finding their way into other quilters’ studios through their speakers, their show focuses on just two friends who love quilting, allowing listeners to feel like they have friends in the room with them when they’re creating.

One topic Leslie loves to cover is the process of creating and organizing your studio space. As quilters and sewists know, having a space that encourages creativity and allows you to move and build your projects is important! As an advocate for ‘Function and Beauty,’ we asked Leslie what recommendations she can offer to those building their studio space today.

“You have to start with function. But if it isn’t cute, it better have a very good reason to take up your space!”

What else can you find in Leslie’s studio? Her JUKI! With her Haruka TL-18QVP, named Camille after Camille Roskelley, Leslie has been able to create beautiful quilts and projects she loves. With 95% of her projects involving straight-stitch, she chose a machine that fit her needs. Her top three features at the time were: consistent straight stitch, an automatic thread cutter, and speed! Her best recommendation to sewists and quilters looking for a new machine is to focus on what features are important to you, figure out what type of stitches you plan to create with, the speed, and visit your local dealer! A local dealer can listen to everything you may want and offer machine recommendations and test-sewing.

Leslie’s quilting has opened up a community for her, allowing her to be creative, meet new people, and enjoy her hobby! As she’s transitioned to a content creator and business owner, we asked what advice she’d offer to someone trying to build their brand. “There are so many little things that you didn’t plan. Be gracious with yourself in the process.” Setting up the government business aspects of a shop, like tax ID, sales taxes, and even finding a partner, can be challenging, but the final product is worth it when you love what you do!

We’re so excited to continue seeing Leslies’ brand and content grow, especially with possible plans of opening a YouTube page for creators to join! Listening to feedback from the community she’s created is vital, and she trusts them to lead her toward new and exciting project ventures. So even with her reservations about being on camera, you can expect Leslie to meet her community in the middle and find a way to join the video world!

From quilting to running a podcast, we had a great time getting to know Leslie and going behind the scenes for her projects. If you’ve enjoyed getting to know Leslie and want to keep up with her and Rochelle’s podcast and future quilt projects, join us in following her socials and websites below!

Blog: read here!

Instagram: follow here!

Linktree: Find Leslies channels here!

YouTube: watch here!

Podcast: Inappropriate Quilters – available where you listen to podcasts

Inappropriate Quilters Shop: shop here!