sewing pattern

That’s Sew JUKI Spring

April 6, 2024April 10, 2024by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

It’s almost spring! As the season of renewal and vibrant blooms unfold, the world of fashion beckons with fresh colors, patterns, and trends just waiting to be stitched into existence. This season, infuse your sewing projects with the essence of spring, and let JUKI guide you!

Renowned for our precision, reliability, and innovative features, JUKI machines are poised to revolutionize your spring sewing experience. From intricate floral motifs to breezy sundresses and chic accessories, JUKI offers the tools and accessories to bring your spring fashion inspirations to life with impeccable craftsmanship and ease.

Join us as we explore trends, share tips and tricks, and delve into the endless possibilities that spring sewing with JUKI machines offers.

Spring Fashion Palette: Colors to Embrace

As we dive into the vibrant world of spring fashion, harnessing the power of color to truly bring your sewing projects to life is essential. The spring fashion palette offers a kaleidoscope of hues, evoking a distinct mood and energy. Here’s a closer look at the colors to embrace this season:

Sunny Yellows: As the epitome of sunshine and optimism, shades of yellow illuminate the spring landscape with their cheerful glow! Whether you opt for pale buttery tones or vivid like Lemon Fruit, yellow injects a sense of joy and brightness into your creations.
Fresh Greens: From minty hues to the depth of shades echoing nature, greens reign supreme in the spring palette. Green hues can infuse any project with fresh air and vitality, symbolizing growth and renewal.
Pastel Pinks: Soft and delicate, pastel pinks evoke a sense of romance and femininity synonymous with spring! Whether you’re crafting delicate florals or dreamy garments, pastel pinks add a touch of soft beauty and grace to your creations.
Soothing Blues: Like a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of spring, shades of serene blues offer a calming contrast to the lively tones of the season! Look for shades like colors of the sky or of the sea. Blue hues bring a sense of peace and tranquility to your sewing projects.
Cheerful Corals: Vibrant and energetic corals infuse your creations with warmth! With their cheerful tone, corals add a playful pop of color to any project, radiating positivity.

In addition to embracing these colors, selecting the right thread color is crucial to achieving impeccable results in your sewing endeavors. You can match your thread to your fabric to achieve seamless and professional-looking seams or select threads that complement the color and texture of your fabric for a contrasting pop of design and color.

Experiment with contrasting colors to create visual interest and depth, adding a dynamic element to your sewing projects. Whether accentuating intricate details or adding decorative embellishments, thread colors can elevate your creations to new heights of artistry and expression.

Patterns and Trends for Spring Sewing

Patterns and Trends for Spring Sewing are all about embracing the vibrant colors and timeless motifs that define the season. With JUKI machines, sewing enthusiasts can easily bring these trends to life. Equipped with a wide range of design stitches, JUKI machines allow for intricate embellishments and precise detailing, enhancing garments, quilts, and accessories with stunning motifs and textures. Whether stitching delicate petals or crafting striking color combinations, JUKI machines empower you to infuse your spring sewing projects with style and sophistication, ensuring impeccable results every time.

Below are a few patterns and trends we love for spring sewing!

Florals and Botanicals: Embrace the timeless allure of florals and botanical prints with JUKI machines’ array of decorative stitches. Whether you’re stitching floral designs or intricate leaves, JUKI’s digital sewing machines offer various decorative stitch options to embellish garments, quilts, or accessories with stunning motifs.
Pastel Color Blocks: Dive into the trend of pastel color blocking with confidence, as JUKI machines ensure precise stitching for seamless color transitions. Mix and match soft pastels from the spring palette to create striking yet soothing combinations in garments, quilts, or home décor items.
Stripes and Gingham: Whether you’re drawn to bold stripes or the timeless charm of gingham, JUKI machines offer the precision stitching needed to execute these patterns with finesse. Experiment with varying stripe widths and directions or play with the scale of gingham checks to create garments or home décor items that exude classic sophistication. With JUKI’s accessory feet, you can create seamless patterns with ease.
Flowy Silhouettes: Embrace the lightness of spring with flowy, relaxed silhouettes crafted using JUKI machines. With JUKI’s advanced feed mechanisms and precise stitching capabilities, sewing with lightweight fabrics like chiffon, silk, or cotton voile becomes effortless. Whether crafting billowy blouses, airy skirts, or elegant dresses, JUKI machines ensure that your creations drape beautifully and move gracefully with every step.

With JUKI sewing machines as your trusted companions, the possibilities for spring sewing projects are as boundless as your imagination. Whether embellishing garments with intricate floral motifs, experimenting with color blocking, or mastering classic patterns like stripes and gingham, JUKI empowers you to bring your creative visions to life with precision and ease.

Incorporating Spring Trends with JUKI Machines

Before jumping into creation, let’s talk about the JUKI features you can find on your machine and how to use them on your next project. JUKI machines offer a plethora of features and functionalities to bring your spring sewing visions to life:

Creative Embellishments: Discover the multitude of decorative stitches offered by JUKI machines, perfect for enhancing your spring garments or quilts with floral accents, decorative borders, or intricate patterns like those mentioned above!
Impeccable Stitching: Benefit from JUKI machines’ precision stitching capabilities, guaranteeing flawlessly executed lines and precise seam allowances. This precision is invaluable for crafting garments with tailored fits or intricate patchwork designs. From flowy dresses to clean-cut blouses, the right stitch is vital for a seamless finish.
Fabric Versatility: JUKI machines excel in handling a wide range of fabrics, from delicate silks to durable cotton. This adaptability empowers you to explore various materials, allowing for seamless experimentation and creativity in your spring sewing endeavors. Use fabrics like Chiffon or Vinyl on the same machine with ease of switch and create projects that vary in design and texture for fun and vibrant new looks!
Ease of work: JUKI machines are designed to be the ultimate ally in your sewing journey, effortlessly streamlining your workload with various innovative features. From the convenience of automatic needle threaders to the efficiency of air threaders on our sergers, JUKI machines eliminate the hassle of manual threading, allowing you to focus on your creative process. Enhanced lighting ensures optimal visibility, while extension tables provide ample space for easily handling larger projects. With JUKI machines, every aspect of your sewing experience is optimized for efficiency, precision, and comfort, empowering you to tackle any task with confidence and ease!

As the fashion world awakens to the allure of spring, sewing enthusiasts have an opportunity to infuse their creations with the season’s vibrant colors, patterns, and trends. With JUKI machines as your creative companion, the possibilities are endless.

Whether you’re designing flowy dresses, quilting vibrant florals, or crafting accessories in the season’s palette, JUKI machines provide the precision, versatility, and decorative stitches needed to bring your spring sewing visions to fruition. Embrace the essence of spring, one stitch at a time, and weave a tapestry of creativity with JUKI.

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Different Ways You Can Learn How to Sew!

June 3, 2023February 28, 2023by sewinwithjuki1 Comment

Have you been looking to pick up sewing but need help figuring out where to start? Then join us as we’ve gathered four different ways you can begin learning today! From in-person classes to self-study, the world of sewing is now at the touch of our fingers, and we will share how you can access this information.

Passed Down Knowledge

If you have a family member, or friend, who loves the hobby and may even be the reason you’re interested in learning, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for some lessons! Having a connection in the sewing and quilting world will help you learn techniques, allowing you to practice on their machines before purchasing your own, and a lesson on what features they commonly use that you can practice using.

Choosing your first sewing machine can be intimidating if you need to become more familiar with what machine features you’ll need or what stitches you’ll use. Practicing with a family member’s or friend’s machine will make you get comfortable with the options available and help you understand what you need to create your projects. If you’re interested in learning more about beginner sewing machines that JUKI offers, you can learn more here.

Working with family and friends will also give you the feedback you need. While attending classes and using online resources is an option, we’ll cover these options in the following sections of the blog, having a connection that can provide feedback will be extremely useful when you create throughout the day. So take the time to learn from their past projects, follow along as they show you how to use different techniques, and ask those questions you would be embarrassed to ask in front of a class.

In-Person Training Classes

The easiest and most common way of learning to sew is by researching your local area for sewing and quilting classes! Many times you’ll find these programs in your local libraries, your nearest sewing and quilting machine dealers, or at specialized locations that offer crafting classes.

For example, if you’re a new owner of the Miyabi J-350QVP, you might be looking for some training on how to use your longarm quilting machine. At JUKI, we offer the opportunity to attend a longarm training 3-day course that teaches users the basics of the machine and how to use it and shares information on the Quilter’s Creative touch. These classes are offered at select JUKI dealers and can be found here.

You can also attend quilting and sewing tradeshows to find in-person sewing classes! For example, at JUKI, you can commonly find us hosting serger classes at OSQE, with sign-up availability on the OSQE website here. These classes are offered nationwide as the tradeshow travels from coast to coast, helping new sewists hone their skills.

Check out your local community colleges and community centers for sewing class events! These programs are usually offered at low rates and allow you to learn the basics of sewing. The classes also provide an opportunity to receive feedback and ask those questions you’ve been having. Don’t worry if you can’t attend face-to-face classes; thanks to the online world, we have many more options!

Using Your Online Resources

Thanks to the internet, we can now access many videos focusing on sewing skills, projects, tutorials, and so much more. Almost any question you have can now be answered with just one search. Using this, new sewists and quilters can find free or paid online resources to teach you how to complete certain stitches, use presser feet, thread your machines, and more!

These teaching formats can come in videos, PDFs, online books, and online classes, allowing you to find different resources as you learn new skills and techniques. One of the best resources you can find content on is YouTube! On JUKI Home Sewing’s YouTube, you can find out how to operate your machines, set them up for sewing, and check out accessories and what they’re used for. You can also follow along with past projects and lives, where we demonstrate how to create a project from beginning to end.

There are countless online creators out there who are so excited to demonstrate techniques, projects, skills, and machine features for new sewists and quilters like you, and the content can be found for free or at low costs. You can, however, choose to invest in your skills and join online programs with teaching professionals who show you how to build your skills step-by-step and offer constructive feedback and knowledge you can learn from, usually offered at varying prices depending on the skill level of the instructor.

Lastly, take advantage of what influencers in fashion and quilting can teach you on their social media pages! While many creators focus on posting project-based content, many will bring it to their media outlets for learning moments. These quick snippets can explain how to use a presser foot and other accessories to keep on hand, and much more.

Hit the Books!

Let’s go back to the original days of sewing and check out the books available for quilting and sewing! Many of these books will offer resources on beginner basics for using your sewing machine, provide tips and tricks on what tools you’ll need in your studio, what presser feet are and which ones to have on hand to complete specific techniques, and even walk-throughs of a series of projects you can begin creating to start building your skill set.

There are also book resources that explain how to maintain your machines, offer beginner to advanced sewist projects where you build your skill set as you create, and so much more. Check out your local libraries or bookstores to see what’s available, and remember to browse the internet for recommended books!

No matter how you decide to learn, picking up a new hobby is a great adventure! Whether you go online and try it alone or pick up some classes at your local community center, sewing and quilting are great hobbies for letting your creativity flow. We hope today’s blog encourages you to start working on your hobby and learning new skills!

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Don’t Miss Your JUKI National Accounts

January 28, 2023January 4, 2023by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Continuing from last week, today we’re going to introduce the final 13 shops from our JUKI National Accounts. At JUKI, we know that great feeling you get when you find your favorite sewing shop!

Whether it’s because they carry unique fabrics, accessories you need, or that JUKI sewing machine you love, they’re here to help you create. So follow along below as we finish introducing our current National Account dealers and how you can reach out to them today!

Lake Loveland Sewing Company

Located in Loveland, Colorado, come and visit the Lake Loveland Sewing Company! Offering various options from the JUKI sewing line, from long-arm machines to sergers, their team is excited to help your designs come to life with the suitable machine and accessories you need!

Check out their notions, fabrics, and classes offering the chance to learn new skills and create fun projects! To find out more about Lake Loveland Sewing Company, visit us here today.

McDougal Sewing Center

What began as a humble small store in the Houston Heights area known as Bob McDougal Sewing Machine Co. has transformed into today’s McDougal Sewing Center, one of America’s largest sewing machine dealers! Focused on building long-term customer relationships through honesty and hard work, customers can enjoy a sense of friendliness the second they walk through the doors!

On top of their customer service, their shop has benefits focused on the quilter advancing in their skills. Enjoy benefits like their no-risk, one-year trade-up program, unlimited machine usage classes, professional technical service, and more! If you’re in the Katy, Texas, area, you can visit their shop today! Check out their location and learn more about McDougal Sewing Center’s machines, services and classes by visiting our page here today.

NorCal Sewing and Vacuum

At Norcal Sewing & Vacuum Center, you’ll find a family-owned business ready to help you find the suitable machine for your needs! Offering sewing machine repair services, a diverse inventory of notions, parts, and accessories, and old fashion customer service, you’ll be able to learn more about the JUKI product line and which features and machines are best for you.

To visit Norcal Sewing & Vacuum Center and learn more about their customer benefits, visit here today!

Pocono Sew & Vac

If there’s one thing Pocono Sew and Vac has, it’s an experience! After serving customers for over 40 years and with a team of over 15 people, most with 30-40+ years of industry experience, you can trust that their team is ready to help you start creating! So test-drive their extensive line of JUKIs before you buy, attend classes in their growing education department and trust that your machine is in good hands when shopping at Pocono Sew and Vac, located in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Need project supplies? Find 3,000 bolts of fabric from the best designers, collect your sewing notions and join their club to receive even greater savings on their already marked-down fabrics. Want to visit Pocono Sew & Vac? Visit our site here today to learn more!

Quilters HQ

To help you become the best quilter, stop by Quilters HQ the next time you’re ready to begin creating! Providing you with the best tools, notions, fabrics, and JUKI sewing or longarm machines, their team is prepared to help you get started today.

Since 2017, this family-owned and operated quilt shop has provided edge-to-edge quilting services, sewing and quilting classes, workshops, and a service and repair team ready to help you maintain your machine. Want a sneak peek of what Quilters HQ can offer? Check out their LIVE sew-along! Visit their Facebook site every Tuesday from 6 – 7 pm for tutorials, inspiration, new products, and more. To learn how you can visit Quilters HQ and meet their team, visit us here today!

SEW-MINI Things

What was once known as Perrine Sewing & Vacuum Center in the late 1960s in Perrine, FL, has now transformed into the beloved SEW-MINI Things in Lake County, Florida! Offering a variety of our JUKI Sewing and Long-arm sewing machine line, SEW-MINI things is ready to help you find the perfect machine for your project needs.

Here you’ll be able to find a diverse collection of 3900 bolts of fabrics, grab those notions you need for your next project, and receive expert assistance from their team when you visit their shop! To find out more about SEW-Mini Things, visit our website here today.

Southeast Sewing Products

Southeast Sewing Products, also known as Sewingmachine.com, first started in 1982 with one location in Atlanta, before 1995 when owner Mel Tramell expanded the business onto the online world! With two locations in the Atlanta area and a large warehouse, Southeast Sewing Products is ready to help you find the perfect machine by offering you the chance to test-drive your dream picks.

With over 60 years of business, owner Mel Tramell is an enthusiastic leader with a knowledgeable staff ready to teach you those tips and tricks to sewing and quilting on your new machine. Learn more by clicking here today!

The Fabric Center

Quilters all over the Midwest know about The Fabric Center! Located in Morris, Illinois, with over 7,000 bolts of fabric choices, a large variety of JUKI products, and a large assortment of quilting patterns, books, and notions quilters like you can visit knowing you’ll find what you need! In addition, their staff is ready to answer your sewing and quilting questions and help you test-drive and find the perfect machine for your space!

Enjoy the perks of buying from The Fabric Center by using their phone and in-person technical support, attending their post-purchase one-on-one machine lessons to get you comfortable with your machine’s ins and outs, and using their authorized service center when the time comes! Whether you’re a new quilter ready to dive in or an experienced quilter looking for fun new patterns and fabrics, The Fabric Center can help your project ideas come to life. Please find out more by visiting us here today!

The Sewing Machine Shop

Those familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area will love The Sewing Machine Shop! Located near many cities, this shop is ready to help quilters and sewists like you find the perfect machine and tools to help your project dreams come to life. Filled with our JUKI Sewing and Long-arm sewing machine line, you’ll easily find the suitable machine for your project needs and sewing space!

Enjoy their shop showroom and experience the machine before buying by test-driving on various fabrics and machine options. Also, sign up for their sewing class to familiarize yourself with your new machine! If a repair is needed, you can return to The Sewing Machine Shop and know your machine is in capable hands with their award-winning service department. To learn more about The Sewing Machine Shop and how you can visit, click here!

The Sew’n Place

Providing the community of Fayetteville, PA, with quilting and sewing essentials since 1982, check out The Sew’n Place! Family owned and operated, their shop goal is to help all customers that walk through their front door find the perfect machine for their project needs.

Check out their large selection of premium cotton fabrics, Horn sewing cabinets, sewing notions, rotary cutting tools, quilting supplies, books, patterns, and more! Here you’ll find the tools you need and a large selection of JUKI sewing and long-arm quilting machines ready to help you start crafting. With over 30 years of experience on their staff that offers repairs services, a wide range of sewing and quilting classes, and knowledgeable support, stop by The Sew’n Place to find your next machine! Visit us here today to learn more about The Sew’n Place and how you can visit.

The Stitching Post

Opened in 1986, The Stitching Post is here to find suitable sewing machines and fabric for your projects! Operating out of the heart of corn country, Washington, Indiana, you’ll find a wide variety of materials, books, patterns, and notions. As Southwest Indiana’s largest quilt store, they pride themselves as a space for quilters to visit and leisurely browse its extensive fabric collection and JUKI machine line!

From our long-arm quilting machines to our sergers and even direct to-garment printer RICOH Ri 100, you’ll find suitable machines for your dream projects here.

Welcoming visitors to their version of heaven, quilting in the country, you can learn more about The Stitching Post and how to visit them by going here!

Tops Vacuum and Sewing

A community name in the sewing and quilting world, Tops Vacuum and Sewing offers eleven retail locations with certified technicians and a variety of our JUKI machine line. With Tops, you’ll receive free delivery and set-up on all long arms in the continental US, free shipping on all orders over $50 in the continental US, a free Quilt Motion lesson, and so much more! These benefits make shopping with Tops Vacuum and Sewing fun and easy!

If you’re looking for a sewing machine or thinking about purchasing your sewing machine online, check out Tops Vacuum and Sewing and learn more by visiting us here today.

Village Sewing Center

If you’re located near Santa Rosa, California, it’s time to check out Village Sewing Center! Opened for more than 40 years, this sewing center offers hundreds of options for your crafts. Whether you’re working on quilts, embroidery, or creating garments, owner John Furtado pride themselves in having the basics you’ll need to get started.

Enjoy browsing a variety of JUKI sewing and quilting machine options, browse their large collection of fabric choices, and attend one of their sewing classes to learn a new skill or build a new project! Lastly, shop with comfort, knowing this shop is ready to handle your JUKI repairs and answer any technical questions! If you want to meet Village Sewing Center’s knowledgeable staff and browse their collection visit our site here for more information!

Why Shop at a National Account Dealer?

One-On-One Training: Throughout the year, JUKI trainers visit these dealers to keep their staff up to date on the newest JUKI home products to help provide you with reliable support during and after your purchase.
Qualified Service Department: JUKI’s National Account Retail Dealers maintain a qualified service department, which is trained on JUKI products and has direct support from JUKI America. They’ll be able to help you keep your JUKI expertly tuned up.
JUKI Access: National Account Dealers have access to the entire JUKI Home Sewing product line including direct-to-garment printing, compact commercial embroidery system, longarm quilting, and tabletop quilting along with a full line of sewing machines and sergers for you to experience.

Wherever you’re located, JUKI is working on bringing you the sewing and longarm machines you love and want! Our National Account dealers are a great place to start, thanks to their goals of being your one-stop shop offering notions, fabrics, machines, and so much more. To learn more about our National account dealers and how you can visit one, check out our site here.

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A Look Behind Center Street Quilts!

December 24, 2022December 22, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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: From Bio to Quilting with Jessica Dayon

July 16, 2022July 21, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

From her days in biochemistry and biology to becoming an author, quilt creator, and pattern designer, we’re so excited to introduce Jessica Dayon! Author of three pattern books; ‘A Year in Solids’, ‘Season to Taste: Quilts to Warm Your Home All Year Long’, and the upcoming ‘Precut Parade’, releasing August 1st, we’ve asked Jessica to join us and talk about her life in quilting, and journey in becoming a pattern author.

Like so many of our readers, Jessica’s journey starts with a pull towards quilting. Coming from her background as a scientist, with a degree in Biology and Biochemistry, she hadn’t tried quilting before. But, with no connections in the quilting world at the time, she decided after her 4th child to dive in! After being bit by the quilting bug in the summer of 2017, she began teaching herself and fell in love with the craft. Her first project? A table runner for a birthday, one that was never even completed! It did, however, open the door to quilting and hasn’t closed since.

“The first day I started quilting, this little fire was ignited inside of me, and it’s been burning ever since. Quilting is my passion.”

With each day that passed, she continued to work on the aspect of making a quilt and improving her skills. Pushing herself to learn new skills for the sake of learning, she attempted new methods and tricks for quilting her projects.

In 2017, Jessica also decided to open her Instagram account to document her journey and share her work. She still remembers having less than 100 followers and the excitement that came when a new one followed. To this day, she is still in awe when she sees new followers join her page. Currently, Jessica’s following topples over 76 thousand followers, a community focused on inspiring each other in their quilting journeys.

“I work hard and I love sharing and engaging with my followers. I hope they feel valued and inspired by following me. I want to share the joy of creating every day with them. I’m grateful for the community that I’ve built there.”

As her skills grew, she decided it was time to start creating patterns. Working hard to understand pattern creation, she began designing patterns after only one month of quilting.

Sitting at her computer, Jessica would design quilt after quilt, constantly creating. Thinking of the design was the easiest aspect when she began writing patterns. With hundreds of designs currently saved on her computer, it’s no wonder she went on to author and design pattern books. Within a short timeline, she found the most challenging part of becoming a pattern author has been the time constraints from publishing. Teaching her to work quickly it’s now become a strength to begin and finish a quilt quicker than she would have imagined possible when she first started.

Fireworks – Contributed to Red & White II

Inspired by the freedom of creating, Jessica focuses on not pressuring herself to finish one project at a time. Instead, she allows her creativity and curiosity to flourish and wander, moving from project to project, not restricting herself to one at a time.

“When I’m at the sewing machine and I’m working on a project, sometimes my mind wanders to another block and I just have to make it. I don’t stop myself when the urge to do this arises.”

Knowing she’ll go back to her original project with a focused mind, she’s found letting herself have this freedom while creating removes pressure from her work. Even if a design doesn’t come out how she expects, she’ll just design another and another until she’s happy with the result.

Just like she creates, Jessica allows her designs to wander in style too! Not picking a distinctive style, she creates using her TL-2010Q sewing machine and a versatile collection of fabric types and patterns. Easy to take care of and use, Jessica loves recommending the TL-2010Q to quilters out there! While she chose the machine for its features and price point, she’s found the TL-2010Q to be highly reliable, accurate, and speedy.

Depending on her mood, she’ll select patterns and styles that speak to her and fill her up creatively. Instead of boxing her style and creativity, which Jessica believes would lead to burn-out, she focuses on her creative self-guide to create her designs.

As for her pattern books, Jessica focuses on creating themed designs! Allowing her creativity to flow; her books focus on patterns that inspire her while hopefully inspiring those who use them. For example, in her pattern book, “Season to Taste: Quilts to Warm Your Home All Year Long,” Jessica focuses on quilt designs for all four seasons! Centered on the seasons, with each season having three quilt designs, you can see her creativity flourish with each pattern being different and beautiful.

Her best advice for pattern creators trying to sell their work is this, “I recommend staying true to yourself and your style. There is room for everyone who wants to design patterns. Each person is unique, and you don’t have to do things like anyone else… it’s better if you don’t! Being your own, authentic self will get you far. Hard work will get you even further.”

As a pattern creator and author, she advises creators to be mindful of the work that comes with this venture. From marketing to IT, you will be the one to do it all when you first start your business. While it can seem overwhelming at first, taking each step one at a time has been her motto. Her recommendation is to write your goals down, like a skill you need to learn or a marketing project that needs to get done and work towards each one.

As we eagerly await Jessica’s next pattern book, to be released this upcoming August, we’re excited to share she has even more in the works! Keep an eye on Jessica’s social for future quilt-alongs, new pattern books, and possibly, even classes one day.

“Quilting is a major part of my life now. It is my passion – There are so many wonderful things to do in the quilting world, and I want to do them all!”

To learn more about Jessica, her pattern books, and her quilting journey click on the links below and join her socials today! We hope this spotlight encourages you to begin writing your own sewing and quilting patterns, and even possibly publishing them one day!

Tag: sewing pattern