Tips

Get Ready for Halloween with JUKI!

October 16, 2021January 6, 2022by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Halloween season is upon us, JUKI lovers, and we’re so excited to let the creativity flow! Join us today, as we talk about ideas for your spooky costumes and what machines and accessories will help you get there.

One of the crucial things to keep in mind when planning your costume is not everything has to be from scratch. Costumes are created from pieces put together, which means parts of them can be homemade, and other parts can be store-bought or even found in your home!

Before You Start:

The best way to start is to pick a theme! Build an inspiration board with color schemes, materials, and other costumes people have done. Consider your budget as you go through ideas on how you want your finished project to look. Add your special flair and creative touches to make your costume unique to you!

Helpful Tools to Creating Your Project:

We recommend having two sewing machines on hand when creating your costume, a computerized sewing machine and a serger. Our Kokochi DX-4000QVP is an essential tool when creating Halloween costumes or even cosplay. This computerized sewing has a large sewing area for your capes or larger pieces, includes 368 sewing patterns to personify your garments and 20 professional buttonhole options. No matter what you’re creating, this machine creates beautiful pieces that you envision!

If you’re creating pieces that involve fabric that may fray or need gathering, like fairy costumes or princess gowns, it is a great idea to keep an overlock on hand like the MO-654DE. This popular serger has a built-in rolling hem that covers the fabric and prevents it from fraying as well as all the popular overlock and flatlock variations. It is perfect for adding those touches like a bunched-up sleeve, neckline, or skirt.

Here are some key things to think of when planning your costume:

Focus on what fabrics you’re going to need. Keep in mind what colors you’ll need, what kind of character you’re going to be, and what you need the costume to do for you! Cotton is a common one for costumes, but keep in mind location and weather. Tulle is perfect for petticoats, bows, and tutus. Felt is helpful for decorations, or if you need accessories like a hat. Some costumes will require stretch, so keep that in mind when shopping for a costume like superheroes made from latex and lycra. Satin can be used for costumes like princesses or creating a decade pieces from the ’20s.

Are you adding embellishments to your costume? Add a touch of glam and glitz like buttons on a clown costume, or gemstone, and flashy sequins on a decade’s piece for the ’70s! We recommend making sure; you have the right foot on hand for your sewing machine as well. Our Creative Set, for example, will have all our popular design attachment pieces like our applique presser foot, cording and embroidery presser foot, pearl attaching presser foot, and more!

As Halloween dawns upon us be ready to celebrate! Did you create a Halloween costume with your JUKI? Be sure to tag us!

Tips, Triple T: Tips, Tricks, and Training

Let’s Talk Fabric

June 19, 2021January 6, 2022by sewinwithjuki3 Comments

As a sewist, you know the importance of choosing suitable fabric for your project and how it can significantly affect your finished product! Today JUKI Lovers, we’re going to go over different fabric types and how to choose the right one for your project.

Quilting Cotton
The most common fabric you’re going to find in big stores is quilting cotton. A light to medium fabric, this material is made of cotton and woven, making it a popular choice for quilting projects. Keep in mind, this material is not the best for clothing construction on most projects. While it can create structured shirts well like a button-down, if you’re looking for a look that has more stretch, flow, or drapes, this fabric wouldn’t work best.

Linen
Linen fabric is a slightly different fabric from cotton. While similar as both are plant-based, the linen fabrics tend to be very soft and very breathable. Linen is best for warmer temperatures and is done in a plain weave. Some linen fabrics will have a noticeable color variation due to the threads that created the material. It’s well known to drape nicely, and it softens after washes creating the perfect comfort material for the winter times. Still, it’s best to keep in mind linen proneness to shrinking.

Silky Solids and Prints
When you’re looking for something bright or eye-catching, silky solids and prints are a bold choice. This material drapes well and has two options for construction. One silk material is made of polyester, a high-quality dupe of the original silk created from cocoons. When creating blouses or dresses, the structure of the material gives the proper flow and accentuates nicely. Choose this material when wanting to create light, loose clothing.

Canvas
Canvas fabrics come in different styles, but it’s primarily a solid material best used for home décor projects, theatre set designing, and bags. Canvas can also be best used for home furniture projects because of the soft material and works well on footrests and ottomans. Of course, this material can also be used for painting and other art projects. Keep canvas in your fabric drawer as it is an incredibly versatile fabric for many hobbies!

Chiffon
When creating beautiful and frilly pieces, chiffon is a charming choice! Woven sheer fabric is perfect for creating skirts with a flow and can also be used for home décor such as curtains. Always keep in mind when using chiffon for clothing that the material can be complex for new sewers to work with due to its proneness to frame and be shifty. We recommend testing with a small piece of fabric and adjusting your settings as you go.

Twill
Making curtains? Twill is the perfect fabric for that project! Twill is a fabric created out of cotton or cotton spandex and is best used for dress pants, home décor, and bags. Twill is created using a twill weave and is generally woven with threads of only one color. Perfect for curtains, the material is thick and drapes well with low wrinkles creating a cleaner look in your space.

Flannel
Flannel garments rise from their slumber during the colder seasons due to their comfort and warmth. Woven cotton is brushed on or both sides creating this fuzzy and soft texture that allows warmth to be kept. This material is excellent when designing winter pajamas or cozy outfits for the fall. Using this soft material, you can also create warm blankets and quilts for the family.

With so many materials and fabrics available for sewers out there, we want to make sure you’re choosing the right one! What are some fabrics you’ve worked with that you love using?

Longarm Training, Triple T: Tips, Tricks, and Training

Longarm Training with JUKI!

April 25, 2021January 6, 2022by sewinwithjuki6 Comments

Hello JUKI lovers! We know how butterfly-inducing it is to get a new machine, but what about the aftermath of learning it? That’s why we’re here! Our JUKI Longarm training is for all types of quilters to join and learn more about techniques and tricks.

Get your pencils and notebooks ready because this 3-day workshop covers basic machine maintenance, tensions, working with different threads, batting, LCD screen operation, free-motion techniques, loading a quilt, marking quilts, ruler work, couching, pantographs, optional accessories, and more on the TL-2200QVP and Miyabi J-350QVP.

We also offer the opportunity to learn about our Quilters Creative Touch software. This workshop teaches you the basics of building blocks, pantographs, including the new Power Panto, designing your quilt pattern blocks, and move on to more advanced techniques such as Quilt CAD and Pattern CAD.

We offer JUKI Longarm training throughout the year with our Education staff to help you be the best quilter you can be! Thank you to those who have joined us in the past on our training, we hope you enjoy your JUKI and come back for more in the future!

Check out this link to see other training dates and sign up information. We hope to see you soon!

Tips, Triple T: Tips, Tricks, and Training

JUKI Sergers and You!

April 18, 2021January 6, 2022by sewinwithjuki1 Comment

This month we’re celebrating JUKI sergers! Looking to celebrate with us? With so many options, we compiled a list to make your choice a little bit easier.

Our MO-654DE and MO-644D, our most popular models, are perfect for beginners joining the serger world and experts who want professional results. These overlocks have JUKI Lovers raving about their ability to tackle any projects you throw at it! Each machine comes equipped with tools and technology that make the process of creating beautiful garments easy for you.

The MO-735 is a quiet and stable combination of overlock and coverstitch that easily sews through several layers of fabric and works on thick materials, such as denim or leather. This machine is not only a great tool for designing clothes but for creating upholstery and various home decorations as well. Create all the projects you envisioned with the MO-735!

If you’re looking to waste no time on threading, the MO-2000QVP and MO-1000 are perfect for you! These air-threading machines make threading a breeze. With the press of a button, the looper threads are threaded for you. Additionally, these models also come with left and right needle threaders. It really can’t get much easier than that!

For our JUKI Lovers that have handled sergers and want to grow more, we recommend our MO-100 series. Beginner-friendly but still perfect for experts, our MO machines make things easier with a turn of a dial. With lay-in threading feature, quiet and simple operation, these overlocks can offer quality finishes to your projects!

Lastly, our MCS Series is perfect for those looking for a professional coverhem finish. Our MCS-1500 can you help expand your creativity with an extensive range of functions and professional-looking stitches. The 3- and 4-thread coverstitch is perfect for various applications, such as hems, sleeve cuffs, and necklines. Perfect for the beautiful garments you make!

Whatever your project, we at JUKI want to make sure you find the best fit! What machine is on your wishlist?

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

How Its Sewn with Nicole Chen

April 11, 2021June 10, 2021by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment

Asymmetrical Cotton Seersucker Dress by Nicole Chen

Hello everyone, today we’re excited to introduce a fellow JUKI Lover, Nicole Chen! Read on to learn more about Nicole’s journey on becoming a sewer in 2020 as she shares her experiences in picking up her new go-to hobby.

As a fashion retail buyer in New York and a student pursuing her fashion design certification by night, Nicole always loved the process of creating- and in her case, making clothing! During the beginning of quarantine, Nicole began documenting her sewing journey on social media including Instagram @Howitssewn and website Howitssewn.com for people to join her as she learns new techniques on each project.

“It’s my main creative outlet and makes me feel so happy and fulfilled, especially when I can see my improvement over time.”

Joining the wave of new sewers, she began by taking apart and upcycling her old clothes, giving them a new life. As she gradually improved with the help of videos, she designed and drafted original sewing patterns.

“I love the challenge and design freedom that self-drafting allows, but the process from pattern to clothing is a lot of trial and error. There is no escaping this, but each mistake teaches me something new!”

Floral Print Ruffled Linen Dress By Nicole Chen

As Nicole continued to grow, she ventured out to find inspiration for her projects. Her recommendation? Look into the Google Arts and Culture collection, an online museum created during quarantine. This application has helped people escape their homes and explore a beautiful and awe-inspiring online exhibit with artwork, images, and cultural artifacts from around the world. She explains it’s a free application allowing you access to gain inspiration from any fashion museum and art gallery they have on display. Her favorite artist to follow is Zimmermann, for their fun and flirty pieces, and Alexander McQueen, for their technically intricate clothing.

Early on in Nicole’s sewing journey, she told herself she would learn a new technique for every project she worked on as a way to challenge herself. Having an infinite amount of possibilities at her disposal, Nicole is currently learning about curves and movements of the human body and how to rein the designs she wants.

Nicole’s advice for newcomers? Sewing is 80% preparation and 20% actual sewing. Taking the time and care to prepare everything beforehand like fabrics, pattern truing, and cutting sets you up for a win!

A JUKI lover like us, Nicole invested in her first JUKI serger last year, the JUKI MO-654DE! After being recommended by friends and online sources, she claims it as one of her best sewing decisions, here’s some advice below from Nicole on how to choose the best serger for yourself.

“To save you the time, here are my top 3 aspects to look for in your first serger:

1. Color-Coded Threading System. The last thing you want is to spend half an hour changing your thread color. The 4-color coded system is great for visual learners and is super intuitive.

2. Adjustable Differential Feed. This is a must-have if you often work with knits and stretchy fabrics. This is the trick to create those beautiful lettuce hems!

3. High-Quality Knife Blade. This is, arguably, the most satisfying part of serging. A good blade will cut smoothly through your excess seam allowances and leave you with neatly finished edges.”

As the new year continues to bring in new sewers, we’re so excited to share with you their accomplishments. To learn more about Nicole and keep up with her quilting journey, follow her on Instagram today @HowItsSewn or her website HowItsSewn.com!

Tag: Tips