» Video Tutorials

What style of lettering?

Serena Nabeta — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:03:08 +0000

There are so many options when stitching lettering on any project you are making? So, how do you know which one is the best to choose? Ultimately the decision is up to you and what you like the best, but keep in mind the type of project and what theme you are wanting to show through your stitches. Here’s some ideas that might be helpful to you!

Latte Quilt Lessons on DVD – 8 Disc Set + Bonus CD!

Serena Nabeta — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:14:09 +0000

The Latte Quilt Lessons on DVD are up and coming! Pre-order now for a special discounted price of $129.99! Sets will start shipping November 1st!

The Latte Quilt is an embroidered quilt pattern that is a timeless heirloom with its elegant embroidery and decorative stitches. Although Kerrie Hay provides instructions in her book, the Latte Quilt, for completing the project, it’s always helpful to stitch the quilt as someone is leading you through it step-by-step. This DVD is an additional tool to her book to give you the confidence to complete this quilt. Every area of creating the quilt will be covered, from picking out fabrics to the quilting, binding and label!

Fabric cutting and preparation.
Print embroidery templates.
Easy hooping techniques.
Embroidery design stitching tips and placement.
Helpful hints for decorative stitches.

This series of 12 lessons consists of written handouts with clear illustrations in addition to step-by-step instructions on DVD to assist you in completing this quilt project! Plus revised embroidery designs with added placement stitches making it simple to stitch each block!

Anyone from a novice to advanced machine embroider will find it easy to stitch this quilt with these lessons! If you’ve found this quilt intimidating before, fear no longer! With Serena’s onscreen directions showing you how to complete each step, you’ll be stitching block after block in no time!

As an added bonus, discover Serena’s favorite products for machine embroidery and her own tips and techniques she has learned. You will gain loads of information that you can use with many other projects.

After teaching two online Latte Quilt classes and many requests from you, I’m making available to you the exact same lessons on DVD!! You will have access to everything on this series of 8 DVDs just as though you were taking the class! Plus you’ll also receive a bonus cd with ALL my written instructions that you can print for yourself AND my revised embroidery designs for the quilt with added placement stitches! In addition to all that, this set also includes Kerrie Hay’s Latte Quilt Book and embroidery cd! You’ll have all the tools you need to complete the quilt!

Pre-order now for a special discounted price of $129.99! Sets will start shipping November 1st! Order your copy before the November 1st deadline to save $50! Sets will ship in the order received.

Set includes:
8 DVD discs with onscreen videos
Bonus cd with written instructions & revised embroidery designs
Latte Quilt book & original embroidery cd

Get your Latte Quilt DVD set today and start stitching!

Digging out that tear away stabilizer!

Serena Nabeta — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:32:46 +0000

Tear away stabilizer is one of my most widely used stabilizers when I’m stitching embroidery designs. As long as the fabric is appropriate for this stabilizer, I love using it! But sometime it can be a challenge to get out all the little pieces of stabilizer on the back on the design after the stitching is complete.

That where one of my favorite tools, the ballpoint awl by Clover, comes in handy. Most awls that you may have in your sewing room have a sharp point that is made to puncture the fabric. This is used for creating eyelets or other decorative uses. But with the ballpoint awl, the end is not so sharp as to puncture to fabric, but will work to help you dig out the stabilizer from the back of the design.

From the back of the fabric, slide the end of the ballpoint awl between the stabilizer and fabric and gently pull the stabilizer away from the stitching. The end still could damage your fabric or stitches if you are pushing too deeply, so be sure just to catch the layer of tear away to pull it away from the design. This helps to dig out the stabilizer from those little areas instead of using your fingers or fingernails.

The next time you are struggling with getting out all those areas with tear away stabilizer, give this ballpoint awl a try! I’m sure you’ll love using it!

See what’s new from Jenny Haskins!

Serena Nabeta — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:33:13 +0000

New and exciting things are always happening on the net! One of the newest ventures is online videos, which I’ve discovered I love! As a consumer and student, it’s quick and easy to “see” the idea, project, technique and can provide a visual guide rather just seeing it in text. As a teacher, it’s a new interactive way of teaching that allows an online audience to see exactly what I am showing and explaining. You don’t just have to read it; you can also watch it!

Jenny Haskins has joined the online video community by offering her first Jenny’s Sewing Studio video clip. Take a peek!

Looking for quilting and machine embroidery classes that may not be available in your local area? Consider taking a class online! See my class schedule for details.

Need some sewing room organization ideas or quick tips to watch? Watch my YouTube videos.

What is Stitching in the Ditch?

Serena Nabeta — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:24:00 +0000

Stitching in the ditch is a machine quilting technique where you are stitching directly in a seamline. You use a walking foot to create long rows of straight stitching where the stitches are hidden in the seamline of the fabrics. The goal is to stay in the ditch and not stray outside of the seamline. Your stitches will be hidden in the seam, holding your quilt layers together. It’s a great supporting stitch for your quilts to really support and hold the layers together before other decorative quilting is done. If quilting is new to you, it is an excellent stitch to start your quilting.

Be sure that your seams are pressed flat to one side as this will make it easier to stitch. As you are stitching, be sure to watch your needle and guide your seamline to follow it. It does not matter where your walking foot is; it is more important to watch where your needle is stitching. If you gently glide your hands over the fabric, slightly pushing it away from the needle as you are stitching, this lets you easily see the seamline and helps you to stay in the ditch.

Many times stitching in the ditch is done with invisible thread to make the seam even less visible, but you can use cotton threads in various colors as well. Whatever thread you use, keep in mind that your stitching will be hidden in the ditch.

Sewing room tour – Covering pizza boxes

Serena Nabeta — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:57:00 +0000

Covering Pizza Boxes with Fabric
by Serena Smith
www.embtreasures.com

Pizza boxes are quick and easy to cover with fabric and offer great little storage containers to keep in your sewing room. Watch the video for step-by-step directions as well.

Supplies
large pizza box
piece of fabric 38″ long x 20-22″ wide
1/4 yd Ultra Heat’n’Bond wonderunder or 1 pkg 5/8″ roll (needs to be the “no-sew” kind)
8″ length of 1/8″ or 1/4″ ribbon
scissors
Olfa knife to cut slits in box

Let’s get started!
If the pizza box is folded into a box, unfold it so it is laying out flat. You will be fusing the fabric to the outside of the box and then folding the fabric raw edge to the inside.

Starting at the box lid, fuse a piece of wonderunder to the cardboard flap. Peel off the paper backing and lay the fabric on top of the box so the fabric width is centered over the box and there is about 3/4″-1″ extension of fabric past the lid flap. The fabric will not quite reach the end of the other side of the box. That is ok; this end will be tucked inside.

Using your iron, fuse wonderunder strips as show below and then fuse the fabric to the box, smoothing the fabric out as you are pressing.

After the fabric is fused to the outside of the box, flip it over and cut out the corners near the flap and cut slits in the fabric in the center and at the bottom of the box where the flaps will turn to the inside to create box. Follow the cardboard slits to cut the fabric.

Fuse the fabric flaps with wonderunder to the cardboard flaps on the sides and end of the box. Then on the sides, fold the fabric to the inside of the box and fuse down. The raw edge of fabric will be inside the box.

Fold the sides and top of the flap fabric to the inside of the box to cover the flap and fuse down in place. Using the Olfa knife, cut slits in the fabric in the bottom of the box so the flaps can fit inside to hold up the box sides. Follow the cardboard cutouts.

Fold the ribbon in half and lay the ends in the center of the flap. Fuse a piece of wonderunder on the ribbon ends to hold in place. Then cut a 1″ scrap of fabric and fuse over the ribbon ends.

Fold in the flaps of the box and put the box together. The ribbon should form a little loop to open the box.

Enjoy storing fabrics, notions or other things in your newly decorated pizza box!

For printable directions, click here.

A glimpse of the MarJen for Error Quilt Online Quilt Class

Serena Nabeta — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:44:00 +0000

Get a glimpse of some video tutorials and the tips and techniques you will learn in taking the MarJen for Error Online Quilt class starting in April!

You will receive video tutorials, complete written directions and be able to email me at any time during the class. Plus you will be able to visit and share ideas and photos with other class members.

Be sure to sign up for a fun machine embroidered quilt to create in addition to learning many techniques to use with future projects! Deadline is March 16th, so sign up today!

Click here for full class details…

Blind stitch the binding to your quilt

Serena Nabeta — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:20:00 +0000

Hand tacking the binding down to the back of your quilt can be easy and fun to do, especially if you enjoy handwork. Here is a quick and easy way to stitch a blind stitch.

Fold the binding to the back of the quilt. Thread a small quilting needle with a single strand of thread and knot the end. Bring the needle through the seam allowance of the quilt and knot it a couple of times before starting to stitch the binding down. The thread end needs to be secure before you start stitching.

Fold the folded binding edge over the seam allowance of the quilt so the binding edge just covers the line of machine stitching where you attached the binding to the top of the quilt.

Run your needle under the backing fabric, in between the backing and batting, about a 1/4″ tuck of fabric. Bring your needle up and through a few threads of the folded edge of binding. Pull the thread securely. Be sure not to go through to the front of the quilt; you don’t want your stitches to show.

Repeat this over and over to tack the binding down the back of your quilt. Your stitches should be 1/4″ – 3/8″ to hold the binding down securely. Continue around the entire quilt and knot your thread in the seam allowance to tie off at the end.

Not sure how to attach your quilt binding to your quilt? See here.

Blue tape in your sewing room?

Serena Nabeta — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:20:00 +0000

If you were to take a peek in my sewing room, you would find some unusual items inside. One of them is blue painter’s tape! Why would I have this blue tape which is used in conjunction with painting? Good question!

Blue painter’s tape is great for taping templates to the fabric with machine embroidery. Why? If you are needing your design to be in a peticular place on the fabric or if you are doing continuous embroidery designs where one design must follow another to complete a pattern, you will be using a template to place the designs on the fabric.

You can use straight pins to hold the paper or vellum template in place, but it will still tend to shift a little as you put the fabric in the hoop. But if you use a couple pieces of blue tape, it will securely hold the template in place. When you are ready to embroider, just gently peel your template from the fabric and start stitching.

I usually put a piece of tape on each side of the template to hold it. And usually the tape can be used several times on the same template before it has lost its stickiness. The great thing is that the blue tape does not leave a residue on the fabric or previously stitched designs like masking tape can do.

Not only can you use this tape to tape the template to the fabric, but you can also tape the hoop grid over the template to your fabric. You know the challenge of getting the hoop grid lines straight with your template lines, but this tape is a great help for that!

Tape your template to the fabric, where it needs to be. Then place your hoop grid on top of the template, matching your grid lines with the template lines. Tape the grid to the fabric. Pick up the fabric with the tempalte and hooped taped to it and insert it in your hoop. Match the grooves in your hoop with the gooves in your grid and your fabric will be straight in the hoop on the first try!

Not only is blue painter’s tape great for taping templates and grids to fabric for machine embroidery, but it also works great to pick up loose threads and lint that sticks to your fabric. After I have broken a needle, I will tear off a piece of tape and put the needle ends in it before throwing it in the trash. This keeps needle points and the jagged edges of the needle confined to the tape and not lost in the trash can.

Note: There are several brands of blue painter’s tape available, but I have found that the regular (not delicate) Scotch brand works the best!

Watch a video clip showing you how to tape your template and grid to your fabric and then insert it into the hoop! See below!

A Quick Way to Safety Pin Quilts

Serena Nabeta — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:50:00 +0000

Safety pins are an absolute must for pin basting quilt layers together to prepare for machine quilting. A large quilt can easily need 500 – 800 pins to adequately keep the layers from shifting. Pinning and unpinning all these pins can be very hard on your hands and fingers. After many broken nails and sore fingers, I discovered a tool called a Kwik Klip that is indispensable!

The Kwik Klip has a large, brown handle which allows you to easily grip it in your hand. A brass metal tip with grooves lets you open and close the safety pins.

Grip the handle in your hand. Pick up a safety pin and insert it into the fabric. Close the pin, using your thumb as leverage on the closure of the pin and the metal tip of the tool on the other side of the pin. The pin will be easily held in the groove on the tip of the tool, letting you close the pin.

To remove the safety pins, repeat the same procedure. Grip the Kwik Klip tool in your hand, hold your thumb on the pin closure and unpin it using the metal tip of the tool. Take the pin out of the fabric. Move to the next pin and continue unpinning.

With the Kwik Klip tool, you can quickly move from pin to pin, putting an end to sore fingers and broken fingernails! Give it a try on your next quilt and see if it works for you!

Watch the tutorial video below to see how to pin and unpin safety pins using the Kwik Klip tool.

Note: The video may take a couple minutes to download depending on your Internet connection.

If you have trouble viewing the tutorial above, click here for an alternative view.