Count down the days to Christmas! Start a cherished holiday tradition with a handmade advent calendar to fill with sweet treats and trinkets for little ones and adults.
Click here to see project instructions.
By Month
Category: Inspiration
Edge Guide Foot – Accessory Of The Month October 2018
The guide on this foot aligns edges/seams of fabric so that neatly parallel edge stitching and top-stitching can be achieved with ease.
Using the red markings that are at 1mm increments on this foot will allow you to fine-tune the guide to the perfect position while staying effortlessly straight as you sew. The foot can be used in many different ways some of which include: measured seams, top-stitching, hems or even adding decorative trims to projects.
Janome Maker – Katrina Edwards
Katrina Edwards is hooked on machine embroidery, thanks to her Mother-in-law. She loves it so much that she started a YouTube page to help people around the world with Digitizer and Cutter software. Katrina currently teaches lessons in Shelock Holmes Sewing Machines Store and specialise in Janome MC15000, Digitizer MBXv5 and Artistic Edge Digital Cutter.
Tell us about your sewing background…
I was first introduced to sewing by my mother when I was 10; she had an Elna Lotus and I made Christmas gifts for our neighbours. But when I really got back into it after university, my grandma was a big influence as she was a second generation seamstress. So I guess it’s just in my blood.
I started out in the sewing industry back in 2006 when my family purchased a local art, crafts and sewing machine store in Gympie, Queensland. After being introduced to machine embroidery by my mother-in-law, I was hooked!
What do you make?
I like to create projects and tutorials based on built-in designs and stitches on my Janome Memory Craft 15000 and I’m also using Janome Digitizer MBXv5 to create my own patterns, which I then share on YouTube.
I find it interesting that people buy these beautiful machines and then are often frightened to use them to their fullest potential. I guess I just love to help people with their machines – they are such wonderful machines to use and I just love to share my knowledge with people to help them build confidence in their embroidery abilities.
Is your family supportive of your hobby?
Absolutely! I am very lucky that embroidery is a family affair in our home. My husband works in the industry and our children are very creative individuals. I love that I can go shopping with my 11 year old daughter and she will look at latest fashions trends and work out how we can create her own unique version with the tools we have in our studio.
Where do you find inspiration?
Pinterest, Facebook and peers in the industry!
I am a member of many groups on Facebook – I love to see what people are creating and get to know what issues they may have and how I can create a video or tutorial/project that would help them with their trouble shooting.
Also, I feel I pick up inspiration from all around me, my family, and my community too. I can often be out and about and see something in my surroundings and an idea starts to form in my head.
What’s a typical day like for you?
After I have finished the MUM tasks, I head into the studio and power up the computers. I have one just for my softwares (Digitizer and SimpleCut) and one for day-to-day stuff.
I start by checking emails and logging onto my YouTube channel to see if anyone needs any questions answered, and also thank my followers for their comments. Then I check Craftsy and spend time emailing each customer a thank you note for downloading my projects – I believe in showing the customer that I really do appreciate them. From there I look at what I have planned for the month and jump into my sewing.
What are you currently working on?
Like a true sewist, I have more than one project on the go.
Personal sewing – I am playing with leather and creating clutches and handbags that have embroidery on them.
Professionally – I am creating lesson plans for the Janome Digitizer MBXv5 software that I can bring to stores. I am working with Sherlock Holmes Sewing Machines in Boondall Queensland to teach classes on the software as well as Janome MC15000, as there is no store that offer this in Brisbane – I believe this will be very positive for the industry!
Your best sewing advice is…
Don’t be scared to be creative. I am surprised at how often I meet people who have purchased embroidery machine but don’t have the confidence to use them.
Follow Katrina aka Katty Kreations on YouTube, Instagram and her website.
Types of Needle Plates
Did you know that there are different needle plates for different sewing uses? Today we’ll cover the differences between each one.
The Standard Needle Plate
Janome includes at least one needle plate with every sewing machine. The standard needle plate with all sewing machines which have buttonholes or zig-zag and other decorative stitches.
The needle opening in the standard needle plate is an elongated oval hole which accommodates the side to side swing of the needle when stitching your machine’s widest stitch, which may be 5mm, 7mm or 9mm depending on your model machine.
In addition to the standard needle plate, Janome also has specialty needle plates, namely the Straight Stitch Needle Plate and the HP Needle Plate.
The Straight Stitch Needle Plate
The straight stitch plate as the name suggests, is used for straight stitching.
It comes with small round needles holes in the plate to prevent fabric from being pulled into the needle plate when sewing, particularly with light weight or fine fabric like chiffon and voile that are prone to getting pulled down the needle plate opening when using a standard needle plate.
The straight stitch needle plate also offers the benefit of a more stable base and support around the needle. When used in conjunction with the straight stitch foot, it results in perfect straight stitch formation.
Janome recommends using the straight stich plate when you’re doing patchwork piecing; free motion quilting; and machine embroidery plus drapes and bed linen where you have long straight seams.
An assortment of Janome’s computerized sewing machines have smart sensors to pick up on when a straight stitch needle plate is attached to the machine and will automatically gray out all stitches which are not compatible for the straight stitch needle plate.
Some of our machines come standard with this straight stitch plate. If not, there may be an optional accessory straight stitch needle plate you may purchase from an authorised Janome stockist.
The Janome 1600P-QC machine obviously comes with only this plate as it is a straight stitch only model.
The HP Needle Plate
While most sewing machines come with one or two needle plates – a standard (zig-zag) and a straight stitch needle plate – some of our higher end machines comes with an additional needle plate and a special foot that goes with it.
The HP needle plate, along with the HP foot, is a professional grade system designed for accurate, high speed straight stitching.
Essentially it is a straight stitch plate with left position stitching. The left needle position and narrow configuration of the HP foot make for wonderfully smooth and exceptionally accurate stitching in lines or curves. This is extremely useful for patchwork piecing when you want perfect, scant quarter inch seams; top stitching; and high speed straight stitching.
When the HP needle plate is inserted, the machine senses it automatically and will move the needle right where it needs to be – the left position that is!
You won’t be able to do any zig-zag with this needle plate on the machine as non-compatible stitches will be grayed out. This avoids having to worry about selecting a stitch type that might cause the needle to hit the foot and break the needle and damage the machine.
The HP plate and foot is compatible with only selected models including HMC15000 Quilt Maker, MC6700P, MC9400QCP and MC9450QCP.
Have you tried the Straight Stitch or HP needle plate? Visit an authorized Janome stockist to see the difference they make to your stitching!
Janome Maker – Cat Noonan
Cat Noonan’s fascination with fabric may be fairly new, but she is steadily gaining influence on Instagram with her dainty sewing projects and quilt inspiration. On our Janome Maker series today, Cat tells us about enjoying quiet time being creative, making original (and often useful) items and making pretty things that stay made at the end of the day!
How did your sewing journey begin?
My Mum taught me how to use a sewing machine when I was in my early teens. My first memory of using a sewing machine was making an Edwardian Dress costume for my Barbie dolls in primary school when I was about 12. I don’t think it worked out very well, which may be why I never pursued dressmaking!
I’ve only been quilting for about five years when my Mum sent me to a quilting class for my birthday, and ever since I’ve been sewing like crazy and enjoying every minute.
Tell us more about the projects you’re currently working on…
Gosh, where do I start! I adore making quilts. Patchwork is my favourite. I have quilts all over the house and I love making baby quilts for friends. I also love quick fix patchwork projects like mug rugs, small bags and mini quilts.
Currently I have traditional pieced quilts, foundation pieced projects, English paper pieced projects, embroidery, cross-stitch, knitting and handquilting projects on the go. I don’t stress about having so many unfinished projects because my enjoyment is often from the process rather that the end result.
How does your family feel about your hobby?
My family is slightly perplexed by my hobby. They don’t understand what drives me to keep sewing like mad but they are happy to see me happy. The community of crafters I’ve met on Instagram totally get it and it is nice to have met so many like-minded people.
What inspires your craft?
I am continuously inspired by the talented, creative people I’ve connected with on Instagram. I am also inspired by necessity. If I need something around the house my first thought is whether I can make it. I am also inspired by vintage and modern craft books.
Tell us more about your sewing room…
I’m very lucky to have an outdoor detached room that is largely dedicated to sewing. It holds a large dining table that houses my machine, a kitchen island for my cutting mats, a linen press for my fabric stash and it is full of natural light. I love not having to clean up halfway through a project. I really enjoy heading down to my studio, putting on some music and getting lost in a project.
Do you sell what you make?
Sewing for me is purely a hobby. I don’t sell the things I make and I think if I did it would take the shine off it. I do lots of swaps with other crafty people and I give away a lot of the things that I make. I get a lot of joy sharing my love of handmade with my family and friends.
What does a typical day for you involve?
My everyday life is a flurry of kid-wrangling, play, cooking, cleaning (hmmm sometimes!) and laughter. It’s exhausting. I recharge by finding snippets of time to sew. I sew every day and always have a hand sewing project on the go.
Any future plans?
My crafty goals this year are to continue to improve both my hand and machine quilting technique. I would also like to start creating patterns for my original work. The design process and quilty maths are some of my favourite parts of the quilting process.
Your best sewing advice is…
Be organized. I often spend a few minutes in the evening collecting the materials for my projects so the next day I can jump straight in and be productive if I find some time to sew. It is incredibly frustrating to spend 20 minutes trying to locate your rotary cutter and that elusive piece of interfacing only to be interrupted and not managing to sew a stitch.
Share something people don’t know about you…
I like to listen to 90s pop music when I exercise and wish that step aerobics would come back into fashion. I’ll pass on the leotard though!
Follow Cat on Instagram.
Footy Fever Picnic Rug
Spend your day basking in the warmth of the sun and your favourite AFL footy team with our Footy Fever Picnic Rug. Make sure to buy the right coloured fabric… ahem navy blue red gold!
Click here to see project instructions.
Spring Frock
Using the Vogue Easy Options V9293 dress pattern, you can make a cute, spring-y dress in light prints and florals, or go vavavoom for a fancy dressed-up option.
The beauty of handmade garments is that it can be the dress you want it to be – in your preferred choice of colours and fabrics with personalized details.
Click here to see the sewing instructions.
High Light
Having trouble sewing in the dark, or trying to light match a thread to your fabric? The Janome High LightTM is a nifty little feature that brightens up your entire work space.
The retractable lamp pulls out to give direct light at the needle area, allowing you to work shadow-free on your project. You can also adjust and angle the light to shine exactly where you need it.
High LightTM is available on selected Janome sewing machine models including MC15000 Quilt Maker, MC14000, MC12000 and MC9400QCP.
Visit an authorised Janome stockist today to see it for yourself.
Stitch Tapering
Ever wish you could turn a corner with a decorative stitch? Or tailor the beginning and end of a decorative stitch to create customised shapes and frames?
Welcome to the world of Stitch Tapering.
By adjusting the angle of taper, you can easily create original decorative borders and motifs.
Janome’s Stitch Tapering function is a fantastic feature that lets you customize a decorative stitch for extra design detail. Top-stitching, applique or cornering can benefit from the professional degree of finishing that a tapered stitch can provide.
Take your pick from a broad selection of taper-ready stitches and set your desired stitch angle at 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 to suit your sewing needs.
With the Horizon Memory Craft 15000 Quilt Maker, this specialised technique is further revolutionized with an industry-first mirror image tapering mode, allowing you to create design stitches with mirror image pattern, needle position and tapering angle. You can also set the number of pattern repeats and preview the pattern on screen before stitching, giving you ultimate precision and control.
Stitch Tapering function is available on Horizon Memory Craft 15000 Quilt Maker and the Skyline S9.
Visit an authorised Janome stockist today to find out more.