What's the difference between batting, stabilizers, interfacing, and fusible web?
Quilted Banner the easiest way to do fusible applique
Overlock stitches WHY you need them
Mastering Fusible Web: types, uses, and essential TIPS
Getting to know the
In quilting, every project builds upon the last, gradually turning enthusiastic beginners into skilled artisans. This issue celebrates that joyful journey, showcasing techniques and tools designed to elevate your quilting skills step by step. From understanding the nuanced differences between batting, stabilizers, interfacing, and fusible web to mastering precise applique techniques, we've curated articles that make quilting approachable and rewarding.
Dive into our comprehensive guides on fusible web, tailored specifically for both stretchy and woven fabrics, ensuring you achieve flawless applique results every time. Discover essential tips from realworld testing and learn from insights that simplify complex techniques.
We also bring you inspiring projects to put these newfound skills into practice, like effortless letter blocks, charming paper-pieced hearts, and foolproof fusible applique methods. Embrace creativity with our scrappy border techniques and precision tips for perfect quilt borders.
Explore the latest advancements in sewing technology as we unbox and showcase innovative machines designed to enhance your sewing room experience. From air threading sergers and versatile coverstitching to sophisticated embroidery features and seamless Wi-Fi capabilities, these tools promise to make your quilting journey even more enjoyable.
Remember, quilting isn't just about creating beautiful items; it's about the joy found in the process and the satisfaction of refining your artistry, one stitch at a time. So, let’s keep quilting, learning, and celebrating this timeless craft together.
Cheerfully,
PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ART DIRECTOR
Carla A. Canonico carla@QUILTsocial.com
PUBLISHER, ADVERTISING SALES
John De Fusco john@QUILTsocial.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Carla A. Canonico, John De Fusco
BLOGGERS/CONTRIBUTORS
Elaine Theriault crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com
Christine Baker uppercanadaquiltworks.com
Margaret Sweete margsweete@gmail.com
GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN
Carla A. Canonico carla@QUILTsocial.com
GRAPHIC ASSISTANT and SOCIAL MEDIA
Sondra Armas
Maria Corina Guillen
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WHERE TO GET YOUR COPY
QUILTsocial is a quarterly eMagazine published by A Needle Pulling Thread. It is available free for personal use online at https://QUILTsocial.com
EDITORIAL
Designers and other contributors who would like to be considered for future issues please email carla@QUILTsocial.com with a brief description of your work and your proposed project for the magazine.
©2025 QUILTsocial. All rights reserved. Issue 33. ISSN 2368-5913
No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
All designs, patterns, and information in this magazine are for private, non-commercial use only, and are copyrighted material owned by their respective creators or owners.
6 What's the difference between batting, stabilizers, interfacing, and fusible web?
9 Mastering Fusible Web: types, uses, and essential TIPS
12 Master Fusible Web: HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH Tips for Stretchy Fabric Success
16 Mastering fusible web: HeatnBond TIPS for woven fabrics and applique
20 HeatnBond Fusible Webs: results and insights from testing
24 What’s in the box? | Unboxing the PFAFF admire air 7000
25 PFAFF admire air 7000 Serger | Setup and Air Threading Guide
27 Overlock stitches on the PFAFF admire air 7000 | Why you need them
29 Coverstitch | What is it, and how do I use it on the PFAFF admire air 7000?
31 How to use the PFAFF admire air 7000 in your sewing room
34 6 steps to make letter blocks the easy way | Amour Quilted Banner
37 5 easy steps to make paper pieced heart blocks
38 The easiest way to do fusible applique
40 The fool-proof way to add borders to your quilt
42 7 easy steps to make a scrappy border using strip sets
46 Unboxing the Husqvarna VIKING Designer Quartz 29
49 Exploring the advanced sewing modes and features of the HV Designer Quartz 29
53 Designer Quartz 29 | Getting to know the machine embroidery capabilities
57 The Wi-Fi capabilities of the Husqvarna VIKING Designer Quartz 29
61 Master easy buttonholes with HV Designer Quartz 29
Elaine Theraiult
Welcome to an exciting feature in which we'll explore the wonders of fusible webs. We can do some amazing things with these products, but confusing them with interfacings, stabilizers, and batting is easy.
Each of the four categories has a purpose. Within each category, you'll find many variations, not just in size format but in the type, woven or not, weight, fiber content, and whether it contains fusible properties, to name a few.
While some products could substitute for another, one must carefully select the correct PROPERTIES you require to have it work successfully in your project. Using the incorrect product can turn a potentially beautiful handmade item into a disaster.
Before diving into what great things we can do with fusible webs, let me briefly explain the categories and their common uses.
Oh, take note that I’m using the term "fusible web," NOT fusibles, as this can cause a lot of confusion if one is talking about fusible batting or fusible interfacing. In other QUILTsocial features, I’ll explain the other three categories, batting, stabilizers, and interfacings, in detail.
Batting is the layer between the quilt top and back, providing warmth and body to the quilt. The fiber content can be cotton, polyester, silk, wool, bamboo, or a blend of two fiber types. It's not
thick, with a loft generally in the 1/8" to ¼" range. You may find that some battings are fusible, meaning you can use an iron (heat) to activate the adhesive, eliminating the need to baste with pins or sprays.
Batting is available on a roll, sometimes on a bolt, or in a bag. Batting in a bag will come in various sizes. Fairfield PolyFil, Fairfield Low-Loft, Fairfield Traditional, Fairfield Quilter’s 80/20 Quilt, Fairfield Toasty Cotton Natural, and Bosal Katahdin Batting Strip, are some of the more popular options you can explore.
You can use batting in quilts, table runners, wall quilts, placemats, garments, tote bags, and many other projects.
Stabilizers
Stabilizers are essential in machine embroidery or decorative stitches in sewing mode. The density or width of the embroidery/decorative stitches is too great to stitch only on most fabrics, even using two layers. The stabilizer will provide support for the stitches. Some stabilizers will stay in the project, while others will provide support only for the duration of the stitching. SEW EASY Freezer Paper for Quilting, UNIQUE Easy Stitch Perforated Embroidery Backing, UNIQUE Rinse Away Water Soluble, UNIQUE SEWING Tear Away Embroidery Backing, UNIQUE Trace Away Water Stabilizer Film, HEATNBOND Stitch n Sew
Tear-Away Stabilizer, and, many varieties of Sulky products, are some of the more popular trusted stabilizers. By selecting each product, you'll find information about that product. This information is a great way to learn the basics.
Here's an example of machine embroidery on a knit sweater. This stabilizer will stay in the garment to support the embroidery stitches on the knit. Even though these embroidery stitches are not dense, the knit fabric requires the additional support of a stabilizer to maintain the integrity of the design, especially when washing the
garment. After washing, this design looks as good as new.
You can see the stabilizer remains to support the embroidery design.
This example shows a machine embroidery design using a single layer of cotton with no stabilizer. See how it bunched up? I didn't complete the design as I knew the puckering would worsen.
An embroidery design with no stabilizer
But with a stabilizer, the cotton background remained flat.
Here's an example of how a stabilizer can assist with decorative stitches. The left side has no stabilizer, while the right side does. You can see how the stabilizer provides support. This decorative stitch is not dense, yet it makes a difference to use a stabilizer.
To my knowledge, stabilizers do not come in a fusible form, but some are sticky or have a heat-activated surface, similar to freezer paper, but that's another blog post!
The category of stabilizers is vast, with different removal (or not) methods, using multiple layers and types simultaneously, using them on the bottom and/or the top. It's a big, complex topic requiring a comprehensive discussion to go through them all.
Interfacings
Interfacings remain in the project. They are primarily used in the garment world to provide structure to keep a garment looking neat and professional. Think collars, cuffs, front facings, or plackets to support buttons and buttonholes. However, they also provide stability and body for bags, pouches, and other items where you want structure but don't want the loft you get from batting.
Interfacing comes in woven and nonwoven varieties and can be sew-in or have fusible properties. You'll find black and white in some of the styles. It can come on a bolt or in packages. BOSAL In-R-Form Double-Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Double Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Double Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Unique Sew-In Foam Stabilizer, HeatnBond Tricot Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing, Bosal, UNIQUE, and HeatnBond offer a variety of interfacings based on specific needs. Again, clicking on each product will provide information on how and where to use it. Be careful; some terms can be confusing.
Here's a sample of a non-woven, fusible, black interfacing used to stabilize the front facing of a blouse. Serging the edges is a great way to finish off the edge.
Here's the front of the garment. The interfacing helps to keep the edge looking crisp and professional.
And now it's time to discuss the topic in this feature – fusible web!
Fusible web
I'm calling this category fusible web, NOT fusibles, as it's commonly referred to. Calling it a fusible makes it very confusing as we have other fusible products (batting and interfacing) on the market. Using the correct term, "fusible web," can help eliminate confusion and purchasing the incorrect product. So, it's all about the fusible web for now!
I want to clarify one other point about fusible batting and interfacing. A dry layer of heat- activated adhesive film (fusible web) has been added to one or both sides of these products, allowing you to adhere them to your project using an iron rather than rely on basting and/or sewing the batting or interfacing to secure it.
I want to highlight that fusible web is not the same as fusible batting or interfacing, and they are not interchangeable. So what exactly is a fusible web, and where would we use it?
A fusible web is a sheet of adhesive that comes in several forms. It can appear like a fragile fibrous product. Or it can appear shiny when adhered to a paper backing. In this case, the paper is a carrier (supporter) of the adhesive sheet because it would be too fragile otherwise.
The fusible web is for bonding (adhering) two layers of material together. It does not provide support, although depending on the weight, it can change the hand (stiffness) of the finished product.
Here's an example of the fibrous form of an adhesive sheet. These are dry strands of adhesive (glue) bonded to each other. Be warned, this is glue; touching an iron to it will create a mess on the bottom of your iron.
Here are some examples of items where the fusible web was convenient and easy to use. It works with many different materials, including fabric, wood, metal, glass, trim, etc.. If you are working on materials other than fabric, check before buying to see if that product works on multiple materials.
Adhere the fusible web to the wrong side of your fabric and fussy cut images. These fussy- cut images make quick and easy Christmas tags or mini stockings.
You can use the fusible web to adhere fabric to paper. Again, place the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric and fussy-cut the images. I made bookmarks, place cards, and a gift bag. You can also use it to make cards or decorate cardboard shapes.
Although I haven't had a chance, you can also adhere fabric to wooden shapes.
I dressed up a picture frame using fusible web to adhere fussy-cut fabric images to the cardboard matboard.
And if you want, you can adhere fabric to glass!
I can't stress how important it is to label all your products. For the most part, I can look at any product and tell you what it is and whether it is fusible on one or both surfaces.
However, if you’re new to these products, you must label everything. If your product comes in a wrapper, keep the product in the wrapper. If you buy it off a bolt at the store and get NO instruction sheet with it, then take a picture of the end of the bolt, and when you get home – LABEL IT!! Ensure the labels are such that they will not come off!!
I have discovered that many shop employees are unfamiliar with these categories and will sell the incorrect product to someone. It's almost like buyer beware. Be sure to read the label if you are unsure of what you’re buying. Hopefully, your supply list is specific about which product you need. Try to become educated about the properties of each, and if you’re unsure that what you’re buying is the correct one, ask more questions.
Ask LOTS of questions, and you can always research online.
OK – that's a quick overview of the difference between the four categories: batting, interfacing, stabilizers, and fusible web.
Read your packages carefully, label them always, and ask questions!
Next, we'll look at properties, weights, and where to use each type of fusible web to maximize the product. Oh yes – there isn't just one type of fusible web –that would be too easy!
Fusible webs are often referred to by their brand names, such as HeatnBond, Wonder Under, Steam a Seam, etc.
One of the main reasons quilters use fusible web is for applique. However, you can fuse a label onto a quilt, mend clothing, hem garments, add trim, do craft projects, etc.
The fusible web adheres one layer of fabric to another (or any other material such as wood, paper, glass, etc) and is activated using the heat from an iron. The raw edges can be left bare, or various hand or machine stitches can enclose the edge. We'll talk more about that later.
Types of Fusible Web
1. Fusible web with double-sided protective paper: The adhesive sheet in this category is tacky (not dry) to the touch on BOTH sides. Therefore, it comes with a protective paper on both sides of the fusible web, so it doesn't stick to itself. Usually, one side of the adhesive sheet is firmly attached to the paper, while the paper on the other side is loosely attached. When tracing applique shapes, trace them on the paper firmly attached to the adhesive. If you draw on the paper side that is loosely attached, there's a good chance the paper will fall away from the adhesive, and you'll lose your traced lines.
Benefits – If you're working on applique with many pieces, the patches can be finger- pressed in place and are easy to reposition. They are NOT permanent until you fuse them in place with heat.
Cons – The protective layers of paper are not always firmly attached to the adhesive.
2. Fusible web with protective paper on one side: The protective paper is firmly attached (adhered) to the dry adhesive film and acts as the carrier (supporter) since the adhesive is too fragile to stand on its own. The paper is easy to remove after fusing it to the applique fabric. Be sure to cut out the shapes before removing the paper!
Benefits – no need to guess on which paper side to trace the applique. The paper is well adhered to the adhesive, so there's no danger of it coming off.
Cons – No tacky surface holds complex designs temporarily in place.
3. Fusible web with NO paper: This type is simply a sheet of dry adhesive! No paper. If you want to trace shapes, use paper templates – freezer paper works well. You'll need a protective applique sheet (non-stick) or parchment paper to protect the iron from the glue.
Benefits – This type is excellent for fusing large pieces of fabric to create collages, labels, clothing patches, digital cutters, etc.
The HeatnBond products fall into Category 2 – fusible web with protective paper on one side.
Weights of fusible
There are four main weights of fusible products.
Lite: These delicate products work well for applique on bed quilts, garments, or wherever you want to keep the project soft and supple. It's also great for multiple thicknesses in complex appliques. It only slightly changes the
hand of the base fabric. You can finish off the edges and easily quilt through the fusible web in this category.
Featherlite: Similar to Lite, but thinner. It still provides a strong bond.
Regular: These products tend to be thicker and will change the hand of the project, making for stiff patches. This version was the original weight when the fusible web came on the market, and that stiffness discouraged many people from using fusible products.
Heavy: These products are mainly used for crafts and are unsuitable for hand or machine stitching. Check the packaging! Types of HeatnBond Fusible Webs
I'll be making samples with all these products over the remainder of the feature, but I wanted to give you an overview of the available product formats and fabric types they are for. So you can start thinking of where you would use them!
Let's start with SoftStretch. This product is perfect for all your stretchy fabrics. Not just knits, but what about those stretch denim jeans? And don't forget the jersey fabrics, spandex, and fleece. I also see flannel on the packaging!
This product comes in two weights –LITE (Sewable) and ULTRA (No Sew), and it comes in various formats, including the rolls as we see above. The rolls are 5/8" wide by 10 yards.
While the rolls are great for applying trim, they won't help if you want to do appliques with larger shapes. No problem – the SoftStretch comes in packs (both LITE and ULTRA) that are 17" x 2 yards. You can also buy it on a bolt. The bolt comes with a paper label along the length of the product, so KEEP that label with the product. And keep these other formats in their packaging. Out of the package, both look very similar, and you don't want to mix up the LITE with the ULTRA.
Now, let's look at the HeanNBond Hem products. These come on a roll in two widths and weights – 19 mm Super Weight and 10 mm Regular Weight. Both products are No Sew. Where would you use one over the other? That was easy; I checked the information on the back of the package. Super Weight is for heavier fabrics, like denim, wool, suede, and corduroy, while Regular Weight is for lighter fabrics, like cotton, rayon, linings, etc.
There's no need to sew this product; fuse your hem and go. It's machine washable; hang it to dry and avoid dry cleaning.
Besides the width, these products look similar and could easily get mixed up. I recommend putting the roll and the packaging in a zippered plastic bag once they are open. There's a lot of information on the packaging, and unless you follow the instructions correctly, there's a good chance the product will not hold up.
Next is the LITE version of HeatnBond for woven fabrics. It comes on a roll in various widths ranging from 5 mm to 16 mm, so you have a wide variety to choose from. These products are sewable, and I like having these two widths in my stash as a quilter. The 5 mm is perfect for making bias tape, and the 16mm is excellent for fusing trim. Since they are sewable, I can fuse them in place and stitch the edges by machine or hand, which won't change the hand of the project. You could use it to stabilize a tricky seam, but I'm not a fan.
It also comes in a package measuring 17" x 1 yard, or you can buy sheets of it for your printer! Imagine how much time that will save when you don't have to trace. There are 10 sheets at 8½" x 11" in each package. I can't wait to try those out! You can also buy it by the yard on a bolt. It's machine washable.
HeatnBond has another category called Feather Lite, which is similar to the LITE, except that it's finer. It would be great for those multi-layer appliques where you don't want much build-up. OH – I can't wait to try this one as well. It's available in the 1-yard packages and the printer's 8½" x 11 sheets. In addition, you can purchase yardage from a bolt.
The final category is HeatnBond Ultrahold. This product is a NO SEW product. Reading the labels to ensure you get the product for your desired job is essential. Have you noticed that the packaging is color-coded? Once you know which one you want, it's easy to identify on the shelf.
It has several widths: ¼", 3/8", 5/8", and 7/8". The narrowest one is 6mm, which will NOT fit in your ¼" bias tape maker. It also comes in the 1-yard packages, 3¼yard value packages, and on the bolt. It's machine washable and dryable, but not dry cleaning.
Read the instructions: Always READ the instructions for the product that you’re using. The temperature and time required for the fusing vary from product to product, and you can quickly burn away the adhesive by overheating it.
Use an applique pressing sheet (or parchment paper): Use either of these products to protect your ironing surface from excess glue, or use them with those products that only come with one piece of paper or no paper. Sometimes, I sandwich my fusible shapes between two layers to protect the iron and the ironing surface. I do not use steam if I'm using either of these items, as the steam has nowhere to go, and you can quickly burn yourself.
Clean the iron: When you get fusible web on the bottom of the iron, you MUST clean it, and no matter how careful you are, it'll happen. This process is easy to do with an iron cleaner. I prefer to use the ones where you put the product on a cloth (or paper towel) and rub it over the surface of the hot iron. They smell, but they work well, and you should be cleaning your iron regularly anyway!!!
Storage: I keep all my fusible products together in my sewing studio. They are labelled or in the original packaging with the instructions.
Here's the link to a great resource to help determine which HeatnBond fusible web product you should use for which project.
Now you have the basic idea of the fusible web products on the market.
Initially, I mentioned that some fusibles have one, two, or no protective papers. All of the HeatnBond products have paper on one side. Let me address why or where you would want the other ones, as they are not in the HeatnBond product lineup.
The fusible web with no paper can be cumbersome for applique, as there's no paper to draw your shapes on, so you have to draw the shapes on something to trace around them. You'll find an excellent substitute with either the HeatnBond LITE or FEATHERLITE.
The fusible web with two protective papers is a tricky one. While repositioning the pieces is advantageous when dealing with many shapes, it can be challenging if those protective papers don't stay in place. There have been issues in the past with the production of this type of fusible web.
So, how does one get past that issue? You can create applique "stickers" with the HeatnBond family of products to reduce the number of loose shapes. I'll be following up with that later.
Wow, there's so much information, and we haven't even started to play yet!
The rest of the feature is about reading the instructions for the HeatnBond family of products and playing with the fusible webs to see how they work! The information on those packages will be super important.
So, now that we understand the basics of a fusible web, it’s time to play! I’m playing with the HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH products. As mentioned, it comes in different formats (rolls or yardage) and weights: Lite and Ultra.
I cannot stress enough how much you’ll learn if you make samples. These don’t have to take a long time, and they certainly aren’t scientific, but the more you play, the more you learn, and the more knowledge you have when you need to use a fusible web.
To start with, I did a little bit of fabric shopping. I purchased some T-shirtweight knits (red and navy), fleece (light blue and grey), stretchy dark denim, and flannel (green and yellow). I cut each piece in half, washed one group, and kept the other group unwashed.
Why? The first thing on the instruction pages was to PREWASH the fabrics. Why is that? There are two reasons. One is that if there were any shrinkage to deal with, the prewash would take care of that. Since SOFTSTRETCH is mainly for stretch fabrics, there shouldn’t be too much shrinkage, although there could be some with the flannel.
The second reason would be to remove any sizing in the fabrics. The sizing is a chemical-based coating, which can prevent a good bond between the fabric pieces. I wanted to see how much of a difference there was, so I decided to try both washed and prewashed.
The other thing I noticed about the prewash is that fabric softeners are highly discouraged. Why? Fabric softeners coat your fabrics/clothes to prevent static and to make the clothes feel softer. This coating will affect the bond between the fabrics. So, I did NOT use fabric softeners.
Then, I made many samples (they don’t need to be huge) to test the various weights of SOFTSTRETCH and the multiple types of fabrics I purchased. I went crazy with the samples, but you don’t need to.
Before I show you what I did, let me explain a few details about my process, including many tips for success with your fusible web products.
1. Read the Instructions. You’ll find instructions on each package, and it’s crucial to read them. The iron temperature, the amount of time to fuse the product to your applique, the amount of time to fuse to your base layer, and whether to use steam or not are all indicated in the instructions. If you don’t follow the instructions, you run the risk of the fusible web NOT working. Take some time and become familiar with how to use the product you are working with.
2. As you work with the products, keep the instructions with the product. Many of these products look similar once out of the package, and there’s no easy way to tell the difference. I used zippered plastic bags to keep things in order.
3. Make sure you know how to use your iron. There are many irons on the market, and having access to an iron with variable temperatures and ease of turning the steam on and off is critical to working with fusibles.
TIP Be sure to read the instructions; many of us open the box, plug it in, and start to use it. Did you know it’s best to turn the iron off to fill it with water? At a minimum, you should turn the steam function off to fill it with water. That can help to prevent leaking!
4. Ensure that you do NOT overheat the product! Reading the instructions is very important on this point. People complain that their products are old and no longer bond fabrics. Too high the temperature or too long of time causes the fusible web to melt to nothing. The temperature, use of steam, and length of time vary between products and even within the HeatnBond family, so be sure not to overheat.
I struggled with this one a bit. Depending on the HeatnBond product, the instructions say the fusible web should look milky, not shiny, every time I get shiny! Let’s hope everything adheres well.
5. Remove the paper before you adhere the applique patch to the base layer. This one sounds rather silly, but I’ve done it myself! The beauty of the HeatnBond products with the paper backing is that you do not need to use parchment paper or an applique sheet to work with them.
How to release the protective paper from the backside of the applique shape
If that doesn’t work, you can score the back of the paper with a pin. Then, bend the applique shape along the score mark so you can release a corner to pull up.
When you pull back at the corner, and the fusible web is not fully adhered, give it another quick press. I tend to position the iron in the center and try to incorporate the corners, but sometimes, the corners need a little extra.
6. Ensure the fusible web goes right to the edges. To save time, I made squares for my fusible shapes rather than tracing shapes and cutting with scissors. But even then, you must ensure that the fusible goes all the way to the edges to ensure a tight bond right to the edge.
I cut the pieces of HeatnBond slightly larger than the square size I wanted. Then, trimming on all four sides was easy, with the fusible right to the edges.
While this is easy to do when using the larger sheets of fusible web, it’s sometimes a challenge to make that happen with the thin strips.
In this photo, you can see that I missed the edge slightly on one of these flannel samples. It’s not a big problem, but it may cause fraying when washed.
7. The products come with a cello tape to hold the rolls or yardage in place. Carefully remove that tape before starting to use the product. It can be tricky but find the end. If you wish to tame the product after use, use a piece of removable cello tape to keep the product neat in the zippered bags.
8. Be patient. Let the products cool after applying the heat. If you try testing or playing with it before it cools, it may not be “cured” (my word).
If you struggle to get the paper off the back, here’s a quick video to help you. I like to start at a corner, and with the paper side down, I quickly bend the corner. That is usually enough to break the seal at the corner.
And now, let’s look at the samples I made. I’m making hems using the HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH rolls in the Lite or the Ultra weight. Remember, this article is all about the SOFTSTRETCH, which is used for stretchy fabrics and recommended for flannel.
I started with the knit fabrics. Per the instructions, I used a high heat and was concerned about how some fabrics would stand up. I did not start a fire! Phew!
I placed a 5/9” [15.9mm] wide SOFTSTRETCH length along the edge on the wrong side of the T-shirt knit and fused it per the instructions. Notice I tried to get as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.
The strip of HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH along the edge
Once it cooled, I removed the paper.
The stretch denim was a bit worrisome as it was very stretchy. I’m not sure of the exact fiber content. You could smell the artificial fibers, and the denim appeared to ripple slightly under high temperatures and lengths of time. However, it looked fine after the paper backing was removed and the hem fused.
The final step was to turn up the hem and fuse in place. Notice how the heat of the iron discolored the fabric while it was hot, but when it cooled, the color returned to normal. I can see this being helpful for those who struggle to hem a knit garment, whether using a cover stitch machine or using a twin needle on the sewing machine. Get the hem positioned, fuse it, and finally stitch it. Or am I being lazy?
And now comes the critical part – is the fabric hem stretchy? YES – the hem was very stretchy, and using the fusible web did NOT impact the stretchiness. The fabric feels thicker, and there are now two layers of fabric, but it’s still very soft and pliable.
Then I tried the fleece. I used the fusible web to hem a piece of fleece. The nap on the back of the fleece took a beating with the duration of the fusing time and the weight of the iron. I should have moved the iron around to prevent the marks from the steam vents. But this is the wrong side, so technically, it doesn’t matter. I wonder if the nap will come back after it’s washed? Or did I permanently “fuse” the artificial fibers at the required high temperature?
The result of high temperature and not moving the iron to prevent marks from the steam vents
Let’s look at the front. It’s beautiful! And I pressed this right on my ironing surface. In no way protected the nap of the fleece.
Here are the other samples that I made using the SOFTSTRETCH fusible products. I used squares to speed up the samplemaking process for these samples. Four sample groups use combinations of prewashed and non-prewashed fabrics and the two weights - Lite and Ultra. I added some stitching and plan to wash all the samples to see what happens. I’ll share my findings later.
Sample Group 1
Non-prewashed fabric and HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH Lite
Sample Group 2
Non-prewashed fabrics and HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH Ultra. I did NOT stitch these samples as Ultra is a No-Sew product.
Sample Group 3
Prewashed fabric and HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH Lite.
Sample Group 4
Prewashed fabric and HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH Ultra. There is no stitching, as Ultra is a No-Sew product.
Now, I’ll carefully label and wash everything so as not to mix the samples up. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.
From my experience, I LOVE the HeatnBond SOFTSTRETCH products. Imagine how much time you could save hemming costumes! Or even garments! I wish I had known about this years ago when my daughter was in school plays. I think it’ll help those who struggle with the hems of knit garments. Use the Lite SOFTSTRETCH to make cover stitch hemming super easy! And applique for knit garments? It’s a breeze with SOFTSTRETCH, and the applique moves along with the garments.
Wow – I want to have one of every type in my fusible web stash!
Let's look at the HeatnBond products for woven fabrics: Featherlite, Lite, and Ultra.
In addition to making samples I’ll wash, I want to show you some neat things I’ve done with these products.
Let’s start with the rolls. The rolls come in two weights – Ultra and Lite. While you can use them interchangeably, be mindful that if the item is no SEW, use Ultra and Lite for the sewing projects.
The Lite rolls are available in four widths: 5mm (3/16”), 10mm (3/8”), 16mm (3/8”), and 22mm (7/8”). There are also four widths for the Ultra rolls: 6mm (¼”), 10mm (3/8”), 16mm (5/8”) and 22mm (7/8”). The only difference is the width of the narrowest of each.
I mostly make ¼” fusible bias, and I use the HeatnBond Lite 5mm (3/16”), which fits perfectly in the Clover ¼” bias tape maker Note you cannot use the 6 mm (¼”) as it’s slightly too wide. There are other widths of bias tape makers; check the packaging to ensure you use the correct adhesive tape width (fusible web).
I’ll need an ironing surface and iron, a straight pin, and some fabric. I followed the instructions with the bias tape maker and cut a ½” fabric strip on the bias. You don’t have to cut the fabric on the bias, but if you are making curves, you need the bias cut. Cut one end of the fabric strip on the diagonal so you can easily feed the end through the bias tape maker.
A slot on the underside of the bias tape maker allows you to feed the fabric strip (with the aid of the pin) through the small oval opening at the front.
Then, feed the 5mm strip of HeatnBond Lite through the opening on the top. It should look like this.
And here’s what it looks like from the back. Keep that strip centered as you work.
I find it easier to pin the exposed end of the fabric and the fusible web strip to the ironing surface.
Pull the bias tape maker back and follow closely (and slowly) with the tip of the iron while keeping the strip of fabric centered in the back of the bias tape maker so it doesn’t twist. Be quick, not too quick – you don’t want to overheat the adhesive tape (fusible web). Here’s a quick video to explain what I mean: How to make bias tape using Clover Bias Tape Maker and HeatnBond Lite (adhesive tape (fusible web).
And before you know it, you can have a lot of fusible bias tape. The HeatnBond Lite (5mm) is a staple in my sewing studio, as I never know when I need to make fusible bias tape in the appropriate color to match my project.
Fusible bias tape in the color of my choice
If I’m making a project that requires it turned inside out, I use a strip of fusible web to fuse the opening shut rather than hand stitch it. Lazy, I know, but it’s fast. Here’s an example of a machine embroidery project in the hoop. It’s a mug rug, and the project has an opening in the back to allow you to turn it inside out.
You could use any width and weight of the adhesive tape (fusible web) rolls of HeatnBond, but since I won’t sew this, I used the HeatnBond Ultra.
Start by cutting a piece of the fusible web tape the length you need to close the opening.
Do not remove the paper yet. Place the adhesive tape (fusible web) inside the opening, keeping it as close to the edge as possible to ensure no loose flap along that “seam.” I press in small sections as I do this. Remember to check the time and temperature.
Remove the protective paper.
Place the edges of the opening against each other as they should be placed and fuse with the iron. It may take a few extra seconds of fusing time as there are multiple layers of fabric. Test periodically to ensure a tight bond. Now the opening is closed, and no one will know how you did it!
And there’s the completed mug rug. These are very popular, so why not upscale the professional finish on your mug rugs by using the fusible web to close the opening? This technique works for placemats, table runners, and other small projects. The HeatnBond Ultra is handy to keep in my fusible web stash.
Here’s another place you can use those strips of fusible web. Many of you will gasp at this one, but it works. Let’s say you have a small wall hanging that needs binding, but hand stitching isn’t your thing, or you don’t like the look of sewing it with the sewing machine. Maybe you’re pressed for time. Not that that has ever happened at my house. Why not fuse the binding to the back of the project?
I started by making my binding as usual. I fused a narrow strip of HeatnBond Lite along the fold. If I decide to stitch the binding down by hand or machine, I use the Lite to give me the option.
I sewed the binding to the front of the quilt with the strip of adhesive tape (fusible web) on top. Yes, I got a join right at the corner, but I left it, and it worked fine.
I joined the binding as usual and then removed all the paper.
I had to take extra time to manipulate the corners, with a bit of extra fusing time because of the thicknesses. But can you tell the binding was fused down? The solid is the front, while the print is the back. I’ve used this technique on other wall hangings and facings on table runners.
The strips of the fusible web are also great for putting trim on a project, and with the variety of widths, you’ll find one that’s just right. Choose the correct width and ensure the trim can handle the heat. Do a test – always!
Let’s move on to some uses of the yardage. I love to do machine embroidery appliques, and I’ve been experimenting with precut shapes and whether I need a fusible web on the
back. I’ll cover this in more detail in another set of blog posts, but let’s say that I’ve done some experimenting, and I prefer to use a fusible web on the wrong side of my precut applique shapes. I use a digital cutter to cut my precut shapes. So, I fused a piece of the HeatnBond FeatherLite to the wrong side of my applique fabric. At the beginning of the feature, I said that none of the HeatnBond products had a second layer of paper, but I stand corrected. I found a layer of light paper on the exposed side of the Featherlite product to prevent it from sticking to itself. It’s not attached to the fusible web. The fusible web is not super sticky, but this was new to me.
I used the SVG file for my applique shape and cut it with a digital cutter. Even though my mat was a mess, it cut perfectly. The fabric was fabric-side down on the fabric mat with the paper side of the fusible web facing up.
TIP NEVER place the unprotected fusible web directly onto a digital cutter mat. A sheet of glue onto another sheet of glue? That will never have a happy ending! Cutting with a digital cutter is a more involved process than I’m showing, but I want you to know the HeatnBond worked beautifully for the task. It’s not complicated – I don’t have time to get into the details in this post.
The precut shape is ready to be positioned on the placement line of the machine embroidery applique.
There are more steps to the process but I’ll keep it brief and to the point! I wanted to let you know, however, that the HeatnBond Featherlite worked like a charm. The added fusible web only slightly changed the hand of the applique. I have found that cutting an applique shape on a digital cutter and NOT adding a fusible web to the back isn’t for me. It works, but the edges can fray, and the applique shape never seems to stay perfectly flat on the background during the tack-down process. The fusible web on the back of the digital cut applique shapes helps stabilize it, making it perfect! You MUST experiment to know what works for you.
In keeping with my experiments, I wanted to see how the various weights would react with several different stitches to finish the edges (or no stitching in the case of the HeatnBond Ultra). I also wanted to test the prewash versus no prewash.
These are the samples I made. I made two sets, one with the background and the applique fabric prewashed (pink)
and the second with no prewashed fabric (teal). I used all three weights of the HeatnBond (Ultra, FeatherLite, and Lite). Not all are pictured.
I positioned four squares on each background and left one with a raw edge. The other three were finished with a zigzag, a buttonhole or a satin stitch.
I also layered the FeatherLite and Lite to a maximum of three layers to see how stiff it got. I stitched around all three shapes on those samples.
Here’s one square of HeatnBond Ultra with no stitching per the instructions.
Sample of HeatnBond Ultra on non-prewashed fabric
Here are the samples for HeatnBond FeatherLite with the prewashed fabric.
Now, here’s something to note. As you can see, I did a lot of stitching over these examples. After using the HeatnBond SoftStretch, my needle had ZERO fusible residue.
There’s a slight residue after all the stitching, using the same needle, which I never wiped down. I had ZERO sticky issues during all the stitching. There was no issue with the embroidery needle when I machine-embroidered the heart.
I have two last things to share. I used the HeatNBond Ultra to fuse two pieces of felt together.
And if you want, you can fussy cut images with the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric. Here, you can see that I’ve fused a fusible web to the back. Using a sharp pair of scissors, fussy cut the shapes.
It’s easy to take the fussy cut shapes and put them on your project. In this case, I fused them to a wooden shape. Next time, I might paint the shape before fusing the appliques.
Well? I’m in love with HeatnBond fusible webs. As you can see, one product does not serve all needs. I like to have a variety of weights and formats, so I’m ready for any job!
I've had a blast experimenting with the HeatnBond fusible webs and sharing tips for woven fabrics and applique. I've learned a lot and want to share my thoughts with you.
Keep in mind that my samples were not scientific by any means. I did keep the prewashed and not prewashed fabrics separate. I also noted the weight and type of fusible web for each sample.
After marking all the samples with a permanent pen, I threw them into the washing machine and dryer to see what would happen.
Let's have a look.
I’ll start with the HeatnBond SoftStretch. If you remember, I used several fabrics in my samples: fleece, stretch denim, flannel, and T-shirt knit. I learned that I'm not an experienced sewist with stretchy fabrics, but for the sake of the experimenting, everything worked out just fine.
Here's a picture of all the hems I made using the SoftStretch Lite or Ultra. All of the hems came out of the wash looking amazing. That was super impressive!
Here's a couple of things to note:
• The stretch denim and the red T-shirt knit maintained their stretch in the fused hem, although the stretch was slightly less than the non-hem section. This factor would help stabilize the hem and prevent unsightly stretching.
• The blue and gray fleece also maintained some stretch in the hem, but not nearly as much as in the nonhem section.
• While the nap is crushed somewhat by the pressure of the iron on the back, the front looks great, and you would never know that an iron touched it.
The samples where I stitched a cover stitch hem with either a twin needle (sewing machine) or the serger retained a good amount of stretch. I love how the fusible web tape made getting a perfect cover stitch hem easy. The red knit kept wanting to curl and is thick, so the SoftStretch tamed it to get the ideal cover stitch hem. The width of the SoftStretch is 5/8" (15.9mm) – wouldn't it be great if it came in skinnier widths (¼") just to tack down the edge for the cover stitch? Yes – that is a lazy way to do it, but I liked the results!
Let's look at the larger pieces of HeatnBond SoftStretch to see how it held up with washing. Here are the fleece samples; they are perfect. The gray squares remained firmly attached to the background, and there was no fraying. The only thing to watch is crushing the nap with the iron. I imagine pressing from the wrong side longer would prevent crushing the nap and still get good adhesion. In some of the gray squares, I can see the texture of my
ironing surface, and it might be better to press on a towel to protect the nap. Overall, I love how they turned out.
The next sample is the stretch denim for the background and the thick knit for the applique. I did have a corner of the Ultra come loose, but it was easy enough to iron back in place. I found that both of these fabrics were a challenge to work with. OK – for me, ANY knit fabric is a challenge!
But here's the thing. More experimentation needs to happen. Was it the stretch denim? Was it the T-shirt knit? Was it the temperature? Was it the length of time? Did I have complete coverage with the iron? Did I use steam? The other sample (not prewashed) had zero issues with the applique square adhering to the background. Hence, this corner lifted because of an operator error, not the materials or the
HeatnBond SoftStretch. I sometimes found myself losing track of the fusing time, likely what happened in this instance.
I point this out because keeping close track of the temperature and fusing time is critical to the product's success, as described.
Look at the other stretch denim/heavy knit samples. They turned out amazingly well. Of course, there was no fraying, and all of them stuck well, except for that corner you saw in the previous photo. Interestingly, there didn't seem to be any difference between the washed and prewashed samples.
Let's look at the T-shirt knit. See how unruly that is – the edges wanted to roll like mad, which is why I like the adhesive tape (fusible web) to assist with the cover stitch hem. I wasn't a fan of that red knit, but it worked very well as a background for a lighter knit fabric. None of the corners came up on these samples.
The last fabric I played with using the HeatnBond SoftStretch was a flannel. I was surprised to see this fabric on the recommended list of fabrics. However, flannel has a lot of flexibility; the recommendation was to use SoftStretch. You could try the products recommended for woven fabrics, but I didn't have time.
By the way, I pressed all the samples after they came out of the dryer, as they were a bit wrinkly. None of the corners came up on this fabric, but there was fraying on the squares with no stitching. I'm not surprised, as flannel has a very loose weave and is prone to fraying.
I expected differences between the washed and not prewashed samples, but they came out very similar. Now, I did NOT get scientific and measure the samples for shrinkage, but I'm sure there was some shrinkage.
Now, let's move on to the woven fabrics to see how they did.
I'll start with the sample that has multiple layers. I blanket stitched around all edges. By feeling the samples, you can tell which is the HeatnBond Lite (heavier) and which is the Featherlite. There's a definite stiffness in the area with three layers, but these are three SOLID layers of fusible web and fabric, so I expected this stiffness with both weights. But for slight overlaps in your applique project, they would be just fine. I'd choose the Featherlite over the Lite for multiple overlaps.
Woven fabric (washed and not prewashed) samples with multiple layers of HeatnBond Lite and Featherlite
As expected, because these are woven fabrics, there's some fraying on these samples if the edges were left unfinished, and I had a few mishaps with the fusing.
The fusing time for the Lite and Featherlite products is very short. The packaging says that the appearance of the fusible should be milky after fusing to the applique fabric (2 seconds), and mine was shiny, indicating it was overheated, which may be why this corner came up. I was able to repress the shape in place.
Look how nice the edges are with the blanket stitch!
Here are the samples of the prewashed fabrics. Except for that one corner that came up, all the pieces look good with minimal fraying, even when the edges were left raw. I'll talk about the top sample, which was done with Ultra, in a minute.
If I look at the non-pre-washed samples, they did pretty well; however, one of the unstitched pieces came entirely off! I could fuse it back in place, and there was minimal fraying on all the pieces with the raw edges. Why did that piece come off? If there was sizing in the fabric – that could significantly affect the adhesive qualities of the products.
Another culprit could be overheating the square, causing it to lift. When applying the applique square to the background, the pressing time is 6 seconds, which is NOT a long time.
I'm not sure what happened with the samples using the Ultra. I suspect I completely overheated both samples because of the large area, and parts of both squares lifted off the background. The lack of adhesion happened with both the prewashed and nonprewashed samples.
Is this bad? No – it's a good thing to know, and I need to find a way to prevent the overheating! I was able to repress the squares in place. A larger pressing device (like a heat press) might provide an even and consistent heat over the entire sample without overheating the areas by moving the iron around.
The last sample is a good example of shrinkage. I fused a grosgrain ribbon to a canvas fabric. I did not prewash any of these materials. Look how that fabric puckered with the HeatnBond Lite but not the HeatnBond Ultra!
So what does all this tell us?
HeatnBond has a comprehensive line of fusible web products, which work very well when used according to the instructions. I LOVE them all. Yes – there were a few hiccups, and I would do a few things differently when I use the products in my next applique project. The biggest culprit is overheating. However, I learned a lot by doing these samples.
I love the fusible web tapes, which are amazing for hemming, fusing bindings, and many other tasks. They stand up great when washed, and I'll use them all in future projects.
As for the results with the woven fabrics, this experiment just emphasizes something I already knew. You must TEST TEST TEST for any project that you’re about to embark on. If you’re doing fusible web applique, will the project be washed? If so, you likely want to finish the edges to ensure a solid adhesion and prevent fraying. I used three stitches to finish the edges, and all three worked equally well to secure the piece to the background.
Wow – what an exciting adventure it has been testing the HeatnBond family of fusible webs. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you learned a few things. I certainly did!
Have a great day! Ciao!
Elaine Theriault crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com
I’m so excited to open the PFAFF admire air 7000 box. I have had several different sergers over the years but never really bonded with them. Threading and adjusting tensions for stitches was a painful challenge every time I used them. However, with this new air threading feature, I’m looking forward to playing!
The first thing I see inside the box is the User Guides in English and French. And a laminated Quick Guide. This is new to me. It’s literally a cheat sheet made up of pictures of threading the serger in overlock and cover stitch mode.
As I remove the User Guides, I see, in multiple Styrofoam cubbies, the standard serger accessories I expect to see with every coverstitch serger. The waste tray has a locking connection to keep it in place on the machine, as do the foot control and separate power cord.
The coverstitch table B, the two pieces to the thread tree for serger cones or spools of thread, the soft dust cover to keep it clean, and the accessory box.
In the accessory box, are the traditional serger accessories, plus some new ones.
Margaret Sweete
1. The allen key is used to loosen or tighten the needles in place.
2. The needle threader is a simple manual method for threading your needle. It also has a hole in one end to hold the needle while removing or inserting it.
3. The stylus is used for the touch screen, so we keep it clean of dirt.
4. The threading wire is used to either clean the air threading tubes of lint or thread those oversized threads we like to use in the loopers.
5. The sewing machine tube of oil is a true tell that, yes, indeed, a serger does need to be oiled! The use of the cleaning tools and oiling is covered in the Maintenance section of the User Guide, and yes, I had to look, because I was not actually sure where we oil a serger!
6. The needle package is important as it tells us the brand and type of suggested needles we use in the serger. It's so nice now that PFAFF has branded needles. It makes my life so easy when I need new ones, and I learned we can get these needles in bulk, too! I did learn once that a serger needle lasts about 6-8 hours of use, so for me, every new project requires a new needle(s).
Now for the unusual items in the box: the PFAFF admire air 7000 comes with an extension table! Not only does it have a free arm, but you can extend your seating space! I love it!
The knee-lifter is a unique item that attaches to the front. You can use your knee to raise (lift) the presser foot to adjust your fabric/project underneath. This gives you full control of your project at all times. This really helps me, as I always forget where the presser foot lever is!
Now that I have unboxed the PFAFF admire air7000 I can put it all together and start playing!
When I see the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger plugged in and turned on, my first impression is WOW I’ll be able to see what I’m doing when I sew at night. This is huge as it seems I’m always sewing at midnight finishing projects! And the extension table is a huge bonus! Whenever the actual throat of a machine is small, an extension table is an absolute must.
My second thought is the computer touch screen where all the basic settings are located.
Everything I need to know is there, plus the things I need to adjust to customize my serging! I use the included stylus to lightly TOUCH, not tap, this screen. It’s very sensitive and doesn’t need much adjustment. Fingers may touch more than one icon at a time.
1. Right at the top is the stitch selection; in a drop-down menu, it’s easy to choose my stitch. This is great when you have 26 stitches to choose from.
2. Then there’s the needle size recommendation. I tend to use the smallest needles unless I break a needle or I know it’s extra thick.
3. A reminder of the needle position for the stitch chosen in diagram form. I use this ALL the TIME!
4. Cutting width setting. This is the position the knife should be in, but you manually set the cutting width dial. I always forget to check this.
5. And on the far right, the thread tension settings touch and a pop out screen appears.
They’re PRESET for each stitch, but you can adjust them to suit the thread and fabric combo you’re using.
6. The speed setting is on the bottom right; 5 levels are great for a speed demon like me!
7. The differential feed adjustment is in the bottom middle, and since we’re always using it, it’s good to know it’s easy to access.
The stitch length setting is on the bottom right. Again, it is preset for the stitch, but I’ve been experimenting with increasing it, and I like the results better. You might want to try adjusting it.
To the right of the computer touch screen on the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger are the control buttons.
1. At the top is a heart where you can load a saved stitch. Why? Perhaps you’re doing a project with a funky thread and want to save those settings until you’re done.
2. Next down is the heart to save that stitch setting and name it.
3. Next is delete. When you’re done with your project, you can delete that saved stitch and its settings.
4. Next is the cogwheel icon for settings, where you can adjust sound, screen language, and calibrate the screen.
5. Now, my favorite is the ‘i’ for information about each stitch. The first tab shows an image of the stitch and how it’s supposed to look, colorcoded according to the tension path colors. The second tab shows what physical changes to the machine must be done for this stitch. Now in Overlock it’s pretty simple, but when you change over to Coverstitch, I always look here as a reminder that I’ve done everything!
The third tab describes the stitch, including how and why it’s used; it's very useful when I forget.
Now for the FUN Part. I’ll thread the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger and try out the new Air Threading. My old serger was very specific about what you had to thread, when, and in what order. I’ll tell you that this one is not that fussy. To do this the first time, I’ll follow the steps in the manual. I’m going to do the needles first and then the loopers. And when I forget the steps, I can check out the color Threading Chart on the inside lid, AKA the cheat sheet!
steps
1. I raised the presser foot, opening the tension discs.
2. I opened the front cover, flicked the switch from Threading/Sewing to threading, according to the huge cheat sheet on the inside machine cover, and turned the handwheel towards me and listened for the ‘clunk ‘ sound. No, I didn’t break it, as I first thought – it’s the sound of the looper tubes all connecting.
3. I put my thread cones on all the first 4 spool pins. I chose to use the same color of thread as the tension discs, so left to right, yellow, blue, red, and green.
Photos by Margaret Sweete
4. As the manual says, I threaded the left needle, the yellow path first, and then the right needle, the blue path second, using the needle threader. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll always use it faster than tweezers!
5. I threaded each red and green looper path according to the cheat sheet on the inside of the front cover. I’m using a simple 4-thread overlock stitch.
6. To thread the tube itself, I trimmed the end of the thread to a clean edge and used the tweezers. You need about 1” of thread inside and a loop of extra thread (22”); I usually put my hand at the bottom of the cover, wrap the thread around it once, and then put the end in the upper looper hole. This is so there’s no tension on the thread as it’s pulled through the looper channels. Now I can touch the Threading Button.
7. You can air-thread both loopers at the same time after threading, as described above. I just like to do it twice –Twice the Fun. Now don’t worry where the ends are unless you get crazy with excess thread tails, then trim them to 4”. The serger will accommodate.
8. When all is threaded, I flipped the threading switch back to Sewing; you cannot close the cover until you do. Start stitching chain off, stitching just some thread. I’m now ready to stitch fabric!
Success the first time! I love it ! I chained off, stitched maybe 8” and then put my cotton under the presser foot, remembering to lower it. I did trim a bit of cotton along the edge to be sure I was seeing a true stitch and not my crazy driving. I love how easy the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger is to thread.
Now that the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger is all set up and threaded, I want to try some stitches. I love that the 4-thread overlock, my first stitch, worked straight out of the box with perfect tension on my stitch out. To start with, I’ll look at the basic Overlock stitches that the majority of sergers have.
I see from the stitch chart that it has overlock stitches, flatlock stitches, narrow edge stitches and rolled edge stitches. The confusing thing is that there are wide and narrow versions of these stitches. I figured out that a wide stitch uses the left needle, and a narrow stitch uses the right needle, easy!
But what about the 4-thread, 3-thread, and yes, even 2-thread versions of those same stitches? Well, that I had to think about. First off, the more thread, the stronger it is, the less thread, the less strong. But also, the more thread, the bulkier the stitch is, versus the less thread, the more delicate the stitch is.
Who knew a serger had so many versions? I remember a 4-thread overlock is used for sewing seams, a 3-thread overlock is a seam edge finish, and a rolled hem is a delicate edge finish, period. We have SO many choices now. And that can be confusing as the descriptions look almost identical. But we get to decide when we need extra strength and when we don’t need the bulk that comes with it. An extreme example is sewing clothes for Dad and then for baby. Dress clothes versus working or even workout clothes. Different fabrics and different uses; thus, we have a variety of stitches. So now it’s personal preference for the most part, but some basics still apply.
I’m a quilter for the most part, but a new grandbaby is arriving soon, so Gramma needs to step up!
Let’s talk about the 4-thread overlock, which is the most used stitch. I’ve made T-shirts for myself, from basic to dressy, that have sleeves long enough for my long arms and thus fit me perfectly! Currently, I’m working on a quick quilt for the baby – a serger jelly roll quilt. It’s so fast to do. However, I reduce the speed on the serger for accuracy as I tend to floor it. Once it’s all pieced together, it tends to twist, so I threw it over the balcony to roll it up into a neat ball. Before washing, I use a 3-thread overlock to finish the edges of fabric. I think we’ve all learned the result of not doing this as we speed the evening cutting off the frayed threads and untying the knots of fabric that never seem to iron out. I also use 3-thread overlock on my finished quilt top edges to prevent them from coming apart with handling, such as when packing in my suitcase or left in a pile to be quilted. And sometimes, depending on where I am at the time, I use a 3-thread overlock on my trimmed quilt sandwich after it’s been quilted, in preparation for binding.
Lately, I’ve also made quilt-as-you-go Christmas placemats by serger. The serger will serge through everything I put under the presser foot, allowing us to adjust the presser foot pressure from skinny to thick fabrics. This is one way of making charity quilts and serger strip quilts as you go, but with larger strips.
I also experimented with adding the binding on a quilt by serger and using a heat-activated thread in the lower looper to tack the binding down later. I used this technique as a basting technique when my friend was just ironing it in place!
A flatlock stitch is something unique. You stitch it together, and then when you open it, the seam allowances go flat against the fabric. One side has ‘ladder stitches’ suitable for weaving ribbon through for decoration; the other side has the loopers holding the seam allowances flat. In garment sewing, it’s used with stretch fabric in areas of extreme use. An example is seams in bike shorts, or as decoration in men’s raglan sleeve t-shirts.
In the quilting world, we can use a flatlock stitch with batiks. Batiks are good on both sides of the fabric. I took a class to make a log cabin square table topper (pictured here), which included a batik kit, decorative purple embroidery threads, and a narrow turquoise ribbon. Which side do you like best? I love it, and it taught me a lot about serging it together with an unfamiliar stitch.
Now, I want to talk about the good old rolled hem or rolled edge stitch. We were taught originally (ok, way back) that you used fussy nylon thread, 3-thread rolled hem and lowered your feed dogs. Now, I totally do it differently, and sometimes I don’t use it at all; instead, I use a narrow edge.
If I choose to do a rolled edge, I’ll use the appropriate stitch for the appropriate weight of fabric. For example, for chiffon, I’ll use a 2-thread rolled edge, and for voile, a 3-thread. I save fussy nylon for tablecloths or napkins, which are heavier-use items. I also leave my knife UP. When we rip scarf fabrics to get that nice square or rectangular shape, we get a straight edge, but often it has spare threads from the tearing like cats’ whiskers. When I do a rolled edge, I trim with the knife just those extra whiskers, and I get a cleaner rolled edge. A lot of the time, I’ll skip fussy nylon and get GÜTERMANN Sew-all Thread, or even embroidery thread for a nice match to the fabric.
Lastly, I want to talk about the narrow edge stitches that can be used instead of a rolled edge. Why, you ask? Well, they’re faster to do, they’re easier to start and finish at corners.
There are no dog ears or stretched corners trying to start and stitch over the rolled lump of the rolled edge. You’ll see this out on scarves in the shops. It’s a matter of choice – what do you like better? I do a sample of both, and then I decide. The thicker the corners in a rolled edge (3 versus 2 threads) and or the addition of fussy nylon in the looper, or sometimes even the tightness of the stitch, make the corners more and more difficult to start and keep square.
To prove the point, I made 2 rectangular scarves; one using a 2-thread rolled edge and the other using a 2-thread narrow edge finish, both from a white chiffon. Here is a picture showing them side by side. And yes, I labeled them because the edge finish is delicate on both and they, to me, are equally nicely finished. The point is, YOU get to choose how you do it.
To start, there are 8 stitches in the coverstitch family on the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger: 1 chainstitch, 4 safety stitches and 3 coverstitches.
The first simple stitch I want to discuss is the Chainstitch. Literally, it is the home version of the PEI paper potato bag stitch closure. One side looks like a straight stitch and the back a chain stitch. Strange to talk about, I know. But it has its uses. Like on the potato bag, the tail is left long as it unravels, and it is very easy to rip out, it also stretches. In the garment sewing world, this means that it will create a great topstitch to make rib collars sit properly on a T-shirt neckline, and it will stretch when you pull the opening over your head and not break the thread. A friend of mine used it as a basting stitch when she was making a garment so she could put it on and test the fit as she went along and not poke herself with pins. I think she was brilliant! No pins, and the seams temporarily put in that can easily be ripped out and adjusted!
For the garment sewer, there is a 5-thread Safety stitch, both wide and narrow (using the left or right needle). A safety stitch is a chainstitch with an overlock stitch, either wide or narrow, wrapping around the edge. It’s a seam and an edge finish in one, and because it uses 5 threads, it’s very strong. And where might you use this? in the crotch seam of jeans and pants; anywhere that’s a high stress area.
There’s also a 4-thread safety stitch which is a lighter version of the 5-thread safety stitch. It consists of a chainstitch seam and a 3-thread overlock around the edge, in either wide or narrow. We’ve already talked about 4-thread overlock and 3-thread overlock, wide and narrow. Basically, it uses less thread so it’s not as strong, but it’s stronger than the 4-thread overlock for a seam.
This is also used in pant seams, as it’s a reinforced seam used mostly in children’s wear or perhaps dress garments that don’t have the same stress as a work pant.
The finish we get from using the coverstitch is the one we all want on our knit garments, whether it’s a T-shirt or a dress. Look at your T-shirt. On top are 2 rows of straight stitching and on the back, loopers. This is a coverstitch. If the top threads are ¼” apart, then it’s a wide coverstitch. If the top threads are 1/8” apart, then it’s a narrow coverstitch. If there are 3 straight rows of stitching, then it’s a triple coverstitch. Simple.
There are 3 versions of the coverstitch: narrow, wide, and triple.
A wide coverstitch is the traditional stitch for a hem finish on a T-shirt sleeve and bottom hem.
A narrow coverstitch is usually either a personal choice or used for smaller garments like a child’s T-shirt. It’s also used sometimes to topstitch elastic into 4-way stretch garments such as swimsuits.
The triple is usually a decorative choice. It’s bold, and when used with 3 different needle colors, can be very fun.
When you’ve selected your stitch and you’re switching over to coverstitch, the computer screen shows you the needle placement for each stitch; this is where you move your needles to. This is a huge timesaver as I never remember where to put them.
To switch over to coverstitch, the threading guidelines chart (cheat sheet), is clear on what tension paths to follow.
Note: We now use the purple chainstitch thread hole and air thread push button.
The yellow left needle tension path is also clear. It differs when you thread the right needle; you follow the red tension path and then instead of using the red thread hole you thread the needle.
To figure out the physical changes to the serger to switch over to coverstitch from overlock, we go back to the Info button. Tab one shows us the selected coverstitch wide, and tab two (i1) shows us the physical changes.
1. Remove table A to change to the coverstitch table B, to be put on when we close the front door.
2. Rotate the blade down (we don’t use it).
3. Change the stitch finger setting from N to R.
4. The last picture on the Info tab shows that you must lower the loopers to below the coverstitch table B. At the bottom of the machine, (look at the previous picture) seen with the front cover open, switch the Upper Looper position from A to B. Now there is a trick here. After you threaded the machine, return the threading /sewing switch above to sewing, and then using the handwheel, rotate it until the loopers are below the stitching area. Now, the switch will move easily from A to B. Otherwise, it will not move. Silly I know, but this makes sense when you think about it; the coverstitch table must be able to close over the loopers, so they must be down.
5. When you now put on the coverstitch Table B and close the door, you’re ready to start stitching in coverstitch mode. Just remember to start and stop serging always on fabric!
I had a golf shirt to shorten and rehem. I didn’t make the golf shirt, I but bought it on a great end-of-season sale. It fit in the shoulders but was too big in the body, and it was too long. Taking it in was easy using a 4-thread serged seam, and the hem a breeze with the coverstitch wide.
Note: I always press up my hems to 1” so when I go to coverstitch, it stays in place, and with slippery fabric that really helps. And remember, almost anything can be pressed with a press cloth!
My PFAFF admire air 7000 serger is always set up in my sewing room, usually with the extension table (under a dust cover) and always threaded for either 4 or 3thread overlock in a neutral thread color. So, whenever I need it, it’s ready to go for any of the following tasks.
1. Serging the edge of the fabric before washing it.
2. Serging a quilt top edge when it’s finished to hold all the seams together before quilting.
3. Serging a quilted quilt edge to get it ready for binding.
4. Serging a garment’s individual pattern pieces before sewing it together traditionally.
5. Serging a knit garment completely from start to finish, which would also include switching it over to coverstitch, for topstitching and hemming.
I do a little bit of everything; I quilt, I sew garments for myself, I craft, I do home decor, especially pillow covers, and sometimes I mend, but shhh, don’t tell anyone that.
In the previous article, I showed you my golf shirt I finally got around to modifying, aka ‘mend’, to fit me by taking it in with a new 4-thread seam and hemming it with a coverstitch wide stitch.
At the time I was preparing this post, I was awaiting the arrival of a grandbaby (mother and baby boy are now doing well), and I took time to do some fun baby stuff.
My daughter-in-law loves dinosaurs and the color purple. So, I made fitted sheets to fit the family bassinet of white flannel with multicolored dinosaurs. Each sheet was serged in a pillowcase shape, with a 4-thread overlock stitch. The 2 sheets and mattress protector were layered up with puppy pee pads in between, in the new way to do a quick bedding change. And yes, you read that correctly, puppy pee pads.
The leftover white flannel was divided up, cut into squares with rounded corners, and serged around with a 3-thread narrow edge finish. The blue flannel was cut into large squares from yardage; I rounded the corners, and serged them with a 3-thread narrow edge. I played with the width of the narrow edge. If you move the Stitch finger Lever between N and R, you get a different stitch, but not necessarily the rolled edge or the wider narrow edge stitch. You can play with how narrow you want it to be for the project you’re doing.
I also have 3 pieces of double gauze to finish into swaddles. Gauze frays a lot; commercially the edges are double folded and straight stitched. I plan to serge a 3-thread edge finish before making a double fold and sewing them on my sewing machine. They’re all shades of purple. Mmm, and I have that baby quilt to finish as well, but so little time and so much to do.
Lastly, I want to talk about the steps I use when creating a garment, serging it entirely from start to finish, and using proper garment technique. As I currently don’t have a T-shirt on the go, (I will soon as I’m trying to pick fabric and a pattern for a new casual T-shirt for the holidays) I’m showing you the first T-shirt dress I made, from start to finish, on The PFAFF admire air 7000 coverstitch serger. I’ll walk you through the steps. I call this a long T-shirt, as I wear it with leggings for comfort. It’s a swing style set in long sleeves, eased in the sleeve caps (using differential feed), and as an extra, I put pockets in both side seams.
How I serged my polka dot long T-shirt
1. I adjusted the pattern as needed; this is fitted through the shoulders and sleeves, so the rest flows around the body. The adjustments I made were to raise the neckline, lengthen the sleeves, and add inseam side pockets.
2. I cut out the pattern pieces at 5/8” seam allowance; I could’ve graded it all back to ¼” but I didn’t.
3. Taking the sleeves and the main body pieces, I pressed up the 1” hem at the bottom edges. This makes doing the finished hem so easy if the hem is prepressed in when the pattern piece lies flat.
4. I serged both shoulder seams at 5/8” seam allowance, inserting seam tape to support the weight of the garment with a 4-thread overlock stitch.
Note: I chose to use black thread in the needles to blend with the good side of the fabric and gray to blend with the back of the fabric.
5. I started with the extension table attached to the serger.
6. Taking the bodice pieces, I attached the pockets then serged the sides seams. In the sleeves, I also serged the side seams.
Note: I use clips and not pins, I don’t ruin my blade that way and they are bigger, and I see them! Press as you go along.
7. Taking the sleeves, I inset the sleeves to create the garment in the proper garment techniques and not the quick way. The quick way is to attach the sleeves and then do the full side sleeve and continue along the side of the body of the T-shirt. The difference is how they lie on the body. When insetting sleeves, you need to pay attention to the notches, as we will be serging from the front notch down and around to the back notch. On top between notches, we will be easing in the sleeve cap using the differential feed to ease (slightly gather) the sleeve cap. For my first sleeve, I really slowed the speed down on the serger and I got 1 pucker! My second sleeve was perfect; I was so proud! To do this, you need to make sure the sleeve side is on the bottom all the way around so the differential feed dogs can do their thing. But you must go slow as you ease in and out of the differential feed as you go along.
8. Next comes the collar rib. I sewed it together and then clipped it in 4 places, side seams and notches and center back and front. You’ll be stretching the rib a bit; this makes the collar lie flat against the body.
9. Finally, I switched the serger over to coverstitch mode, specifically chain stitch to start. Here is where I had an issue. I didn’t know the simple trick of lowering the loopers so they fit under the coverstitch table B before the switch will move from A (serge) to B (coverstitch mode). It took me 15 to 20 minutes to figure it out.
10. When set up in chainstitch topstitch, the neckline is close to the seam, but far enough away to catch the seam allowances; this keeps the neckline pristine and in shape. Approximately 1/8”.
11. Then I switched to coverstitch wide. I removed the extension table and went to the free arm, as I was stitching in the round. I used black thread in the needles, and black or gray in the looper. I stitched the bottom hem and sleeves. When you do this, aim to have the hem edge in between the needles. If you choose not to do this, then be prepared to trim off excess hem above the looper stitch line for neatness, and perhaps make the hem a bit bigger, such as 1½”.
All the serging (not including the pattern adjustments or cutting out) took me 1 hour. It would’ve taken me about 30 minutes if I had known the trick to make the switch over to coverstitch. And for the first time doing it, I was really impressed with myself! The outside lays nicely and it fits, which is always good! I’m impressed with how nice the inside looks, and that is always our goal when making a garment, as well as having it fit, ensuring the sleeves are long enough, and having it look like you bought it!! If I had to change anything it would be to raise the neckline to make it more flattering for my body type.
At any rate, I love serging on the PFAFF admire air 7000 serger. Thanks for reading.
Happy Sewing!
Margaret Sweete margsweete@gmail.com
In January 2024 on QUILTsocial I shared with you how to make a showy Valentine’s Day themed wool wall banner using products like Odif OdiShine Glitter Gel and CRAFTING ESSENTIALS Bottle of Buttons - Pink Tones - 75g (2.6oz) I’m making another quilted banner, but it will be one that I’ll be able to display for most of the late winter and into spring. I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, so I chose some sweet fabrics from the FABRIC CREATIONS Fabric Bundle (5pcs) - Summertime Paris - 45 x 53cm (18in x 21in) and two coordinating solids FABRIC CREATIONS 100% Cotton FabricGray - 1.8 x 1m (2yds x 42in) and FABRIC CREATIONS 100% Cotton Fabric - Pink - 1.8 x 1m (2yds x 42'') and I’ll make blocks using foundation paper piecing, regular piecing and fusible applique for my quilted banner.
First, I’ll cut the fabric pieces I need for all the different segments in the quilt. If you’d like to make your own quilt, the following is what you need. materials
• 5 fat quarters of coordinating fabrics
• 29” [75cm] solid gray background fabric
• 8” [20cm] solid pink fabric
• crib size quilt batting
1. Press the fabrics.
Fabrics that have been folded into fat quarters and other quilter’s cuts often have significant creases that should be ironed out before you do any cutting. These fat quarters and 2yd cuts are no exception. To get those tough creases out, I’ll use my
BEST PRESS Starch Alternative - 499mL (16.9 oz.) - Scent Free, BEST PRESS Spray and Misting Bottle - 295mL (10 fl. oz.)Empty and my brand new OLISO PRO™ TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron - Tula Pink™.
2. Cut the fabrics.
From the background (gray) fabric cut the following. WOF means width of fabric.
• 1 - 2½" x WOF strip, sub cut into 92½" x 2½" squares for letter blocks.
• 2 - 1½" x WOF strips, sub cut into 4 - 1½" x 2½" rectangles and 32 - 1½" squares for letter blocks.
• 3 - 4½" squares – cut in half diagonally for heart blocks.
• 3 - 3½" squares – cut in half diagonally for heart blocks.
• 2 - 3" squares – cut in half diagonally for heart blocks.
• 1 - 2" x WOF strip, sub cut into 2 - 2" x 18½" strips for sashing strips.
• 3 - 2" x WOF strips, set aside for inner border.
Christine Baker
From fat quarter A cut:
• 10 - 2½" x 2½" squares for “X” blocks
• 16 - 1¼" x 1¼" squares for “X” blocks
• 1 - 2½" strip for heart blocks, sub cut into 2 - 2½" x 6" rectangles and 2 - 2½" x 3" rectangles.
From fat quarter B cut:
• 4 - 1½" x 2½" rectangles for “O” block
• 4 - 2½" x 2½" squares for “O” block
From fat quarter C cut:
• 1 - 18½" x 7½" rectangle for applique background
• 1 - 2½" strip for heart blocks, sub cut into 2 - 2½" x 6" rectangles and 2 - 2½" x 3" rectangles.
From each of fat quarters D and E cut:
• 2 - 2½" strips for heart blocks, sub cut into 4 - 2½" x 6" rectangles and 4 - 2½" x 3" rectangles.
To cut the squares in half diagonally, I’ll use my OMNIGRID Ruler - 6" x 12" (15.2 x 30.5cm) and my brand new OLFA RTY-2/ GP5 - Printed Handle Rotary Cutter 45mm – it’s so pretty and the blade is so sharp. I just need to make sure that the side of the ruler is lined up perfectly with the opposite corners of the square.
Cut squares diagonally to make triangles.
3. Draw diagonal lines
Before I begin sewing, I’ll draw a diagonal line on the back of all the 1½" squares cut from the background fabric and Fabric A. This will be my sewing line when I’m making the X and O blocks.
4. Sew on corner blocks.
Now I’ll piece the X blocks using a very easy way of adding triangles to the corner of a square. First, I’ll take one of the 2½" squares of Fabric B and I’ll pin one 1½" square of background fabric to opposite corners.
Now I’ll stitch along that drawn line and then cut away the excess fabric using my OLFA RTY-2/GP5 - Printed Handle Rotary Cutter 45mm and UNIQUE Double Sided Cutting Mat - 18" x 24" (45 x 60cm) leaving about a ¼" seam allowance.
Now, I’ll press the seams towards the new corners and get them nice and flat using my Oliso M2Pro Mini Project Iron, and my UNIQUE QUILTING Wool Pressing Mat - 14" x 14" - Grey. Now that the corners have been sewn on, I’ll label these all as Unit A.
Press the corners and then label each as
I’ll sew one Fabric B 1½" x 2½" rectangles to one of the 1½" x 2½" rectangles of the background fabric and repeat to make four of the same unit. I’ll label each of these as Unit B.
After pressing, label each as Unit B.
5. Assemble the O block.
Now I’ll take all these units and assemble them into the “O” block. First, I’ll sew together one Unit B with two of Unit A then I’ll repeat to make a second and label these as Unit C.
Sew two Unit A and one Unit B together to make one Unit C and repeat to make a second unit the same.
Next, I’ll sew together one 2½" square of background fabric to two of Unit B to make Unit D.
Now I’ll sew Units C and Unit D to together to make the “O” block. I’ll press the seams all in one direction using my OLISO PRO™ TG1600 Pro Plus Smart IronTula Pink™.
6. Assemble the X blocks
Now I’ll make the X block using the same process to sew three marked background fabric squares onto each of the Fabric A 2½" squares to make a total of eight Unit E. I’ll also sew two Fabric A 1½" squares to each background 2½" square to make a total of eight of Unit F.
Now, I’ll sew four Unit E, four Unit F and one 2½" square of Fabric A together to make one “X” block. Here’s a short video to show how to assemble the X Block.
Here’s the finished “X” block. I’ll repeat this process to make a second block.
Now all I need to do is to sew these three blocks together to make the XOX row for the quilt. After sewing I’ll press all the seams to one side.
Now that the letter row has been finished, I’ll show you how to use HeatnBond Stitch n Sew EZ Print Quilt Block Sheets - 20 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') next...
I’m using more of those fabrics along with HeatnBond StitchnSew EZ Print Quilt Block Sheets - 20 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') to make paper pieced heart blocks.
1. Download the image and test sizing
I created a 6" paper pieced heart block template for you to download. The link is here:
Amour Wall Banner paper piecing template
Once you downloaded the pdf, print a test page on plain paper to make sure that the sizing is correct. The small test square should measure 1" x 1" when printed.
2. Print on paper piecing sheet.
Once the sizing is correct, I insert some pages of the HeatnBond StitchnSew EZ
Print Quilt Block Sheets - 20 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') into my printer following the directions on the package. I’ll print three copies since I need three heart blocks for my quilted banner.
3. Place fabrics and sew.
The paper piecing diagram shows the order to sew the pieces. A1 is the first fabric to be laid down (right side up) on the top of the sheet. I’ll use CLOVER 2501Silk Pins (Boxed) - 36mm (13/8'') to pin it in place and make sure that it doesn't shift. You want to make sure that you have enough fabric to cover all the area plus seam allowances. The pieces of Fabrics A – E that I cut before will be wide enough, but longer than needed. Don’t worry, I’ll trim them off after sewing.
Now I’ll pick my second fabric and place it right side down on top of the first fabric. Here’s a video that shows the whole process.
4. Trim the outside edges of the block
As I showed in the video, I trimmed the block so that it is 6½" square. This should be ¼" away from all the outside edges of the block.
5. Repeat
Now that one block is stitched and trimmed, I’ll sew two more heart blocks following this same process. I’ll randomly place the different fat quarter fabrics to make each block, but you could make them all the same if you want to. Once they are all stitched and trimmed, I’ll sew them together to make the heart row and press the seams to one side.
Two rows for my wall banner are now finished, so I’ll use HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite 10 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') to do my fusible applique design. I found the HeatnBond StitchnSew EZ Print Quilt Block Sheets - 20 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') very easy to use and the fact that you can print your design right on them instead of tracing the design by hand makes them even better!
I’m working on the fusible applique center of the quilt and will use sheets of HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite 10 pcs - 22 x 28cm (8½'' x 11'') in my printer to transfer the design to the fabric.
1. Download the applique design
Below is the PDF of the applique design – the word Amour which will be in the block in the center of the quilt. Just like before, print a test sheet on plain paper to make sure that it prints the correct size before printing it on the HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite. Just like with the paper piecing template earlier, the test square on the printed page should measure 1".
You’ll notice that the word is printed backwards – this is very important as I’m ironing the fusible web to the back of my fabrics. If the design to trace or print was not reversed then my finished word would be backwards.
Amour Quilted Banner applique template
2. Print on fusible web sheets or trace
I’ll put two sheets of the HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite into my printer to print the applique design. If you don’t have an inkjet printer you could trace the design from the test sheets onto the fusible web by hand, but printing the design with a printer makes this process fast and easy.
I’ll now cut loosely around the word with scissors and then place the fusible web on the back of my background fabric. I’ll use my OLISO PRO™ TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron - Tula Pink™ to iron it according to the HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite manufacturer’s instructions.
Now I’ll cut the applique design along the lines and then center the word on top of Fabric C (18½" x 9" rectangle) that I cut on before. I’ll fuse into place following the HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite manufacturer’s instructions.
Now I just need to stitch the raw edges of the appliqued word. I love doing handwork, so I’ll use some of the threads from the SULKY Cotton Petites 6 Spool Thread Set - Rosewood Manor and one of my CLOVER 234/24 - Gold Eye Chenille Needles #24 to do the stitching.
The SULKY Cotton Petites threads are a 12wt perle cotton so they can be used in the machine or for hand stitching. I’ll use a blanket stitch along all the edges. Here is a video that shows how to do this stitch, and a few others, by hand.
If you prefer to do the stitching by machine, as I said before, the SULKY Cotton Petites 6 Spool Thread SetRosewood Manor can also be used for machine stitching. A machine blanket stitch or zigzag would work well for this project.
I think the deep rose thread looks great on the gray fabric!
Doing fusible applique using HeatnBond EZ Print Feather Lite sheets was so fast and easy! Up until now I’ve always just traced the design onto my fusible web, so this definitely made things go quickly.
Now, I’ll sew all the pieces of the quilt together and show you the fool proof way to add borders to a quilt.
Assembling the Quilt
1. Add sashing strips.
The first thing I’ll do to assemble the quilt is to use my CLOVER 2501 - Silk Pins (Boxed) - 36mm (13/8'') to pin and then sew the 2" x 18½" strips of background fabric to the top and bottom of the fusible applique block. Then I’ll use my OLISO PRO™ TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron - Tula Pink™ to press the seams towards the sashing strips.
2. Add the heart row.
Next, I’ll pin and then sew the heart row to the sashing strip that is on the top of the applique block. Then I’ll once again, press the seam towards the sashing. Sew on the sashing strips and then press the seams towards the sashing.
3. Add the XOX row.
Now, I’ll pin and then sew the XOX row to the sashing on the bottom of the applique block. Then I’ll press the seam towards the sashing.
4. Add the inner border.
Now it’s time to add the inner border. In my first post, 6 Steps to make letter blocks the easy way | Amour Quilted Banner, I cut the strips for the inner border out of the background fabric but I didn’t cut them to length.
Here is the most important thing to remember when you’re adding borders to a quilt. To correctly add borders to a quilt, you should measure the quilt and then cut the border the length needed. If you just take your border and sew it onto the side of the quilt there’s a good chance that you’ll either stretch the border, or you will stretch the quilt and your border will end up being puckered or wavy. Measuring prevents this from happening. Since I cut three strips from my gray fabric and I need four pieces for my border, I’ll join the border pieces together end to end using a mitered (diagonal) join. The only time that I don’t use a mitered join in my borders is when I’m sewing a striped fabric.
After stitching the two lengths of fabric together, I’ll trim away the excess fabric using my OLFA RTY-2/GP5 - Printed Handle Rotary Cutter 45mm and my UNIQUE Double Sided Cutting Mat18'' x 24'' (45 x 60cm)
I almost always add the side borders to my quilts first, and then the top and bottom borders. To get the correct length for the side borders, I’ll measure the length of my quilt along both sides and down the middle. If these measurements are not the same, I’ll add them up and divide by 3 to get the average and I’ll cut the two borders this length. Since this is just a small quilt, I can use my OMNIGRID Ruler - 6'' x 24'' (15.2 x 61cm) to measure. If the quilt was larger I would use a UNIQUE QUILTING Quilters' Tape
Measure - Extra Long - 300cm (120'')
Now I’ll find the middle of the side of the quilt and I’ll mark it with a small pencil tick in the seam allowance, and will do the same at the ¼ and ¾ points. I’ll do the same thing with the border and will put a tick mark at the ¼, ½, and ¾ points. You could also use pins at these points if you preferred.
Now, all I need to do is pin both ends of the border to the quilt and then match the tick marks and pin the border along the side of the quilt. If I was adding a border to a larger quilt I would divide it and the border to be added into eight or 16 equal sections.
The middle of my quilt measures 23½". The two sides measure 23½" and 23¼". So, I’ll cut my two side borders just under 23½" long.
Next, I’ll stitch that border on and then press the seam towards the border.
Once that side border is sewn on, I’ll repeat this process for sewing on the opposite side border and then the top and bottom borders.
So, there you have it – the fool proof way to add borders to your quilt is just to measure, cut and pin before sewing!
Now that the rows are sewn together and the inner border has been added, I’ll make a scrappy border using strip sets and I’ll make some fancy magic binding for the quilt.
I’ll make a scrappy border for my quilt using some of the fabric left over from the FABRIC CREATIONS Fabric Bundle (5pcs) - Summertime Paris - 45 x 53cm (18in x 21in). Then I’ll use the two coordinating solids FABRIC CREATIONS 100% Cotton Fabric - Gray and FABRIC CREATIONS 100% Cotton Fabric - Pink to make some magic binding for the Amour Quilted Banner.
1. Cut strips of fabric.
First, I’ll cut some strips of fabric from the left-over fat quarters across the width of the fabric. There will be a selvedge edge at one end of each strip. I want to cut these strips all random widths, anywhere from 1½" to 3" wide. I’ll cut 2 or 3 strips from each fabric.
2. Sew into pairs.
Next, I’ll sew them into pairs, but I want to make sure that I match up the selvedge edge of the strips and I’ll sew from the selvedge edge to the other side on each pair of strips.
I’ll continue to sew two random strips together until all the strips have been sewn.
3. Sew strip pairs together into strips sets.
Now I’ll sew these pairs of strips together to make strip sets. Since I sewed from the selvedge edge to the other side on the pair, when I sew the pairs together, I’ll start sewing from the end that isn’t the selvedge. This will prevent my strips from stretching and prevent the strip set from curving.
I’ll make strip sets that are six strips wide which measure approximately 10" across. This width is easy to manage for sub cutting.
4. Square up the end of the strip sets.
Next, I’ll use my OMNIGRID Ruler - 6'' x 24'' (15.2 x 61cm), my OLFA RTY-2/GP5 - Printed Handle Rotary Cutter 45mm and my UNIQUE Double Sided Cutting Mat - 18'' x 24'' (45 x 60cm) to cut off the selvedge edge of the strip set and to square up the end. I’ll line up the lines on my ruler with the seams between the strips to make sure that the edge is perpendicular to the seams.
5. Sub cut the strip sets.
I want my outside border to finish as 2½" wide, so I’ll sub cut my strip sets into sections that are 3" wide.
After I cut a few sections, I’ll square up my strip set again and then continue sub cutting.
sections
are
7. Sew on the borders.
Now, I’ll follow the same process as I used earlier to sew these borders to the quilt. I’ll measure the quilt from top to bottom through the middle and down each side and I’ll average these measurements to get the correct measurement for the borders. I’ll cut two borders this length and then will mark and pin them to the sides of the quilt before sewing.
Once sewn on, I’ll use my OLISO PRO™ TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron - Tula Pink™ and my UNIQUE QUILTING Wool Pressing Mat to press the seams towards the outside border.
occasionally.
6. Randomly set the sections together into borders.
When all of my sections have been cut, I’ll sew them together radomly into four long rows to make the borders. These strip cut can be rotated if two pieces of the same colour will end up together. I ended up sewing three sections together for each border.
Pull off the foundation paper from the back of the paper pieced heart blocks.
I’ll repeat this same process to add the top and bottom borders and then I’ll pop the wall hanging on my longarm to quilt. But I almost forgot that I first need to pull the HeatnBond Stitch n Sew EZ Print Quilt Block Sheets off of the back of my paper pieced heart blocks. Since I used a short stitch length, the foundation paper will rip away easily.
I’ll use FAIRFIELD Low-Loft® Quilt Batting - Crib - 114 x 152cm (45'' x 60''), and a piece of fabric that is at least 40" x 30" for my backing. If you’re quilting it on a domestic machine your backing could be a bit smaller.
For this quilt I’ll make magic binding following the same steps that I used for my QUILTsocial post, Sewing a flanged binding onto your quilt. I’ll use the gray background fabric for the main fabric and the pink solid fabric for the accent color. I’ll cut three strips the width of fabric for each color for the binding. The accent fabric (pink) strips are cut 1½” wide and the main color fabric (gray) strips are cut 1¼” wide.
I’ll sew all the pink strips together end to end with a mitered join and will do the same with the gray strips. Then I’ll trim the excess fabric from the seams and press the seams open.
Next, I’ll sew the two long strips together using a ¼" seam and then will press the seam towards the gray (main) fabric.
Now, I’ll press the binding in half lengthwise so that a thin edge of the accent fabric can be seen sticking out along the folded side.
Now that the binding is ready, I’ll sew it to the back of the quilted banner, flip it to the front of the quilt and topstitch it –for more details check out my QUILTsocial post, Sewing a flanged binding onto your quilt
Here is my finished Amour Quilted Banner! As you can see, I quilted it with just straight vertical lines unevenly spaced across the entire quilt. I wanted to show that even if you haven’t quite mastered free motion quilting, you CAN quilt your own small projects with simple straight lines.
I really love how it turned out and think that the FABRIC CREATIONS Fabric Bundle (5pcs) - Summertime Paris is really just perfect for the project.
I love this fabric so much that I think I may use it for my next QUILTsocial post in a few months – stay tuned!
Christine Baker
uppercanadaquiltworks.com
I’ve got something fascinating to share! I’m introducing you to the NEW Husqvarna VIKING Designer Quartz 29 Sewing & Embroidery Machine.
The first thing I noticed was the design. It reminds me of the top-ofthe-line Husqvarna VIKING Designer EPIC 3 with the same profile over the sewing machine head. The styling also matches the design of the Husqvarna VIKING Amber Air S600 (overlock/cover stitch). It’s now possible to have a wellcoordinated sewing space! If you’re interested in finding my reviews of the Designer EPIC 3, check out my blog post, Unboxing the NEW Husqvarna VIKING Designer EPIC 3. And if you want to discover more about the Amber Air S600 you’ll want to read my blog series, Getting to know the Husqvarna VIKING Amber Air S600
Now, it’s all about the Designer Quartz 29, and I’m very excited to check out all the features of this fantastic sewing and embroidery machine.
You should know by now that one of the first things I look at is the User’s Guide! This one is relatively slim, so I didn’t have to spend much time going through it; however, I always discover something each time I review a User’s Guide. There’s general sewing machine information in the guide in addition to the specifics for the Designer Quartz 29.
The more I see this general information, the more I retain it, and I’ve gained a lot of sewing machine knowledge from reviewing the guides. So, get the User’s Guide out. In this case, a couple of sessions should do it!
The User’s Guide
I discovered a piece of paper in the box reminding me I have a 30-day trial of the mySewnet PLATINUM subscription Embroidery Software. And why is that in the box?
Elaine Theriault
An invitation for a 30-day machine embroidery software trial
Can you believe the Designer Quartz 29 is a Wi-Fi-enabled sewing and embroidery machine? WOW! This opens up the Wi-Fi capabilities of the machine embroidery world to those who want to get started but find the price of the larger machines beyond their budget. Or perhaps you want to have the ability to do machine embroidery, but it’s not something you’ll do every day. Or if you find your large embroidery machine too heavy to carry to class. The Designer Quartz 29 is an excellent option for all these scenarios.
When I purchased my first embroidery machine over 25 years ago (a Husqvarna VIKING Designer 1), I was NOT into machine embroidery at all. I had never done any machine embroidery and knew nothing about it. But when I saw what I could do with one, I never looked back!
I’ll cover embroidery in this feature, so stay tuned when I show you exactly what you can create on the Designer Quartz 29, including exploring the mySewnet capabilities.
Let’s look at some of the physical aspects of the Designer Quartz 29. You’ll find a built-in needle threader on the side of the sewing head. It’s easy to use as it has a sizeable pushdown lever. Hurrah for needle threaders! I thought I was invincible and would never need one, being able to thread needles by eye easily for years. Well, that day is gone, and I LOVE using the needle threader! The machine I’m using is brand new, and the needle threader was a bit stiff, but after a couple of presses on this lever, everything works beautifully.
While the Designer Quartz 29 is Wi-Fi enabled for transferring embroidery designs to the embroidery edit screen, I can also use the USB port on the side. Though I love wireless technology, having a USB port is a must.
Still looking at the right-hand side of the Designer Quartz 29, look at the symbol on the handwheel. I love the stylized H from the Husqvarna Viking logo. What about that color? It’s gorgeous!
The accessory tray offers a nice flat surface for sewing. Note that an optional extension table provides even more room.
Before I look at the presser feet, I want to share one fabulous feature of the Designer Quartz 29. The presser foot ankle is the same as you’ll find on the larger Husqvarna Viking machines. What does this mean? Most Husqvarna Viking presser feet will fit on the Designer Quartz 29. So, not only will you have matching sewing machines in your sewing studio, but they can also share the same feet. I LOVE this capability.
Now, let’s check out what presser feet come with this sewing and embroidery machine.
There’s the All Purpose Foot A and the Decorative Stitch Foot B. While these feet look the same from the top, a channel on the underside of the B foot allows the thicker decorative stitches to pass underneath without jamming. There’s a zipper foot, a blind hem foot, an overcast foot, and a non-stick foot.
Check out the buttonhole foot on the right. It’s a one-step buttonhole foot where you put your button in the slot at the back to get the perfect-sized buttonhole. I hope I get a chance to try that out later.
And look at that industrial-looking freemotion/embroidery foot on the top left! Wow!! That looks like a serious foot for those two tasks.
Let’s look at the accessories that come with the Designer Quartz 29. You have everything you need to start: bobbins, spool caps, felt pads, a brush, a seam ripper, auxiliary spool pins, needles, a screwdriver, and a few other items. You’ll find the name of all the accessories in the User’s Guide if you’re unsure what any items are. There’s also a section on how to use the auxiliary spool pins and the thread caps, so be sure to read that as there’s important information there.
The screen on the Designer Quartz 29 is a 7” touch screen. Yes, a 7” touch screen. That’s huge for an entry-level sewing machine! There’s also a stylus included if you prefer.
You may find the stylus easier to use if you struggle with touching the correct button, although all buttons are substantial in size. Or there are times when the touch screen doesn’t like the feel of our fingertips. Either way, you can easily access any of the menus on the touch screen.
There’s also a card, the Sewing Guide Reference Chart, which provides recommendations for the various machine settings (the stitch, stitch length and width, presser foot, and tension range) depending on which fabric type and technique you use. So, if you’re new to sewing, this is a great little helper. Be sure to study it to understand its information.
There’s a clip in the bag of accessories to position it on the sewing machine for easy reference.
Have a look at the needle plate. There are oodles of markings on it, so I’ll undoubtedly find markings to suit my needs. Look at those substantial feed teeth as well.
Here is the function panel on the Designer Quartz 29. On the left is the Reverse Button, and the Stop/Start Button is below that. Then, you have several machine operation controls, including Needle Up/Down, Cut Function, and the Speed Control Lever. Take a moment and read all about them in the User’s Guide to understand what each does so you can get the maximum benefit from them. I love all these functions and use them a lot!
That’s a pretty exciting sewing and embroidery machine!
Here’s the home screen for sewing mode. What do you think I’m going to say? YES, there’s a diagram of this screen in the User’s Guide. When you get your Husqvarna VIKING Designer Quartz 29, you must sit at the sewing machine and familiarize yourself with these buttons!
Here’s a quick overview of the top row – Sewing Mode indication, access to mySewnet, the multi-select tool to create sequences of decorative stitches, and Machine Settings. In the bottom row are, Save Stitch sequence, Delete a file and Delete stitch (grayed out because nothing is selected), Sewing Settings, and Stop/Start. I’ll be exploring some of those options later.
Just reading those two ribbon bars tells me there are many options in this sewing and embroidery machine, and that I can customize it to work for me!
Let’s look at the options for choosing and editing stitches. I’ve selected a two-step zigzag to illustrate this. I see the recommended foot in the top left and a graphic of the selected stitch. As I change the stitch length and width, the changes appear on the screen. Along the top are the 5 stitch menus. The first menu is Utility Stitches (54), the second is the decorative stitches (188), Buttonhole Stitches (8), Fonts (4), and the last menu is for Saved Stitch Sequences. The arrows beneath the stitches on the screen permit me to move between stitches within each menu.
Wow, that’s amazing!
Looking closer at the bottom half of that screen, I see the edit options for the stitches, starting with the ability to switch between single-needle or twinneedle settings, thread cutter, and mirror the stitches side to side or top to bottom. There’s even a balance option if needed. I can change the width (maximum 7.0 mm) or the length and have the ability to reposition the needle/stitch depending on the stitch width. There are 29 stitch positions for a straight stitch. Did you notice that there is a thread cutter and a Stop/Start on the function panel, as well as on the sewing screen? These are valuable tools, and sitting at the sewing machine and playing with them is essential to get familiar with how they work. Playing with them will help you remember they are there when needed!
Now, let’s look at the Machine Settings which we find in the top right-hand corner. Select your appropriate language or learn to sew in another language! You can save and retrieve files from USBs when a USB is connected. Additional settings depend on whether you are in sewing or embroidery mode, and you’ll also find the firmware version here. The final setting is the ability to lock the screen. If you have young children around, you may want to lock the screen, especially when embroidering, so nothing goes awry!
There are numerous options in the sewing settings, and it’s best to try them out while you are sewing. Experiment with them to find the setting that suits your preferences and habits. And yes, all of these are explained in the User’s Guide!
What impresses me is that there are so many ways to customize this entry-level sewing and embroidery machine to how you work. So, if you are using this machine at a retreat or as a second embroidery machine at your house, you’ll find many of the settings on this machine that you have on your larger machines.
Now that I’ve finished browsing the screens to familiarize myself with the various options, it’s time to sew!
I pulled out the ¼” Edge Stitching Foot from my stash of presser feet. It has a guide along the side. The beauty of the presser foot ankle is that you can use the feet from your other Husqvarna machine if you have one.
Now, here’s one thing that will drive me mad. I don’t know how many times people have purchased a ¼” piecing foot and can’t get a correct seam allowance, and they blame it entirely on the foot. You must do a test because that seam allowance will depend on the type of ¼” foot you have chosen, the thread weight and many other factors. I talk about the ¼” seam allowance test in this blog post. Do yourself a favor and test – always
I wanted to use the guide along the edge, so I moved the needle to the right to line it up with the red mark. Remember, moving the needle on the sewing screen is easy. After a quick test and several adjustments, I got a very accurate ¼” seam.
When chain piecing, I find that there is plenty of room to put my next piece under the foot and right up to the needle without having to lift the presser foot.
Here’s another myth I’m going to bust. Remember how everyone used to say that you must sew the entire project on the same sewing machine, or the seams wouldn’t match? Well, the project I’m working on is a UFO I acquired from someone else! Guess what? After I found the sweet spot on the Designer Quartz 29, the new seams perfectly matched the existing seams, and the little squares are 2½” square with no trimming needed.
Here are a couple of tips when sewing:
• Remember to test your stitch length. Does it need to be 2.0 or 2.5? Check to see if the seam will come apart at the ends.
• Ensure you hold your fabric pieces until they have passed the needle to get consistent seam allowances from the top to the bottom. Don’t let go as you near the end, as the seams will be wonky.
Here’s an example of the stitch quality. I didn’t touch the tension, and all was good.
The straight stitching is amazing, and it’s super easy to get an accurate ¼” seam allowance. I’ll continue working on my adopted UFO, but I wanted to check out a couple of other stitches that any quilter would wish to use, especially if they are into applique.
I checked the User’s Guide, where all 54 stitches in the Utility Menu are listed. This includes the name and a description of where I would use each stitch, along with the appropriate presser foot. Even after many years of sewing, I find this information very helpful.
There are 3 preset satin stitches. They are the same stitch, just preset to different widths.
The quality of the satin stitch is critical to me, so I decided to test it out. I fused an applique shape to a background square and cut a piece of Tear-A-Way stabilizer for the back.
Always use a stabilizer when using the satin stitch.
The recommended foot is the B foot, but I like to use the Open Toe foot to see the stitches better. I pulled the Open Toe foot from my stash and snapped it onto the presser foot ankle. Can you see how practical that presser foot ankle is?
I chose the 6 MM wide satin stitch. Remember, I could make it as wide as 7 MM. I used a high-contrast thread to check the coverage and a regular white thread in the bobbin as I was too lazy to wind a bobbin weight thread for the bobbin. Again, let’s push the machine and see what happens. In other words, I did everything we would not usually do in the applique world, but I wanted to know how the Designer Quartz 29 would perform.
Here are the results. Notice the satin stitch on the bottom part of the shape doesn't provide dense coverage. It’s not often that we’ll use such high-contrast thread with a stitch that wide. But let’s suppose that we want to. How do we fix that? I shortened the stitch length from the default of .8 to .6 and left everything else the same. See how the coverage in the top part of the shape is fantastic!
You can make anything look amazing by understanding the tools and supplies! It pays to make samples and play!
You can see the shortened stitch length on the screen and you can tell by the colored box around the number that it’s no longer the default. That’s the beauty of all these stitches. They start with a default, but if you’re unhappy after testing, don’t hesitate to change the width, length, stitch, or needle position. Remember that the width of the stitch will dictate how much you can move the needle to the left or right.
Here’s the back of the satin stitch applique. You can see how the top thread pulls to the back. That is what’s supposed to happen with a satin stitch. I might want to play with the tension slightly to reduce the amount of top thread showing through. But did you notice any of the white thread on top? Nope!
The last stitch is the blanket stitch (sometimes called the buttonhole or applique stitch). I was shocked at how many variations there are in the Designer Quartz 29. Here are just some of the options.
You’ll find these stitches in the Utility Menu.
I fused a heart to the background fabric, used the same white piecing thread in the bobbin, and a high-contrast 40-weight thread on the top. The trick when using the blanket stitch is understanding the stitch sequence to know when to pivot. In instances like a heart, it becomes essential to know when to pivot. The blanket stitch is not dense, so there’s no need to use a stabilizer. The quality of this stitch is stunning!
See the back.
I have to say that I was very impressed with two things in this exercise. The first was all the settings, allowing me to customize how the sewing and embroidery machine would work for me.
That’s very important. The second thing that impressed me about the Husqvarna VIKING Designer Quartz 29 was the quality of the stitches. Seeing such excellent quality in this entry-level sewing and embroidery machine is fantastic!
I have other things I want to try in sewing mode, but I’ll leave them until later. I want to dive into the embroidery mode next to check it out, so be sure to return even if you are not an embroiderer. You might want to become one!
It’s easy to switch from sewing to embroidery. Remove the accessory tray and slide on the embroidery unit. The Designer Quartz 29 automatically switches into embroidery mode. That’s super easy!
The first step to getting set up is to calibrate the embroidery arm. Ensure the area around the arm is free so it won’t bump into something and get damaged. Wait for the embroidery machine to tell you when to remove or attach the hoop. I’ve seen too many people get excited and attach the hoop when the machine isn’t ready yet. Patience!
There are two embroidery hoops in the box. One is 170 mm by 100 mm, and the second is 100 mm by 100 mm. While these are small compared to the hoops for the larger machines, they are large enough for many embroideries, especially lettering for personalizing items. Many designs will fit in either of these two hoops. If a design doesn’t fit the 170 by 100 hoop, you can use the mySewnet embroidery software to split it and stitch it out with multiple hoopings.
An optional spring hoop (40 mm by 40 mm) is available for the Designer Quartz 29. This one is great for small designs on items that are hard to hoop, like infant clothing, collars, and cuffs. Its inner ring is released with the spring clips.
You’ll find the list of hoops in the Machine Settings (top right-hand corner), then select Settings. There, you’ll find the button for Hoop Selection. Select the hoop you’re using that’s appropriate for your design. It’s always best to use the smallest hoop possible.
I started by looking at all the screens. WOW, there are a lot of features in embroidery mode. The more I explore the embroidery mode with the assistance of the User’s Guide, the more impressed I am with all the features!
On the first screen, you can load a single design from multiple sources or combine multiple designs. More on that in a minute.
Along the top ribbon bar is the Embroidery Mode indicator, which is where we are now. Then you’ll find Embroidery Edit, mySewnet (I’ll talk about that ), Multi-select (needs to be ON if loading more than one design), and the Machine Settings buttons.
The large white rectangle is the stitchable area for the selected hoop (170 by 100).
You can load designs and fonts internally
to the Designer Quartz 29 or from external sources.
To access the built-in options, you’ll see three alternatives for loading a design: built-in designs (180), Fonts (10), or the File Manager. The File Manager is used to load a design saved in the machine's internal memory.
Use the arrows at the bottom to scroll through the 180 designs covering various styles.
There are 10 fonts, which surprised me. Some are available in 3 sizes, so many options exist for personalizing items.
Use File Manager to load files you’ve created and saved in the machine’s internal memory.
There are two external sources from which you can retrieve and save files. You can save and access files on a USB. You’ll find those options under Machine Settings (top right- hand corner), then Settings.
The second option is to connect to Wi-Fi and sign in to your mySewnet account where you can access designs from the mySewnet Library (subscription required) or save and retrieve files from your cloud storage, included with your free mySewnet account. There’s also the mySewnet Embroidery Software to consider.
There are many options to load designs!
The USB must be small, 1 – 2 GB, for the Designer Quartz 29 to process the contents. Here’s a picture of the designs that I saved on my USB. One design is from the mySewnet embroidery software, and the other is a built-in design.
When I select an embroidery design, I can see the information about the design including the number of stitches, the scale percentage (if changed), the number of colors, and the length and width. All of this is vital to the success of stitching your design or combining multiple designs on the screen.
Let’s take a closer look at the lettering. While the spaces on the keyboard are a good size, this might be an excellent spot to use the stylus. The fonts include extended sets with numbers and characters so that you can write anything. The font I’m using has three sizes, which you can see on the right above the keyboard. If a size is unavailable, the size option button will not be accessible.
I can change the font and size in the same line of text to ensure maximum flexibility. The letters will appear on the screen as they will appear in the embroidery.
The Confirm was hard to see initially, but it’s right under the backspace button. Once I located it, I was good to go!
There are many editing options: mirror the text side to side, rotate it, change the spacing between letters, and shape the text.
In this case, I used one of the shape functions to curve the text for Happy Birthday. All those features on this entrylevel embroidery machine are amazing! It’s fun to add a little curve to dress up the lettering. I could spend hours playing with all the possibilities.
Hmm, I see many possibilities for quilt labels, and the available hoop sizes are perfect. With all the different fonts, font sizes, and editing tools, you will surely find lettering that works for you!
I created a seasonal image and found a snowman in the built-in embroidery designs. Then, I played with the fonts and framed the snowman.
I’m now in Embroidery Editing, where I have multiple options for editing the design.
Wow, there’s so much I can do. I can rotate the design, scale it, change the thread colors, change the background color for the hoop, mirror the design, save, and delete it. The arrows on the left allow me to move the designs around, and the Arrange tool on the far left enables me to select a single design and edit that one rather than the combined motifs.
Who knew there would be so many features? I’m in awe at all the possibilities. There’s much that I still need to figure out, but after spending some time with the Designer Quartz 29 and with the help of the User’s Guide, I’m quickly learning.
Here are some of the options for scaling the design. I love these tools as they make it easy for the design to fit within the parameters of the hoop. I’ll play a lot more with these options. Remember that the maximum recommended for scaling up or down is 20%. The Designer Quartz will not let you exceed those limits.
Let's look at the thread colors. The location of each color is visible when you select its number from the list at the bottom of the screen. You won’t see the colors in the design until you choose the colorway, so it’s a good idea to review each color before you start stitching so you know where each one goes.
I hooped my fabric and a Tear-A-Way stabilizer. Because of the density of the snowman, I added an extra piece of stabilizer beneath the hoop before starting to stitch.
I’ve threaded the Designer Quartz 29 and I love that needle threader.
Using the needle threader to thread the needle
There are options on the Embroidery Stitch Out screen, and I’ll cover more details in the next article. I see Exact Positioning and Corner Check, which is fantastic as these tools allow me to position my design exactly where I want it! I can advance stitch by stitch or select an exact stitch to go to. There’s also the Embroidery Settings and the Lock Screen.
With so many options, going through them all took some time, but I’ve got it! And guess what? They are all outlined in the User’s Guide! I’ve almost worn my copy out as I flip back and forth through the pages and play with the buttons! But seriously, going through the embroidery edit and the embroidery stitch-out screens is super important. There are so many tools that you’ll find on a more sophisticated embroidery machine, and they are here on the Designer Quartz 29. I’m amazed to see some of them here!
As the letters stitch, they appear in color on the screen. So, what you see in color has already been stitched. Remember, we reviewed the color blocks earlier to identify where each color would stitch. The cross-hair on the screen tells us where the next stitch will start.
The most exciting message is the one that says Your embroidery is finished. It didn’t take long to stitch this out at all. Look at this! I’m very impressed by the embroidery. It looks amazing. See how the two layers of Tear-A-Way prevented any puckering on the snowman’s densely stitched body. Now I need to trim the jump stitches on his face.
And there you have it, my first impression of the Husqvarna Viking Designer Quartz 29 as an embroidery machine. Wow, I must say that it packs quite a punch and has many features that I’d find on a large machine. Be mindful that some features are scaled down because this is an entry-level embroidery machine. But hey! What about that 7” screen?
As I said earlier, this would make a great second machine or an embroidery machine to take to an embroidery class, a sewing retreat, or even the cottage. You still get most of the bells and whistles without the weight.
As I mentioned before, the Husqvarna Viking Designer Quartz 29 is a WiFienabled sewing and embroidery machine, which is impressive for an entry-level machine. This capability will blow you away as we explore the mySewnet ecosystem and the Designer Quartz 29.
The first thing to do is connect to your Wi-Fi, just the same as any other Wi-Fi device in your home.
Once connected to the internet, you must sign into your free mySewnet account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one directly on the Designer Quartz 29. All you need is your email address and a password.
I liked using the stylus to sign in. It’s not that the keyboard is small, it just made it faster, and there’s less danger of touching the incorrect keys.
Once you’re signed in, you can access the Library or the Cloud. As part of the free account, you’ll get 100 MB of storage in the Cloud for designs created on your smart device apps, sent from the Library, the mySewnet Embroidery Software, or the Designer Quartz 29.
In addition, your mySewnet account allows you 2 GB of storage in the Vault. The Vault is a very cool place to store your files, as you can set them up with multiple tags, making it very easy to scroll down to the exact file(s) you want.
A paid subscription to any of the three levels of mySewnet Embroidery Software will give you access to almost 10,000 embroidery designs in the mySewnet Library, a fantastic free bonus. You’ll also have access to the 3,000+ Crafting Files for the Singer Momento, and there’s more great stuff coming! Remember you need to keep your subscription up-to-date to access the Library files.
The mySewnet Ecosystem can be confusing the first time you hear it, so attending a class or having your dealer review it with you is a great idea. These are exhilarating times in the world of sewing and embroidery, so be sure to check it out. You’ll want to be using all the available tools.
Now, here’s the amazing thing. As long as I have a paid subscription to any of the three mySewnet Embroidery Software levels, I can access the Library directly from the Designer Quartz 29. How awesome is that?
By selecting the Library, six of the latest designs loaded into the Library appear on the screen. Of course, I have many options to search by using the filter, which looks like a funnel, in the top right-hand corner.
I can search for designs by size, number of colors in the design, tags or labels for each design, and techniques. i.e. snowflake, snow, snowman, etc. Since my maximum hoop is 170 by 100, I probably want to include that as a search parameter.
I searched for a maximum size for the 100 by 100 hoop and the tag, snowflake. I got six pages of designs that fit those parameters. It’s easy to scroll through the pages to see what’s there.
If I want more information about the file, I can select it to see the number of colors and the number of stitches.
Once I found a design I liked, I selected it to download into the Embroidery Mode.
I decided that for what I was making I could put two motifs in the larger hoop and stitch two at a time. This simple exercise made me very comfortable moving between screens. I went into Embroidery Edit to move the motifs into the correct position.
Next, I hooped a Tear-A-Way stabilizer and fabric, put a white embroidery thread on top and in the bobbin, and pressed START.
As the Designer Quartz 29 stitches, I can see the positioning crosshairs move on the screen, which is neat.
Before I knew it, the snowflakes were complete! That was so easy! I’m going on a sewing retreat in a couple of weeks, and I think I might just take the Designer Quartz 29 with me. I can set it up on my table and let it do some embroidery while I work on other projects. It’s quiet and fast! It’s also lightweight and small so it won’t take up a lot of room.
I needed 7 of these motifs for my Christmas ornaments so I stitched 3 hoops of 2 snowflakes and debated stitching 2 more, but I only needed 1. Instead, I deleted 1 image and changed the hoop size to 100 by 100, which was excellent practice to ensure that I fully understood the process. Again, it was easy. All it took was moving back and forth between the screens a few times to fully appreciate what I could do and how easy it was.
I hooped the fabric and Tear-AWay stabilizer into the 100 by 100 hoop and pressed START. Now that I have all 7 motifs complete for my ornaments, I wanted to try other ways of incorporating designs from the mySewnet Ecosystem.
I was so excited I cut them apart before photographing them!
This time, I went into my Cloud instead of choosing the mySewnet Library on the first screen. Here are some of my designs that aren’t in a folder. Technically, these designs should be moved to the Vault for more permanent storage, and adding tags will make it much easier to find them. As an example, if I have designs from various and multiple sources in the Vault tagged with snow or snowflake, and I put the appropriate tag in the search box, I’ll get everything I have attached those tags to. No more complicated filing systems on the computer!
When I log into mySewnet account on the computer, I can access the Library, the Cloud, or the Vault and have the same options to search each. Of course, I have a bigger screen with the computer, but we saw how easy it was to search on the Designer Quartz 29.
Once I find an appropriate design, I can send it directly to the Designer Quartz 29, identified as My Viking Embroidery Machine. If I log into my account on other compatible Wi-Fi-enabled embroidery machines, they will appear on this list. In this instance, I can choose between my laptop, where the design will open up the mySewnet Embroidery Software, or sending it to the Wi-Fienabled embroidery machine.
Though it’s not pictured here, I can also send the design to my Cloud. You see, depending on where I am or what I’m doing, I have many options to move designs around.
When sending designs to the Designer Quarts 29, ensure that you are in Embroidery Mode. Before the design will load, you’ll receive a message asking if you wish to receive the design. How cool is this!
Pop-up message to receive designs
And there’s the design! I love this and can’t believe this ability is on the Designer Quartz 29, an entry-level embroidery machine!
This time, I’ll use mySewnet Embroidery Software on my laptop. As I opened a new window, I could select the hoops for the Designer Quartz 29. As I mentioned earlier, there are three of them.
I selected a design from the SuperDesign menu to test out the transfer.
In the top right-hand corner of the software screen is a menu accessing all the devices actively connected to the mySewnet Account. That’s quite a list.
for sending a
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I got a pop-up message on the computer confirming that the design went to the Designer Quartz 29.
There it is on the Embroidery Mode screen on the Designer Quartz 29. Wow! I love this feature! While I can save and retrieve files using a USB, sending them directly is just so easy.
There are 2 more things I want to share, and they concern the mySewnet App on your smart device. While I’m stitching, I can check the progress on my phone using the mySewnet App. I’ll find the monitor under Embroidery Options for the embroidery machine I need to watch, as I could have multiple Wi-Fienabled machines going simultaneously. Since I’m not always in the room, it’s great being able to check on the stitchout status.
The second neat thing about the mySewnet app is that once you add the Designer Quartz 29 to your list of machines, you can browse the User’s Guide on the app, as well as the Design Booklet. So, all the designs and their related information are accessible even if you are away from the embroidery machine. Wow! You can design and create with these tools from anywhere. I love it!
The User’s Guide and the Design Booklet are available in the mySewnet App
I didn’t have a chance to stitch any additional designs out. Still, I wanted to ensure you appreciated how versatile the mySewnet Ecosystem is for transferring, saving, and retrieving files. The possibilities for creating are endless.
I said before that the hoops are smaller than the larger machines, but the capabilities within the Designer Quarts 29 are fantastic! Seriously, I’ll take the Husqvarna Viking Designer Quartz 29 to my retreat to complete some longoverdue embroidery!
Introducing CREATIVATE™ - a brand-new digital toolkit that simplifies the entire creative process - like magic. It's everything you loved about mySewnet™, and so much more.
We’ll explore three more sewing features, and I’ll show you the finished ornaments I made with the embroidered snowflakes. Let’s start by looking at the options for making buttonholes. Stitch Menu 3 has seven buttonhole stitches; the eighth stitch is for sewing a button onto something. Did you know those buttonholes each have a different purpose? Some styles of buttonholes are better used in a horizontal orientation to prevent the button from pulling out, as in a woman’s blouse. Buttons on a shirt with a placket are often in the vertical orientation. The keyhole buttonholes offer a more tailored look and are usually used horizontally on pants. The fabric weight can also dictate which buttonhole style to use, so brush up on which buttonhole should be used where!
After choosing the buttonhole style, take your button and load it into the One-Step Buttonhole Foot. There’s a spot at the back of the foot to load the button, which ensures the buttonhole is the correct size for your button. Pull the little lever down on the left and insert the button, then push the lever up to hold the button in place, and your buttonholes will be perfectly sized to your button every time!
Next up, you want to prepare your fabric. You need to use a stabilizer or interfacing as the stitches are dense, and you’ll get a lot of pulling or puckering if you do not stabilize the buttonhole area. I used a lightweight fusible interfacing for this sample.
Then, you want to mark where your buttonholes are to go. Making a practice buttonhole is always a good idea to understand the placement and test your fabric and interfacing. Where does it start, and how does it end? Are the buttonholes horizontal or vertical? Does your fabric pucker? Always do a test. Use a marking tool that is appropriate for the task. Will the mark show after the buttons are complete? Then, it needs to be removable. While making your test buttonhole, also test your marking tool.
A T-shape mark works well as you’ll use the horizontal line to line up the start of the buttonhole in the foot, and the vertical line helps to get the buttonhole straight on your item.
And now we’re ready to go. My fabric is interfaced and marked, and the button is secure in the One-Step Buttonhole Foot.
Attaching the One-Step Buttonhole Foot is easy – simply slide the metal bar onto the presser foot ankle.
Lower the Buttonhole Lever and ensure it’s behind the stopper on the buttonhole foot. This step will ensure the buttonhole length is correct for the button.
Hold the top thread to prevent a thread nest and touch START. Then, sit back and watch the buttonhole stitch out.
Stitching out the buttonhole
And there’s the buttonhole. Super simple! I stitched several to try the different ones. Notice how, even with the lightweight interfacing, there’s some puckering? I used light interfacing; a woven fusible medium-weight would have been better. Now, we can see why making samples is vital to know what the buttonholes will look like before you start stitching your project.
variety of buttonholes
Here’s the back of the buttonholes. Remember to hold the top thread as you start to stitch to prevent thread nests on the back. A locking stitch is built into the buttonholes to secure the end.
I used a forty-weight thread for my samples. If you think the coverage is sparse, you can change the width and length of the stitches. Be careful; you don’t want the buttonhole to be too bulky. Again – this is why we make samples.
Let’s look at another feature called Sequence. By turning on the Sequence mode at the top, I can program lines of stitches. I’ve got five stitches in my stitch sequence. As I load a stitch, I can mirror it side to side, top to bottom, and change its width and length. I can also move the stitch to the left or right, depending on the width.
Touch the SAVE button on the bottom left to save the design in the built-in memory.
You’ll find the Saved stitch sequences in Stitch Menu 5, and you can access or delete them on this screen.
My stitch sequence will stitch out once using either the START button or the presser foot. If I want a second sequence, I’ll repeat that process. Don’t forget that you must use a stabilizer when working with decorative stitches. I chose random stitches for my sample and used a TearA-Way stabilizer. You’ll want to take some time and select stitch sequences that work well together.
You want to ensure that the end of one stitch and the beginning of the next are logically connected. You don’t want a significant jump between one stitch and the next. Remember all the edit tools available to facilitate this process. My sample shows that the bottom two stitches on the left (the same stitch mirrored) have a significant jump between the stitches. The stop and start of the stitches that look like Ss are more connected.
Let’s not forget the Font Menu. There are four fonts to play with.
Here’s a sample of the lettering. These fonts are great for stitching labels, quilt block names on sashings, and many other places.
A sample of one of the fonts
The last thing I’ll share is my mitten ornaments. I did the machine embroidery on the Designer Quartz 29 earlier. I trimmed the snowflakes and added fabric around them, making them large enough to cut out the mitten template. I added a cuff. The glittery clothespins allow them to be attached to a garland or a tree. They are an adorable project for the embroidery machine. Remember that snowflake design came from the mySewnet Library!
You probably didn’t notice when I shared the snowflake picture before, but there were little circles at the end of each stitching line. Yes – those are placement stitches in which you can fuse crystals. They look amazing with all their glitz!
And that’s a wrap for this feature! I had so much fun exploring the Husqvarna Viking Designer Quartz 29. It would make a great embroidery machine for the cottage; it would be amazing to take to an embroidery class or a sewing/ embroidery retreat because it’s so light and portable. It would be a fantastic machine for someone who wants embroidery capabilities but is on a budget. It has many bells and whistles that a larger embroidery machine has. Obviously, as an entry-level machine, there are limitations, and it’s small.
While it may be small, you can create beautiful projects in both sewing and embroidery mode. And don’t forget the Wi-FIi capabilities. Pop into your local Husqvarna VIKING dealer to get more details and to test drive the machine. I love it!
Have a super day! Ciao!
Elaine Theriault crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com
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