Locally owned and operated
by Gail & Doug Marcy
573-817-0006
573-817-1223 (fax)
Vandiver Village
705D Vandiver Dr.
Columbia, MO 65202
Hours:
Mon-Th: 10 am-5:30 pm
Fri & Sat: 9:30 am-3 pm
Tips from the Satin Stitches staff
Methods:
- If you test an embroidery design on Osnaburg fabric (loose weave muslin), you can use it later as an applique with frayed edges on a t-towel.
Machines & Accessories:
- If your foot control has a retractable cord, hold it between your index finger and thumb when releasing it to keep it from twisting. This will cut down on wear n' tear so it'll last longer.
- When doing
applique in the embroidery hoop, use a piece of sticky tape to pat
the edges of the fabric before it is satin stitched into place. This
will remove the fuzzies.
- Pfaff owners (7570, 7560, 7530): Do you know you can wind a bobbin
while sewing or embroidering? Just don't turn the inner wheel on
the hand wheel.
- Keep the bed of your machine waxed. Fabric will glide more easily
if you rub a bit of paste wax on your accessory tray and machine
bed. Only use paste wax.
- Always lift your presser foot when threading your machine. This
locks the thread into the tension disks.
- To keep your machine in tip-top shape, use Q-tips to clean off
the lint. While regular cleaning is important, don't forget to keep
your machine oiled and have it professionally cleaned once a year.
- Use your Pfaff Endless Hoop for quilting borders on your quilts! It's easy and you don't need any stabilizer. Stop by the shop to see several samples of what you can do.
Stabilizer:
- To remove water soluble stabilizer from your embroideries, wash (not full strength) with fabric softener or hair conditioner. Your fabric or lace will nice and soft!
- Use a postage stamp bottle to remove any water-soluble stabilizer from your work.
- If the outline of your embroidery design does not line up with the rest of the design, use MORE stabilizer.
- Always store water-soluble stabilizers in an airtight container. Zip-lock bags work great.
Thread:
- Thread facts: Did you know that, on average, about 6.5 yards of thread and 2.5 yards of bobbin thread is used per 1,000 embroidery stitches? The main difference between polyester thread and rayon thread is that polyester can be bleached and still retain its color, whereas rayon cannot. If your thread is looping, it could be due to having too many stitches or that your material is tightly woven. To fix it, reduce the stitch count, or adjust the thread tension, or a combination of both. A fill stitch is area filled with multiple lines of walking stitches. A satin stitch is a series of zig zag stitches that form a letter, line or shape. A running/walking stitch is a single straight stitch that provides additional detail.
- Heat and light can dry out threads and fade their color. If you
hang your threads on a wall rack, cover the threads with a piece
of fabric. Old or dry thread break more easily.
- Use a needle with a larger eye if your thread keeps breaking.
- When opening a new spool of thread, hold the spool by the ends and push towards the center. This will tighten the thread on the spool.
Clean Up:
- Use a small leftover piece of batting to clean up the threads
on your cutting mat.
- Keep a lint roller near your sewing to pick up all the little threads from seam ripping.