creativfestival Fall 2011

location Metro Toronto Convention Centre - South Building 222 Bremner Blvd. Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2W6 conference classes Where technique, design and trend experts, artisans and designers share insider tips, tricks and techniques. From beginner to expert, there's always something new to learn in our 45 minute to 6 hour long classes. Classes start Wed Oct 19 through Sun Oct 23. Book classes individually or save with conference passes (see details). Register only through the Festival business office by calling 1.800.291.2030 & onsite if still available. exhibit hall tickets (13% HST included) $15 adult ($14 in advance) $12 senior 60+ ($11 in advance) $10 conference delegate $10 group (min order 10 tickets) $5 student (online & onsite only) $4 youth (10-17) $5 starlight pass only on Friday, October 21 Get tickets at the ticket booth starting at 4:30pm $25 3-day pass (online only - includes 1 draw ballot) save with advance tickets & you could win 1 of 3 - $1000 shopping sprees!  1 draw each day at 10:45am

exhibit hall hours Shop 'til you drop, get inspired and pick up more quick tips.  10:00am to 8:00pm Friday, October 21 10:00am to 6:00pm Saturday, October 22 10:00am to 5:00pm Sunday, October 23

   http://www.csnf.com/f11_event.html

Summer Sewing

• Well, it has been an eventful summer with a tremendous amount of activities to include Summer Sewing Exploration camp for kids. This camp runs every summer in our studio and we love to share exciting and  innovative ideas to kids of all ages. We will be sharing a sewing project with you to sew with your children during the summer months which is very simple. You will have plenty of time to make it with them before September. 
• Look forward to Creative Machine Embroidery Magazines next edition with many wonderful projects from a vast array of very creative writers. Look for my Material World Sewing with Suede article (downloadable project) with some very pretty machine embroidery projects for fall and a great Kwik Sew Jacket to embroider  http://www.cmemag.com/index.html     http://www.cmemag.com/content_downloads/Suede_Handbags.pdf

• If you have an opportunity to take a peak in the next Sew News  magazine, you will find some very nice articles to include Serger and what you can create with your serger, as well as many other wonderful articles.  http://www.sewnews.com/index.html
• I will keep you updated on all of these very shortly. There is going to be a very interesting project in the next issue of A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine coming up this fall with Sunburst Handbags exploring embellishing with Dupioni Silk and free motion sewing.    http://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/index.html
• Don't forget about the Creativ Festival at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre  Canada Oct 21-23        http://www.csnf.com/f11_index.html
• And for the second year the Knit Trade Show Sept 18th in Stroud Ontario Canada. Trade only.       http://www.knittrade.com/storeregistration.html

• If you have the opportunity to visit the  International Quilt Festival in Houston Nov 3-6th for General Public and Oct 29th-31st for Trade only it is being held at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. USA       http://www.quilts.com/newHome/index.php
• All of these will be posted individually on my blog coming up with more detail. 
• As you can see there is a lot of work to get caught up. Also watch for my article  on my blog in the future " How to create your own Serger Textile" and "Garment Construction using your own serger textile designed fabric". Have you ever made a textile with your serger?
• Well, much more to follow, enjoy the nice hot weather, and a nice cold iced tea. And sew, sew, sew.

Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine Cotton Voile

If you would like to learn a bit more about Cotton Voile

take a peak in July/August 2011 Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine

in the column Material World for full embroidered reversible pillow case project. 

                                           

Gathering Cotton Strips Using Specialty Sewing Feet

If you go through your fabric stash, I am sure you will find many pieces to cut into strips for gathering ruffles for skirts, blouses, home decorating, children's items, crafts and many more. Cut your strips into desired widths.

 Gather your machine hemmed strips using a straight stitch with a very long stitch length. Adjust your needle position accordingly. Tension was adjusted to 8 or 9. This is a standard sewing machine foot.

Do not push or pull on the strip of cotton. Simply let it feed under the foot along the edge of your sewing foot.

Use this for embellishment and notice that the gathering is very evenly distributed.

Finished edge of this strip has been hemmed on the Serger using a 2 thread rolled edge. Very narrow. The gathering is done on the sewing machine. There will be more to follow on this blog on serging and gathering on the serger. 

This cotton strip has been gathered using a stitch length of 6 and a tension of 9. Notice how much gathering can be accomplished. Always do a test sample first. I recommend that a 100% polyester thread be used with this high of a tension to prevent your thread from breaking part way through the gathering process. An Edge stitching foot has been used for this strip. 

Look closely at the right edge of the Edge stitching foot and you will see that as you are gathering, your fabric edge will stay straight along the edge. When your decide to incorporate this between a seam your can adjust your needle position slightly to the left so that your gathering seam does not show on the right side of your fabric

Using a Clear seam guide foot also works very well, for a strip that you would like to gather with a little more room along the raw edge. There are many options for needle position with this sewing foot. 

There is a guide running along the edge of this foot as well to keep your edge straight as you gather the strip.

The stitch length for this strip of single weight cotton is 6. The tension is 9.8 and because a good quality polyester thread is used in bobbin and needle, there is no breakage of threads. 

Practice on single weight cottons, and then experiment on double layer cotton pieces. Write down your adjustments as you go to keep them on file. Each time you need to experiment with gathering you will have the details for your own sewing machine. Have fun. You will love gathering. Try different fabric selections as well. 

Kwik Sew 3744

Kwik Sew 3631

Happy Mothers Day

A little bit different from photographs of sewing techniques and projects. 

Have a very relaxing day all. Enjoy the very peaceful photos of an evening in Port Dalhousie/St. Catharines Finally Spring is here.......Hurray and Happy Mothers Day

Fine Art & Craft Festival Burlington

Fine Art and Craft Festival

More than 100 artists selling a remarkable array of handcrafted, Canadian, juried fine art and craft, all located in and around the BAC! The building also features our Guilds, whose studio spaces are open with demonstrations and products for sale. Food and refreshments available on site.  

Date and Time

Saturday, June 11, 2011 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Sunday, June 12, 2011 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location

In and around the Burlington Art Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Road, across from Discovery Landing and Spencer's restaurant

Admission or Ticket Price

Free

Our Address 1333 Lakeshore Road  Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A9 Phone (905) 632-7796 Fax (905) 632-0278 info@burlingtonartcentre.on.ca Contacting Our Staff Staff Directory
BAC Hours Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 10:00pm Friday - Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm Sunday 12 noon - 5:00pm	Art Etc Gallery Shop Hours Monday -Thursday 10-6 Friday and Saturday 10-5 Sunday 12-5

Admission is FREE and we are an accessible facility.

Have a Very Happy Easter

Time once again has just flew by, This Toronto show was met with so much enthusiasm and creativity. I can hardly wait for the Fall Show at the Toronto Convention Centre. Look for my latest article in Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine for tips and some terrific ideas with  home decorating pieces or clothing already in your closet or cupboards........and how to revitalize them with some very pretty embroideries and stabilizers. Look for the column Tech Support. You will enjoy each and every article in this magazine of embroidery bliss. 



Absolutely more to follow....................................................


Ps. Share your sewing skills with a child. 

CreativFestival Spring Show 2011

2 Day interactive experience… where shopping, inspiration and creativity flourish!

Get in-the-know and stay on top of what’s hot, new and nextin the world of sewing, knitting, quilting, beading, needlework, paper crafts, embellishing and other creative art forms.

Come explore how to work with new mediums and materials while indulging in the process of personal design and style at our seminars, demos, stage shows, make ‘n takes and in-booth activities. All free with admission!

Beginner to expert, there’s always something new to learn!

A few attractions not to be missed…

• Felting: The Edgier Side: Get behind the seams of Gaudet Fashion House the crochet crowd:
• From YouTube to the Festival meet Mikey and Diva Dan fabric design competition:
• Be a Cross Stitch Fabric Designer & win prizes from DoveStitch
• Crafting for a Cure: Partnered with IKEA and Michaels to bring you kids crafting activities
• Sewing Stars: Linda MacPhee, Lorraine Henry & Kathy Ruddy share tips
• Fibre Experience: where you give carding, spinning and weaving a try.

Location:

International Centre, Halls 1 & 2, 6900 Airport Rd. , Mississauga , ON Canada L4V 1E8

with free parking!

Show Hours

10a to 8p Friday, April 15, 2011              

10a to 6p Saturday, April 16, 2011

Get in early at 9am with advance tickets and be eligible to win a $500 shopping spree

(one given away each day just before 10am)

Tickets (include 13% HST): online only

Single Day:  $15 adult $ $12 senior (60+) $ $10 group tickets (minimum order 20 tickets) $ $4 youth (10-17)

Creative Classes Fall Show 2010

2-Day Passes: $20 adult or senior $ $5 student (must have student ID#)

Fall Fashion Show 2010 Photos 

I thought I would share with you some pictures from the CreativFestival Fall Show 2010. 

Creative Classes


Encourage young learners to attend, because this is truly where it all starts. Being surrounded by total creativity. Who could ask for anything more. 

 Photos provided by CreativFestival

Serger chainstitching in Home Dec

 Using a Serger chainstitch on strips of silk, cottons, and linens can provide you  with a very simple design. Use this for tablerunners, bedskirts, placemats, and even fashion. Each edge of the silk in this photograph was finished using a 3 thread serged rolled edge.  An extension table on your serger makes this very possible and easy to use a circular like motion guiding it with your hands on the extension table. 

 In this photograph to the right, a serger chainstitch has been used to add detail in between each white line. This curtain was originally all white, but to bring colour into the room the chainstitch was added and blue embroidered flowers. Just another example of how a chainstitch can be done on a lightweight gauzy fabric with the correct settings. 

 

Each of the flowers were embroidered on a water soluble stabilizer first and then added as applique. A good beginner project for embroidery. They were each stitched on individually using invisible thread in the needle and the bobbin. If you have a ready made curtain, add colour and change the detail. 

Serge a Quick Bias Cut skirt

Create a  quick and easy bias cut skirt for Spring using your 4 thread overlock for your seams. Adjust the differential feed according to the bias to prevent any rippling or stretching out. Try out a sample piece of your fabric first with your serger. 

•  Simply serge the upper edge of your skirt, turn down to wrong side for desirable waistband according to your elastic width and sew on your band into position using a sewing machine. Insert elastic.
• Create a mock band and insert elastic. There will be more information to follow for this application.
• Use the elastic foot to create an elastic application and turn edge down and top-stitch into place. 
• Just 3 ways of creating a quick and easy waistband

Using a rolled hem or narrow hem feature as seen above, and decorative thread 
to your upper and /or lower looper, this will add a bit of sheen to the hem.