QUILTsocial

It's exciting to be back, and this week, I get to play with the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2 sewing and embroidery machine. What a beautiful sewing machine, and since it's the top-of-the-line, it has lots of bells and whistles. My goal will be to touch on as many of them as possible, so you can see how easy they are to use and how they make sewing a breeze. The first thing I want to point out is that the color of the sewing machine in my photos is different from the model above. Why? There were custom color schemes available when the Designer EPIC 2 first came out, and since orange is my favorite color, I went with that one. It's orange and pink, and I LOVE it! This week is all about hearts, just in time for Valentine's Day, and I'm creating three projects. All are super easy and quick, so be sure to follow along. The three projects are a mug rug, a table runner, and a cushion. I won't get too specific in the sizes of material required for the various components as I tend to make things up as I go along. That way, if you make mistakes in placement – well, you can easily adjust the size! I'm kidding, but I like to create things on the fly. The projects are easy to modify to whatever size you want, and you can easily change the project to something else. Make a table runner or a wall hanging if you don't like a cushion. My goal is to inspire, so you can use the same tools and create your unique projects. I'll be using decorative stitches and embroidery motifs included in the Designer EPIC 2, as well as embroidery motifs from mySewnet, and the Circular Attachment. Let's get started and see what tools and supplies we need. The first thing is the Designer EPIC 2. That's a given! Isn't that color stunning? And I always sew with the optional extension table. I love the curved edge with the ruler along the front. Who wouldn't love the large screen, the ease of accessing the function panel, the built-in telescopic thread stand, and much more? There's a LOT to love about this machine! If you want more information, you can check out some earlier blog posts on the Designer EPIC 2. One of my other favorite tools is the Singer Steam Press. I'll be using fusible fleece for my batting, and while I could use an iron, the Steam Press makes the job much faster. I will not use anything else for fusible interfacings or interlinings, as it's much faster than using a traditional iron. I used the Circular Attachment and the new set of templates. I've used these templates before, but I'm using the heart template this time. Check out this post where I used the new templates to do applique and tulips. I love the wide variety of embroidery hoop sizes available for the Designer EPIC 2. I especially love the new Mega Quilters Hoop (260 x 260mm), which is the equivalent of 10" x 10". This hoop is brilliant when creating square embroidery designs, such as what I'm making for both sides of the cushion cover. It's an optional hoop, but when you have the larger format embroidery machine, I want one of these hoops. Yes, you can use the 360 x 260mm hoop, but you'll have to use larger pieces of fabric and stabilizer to hoop the project. And it's always a good idea to go with the smallest hoop possible! I used to put a zipper with a flap in all my cushions; however, I'm now a convert to the invisible zipper as it allows me to make a two-sided cushion! More places to show off decorative stitching or embroidery! Invisible zippers don't come in a wide variety of colors, but since they are hidden, it works out OK. And always buy a zipper longer than you need. I'm making a 16" cushion, and my invisible zipper is 22" long. And, of course, you'll need an invisible zipper foot, which makes inserting the invisible zipper so easy. If you don't have one, you must get one. Here's a tutorial showing how easy inserting an invisible zipper is. Depending on how you'll quilt your mug rug and table runner, you'll need different feet. If you quilt straight lines, it'll be a snap using the IDF (Integrated Dual Feed) on the Designer EPIC 2, which is amazing. And I can use the built-in moveable laser to get perfectly straight lines, up to 30mm apart. Or if I want to quilt the project with free motion, I'll need a free-motion foot. And you'll need the Sensor Q Foot for the machine embroidery. I'll also need some embroidery designs, and I did a quick search of mySewnet Library and found over 300 heart designs in various techniques. More on that later this week. WOW!!! Let's not forget the Quilt Binder to bind the mug rug and the table runner. You'll get an excellent single-fold binding which is easy to apply, even around the corners. A brand new Quilt Binder will be released shortly, making a double-fold binding. I can't wait to get my hands on it! Now that all the tools are in place let's discuss the supplies. You'll need some fabric. One meter of light pink for the table runner and cushion. One meter of white for the backgrounds of the embroidery, applique, and the decorative stitching. Fat quarter of the red heart fabric for the applique, binding, and backing of the mug rug. Fusible fleece is a great product to use instead of batting. Especially for small projects and especially for table runners, which I want to be flat so if something gets set on them, they’re very stable. Fusible fleece comes in black and white, is fusible on one side, and works beautifully with the steam press. Next up, we need some stabilizers. Use a fusible stitch and tear on the wrong side of the background to stabilize the fabric when using the circular attachment. I used the Inspira Fuse N' Tear, which works amazingly well and keeps the fabric from bunching up. Be very careful about the stabilizer. I've seen different kinds used, but you need a fusible one to adhere to the wrong side of your main fabric. If you don't, you may end up with your start and stops not matching up. More on that when we get to it. Inspira Tear-A-Way stabilizer is necessary when doing the embroidery. Since the density of my designs is relatively open, I'll only need one layer. And if you make a cushion, you'll need a cushion form, and I'm using a 16" cushion form. The last thing on the list is the thread. We need embroidery thread and regular thread. When it comes to threads, you can never have too little. I've been sorting my threads and gathering them all in one spot to get super organized. I found these storage boxes for scrapbooking to be perfect for sorting threads by color and the boxes reside in a cabinet. I used pre-wound bobbins for the decorative stitching and the embroidery. I used a regular 50-weight thread for piecing and quilting! So all of the tools and supplies are assembled, and sometimes, I think collecting the supplies takes longer than the actual project. It's now time to start sewing! Be sure to come back tomorrow when I use the Circular Attachment with the new templates on the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2. I can't wait to share what I made with you. Have a great day! Ciao! This is part 1 of 5 in this series. Go to part 2: Perfectly shaped hearts with the Circular Attachment - Let's applique!

FREE Quilting Patterns, Tutorials, Magazine

Latest Posts