PFAFF creative icon 2 | Sewing a play book with ease

After a busy and hot summer, I’m excited to be back and share all the new insights I’ve gained from my adventures with the PFAFF creative icon 2 Sewing and Embroidery Machine. After months of dedicated research and experimentation, I’m excited to dive back into a playful project featuring one of my favorite animals—the FOX! Today’s week-long adventure starts with a truly captivating project: a play book with a fox and patch flowers! Even though it’s just one spread, we’ll have a blast incorporating a zipper, mesh fabric, Velcro, a stuffed character, machine applique, and embroidery. And, of course, the PFAFF creative icon 2 will be with us every step of the way.

So, let’s power up our machine and get ready for some creative fun!

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to check our supplies for the play book and ensure everything is organized and ready for sewing. Below is the complete list of the materials we’ll use throughout our five-day project.

materials

fabric

• 2 – 10” x 10” pieces of light ombre green fabric for book cover
• 1 – 5 ¼” x 6¼” piece of deep ombre purple fabric for the inside page
• 1 – 9” x 9” piece of deep ombre green fabric for the inside page
• 2 – 1½” x 6½” strips of light ombre green fabric
• 2 – 1½” x 6¼” strips of light ombre green fabric
• 1 – 3” x 6⅛” piece of deep ombre green fabric
• 1 – 3” x 7” piece of light ombre green fabric
• 1 – 3” x 6½” piece of light ombre green fabric
• 1 – 1¾” x 12” piece of light ombre green fabric
• 1 – 5” x 12” piece of mesh fabric (for fabric in this project the gray color is used)
• 1 – 4” x 10” piece of light ombre purple fabric
• 1 – 4” x 10” piece of deep ombre yellow fabric
• 1 – 4” x 10” piece of deep ombre blue fabric
• 2 – 7” x 7” pieces of ombre orange-yellow fabric for fox figure
• 1 – 5” x 5” piece of off-white fabric
• 1 – 3½” x 5½” piece of fabric of your choice for mini quilt backing (optional)
• 77 – ¾” x ¾” scrap fabric pieces for mini quilt (optional)

thread

• 1 spool of Mettler 40wt polyester thread to match your book cover fabric
• bobbin wound with thread to match your main fabric
• 1 spool of Mettler 40wt polyester thread to match the inside book fabric
• bobbin wound with thread to match the backing
• a variety of spools of Mettler 40wt polyester thread for flower applique
• 1 bobbin of black (or white) Mettler 40wt polyester thread to match the Velcro

notions

• stiletto and fabric glue pen
• patchwork clips and fine glass head pins
• 2 – ⅝” x 17” pieces cotton lace
• sharp scissors and pinking shears
• 6” x 12” ruler and rotary cutter
• cutting mat and pencil
• water-soluble or heat-removable marker
• 1 sheet of transfer paper (optional)
• 4 – 5¼” x 6¼” pieces of ultra-firm stabilizer (such as Pellon 70 Peltex Sew-In Ultra Firm Stabilizer)
• 1 – ¾” x 6⅛” piece of ultra-firm stabilizer (such as Pellon 70 Peltex Sew-In Ultra Firm Stabilizer)
• 9” x ½” Velcro strip (black or white)
• 6” lightweight zipper
• 5 – 10” x 10” pieces of PFAFF Whisper Web Mesh Light Stabilizer
• 2 – 18” x 12” pieces of PFAFF Aqua Magic Stabilizer
  • PFAFF Universal Needles Size 80 or 90
  • PFAFF Quilting Needles Size 90/14
  • PFAFF Titanium Embroidery needle size 90

feet/machine accessories suggestions

• 0A Standard Presser Foot for IDT System
• 4 Zipper Foot for IDT System
• 6D Dynamic Spring Foot
• PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System
• creative 120 Square Hoop (120 x 120 mm)
• creative 260 x 200 Elite Hoop (260 x 200 mm)

It’s time for my favorite part of the process – switching on our PFAFF creative icon 2. Attach the embroidery unit. Just a friendly reminder that it is recommended to use the standard zig-zag stitch plate for embroidery and applique. However, if you forget to switch, the embroidery navigation on the screen will provide all the necessary recommendations and reminders before the embroidery process. On the welcome screen touch Embroidery option. A pop-up message prompts you to clear the embroidery arm and remove the hoop if attached before calibration. Tap ‘OK,’ and the machine will proceed to calibrate while the embroidery arm moves to the ready position. Load the bobbin. Thread the machine. Attach the 6D Dynamic Spring Foot.

Take the creative 120 Square Hoop (120 x 120 mm) and prepare your sandwich with the following layers: start with a 10” x 10” piece of  PFAFF Whisper Web Mesh Light Stabilizer add a 5¼” x 6¼” piece of ultra-firm stabilizer and finally place a 10” x 10” piece of light ombre green fabric with the right side up. Hoop the sandwich.

Hold the hoop up to the light to ensure the stabilizer is centered. On the screen, select the hoop size by clicking on the appropriate option. Choose the correct hoop size and click “Start Hoop Scan.” A pop-up message will prompt you to attach the hoop. To attach it, slide the hoop connector into the hoop attachment from front to back until it clicks into place. Click “OK” on the screen. The hoop scan process takes only about a minute!

We’ve completed the main preparation and it’s the best time to pick up the embroidery design, set a position, and with the projector illuminate it on the correct spot for our book cover.

One of the things I love about the Pfaff creative icon 2 is a built-in embroidery designs library!!! There are so many beautiful options to choose from! To load a design for editing on a screen click “Edit design”. Scroll to the “Frames and Borders” category. For our book cover, I picked up frame design#3. Click on Frame#3 to load the design for editing. I also decided to embroider the title of our book “FOX Garden”. To write the title, I clicked “Embroidery Fonts” and picked “Curlz 12”. Enter the title with the pop-up keyboard.

Our design is ready! Click the Projector icon and set the background color and the LED Work Light level by moving the indicator. To start on a screen click the “GO” icon. On a machine panel press the start button. And watch the magic happen as your stitches come together perfectly!

While embroidering the lettering, your machine will occasionally ask for some action from you. After each finished letter a pop-up window will appear on your screen with instructions. You’ll need to cut the thread and pull it to avoid getting it stuck or creating a messy back on the embroidery. So, cut, pull, click “OK” on the screen, and then press the start button on the machine panel. As soon as the title is finished, rethread the machine if you’d like to change the thread for the frame. Click the “GO” icon again, then press the start button on the machine panel. Give it about 5 minutes to create perfection!

The machine will play a melody and a pop-up window will notify you that the embroidery is finished. To remove the hoop from the embroidery arm, press and hold the gray button on the hoop attachment, then slide the hoop toward you. Cut any excess threads, and carefully unhoop your finished masterpiece.

For the back, I used the same frame design#3. On the screen, go to “Edit the Design” mode, click on each word of the title, and press the “Bin” icon to remove it. Load another sandwich, just like the first one. Attach the hoop and click through all the necessary “OKs” to start the embroidery.

Both of our front book cover pieces are stitched! Trim off the excess light stabilizer around the embroidery. Cut the fabric around each piece, leaving a ¾” allowance using pinking shears.

TIP Using pinking shears helps prevent the fabric edges from fraying, so you won’t have threads scattered everywhere.

Using a fabric glue pencil, start at the corners and draw a glue line. Fold the fabric and glue it in place. Next, draw glue lines along the sides of the rectangle, flip the seam allowance over, and glue it down. Press each finished piece with steam to set everything nicely. Repeat for the back side of the book cover.

Our first part is done, and it’s time to take a break until tomorrow. In the next post, we’ll dive into two more steps of creating our playful fox-themed book. We’ll be adding embroidered lace and crafting the book spine! Stay tuned for more embroidery fun with the PFAFF creative icon 2!

This is part 1 of 5 in this series