June Charity Sewalong

May 30, 2017July 3, 2017Leave a comment

Act for Kids

Education-Services-263x225 Act for Kids is an Australian charity providing free therapy and support services to children and families who have experienced, or are at risk of, child abuse and neglect. They have helped thousands of children and families for over 28 years. Act for Kids operates twenty-two centres with a team of over 300 staff from Adelaide all the way up to the Cape York Peninsula. Their services have expanded to include integrated therapy, support for vulnerable families, special workshops to empower kids and safe houses in remote Aboriginal communities.

June Sewalong

For this month’s Sewalong, we are asking you to create and donate one or more pieces of clothing, made by sewing, embroidering, crafting or a combination of them all. Act for Kids works with children and adults all the way from age 1 to 20, so there are so many possibilities and ways to get involved!

Also, for the first time, we are running a sewalong competition where you can create a garment for yourself, or as a donation. By simply uploading a photo of the before and after, you will have the chance to win a fabulous Echidna Prize Pack!

Requirements for Each Project

You will need to ensure that your project complies with the following rules, since these are donations that will be given to children:

Use only new materials
Needs to be clean and free from chemicals, smoke and pet hair
It cannot have any potential choking hazards like buttons, beads, ribbons, hems or rhinestones attached.

Sewalong Brief

This Sewalong will run from 1st June- 30th June, 2017
Embroidery – Purchase any ready-made children’s outfit for age range (1 – 5). Then decorate it with embroidery, applique or a ScanNCut design.
Sewing – Create any kids clothing outfit for age range (3 – 6).

For ideas and inspiration please view our Echidna Pinterest Page including Kids Sewing Projects, Clothing Sewing Projects and DIY Printed Shirts.

You can also find many more projects online at Craftsy.

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Cabin Fever Quilt Block

May 10, 2017May 10, 2017Leave a comment

Inspired by the latest Echidna Sewalong for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, we have designed an aviation themed quilt block which can be used for a number of projects including pillows, mug rugs, quilts, table place mats, runners and much more! The quilt block design has been created from Lindee Goodall’s Cabin Fever Quilt Block project, which you can purchase for $39.95 (Platinum $35.95).

Cabin Fever by Lindee Goodall

This project requires piecing in-the-hoop (also known as pattern piecing) to create a finished block size of 5.5 inches (140mm x 140mm). The project contains 20 embroidery designs and an instructional pdf which includes full-size templates, patterns, colour sequences and step-by-step illustrations.

LGE-CF-700x700

This collection contains designs with the following minimum sewing field requirements: 1 for 130 x 180mm, 9 for 140 x 200mm, 15 up to 200 x 300 max.

Purchase Cabin Fever by Lindee Goodall – Price $39.95 (Platinum $35.95)

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Organza and Tulle – Are they Stabilizers or Fabrics?

May 10, 2017Leave a comment

The answer is “both” and they are two of the most versatile products you can have in your sewing room.

Organza and tulle are mostly recognised by sewers and couturiers as elegant eveningwear fabrics or under-linings to mount lace or devoré type fabrics upon. The technique of stabilising the outer fabric to an under minimises fabric creep, strengthen seams and gives body to the finished garment but remains relatively invisible and doesn’t change the handle or drape.

Close up view of heirloom stitching on tulle

The use of organza and tulle in embroidery does exactly the same thing. Sandwiching either between two layers of washaway will give freestanding lace more strength, ensures all the stitches remain regimented after washing, keeps a more consistent shape and generally ensures a longer life to the work.

A close up view of Organza which is perfect for dimensional embroidery

Organza is a little more opaque in its finish so it can create more of a “modesty” barrier should the embroidery placement be in an awkward area. Tulle, on the other hand, gives the same strength and stability but is almost invisible and allows either skin or a contrast colour to show through the work. Add a layer of Mylar to the tulle and you will get an iridescent reflective quality that is beyond spectacular!

Pressing Matters – A Couturier’s Secrets to Success

May 8, 2017May 8, 2017Leave a comment

by Martyn Smith

Having a variety of pressing equipment offers a sewer or crafter more versatility during the making of a project. Many sewers were taught to “press as you sew” but the reality of moving from the machine to the iron can seem like much bother when dealing with annoying little tasks.

Having a mini pressing station set up next to the machine allows the stitcher to “do the right thing” without moving from the work station. Quilters often have a flat work surface beside the machine to press seams while piecing, and both garment makers and embroiderers should consider this as well.

An easy solution to your pressing needs could be:

A silicon rubber mat in any or all of the 3 sizes, (20cm x 20cm, 38cm x 38cm & 60cm x 50cm)
A mini iron for smaller quick tasks (see back page)
A pressing ham or sleeve roll for pressing shaped areas like darts or sleeve heads
A Rajah pressing cloth to prevent fabric bruising and to also assist seams to stay open or closed during construction.

The Echidna Silicone Rubber Embroidery/Pressing Mat is ideal as a hooping surface to prevent movement during hooping. Its heat resistance also makes it a perfect ironing surface. It won’t melt if the iron is left face down on the surface for short periods of time during the preparation of fabric.

Under-pressing while sewing (the method of pressing seams as you construct) makes the finished item easier and quicker to press once completed. The mini 20cm x 20cm mat is also ideal to place an embroidery hoop onto while trimming away or applying appliqué fabric or giving a quick press to flatten a seam during the embroidery process.

Ironing and Pressing Products

We have a wide range of product to help you setup the perfect ironing and pressing station. For more information please visit our website or call us on 1800 000 360.