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Etsy Shop?

March 1, 2012 in General, Machines

I would LOVE to check out the Totally Stitchin’ community’s etsy shops, aka YOUR shop!! What do you make and sell? What got you started? How have you enjoyed it so far? Post in the comments section!! Seriously, I want to check it out! Or if you have a favorite; post it! I haven’t had a shop for long, but, it’s kind of fun to have a presence in online shopping! Etsy.com is such a great idea for creatives to be able to sell online across their country and internationally!

One of my friends, Heather, has an etsy shop, Daughter Designs. She makes all kinds of things, like handbags and quilts. Look at this really creative blanket she made. It’s a compilation from a little girl’s clothes when she was younger! So cute; what a great idea!

I thought having an etsy shop looked like fun, so, I decided to try it a little over a year ago! And I love it! There’s, of course, a whole business and marketing plan that goes into having regular business and success. I don’t make a lot of sales, but, it’s fun to make and sell things that, thus far, have been sent across the country…Iowa, Michigan, New York, and California to name a few! Here is my shop: The Sewing Corner! I sew and sell mainly baby items with my Baby Lock Sewing Machine and Diana Serger, but, one of my most popular items is this Casserole Carrier:

It is a lot of work, making samples, taking pictures, editing pictures, creating a product description, making a price for it, deciding on shipping costs, etc. But, I still enjoy it just for something a little extra on the side of my regular business of alterations and teaching sewing lessons (our website created by my friend, Melissa, link to her website). It’s a chance to make something I don’t normally sell to clients here in St. Louis.

Let me know if you have any questions about etsy!! If you have any advice, I’d love to hear it as well!

Some things I make:

Tutu Bloomers

Personalized Bib and Burp Cloth

Flower Bow and Headband - Black, Pink, and White

Personalized Bib and Burp Cloth

Tags: baby lock, etsy, sewing machine 25 Comments »

by Stephanie

Diana and I Became Better Friends

January 24, 2012 in Machines

When you’ve already bonded with a machine and the time comes for a new one, often the new one can be a learning adjustment in itself. Sergers, in particular, can be difficult to adjust to when you’re used to “the old way of doing things”. I’ve sat down with my new Baby Lock Diana Serger with basic seam finish projects, but hadn’t had a chance for the last several months to figure out the coveted cover stitch I’ve wanted for so long (I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it took me so long)! But, I finally figured it out this past weekend and it stitched out smoothly and beautifully. Once I figured out the set up, it really wasn’t that difficult. After I cover stitched a hem on a shirt, I was looking around the house to see what else I could hem with a cover stitch! I was disappointed when all I could find were 2 pairs of pants!

Cover Stitch:

Tags: baby lock, Cover Stitch, Diana, hem, Serge, Serger 4 Comments »

by Susan G

Sew it begins. . . The Allure of the Ellure Plus

December 7, 2011 in Machines

My sister, Mary, and I grew up in St. Louis and are now stay at home moms in the Milwaukee area. While our husbands joke that the monogramming/embroidering trend in St. Louis is a little over the top (“People even monogram their cars!”), we have always thought a personalized item for a new baby or friend’s birthday is a nice gift. After several attempts to find an embroidery place in Milwaukee, ordering multiple gifts online and from friends in St. Louis, we decided that we could probably do it ourselves and save some money and a lot of time. I think our most recent sewing experience was 15 years ago in a Clothing class we took in high school so the thought of making the jump to embroidering seemed a bit daunting, but we were up for the challenge.

Our Baby Lock Ellure Plus machine arrived the day before Thanksgiving. We were so ready to begin this new endeavor, but now had to wait five more days until our families left after the holiday weekend. With five children under 4 between the two of us, our biggest challenge will be finding the time to play and learn the machine. Our first attempt was successful in that we were able to program and embroider letters, names, and even one of the preloaded designs in the machine (with a thread color change even .

I have a three month old baby who needs a Christmas Stocking with her name on it to match the rest of ours. I am hoping to be able to get it up on the mantle before Santa arrives. We also have requests from our mom and sisters for Christmas gifts so we have a lot to learn in the next few weeks!

Tags: Ellure Plus, embroidery, Stitchin Women 4 Comments »

by Stephanie

Fashion Design and my Baby Lock Quilter’s Choice

November 1, 2011 in Machines

Hi! I’m Stephanie from St. Louis, MO and I am thrilled to be a Stitchin’ Woman for Totally Stitchin’ and looking forward to sharing some of my thoughts within the wonderful world of sewing! I am also excited to learn many new ideas through Totally Stitchin’!!

I finished up college with a Fashion Design Degree in May 2009. While I find the Fashion Design field fascinating, I like construction better. I do like sewing garments (especially swimwear and skirts and especially when they fit right), but I love to sew all kinds of things. To make it much more delightful is sewing with my Baby Lock Quilter’s Choice and Baby Lock Diana Serger!!

My greatest accomplishment, as a seamstress, has to be the collection that I created in college. It took place during my Senior Collection course in school where we had to design, draft patterns for, and make 5 outfits/dresses as a collection for our Spring fashion show. We had 3 months to design and construct these items. I chose wedding gowns because I think they are beautiful and had so much design potential for me. It was a crazy crazy semester (this sentence definitely deserved the word “crazy” twice)! I had no life and temporarily lost touch with several of my friend and family relationships, not to mention how expensive it was (luckily, we didn’t have to buy any books for this class). It was incredibly rewarding to see them go down the runway, not only in our school fashion show but in another one in St. Louis the following summer as well! I sewed all 5 gowns with my ever-so-reliable Baby Lock Quilter’s Choice! And then I had it cleaned and serviced after so much heavy sewing to keep it in good shape and it still runs smooth as ever!

Picture above taken by Jenna; http://www.jmarie-photography.blogspot.com

Picture above; taken by my mom!

Tags: Baby Lock Sewing machine, Fashion Design, wedding gowns 2 Comments »

by Michelle

Quick Embroidered Towels with the Sofia 2!

August 15, 2011 in Machines

Take Advantage of what you have!
My sister asked for some towels with the kids names on them, so I said ok no-problem, I‚Äôll have then for you this weekend (mind you it’s Thursday). I think that she thought that it was going to take much more time but I knew that I could do them in less than a hour with the Sofia ¬†that has a Built-in embroidery design library, 70 embroidery designs, 120 frame patters, 6 font styles in upper and lower case with so much more that you will love using.

Tags: Baby Lock Sofia, MichelleA, quick project, Towels Comments Off

by Michelle

Baby Lock Sofia Review

June 25, 2011 in Machines

I must say that I‚Äôm nervous and excited, in the same breath!
I‚Äôm nervous about my new endeavor that has popped into my life (my new Baby Lock¬†Sofia¬†machine) and excited that everyone will get to read about my new adventures on this journey.
Sofia was introduced to me as; ‚Äúshe can do everything for the beginner and intermediate sewing enthusiast plus embroider.‚Äù Once I got the box I was so excited just to get started, that I had visited the local fabric store ahead of time knowing I would want to begin immediately‚Ä¶ I did what I would do with anything; I‚Äôd set the manual to the side, plugged it in there was already a bobbin in the holder and all I had to do was tread the top stitch and I was ready to start. I grabbed a piece of fabric just wanting to practice with the LCD touchscreen and proceeded to just play with the setting. Once I was comfortable with that, I decided to embroider something (still not bothering to crack open the manual.) Placing the material in the loop, changed the foot, selected a design and pressed start!‚Ä¶.. Well‚Ä¶..that didn‚Äôt work like I had planned‚Ä¶ (this is what happens when you DON‚ÄôT read the manual first) the needle broke and the foot fell off. I thought to myself ‚Äúgood Lord! Please don‚Äôt tell me this is going to be a complicated process of changing functions‚Ä¶.‚Äù (I may have thrown in an expletive or two.) I decided rather break another needle I should open the manual and read how it should be done properly‚Ä¶Once I read the instructions, I felt better knowing that what I blindly did was correct and that the screw to the foot loosened and made it shift forcing the needle to not have a hole to go through and breaking‚Ä¶.
Until next time- Michelle

Tags: Baby Lock Sofia machine, sewing and embroidery maching review 5 Comments »

by Kelly

Meet Elizabeth

October 19, 2010 in Machines

Elizabeth is multi-talented and great at everything she does, and she’s ready to share all her secrets with you. With 178 stitches, 13 snap-on feet and a free-arm, this feature-packed machine sure has a lot to say! Elizabeth can help you make a statement with every project, from home d√©cor to accessories and garments. But don’t be intimidated – with a knee lift, push button features, needle threader and Quick-Set, Top-Loading Bobbin, Elizabeth is always there to make any project easy and successful.

Features

178 Built-in stitches
67 Utility stitches including 10 one-step buttonhole styles
- 40 Decorative stitches
- 5 Cross stitches
- 16 Satin stitches
- 11 Decorative satin stitches
- 39 Combinable utility stitches
3 Built-in upper case alphabets
Stitch length 0-5mm
Adjustable stitch width 7mm
Quick-Set, Top-Loading bobbin and a Quick-Set winder
Automatic needle threader
Start/stop button
Programmable needle up/down
Hands-free presser foot lift
Built-in, programmable reinforcement stitch
Automatic thread cutter
Drop feed
Free-arm sewing
Easy to read stitch chart
Customize and save stitch settings
10 Memory pockets
Presser foot pressure adjustment
Variable speed control
Pattern repeat
Mirror image
Variable needle position
Twin-needle sewing
Pattern elongator

Accessories

13 Snap-on feet
- Buttonhole
- Overcasting
- Zipper
- Zig zag
- Blind stitch
- Button fitting
- Walking
- Quilting
- Open toe
- Nonstick
- Stitch guide
Monogramming
Adjustable zipper/piping Hard case

Warranty

25-year limited manufacturer’s warranty
10-year parts
5-year electrical
5-year computer
1-year labor

Learn more about Elizabeth

Tags: A-Line Series, Baby Lock Machines, sewing machines 2 Comments »

by Kelly

Meet Jane

October 5, 2010 in Machines

Jane may be sensible and straight forward, but she’s anything but plain. She’s entrepreneurial and business-minded with sturdy stitches for projects big and small. Jane has a plan to help you achieve your goals with a speed of 1,500 spm, large extension table and a pin feed mechanism for precise stitching. As a high-speed, straight-stitch machine, Jane lets you add variation to your garments, accessories, quilts and d√©cor with adjustable stitch lengths and a variety of included and optional feet.

Features

Straight stitch machine
1,500 Stitches per minute
Precision Pin Feed System
Automatic needle threader
Convenient Push Buttons:
- Needle up/down
- Thread cutter
Standard bobbin winder and side-loading bobbin
Stitch length 0.0mm – 7.0mm
Thread tension adjustment dial
Presser foot pressure adjustment
Adjustable feed dogs; up to 4 heights
Hands-free presser foot lift
Built-in telescoping thread stand

Accessories

Hands-free presser foot lift
8 Feet
- Flex-reaction
- Free-motion quilting
- General purpose
- Invisible zipper
- 1/4″
- Rolled hem
- Walking
- Zipper
Seam guide
Soft cover for machine
Bobbins
Quilting extension table

Warranty

25-year limited
10-year parts
5-year electrical
1-year labor

Learn more about Jane

Tags: A-Line Series, baby lock, sewing machine, Straight stitch machine Comments Off

by Kelly

Meet Molly

September 22, 2010 in Machines

Molly loves her DIY, individual style, and she always encourages you to add your own touch. This multi-purpose machine includes 25 built-in stitches, a drop-in bobbin and a 1-step buttonhole. With adjustable stitch widths, 6 included accessory feet and a needle threader, Molly can help you bring your ideas to life with your own unique spin.

Features

25 Built-in stitches, including one-step buttonhole
Built-in needle threader
Drop-in bobbin
Free-arm sewing
Drop feed for free-motion techniques
Adjustable stitch length: 0-4mm
Adjustable stitch width: 0-5mm
Convenient thread cutter
Twin-needle sewing
Electronic foot control
Built-in accessory storage

Accessories

6 Snap-on feet
- Automatic buttonhole
- Blind hem
- Button fitting
- General purpose
- Overedge
- Zipper
Bobbins (4)
Needle package
Seam ripper
Spool caps (large and small)
Additional spool pin
Quilting Guide
Felt cushion
Lint brush

Warranty

25-year limited manufacturer’s warranty
10-year parts
2-year electrical
1-year labor

Learn more about Molly

Tags: A-Line Series, baby lock, sewing machines Comments Off

by Kelly

Meet Anna

September 8, 2010 in Machines

No matter what you’re sewing, Anna is the supportive friend who’s always ready to boost your confidence and cheer you on.¬† With several convenient features such as a drop-in bobbin, 15 built-in stitches and a 4-step buttonhole, this machine is perfect for beginning sewers. Anna is a great friend to turn to for mending, hemming and even crafting.