Quilting & Embroidery World of Magic

Quilting Tips & Tricks you can’t do without: 1-       Make sure you service your machine periodically. Always clear any lint and make sure that the bobbin case is very well oiled. I usually keep empty bobbins and once I reach 6 I oil the bobbin case. Don’t forget to service your machine once a year by the manufacturer. If you do a lot of quilting this might have to be done more often than yearly. 2-       A quilter must avoid interruptions while quilting. Make sure you have pre-wound bobbins ready so you do not have to be interrupted. 3-       If you are using old or vintage fabrics then you must use only cotton threads. Other type os threads (Rayon for example) will cut through your fabric if it is old. 4-       Fabric, Fabric and then more fabric! As a professional quilter you need to develop a huge stash of fabrics. Make sure you buy more than you need for each a...

Why Sewing Machines and Vacuum Cleaners are sold together? When I was young I used to ask so many questions to my old man and his answer was always stop asking stupid questions. One of those so called stupid questions was why specialty stores sell sewing machines and vacuum cleaners under one roof? It was not until years later when I got interested in embroidery and quilting this question came to mind once again. I did a bit of research, some reasoning and I found the answer to why stores who sell sewing machines also sell vacuum cleaners. It turned out that Singer which is one of the best sewing machines in history (not anymore) used to make vacuum cleaners as well so it would only make sense that the dealer stores would carry both. Another good point is that both sewing machines and vacuum cleaners use similar parts: small electric motors and belts. Both break down often and someone who knows how to fix a sewing machine can easily fix a vacuum cleaner as well. It ...

Why I prefer Quilter’s Grade Fabrics over the cheap Fabrics? When quilting or sewing you can go to some chain stores and buy fabric for as little as $3 per yard. And you can go to Quilting shops and spend up to $14 per yard or more. So What is the difference? Cheap fabric is cheap but let me explain in detail. Fabric is made out of threads (eg. 60/60 per square inch. Cheap fabrics consider 60/60 is the super duper fabric and often are way less (30/30).  For Premium quilting fabrics this is the absolute minimum. The higher the thread count the silkier the fabric, the more it lives and the less bearding. Another differentiation between cheap and premium fabrics is the diameter of the yarns and for cotton the length of the staples. Obviously the larger the diameter of the yarn and the longer the staple of the cotton the better the fabric. Premium quilting fabrics use more colors which ads to the cost of making them. Another difference is that premium fabrics on...

Why I love Pre Wound Bobbins? First of all they come pre-wound with a higher density of thread than if you wind your own bobbin on a machine. Usually people who wind their own bobbins will notice the thread filling a clump at one end before moving to the other end. The best bobbins in the market like Wonderfil DecoBob Pre-Wound bobbins are wound completely at the factory which means your stitches will be a lot more consistent when quilting or sewing. A good Bobbin like Wonderfil’s is not sprayed with glue which leaves residue on the thread that will eventually cause build ups in your machine and will reduce stitch consistency. This means that a good glue-free bobbin will make your machine happy. The thread is wound in a reusable plastic bobbin which means you refill them as many times as you wish in the future. A good pre-wound bobbin should be around 80 wt thread. This thread size in the bobbin will reduce the bulk in all of your seams and allow them to lay c...

Rayon Threads Myths & Facts I was told by a friend that she does not like Rayon threads because they are not colorfast. I was amazed at this statement as it is totally untrue. I asked her politely where did she learn that Rayon discolors easily. She said that one vendor has that written on their web site. I went to that threads manufacturer and I found out an article that talks bad about Rayon threads. I then noticed that they do not manufacture Rayon threads which explains it! Now from my experience with Rayon threads they are colorfast, very inexpensive, soft and comfortable, no static issues and is washable. The only disadvantages of Rayon threads that the thread becomes weaker when wet and is heat sensitive. Rayon threads are fade resistant so no matter how many times you wash the embroidery or garment, the colors are always as good as new. Also garments made with Rayon threads are more breathable and more comfortable to wear. Rayon is very soft on your skin also....

Why I do not Like Silk Threads? For one Silk threads are very expensive and you can replace them with a less expensive thread made out of lint free cotton or a cottonized polyester 100 wt threads at a fraction of the cost. Second, silk threads can easily tear your fabric especially if your fabric is light or flimsy. This will happen more frequently if you are using a heavy silk thread. With silk threads it is better to use a silk fibre which ads to the total cost of your sewing or quilting project. Keep in mind that if you do not match the silk thread with a silk fabric you will end up having to experiment with adjusting your tension which is not always fun to do. Another minor reason I do not ike silk threads is the smell. Depending on the type of silk thread you buy, some silk threads and fabrics have an earthy smell and some do not. This is hit and miss. Also from experience silk threads tend to snag in machines very easily and garments made with silk can only be dry c...

Egyptian Cotton : The Myths and The Facts Egyptian cotton is very well known around the world to be the best cotton used in threads and fabrics. Why Egyptian cotton is considered the best? The climate in Egypt allows the Extra Long Staple fabric to grow much longer than any other cotton in the world including the American Pima cotton which is also a long staple cotton. The problem that most consumers are facing is the lying by manufacturers.  Egyptian Cotton should refer to a certain type of Extra Long Staple cotton that is grown in Egypt not elsewhere. If you look at world-wide statistics of Egyptian cotton produced you will be amazed that Egypt produces less than 1% of the Egyptian cotton in the world.  Obviously many manufacturers are lying to the consumer. Also not every cotton grown in Egypt should be labelled Egyptian cotton, so the lying does continue unfortunately. For any cotton to be labelled "Egyptian Cotton" it must be Extra Long Staple (ELS) an...