The pens I use are only the purple, but the ink comes right out with a squirt of water from the water bottle I keep on my ironing board and a little light rubbing. If I understand correctly, they need to be "erased" before hitting the detergent in the wash or they won't wash out. Sometimes I just let them sit and it disappears on it's own before I get to it.
Thanks! I tested the wash away one (blue ink) on every single shirt I bought and they all came out. And I did use detergent -- but just Ivory. I will remember to wash anything out now with plain water b/f I wash.
I've been enjoying all of your questions because I've been learning along with you. I use the purple pen and it never fades on its own, but it always disappears after I squirt it with water.
I'd like to fast forward a few weeks so you would get Stitch Era Universal and start asking questions about that.
Question Is there a trick to downloading Stitch Era Universal? If I understand their website correctly I have to "choose" a dealer to download it from? I tried and it seems to have gotten hung up. Just want to make sure I have the procedure right before I try downloading again.
I'm thrilled I have gotten as far as I have, but I don't foresee Stitch Era in my near future so you're going to have to ask your own questions for now! I did my first t-shirt applique. I just used an old spotted shirt of dd's with a pocket, though I did take the pocket off. It was a 4T and I had no issues with the size, but I think I'd be scared to do something really small. My stabilizer worked great and I even figured out how to make the heart design my machine came with an applique. (Never mind my heart is a wee bit off center!)
ANSWER Okay, I was able to download it.
QUESTION Would you say there's a long learning curve in becoming "fluent" with its operation? So far, it's frustrating. Is
youtube the way to go or surprising Wendy on her front door when she gets home from work?
Let me know what day you plan on visiting Wendy -- I may join you
Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on diaper bags. Do you have a favorite pattern? Is there any one single feature on a diaper bag you could not live without? I am supposed to be making a diaper bag for my friend, but she has no idea what she wants and told me to surprise her. I haven't been able to find one that has all my major wants and needs, so I was wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions as to what has worked for you.
Nini
I have not made this, but I bookmarked it as it gets good reviews:
http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/2009/06/diaper-bag.html
And there is another one listed on the same site that is more open at the top with loads of interior pockets.
I think I do it the lazy man way. I fold my shirt in half, then press it. And the I fold it from under the arms, and give it a bit of a press. The lines I use for the marks on my hoop. Then I hold it up to look at and make sure I have it straight. If it's to be like a crest on a polo, I again use the under arm as a guide, and the left side the color, then center it in that area.
Thanks. I did a test applique on an old t and I folded it and lightly pressed it and just marked the center under the applique -- however it's off by about .5cm. Oh well, it was just a practice shirt. I may not have even lined up the sides exactly even when I pressed. When I do it for real I will press and then measure to make sure I pressed accurately. I don't really call that lazy either -- I call it smart!
quick QUESTION?
ON my embroidery machine (it is a brother 750D) the thread will stitch fine for a while and then shred and I have to re-thread and start again...is this because the machine hates the type of thread I am using or is it something else and what could it possibly be? TIA for any wisdom you can share with me.
I have very little experience since my machine is less than a week old, but until my Marathon order came I practiced with Sulky and the thread broke a couple of times. It can give me fits in my sewing machine too when I hand applique. It could also be you need to try a new needle.
I have 2 different purple pens. One is water soluable (sp?) and one is disappearing. Either one works. Like another poster said...be sure the mark is gone (by using water or letting it disappear) before washing.
This is exactly how I do it too.....works perfectly!! I might add that when it is folded in half, I measure 5 inches down from the neck ribbing on the pressed middle seam and mark with a disappearing pen (purple) so that I know where the center of the design should be after it is in the hoop.
My purple is disappearing and my blue is wash away. And too late -- I already washed. I dotted each of the t's on the inside collar near the tags figuring if it didn't come out that would be a good place to hide a dot. They came out fine, even on the white shirts. I ended up dotting only under the center of the applique anyway, so it really didn't matter.
THREAD QUESTION
I hope you don't mind me barging in here with a question. I've lurked on these threads for ages, but rarely post. Anyway, I have just started dipping my toes into machine embroidery and would like to jump in head first to try some applique. I've got my eye on some of heathersue's patterns. I've done applique by hand, but I've always just used regular all-purpose thread for it. Do I really need to buy special embroidery thread for the embroidery machine? What kind do you use and can you recommend a good source for it? I started thinking about all the colors I would need and it's going to get expensive fast!
Thanks in advance!!
Elizabeth
I just got my embroidery machine this week. For my sewing machine with hand applique I just bought Sulky from Joann's. It sometimes works well and sometimes gives me fits -- i find sometimes it breaks easily. I tried it on my embroidery machine and it broke a couple of times there as well. I ordered a set from Marathon as recommended by many on here. I ordered the 50 most popular colors in rayon (as was recommended). So far it's worked perfectly and the set was CHEAP -- it's on sale for $80 and they send you 20 needles free. Shipping was $10, but that's still less than $2 a spool. And I ordered an extra spool of black and I think it was $1.95.
The man at Sew Vac highly recommended Floriani thread to me. I didn't price it, but I'd guess it to be around $5 per spool. Of course, he tried selling me other stabilizers than what I came in to buy anyway. I only went there to get Floriani stabilizer. One other time I went there for a serger replacement bulb and he tried selling me a Singer vacuum cleaner for a mere $700! He's pretty funny! So while I don't doubt Floriani probably has good thread, so far Marathon has been great.
I use a mark be gone pen and when I am finished with the shirt, I just dab at the marks with a damp paper towel. It takes the marks right off. Then I let the shirts dry. I had been using the disappearing ink pens but a couple of times I didn't get to hooping the shirts fast enough and the marks disappeared. LOL!
I found when doing hand applique the disappearing ink reacted differently on different fabrics. Granted, I really only use cotton, but on some it would stick around and on others it vanished before I could sew over it. I was just worried it may react differently on knit. I ended marking only under the center of my applique anyway and did the folding method, so I thnk I'll be safe (also my test dots came out in the wash).
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT AND ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS. YOU GALS ARE THE BEST!