Brother Sewing UK

Every time I use the Brother Innov-is XV I discover something new, so for this blog, I thought I’d share some of the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up. I’d be delighted if any of you have any tips and tricks that you’d like to share too – let everyone know in the comments section below! First off, let’s talk about the machine’s resizing capabilities . This was a bit of a revelation to me, as  while I knew that you could resize a design on the machine to a limited extent, what I did not know was that by simply pressing a different icon (the one shown above) you can resize up or down much more! The Brother XV/Dream Machine is apparently the only machine on the market that can resize up or down by – wait for it – adding or deleting stitches! How cool is that? Making a custom shape The next thing I learnt I came across when messing around in the Design Centre, making some quilted oven gloves. I wanted to make a very simple, three-layer, shaped and quilted piec...

I’m getting to know my Brother Innov-is V7, putting it to the test with the methods I use the most. It’s more than able to embroider and stitch decoratively on its own (there are more patterns than I’ll ever use!) but what about creating my own designs? I’m not referring to booting up my PEDesign 10 software – not yet, anyway – I need to know how it copes with something a little more freestyle. Free Motion Embroidery, Darning or Quilting; all different applications for the practice of dropping the feed dogs on your sewing machine and using your hands to guide the fabric in any direction, achieving a more fluid line of stitching. Professionally, I use this method for the application of delicate appliqué and lace hems to bridal gowns. It’s quick and easy to prepare the machine, which allows me to sew tulle, organza and chiffon with a more fluid technique than a straight stitch would allow. A personal favourite of mine is to create Freestanding lace, or use organza to create 3D...