Brother Sewing UK

My Brother Innovis 1800QC has been a real boon in my many varied sewing projects over the lasts few months. Let me share how I altered a denim jacket on this fab machine. Prepping the jacket I was hosting some Upcycle Challenges at the Knitting & Stitching show at in Olympia, so decided I needed to do my own Upcycling to show I can do what I teach! I had already used an Embellisher machine to appliqué some large roses on the back of the jacket some time ago. These were just cut from a patterned fabric, held in place and attached quickly with an embellisher machine - fitted with five barbed needles that mesh the fibres together. Applique with the Innov-is 1800C  I then bought the 1800QC into play. To ensure the applique stayed in place through repeated wash and wear, I free motioned over the design using the free motion foot. No problem. Done in ten! Next, I added ric rac ribbon trim down the vertical seams on the front and stitched them in place with a zigzag...

Baby Vest & Shorts with sample stitches panel   I’m a dressmaker, sewist and a seamstress, so the sewing side of the V series is an element that really excites me. I’ve been gradually doing more of my everyday sewing on the V7 and already been impressed by the quality of stitch it performs, even on the most unpredictable stretch jerseys.   I have also managed a successful customising job on a bridal gown, using many layers of slippery linings and corded lace, without fault and with great precision. Ultimately, I would love to up-cycle some cotton shirts I purchased from a charity shop, so I’ve been collecting various supplies. I have always wanted to try heirloom sewing, using traditional, typically hand-sewn sewing methods to create decorative finishes, but I have some new presser feet and needles so wanted to give it a go on my sewing machine. In my stash I have:  lace edging, insertion lace, 20 count cotton linen, 30 count cotton lawn, s...

One of the things I really enjoy is making bags of all shapes and sizes – from make-up bags to clutches to shoulder bags to handbags, I love them all. Up to now I have contented myself with using commercial patterns or buying 'in the hoop' designs – which I didn’t always like as I found them fiddly and wasteful. I had long admired ready-embroidered fabric in the shops, but it can be expensive. I was confident that with this fabulous machine I could reproduce something similar – or even better – and it would be exactly what I wanted. I began by embroidering a piece of fabric in the usual way – adding the design and free-motion quilting around it before taking it out of the hoop, cutting out the shape I needed and assembling on the sewing side. Here’s an example of a piece of piece of embroidered fabric cut from a larger piece I created using one of the in-built quilt fills. It worked but, again, a tiny bit wasteful if you are just cutting a shape from it. So I thou...

Let's start by saying I love the Innov-is 1800QC! I have had it now for a few months and it just keeps on giving. I’ve made all sorts of very varied things – from many craft projects for the two books I am writing, to garments for the shows I attend, to samples for display at trade shows. It has coped beautifully with everything I have thrown at it! But back to the beginning. Out of the box It might be aimed at quilters (hence the QC and the range of fab quilting accessories) but as a dressmaker and general sewist, I love all the extras too! The machine comes with a whole host of attachments and feet including a large extension table – perfect when sewing big projects such as quilts or coats (as I did) – and a flat bed attachment that holds the tray of feet well thanks to its nicely wide design. The handy lift-out tray has numbered positions for the utility feet, making it easy to identify them and use the recommended foot for the stitch selected. There are also spare bobbins o...

One of the many new features of the Luminaire XP1 sewing and embroidery machine is the ability to adjust the size and aspect ratio (height versus width) of character and decorative stitches, allowing greater control and creative flexibility than ever before. As with many of the machines in the Brother range, there is also an onboard custom stitch creator, allowing you to create your very own stitch designs if what is provided isn’t quite what you need. On the XP1 there are also now even more character and decorative stitches that can be used 'in the hoop' on the embroidery side of the machine too, allowing even more creative fun. In my experience, one of the most overlooked features of many machines in the Brother range – including the XP1 – is the ability to combine stitches to create your own pattern. On the XP1 (and other machines), you can combine different stitch patterns, mirror them, combine those of different lengths and also create stepped patterns. These can then be...

Located in Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Bits & Bobs has plenty of sewing supplies and classes for craft lovers. Sewing machines and a wide range of workshops in Weymouth Bits & Bobs was founded in 2014 by Roberta (Bobs) as a new business venture. Bobs had bought the premises in 2013, but they were in dire need of renovation. Bobs wondered, one day, sitting amongst the bare shell of the building, whether she could run a shop in it – something she’d not yet tried in her career. Bobs knew a bit about sewing and knitting and other crafts, having been bought up in a crafty family who made all their own clothes and accessories, but knew very little about retail. It couldn’t be that difficult, she thought, and so her journey began! Haberdashery and sewing machines for all skill levels Five years on, the shop is now well-stocked with plenty of fabrics, haberdashery, notions, crafting products, yarns, patterns, kits and threads - everything you might need for your favouri...

Fig 1 - Brother VR single needle embroidery and free motion embroidery machine If you are lucky enough to have a big, framed embroidery machine such as the Brother VR, embellishing a quilt can be a great way to make the most of the all the machine's built-in designs. The Brother VR is a single-needle embroidery machine with free-arm embroidery and free-motion sewing capability, and comes with 305 built in embroidery designs! This is the perfect machine to embroider quilt patterns because the extra-large hoop allows you to work with designs up to 200mm x 200mm. The VR easily converts into a free-motion quilting machine, however the built-in embroidery capabilities create amazing quilting designs with no effort or expertise at all! There is a whole section in the Embroidery Design Guild showing the built-in quilting designs on the VR that are just crying out made the star of a quilting project. Figures 2 and 3 below show just a couple of the designs available for...