The Cotton Patch recommends Janome 1600PQC to use with their Gracie Quiliting Frame!

The Cotton Patch are well known for their Gracie Quilting Frames for many years. Recently they have become a stockist for the Janome 1600PQC long arm straight stitch machine to use with their quilting frames. In the photograph below you can see the "Grace Plastic Pattern Perfect" this is the grey template you can see on the table below the frame. This is so clever to keep your quilting in the correct pattern! Click the photograph to take you to You Tube and watch a small video.
While I was at The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in October, I took a couple of mini videos so you can see the wonderful combination of the Gracie Quilting Frame and the Janome 1600PQC, and the Gracie Sure Stitch, which is a stitch regulater. Just click either of these photographs to take you to my You Tube channel.For more information Gracie Quilting Frames and all the other quilting fabrics and accessories The Cotton Patch supply, check out their website, Facebook and Blog.

Jill Denton runs Mini Bunting Workshop @ Alexandra Palace!

Jill Denton is a Textile Artist who specialises in gorgeous felt wearables, such as scarves and hats. Above is one of her textured pieces from her online Gallery. Click the image to go to her website to see more.During the Knitting and Stitching Show, JIll was teaching a fun workshop on making mini bunting on our fabulous CXL301 machine. The quick and easy workshop is ideal to learn a new skill and have a play on a new sewing machine at the same time.
You can see from the smiley faces... everyone in having a lovely time!
For many, this was the first time using a computerised sewing machine, and they found it so simple and easy to use.
The CXL301 is our entry level computerised machine and has 30 built in stitches, including one step buttonholes! For more information on Jill Denton and her felt making workshops, go to her website and blog.
For more information on the Janome CXL301 contact your local stockist or have a look at the full details on Janome.co.uk

The New Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000 has been launched!!!!

At long last the new Janome top of line sewing and embroidery machine has arrived! And, believe me, it is worth the wait!
The Horizon Memory Craft 12000 has so much to offer, from over 300 hundred built in embroidery designs, and four hoops to embroider them out on at up 1000 stitches per minute! The largest hoop being 230mm x 300mm, that's 9" by nearly 12"!!
Over 400 built in sewing and decorative stitches... to 9mm width!!
Easy Pivoting with Auto Presser Foot Lift!
Ten built in lights, and easy needle plate conversion, variable zig zag for free machine embroidery!
Horizon Link software program for your computer which allows you to do all your editing on your laptop and then send via a direct link cable!
The embroidery arm still works to the back on the machine, and packs away neat and compact when not in use. For the full features list please click HERE and go to our main website.
And now, for a behind the scenes look at our preparation for our grand veiling at Alexandra Palace Knit and Stitch exhibition in October.....
When we launch any new machine, but especially a new top of line machine, all the staff involved need to get to know the machine inside out... we live, breath and eat the machine for weeks so we are fully confident to show you everything you ask us!
As much of our sewing work is done in the evening, after normal working hours are over, one of the best features about this machine came in very useful, the lighting. Ten lights in total, and a retractable High Light. This gave clear lighting all night long!
The light retracts back into the machine when you are not using it, and their is also a AcuView Magnifier to help see stitching around the needle. (this isn't in the photograph).
Over 400 stitches... just fabulous! All the decorative stitches are 9mm wide and the buttonholes can be customized as well to 9mm. Many of the stitches are brand new, and some of my favourites are the hand look stitches.
All Janome staff who will be working at the customer launch of the Horizon Memory Craft 12000 at Alexandra Palace, make samples on the machine, this helps us to learn the machine, and creates some wonderful inspiring pieces for display on the stand.
One of the pieces I created, was a draft excluder, using the gorgeous Babushka design of the 12000 and some of the fabulous 9mm decorative stitches. There are three Babushka designs built into the machine, I took these into Digitizer MBX and re-sized so I had eight dolls. The "Once in a small Russian town. there lived a woman called Babushka", is embroidered using one of the new fonts in Digitizer MBX, "Run Cardigan".The stitches above the Babushka designs are some of the new Hand Look Embroidery stitches, they are quite heavy looking and simulate embroidery done by hand with stranded thread.
I embellished the yellow fabric with rows of 9mm decorative stitches, and the Ric Rac finished the look!
The Babushka Draft Excluder looked great on the Horizon Memory Craft 12000 display, along with other samples made by Maureen Brown and various Janome Experts. (freelance textile artists, quilters etc).
The other sample I created for the Horizon Memory Craft 12000 display was a clasp handbag with a gorgeous big embroidery! This clasp was purchased from U-Handbag, who sell everything you need to make stunning bags.
I used one of the biggest embroidery designs on the machine, and using Digitizer MBX, I edited the design and added an extra 3 roses and leaves to give the design a better shape to fit my bag design. Here, you can see me embroidering the extra Roses and I used the tacking feature within embroidery to help hold the fabric in place. I am really pleased with the finished bag, and I can't wait to get chance to use it one day!

The handbag was displayed with other Horizon Memory Craft 12000 samples. Ruth Cox, our Southern Regional Sales Manager, made the Lingerie Bag using the Cross Stitch Alphabet, and the corset bodice with lace butterfly designs off the machine.
We had a wonderful time at the Knitting and Stitching Show, and as you can see, we were very busy!
Everyone loved the new Horizon Memory Craft 12000, and the feedback we recieved was very exciting. I can't wait to see what some of the first people to buy the machine will make on it!
Since the Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show, selected stockists have had Horizon Memory Craft training at Janome Head Office. The machine is now available to buy through selected shops. To find your local Horizon Memory Craft 12000 dealer, please contact our Head Office on 0161 6666011.