Running with Scissors @ Sheffield

Last week I visited the Janome stockist in Sheffield, Woodseats, who told me all about Emma and her sewing workshops. I contacted Emma for more information, and she kindly sent me lots of details to share with you and some fabulous photographs.
"Running With Scissors, Sheffield’s first craft lounge, was set up in 2009 by Emma Kent to help others learn new skills and share her love of all things crafty. I wanted a business name that reflected the ethos of experimenting, taking some risks, and having some fun, which are all part of the Running With Scissors experience. At the moment we do lots of sewing based workshops and after lots of research decided to buy 5 Janome Machines for people to use at the workshops (they are very reliable, robust enough for beginners and people absolutely love the automatic needle threader!). I run about half the workshops myself and the others are run my guest tutors who are specialists in their particular craft, such as dress making or patchwork and quilting. Sewing Machines for beginners is our most popular workshop where people get to learn how to thread up a machines, do basic stitches and get to make a cushion cover (see above). People are so thrilled with what they have achieved at the workshop it never fails to give me a little buzz of excitement. Sewing is hugely popular at the moment and people want to make their own clothes, do alterations and make projects for the home. Some of our other workshops include ‘Zips and Buttons’ (we make the little purse above), ‘Curtains for Beginners’ and ‘Make your own Patchwork Quilt’. Our ‘A-Line skirt in a Day’ is so popular we are also going to run a ‘Dress in a Day’ workshop, this will be a bias cut dress (all will be explained at the workshop) which is flattering for lots of different body shapes.

My Gran made lots of clothes for me when I was a child and she taught me how to use a sewing machine back in the early 1980s, my early projects included a red and white spotted A-symmetrical top and a red pencil skirt with a zip down the centre front (eat your heart out Pepsi and Shirley!). Now I’m a bit more grown up my sewing project list is never ending, currently on the list are curtains for our lounge (bay window!), a green linen tunic top, a draft excluder (possibly a 1970’s sausage dog style), some cushions…….

Workshops are mainly held at the Meersbrook Park United Reformed Church, Chesterfield Road, Heeley (about 3 miles form the centre of Sheffield). We also offer private tuition in your own home, craft parties, hen parties and workplace lunchtime sessions. It looks like 2012 is going to be a busy year…

For more information on Emma sewing workshops, visit her website

For more information about our Sheffield Janome stockist, Woodseats Sewing Machines,check out their website

English Couture Company Open Day!!!

Have you ever fancied learning how to make stunning tailored trousers, a gorgeous boned bodice, or the perfect size bra.... but a little nervous of getting started and signing up to a workshop? Well, this is the day for you!Michelle Pye will host an open day at her shop and training centre, English Couture Company in Syston, Leicestershire on Saturday 4th February 9am - 1pm.This is an informal opportunity to meet Michelle, have a look around the classroom and shop, and enjoy and lovely cup of tea and maybe a little something sweet as well.
Michelle has been teaching tailoring, dressmaking and lingerie courses for 12 years and moved into her current premises in June 2010. The shop stocks a huge range of couture fusible interfacing, interlinings, lingerie fabrics and haberdashery... if Michelle doesn't stock it, it's not worth having!
Her fully equipped classroom has everything you might need to make your perfect trousers, bra or even wedding dress... including Janome 6600p... one of our most popular professional sewing machines.
For more information, check out English Couture Company website, facebook page and twitter.

Christmas card and embroidery design created in Digitizier MBX!

Every year I like to give handmade Christmas cards, last year they were using bits of fabric and free machine embroidery to create a bunting card, have a look here.

This year, at Janome, we have had a wonderful new top of line machine, the Horizon Memory Craft 12000 and new embroidery software Digitizer MBX. So, what a great time to see what I can make!

As always, time is in short supply on the lead up to Christmas, so my cards had to be something simply and quick to make... and I decided on a slightly different concept this year. I will create the Christmas card in CorelDraw Essentails X5, which comes as part of the Digitizer MBX package and use the same design to create an embroidery design for my MC12000!We have just had our technical training on CorelDraw Essentials X5, and many thanks to the wonderful Suzanne, who showed us all the hints and tips to use this fantastic software package!
So I used this package to design my Christmas Card. I have to confess, I didn't design the Christmas Tree from scratch, I used Istock website, which has 10000's of images for you to download. The Christmas Tree design was in .EPS, which is a vector format, this means you can edit the design piece by piece and also, it's makes converting to an embroidery so much better quality. Once my card was created, my Canon printer became very busy!
Then onto the embroidery design....
Using my Christmas Tree vector image, I went into Digitizer MBX, and into Graphics Mode, and selected "Convert Selected Graphics to Embroidery". This instantly converts each part of the image into embroidery, and now we are using a vector image, the software understands layering on elements of the embroidery design.
My Christmas Tree is now embroidery....
I then edited the design by changing some of the textures of the fill areas, by using Embossed Fill Patterns. My design is then ready to embroider in my Grand Hoop on my Horizon Memory Craft 12000.
Remember I said when using a vector image, it understands layering of embroidery elements... look at the bird, the body of the bird has been embroidered first, then the wings and eye is on top, this is the best way of using embroidery to give a quality finish.
The same with this bauble, the star is on top of the bauble, giving a great finish. Older software packages would have tried to make a hole for the star, making the stitches uneven and awkward looking.
I embroidered my tree on 100% linen canvas from Fabrics Galore, this is a gorgeous natural looking fabric and embroiders beautifully.
On the back I added some green buttons in different sizes to compliment the Christmas Tree embroidery design.
And... a Christmas Card and embroidered Cushion to match!

For more information on Digitizer, have a look at our website and, for the Horizon Memory Craft 12000, look here.

If you would like to use my Christmas Tree embroidery design on your Horizon Memory Craft 12000, please email me and I will send it to you as a 'jef file. heidi@janome-uk.co.uk

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very merry New Year!!!!

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I'm adding to this blog post on 9th January 2012.

Joan Kopp emailed and asked me for the .jef embroidery design of my Christmas Tree to use on her Memorycraft 11000 (using Digitizer MB to alter the size of the design) .... and look what I received this morning! A photograph of the fabulous table runner she made using the design!
Thank you so much Joan for sharing this with us.
Remember, if I have emailed you the design... please share with us your finished Christmas Tree projects!

New sewing studio opens in Yorkshire.... The Design Suite!

I met Angela Feather a few weeks ago at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate, and I'm so glad I did! She told me all about her new venture, The Design Suite, which is based in Tockwith, roughly half way between Weatherby and York.
Angela was first inspired to sew by her Grandmother, who lived next door to the family home in New Zealand. Her Grandma would always be making her the latest fashions, and soon Angela got the sewing bug! At first using her Grandma's sewing machine, she finally got her own at age 12... and has never stopped sewing since!
After moving back to the UK, Angela studied textiles for five years, first with a Art & Design Course at York College and then Foundation Degree at Cleveland College of Art and Design in Hartlepool.
It was after this training, she realised there was a definite lack of suitable facilities in the area she lived..... and The Design Suite was born!

The Design Suite is made up of three studios, Studio One, Two and Print Studio.

Studio One has a gorgeous relaxed feel, with confortable seating and inspiring surroundings. This Studio is for the sewing and craft workshops, and can be hired for your own use for £50 half day.
Studio Two, is more formal, and is designed mainly for meetings and talks. It can be hired for your own use for £25 per hour.

The Print Studio is an open plan area to allow space for screen printing on fabric and wallpaper.Angela is running workshops in various subjects from dressmaking - basic and advanced, design and pattern cutting, free machine embroidery techniques, Christmas crafts, book binding, knitting, bunting making, and fashion drawing.
You don't need to take your own sewing machine to workshops, as the Studios have their own Janome Sewing Machines for you to use... and tea, coffee and cake is included with every workshop!
I can't wait to go and visit the Studio's in the New Year, and soak up the creative atmosphere... maybe a cuppa and cake...and hopefully join in with a little sewing while I'm there!

For more information on The Design Suite, visit their website, Twitter and Facebook page, and full list for workshops click here.

If you don't live in the Yorkshire area, why not check out our full list of recommended Janome Learning Centres all over the UK.

Santa visits Bambers Sewing Machines to see local children and help St. Ann's Hospice!

On Saturday, Bambers Sewing Machines let Santa turn their sewing classroom into his Grotto to speak to all the local children and see what they would like for Christmas! As I arrived at the shop, I could see one of Santa's elf's and Reindeer (aka. Alan and Steve) waving and telling everyone about Santa's visit!The weather might have been cold, but everyone was in warm spirit's to spread Christmas cheer. For children to visit Santa and receive a little Christmas gift, was free, and all money raised from the collection is for St. Ann's Hospice in Manchester. A place which is very close to the Bamber families heart.
Santa had done a wonderful job of transforming the classroom into his Grotto, but he did explain that he does this so often around the world and his little elf helpers are so quick, they can turn any place into into a cosy Christmas den in no time at all!I managed to have a quick chat with Santa, and he told me this year he had been busy, but enjoyed visiting Bambers last year so much, he just had to come back this year.... and hoped to make it a regular date in his Christmas Diary.







Maggie, Janet, Kathryn and Jenny, had made special Elf outfits to make Santa feel at home, and become his helpers for the day!







I couldn't resist... and had to have a photograph with Santa Reindeer (aka Alan) before I left!

For more information on Bambers Sewing Machines, and to find out about Santa's visit next year, check out their website and Facebook page.
If you would like to donate to St. Anns Hospice, please have a look at their website.

Knitting & Stitching Show @ Harrogate with White Rose Sewing & Craft Centre

The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate is our last one of the year, and it always has a Christmasy feel to it. This year was no exception, lots of customer were looking for new sewing machines for themselves for Christmas gifts, or for daughters and friends. The stand is ran by Phil from White Rose Sewing and Craft Centre in Harrogate, and Janome staff to support him.We had (nearly!) the full range of Janome sewing machines on demonstration, from basic sewing, computerised, embroidery, overlockers and embroidery design software, along with a great selection of Janome feet and accessories for your machine. With the huge interest in free machine embroidery, thanks to Kirstie Allsopp's Home Made Britain, we sold 100's of darning feet so people can have ago at home! If you haven't seen her sewing special, check out some of Craft Guides on the C4 website, scroll down to the Needlecraft Section. In the online chat after the programme was aired, Kirstie said she had a Janome machine at home for her personal use! Way to go Kirstie!!!!
Of course, we had our new Horizon Memory Craft 12000 on the stand, which was busily showing people fabulous big embroideries in its Grand Hoop (11.9" x 9.1"!!). Click on the photograph to go to my You Tube Channel and see some little videos of the machine in action.
Jennie Rayment, star of Justhands-on.tv was running mini make and take workshops making gorgeous Christmas Stockings on the Janome CXL301.
All the ladies were having a great time playing with our computerised sewing machine..and making a pretty little stocking to take home as well! The CXL301 has some beautiful stitches to embellish craft project.

Please follow the following links for more information....
White Rose sewing and Craft Centre, Harrogate
Horizon Memory Craft 12000
Janome sewing Machines

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.