Luke’s VIP Club Newsletter
July 2017

Luke’s is excited to Announce: 
Sewing Adventure 2017!
(October 23 & 24)
 
We’ll blow your socks off at this 2 day event!
 
Day 1: Sew and Quilt with Sue Hausmann!
Join celebrity guest Sue Hausmann, Sewing and Quilting educator most known for her America Sews Public Television series and her husband and CEO (Carry Everything Out) Herb Hausmann for a jam-packed day of sewing and quilting inspiration and instruction presented by Luke’s!
 
Sue and Herb are “sew” looking forward to presenting the “Celebrate life with Sewing and Quilting!” to all Luke’s VIP’s.
 
More details to come…
 
Day 2: Software Expert Phil Carlton
Phil Carlton of Edmond, Oklahoma is a graphic designer and trainer for a technology center in Oklahoma City. Phil has been teaching embroidery software classes for more than a decade. In his classes he combines his sense of humor with extensive computer experience with his desire to share his knowledge with the world. In his software classes, he stresses not only the HOW TO’S of our amazing software, but the WHY’s as well. Recently, his work and training skills have been featued in monthly presentations in Vantage’s Software Support. 
 
VIP of the Month
Vivien B.
 
Vivien is a newer face at Luke’s VIP events- but certainly not new to sewing! Her grandma taught her how to sew her first cheerleading uniform, and she was hooked after that. “I sewed just about everything I wore in highschool and college,” she reminisced. “I also made my daughter so many cute little outfits – mostly Halloween costumes – but as she got older, life happened and I didn’t sew much.” In November, she came to Luke’s to tune up a portable Janome machine so she could dive into quilting. “Lisa showed me the Elna 860 and I was in love.” 
 
“Through Luke’s, I really fell in love with making quilts – and discovered I love making purses!”  Vivian explained that out of the dozens of quilts and purses she’s made, she’s given away nearly all of them to friends, family and charities. “My daughter has so many purses from me- and she even tried to talk me into setting up an Etsy shop, but I just love sewing for my friends and loved ones! And I’m excited to incorporate embroidery into everything- it makes everything that much more personal!”
Her most recent purchase, the Elna 4 Needle, is going to let her do just that with ease and convenience. “It just seems so much easier – not having to keep stopping to change threads all the time.” The multi needle machines are fantastic for multitasking. Vivien will be able to focus on sewing and sergering while her 4 needle adds monograms and personalized embroidery designs to her projects.
She won’t have to stop every time there’s a color change, and with the free-arm and hat hoop, combined with Elna’s proven durability – she’ll be able to embroider on a huge variety of materials

 

 
Are you a VIP Club Member?!
Women Sewers Laughing 
If you’re not already a Luke’s VIP Club Member, enjoying access to special events, classes and every day discounts on notions and supplies, then,  purchase your next Sewing Machine from Luke’s and Join the Club!

Sincerely,

Nick Lucarelli
Luke’s Sewing Centers
Customer Appreciation
Month

The Boss is Away So Come Play!
Luke’s Elsmere
(Friday and Saturday July 28&29)
 
Mike will be at Luke’s Elsmere both days – so come say hi!
 

 Serged Zipper Bag!
(Both Days)

Veronica will be demonstrating how to make this fully lined zipper bag completely on the serger!

Come on in and see it for yourself!
 
FLASH SALE
35% off NEW Inspira Stabilizer!
 
We’re overstocked on NEW stabilizer so come stock up!

Tri County Open House #4: “Embroidery 101!”
July 28 (11:00am-3:00pm)
 
FREE!
 
Joanne and Laquitta will be going over everything from hooping, to quilting in the hoop, to appliqué in the hoop to stabilizers, scissors, needles, designs, everything that has to do with embroidery!
Tri County Open House
Friday August 18 (11:00am-4:00pm)


FREE!
 
We loved having Open Houses every Friday in July… so we are going to be having them on the third  Friday of every month! Details to come! 
 
What we do know is, it will be fun, informative, you will get lunch and a free gift!
Embroidery Corner
Embroidering T Shirts!
 
T-shirts are fun to embroider, but they can be a challenge sometimes.  Your choice of design, stabilizer, and even the
T-shirt itself can have a huge effect on how the design stitches out.
 
Choose a good quality t-shirt that has a high thread count.  Wash and dry it on the highest settings recommended for the fabric in order to pre-shrink the shirt to help prevent puckering.
 
The stabilizer you use will depend on how dense your design is.  One of our favorites is a sheer mesh cutaway stabilizer.  Because it’s a cutaway stabilizer, it won’t break down because of the needle perforations.  It’s also soft and will not scratch against the skin.
 
Hooping:  Spray the stabilizer with a temporary spray adhesive and apply to the wrong side of the T-shirt.  Hoop the stabilizer and T-shirt being careful not to stretch the T-shirt during the hooping process.  Once it is hooped and the hoop  is attached to the machine, lay a piece of washaway stabilizer topping on top of the fabric in the area to be embroidered.  If your machine has a basting in the hoop function, baste the stabilizer to the fabric.
 
Embroider the design, making sure to keep the T-shirt out of the way of the hoop.
 
Laundering the finished T-shirt gently will do a lot to help it keep looking nice.  If the embroidered area needs pressing after washing, use a press cloth to help protect it.
Ask Luke’s… 
When I purchase new needles they all have two numbers on them.  What do these numbers mean?
Yarn Couching_VSM09050033.jpg (56.21 KB)  
 
Most needles have two numbers on them such as 80/12.  The first is the size of the needle shaft, which is the European system for sizing the needles.  The second number is the American system for sizing needles.  In both systems, the larger the number, the larger the size of the needle and the eye of the needle.
 
 
 
If you have a question please submit it to [email protected].  If possible we will use it in one of our upcoming newsletters.

Accessory Feature…  

Stitch in the Ditch Foot

Twisted Tucks

These styles of tucks are created by folding and stitching the tucks in alternating directions.  Use these to embellish garment sections such as jacket yokes, shirt yokes, or insets.  They are a great addition to your quilting projects.  Use these for your borders the next time you need to add something special to a quilt.

Creating the Tucks:

  1. Mark the placement of the tuck by drawing a line where the fold is desired.  Fold and press the fabric along the marked line.
  1. Attach the ditch sewing foot to your machine.
  2. Place the folded edge of the tuck against the blade of the ditch foot.  Place the fabric so that the outer side of the tuck is on top and to the left of the blade of the foot.
  3. Adjust your needle position to the far left.
  4. Stitch the tuck and press to one side.
  5. Stitch all tucks.
  6. Using a fabric marker, draw lines across the tucks at regular intervals.
  7. Stitch across the tucks on every other drawn line, securing them into place.
  8. Press and stitch tucks in the opposite direction between each of the previously sewn rows.
Project of the Month 
Luggage Tag

Summer is the time for travel.  Make sure your luggage
is properly labeled with this custom luggage tag.

Supplies Required:
  • Walking foot / AcuFeed Foot
  • Buttonhole foot
  • Border Guide foot
  • Sewing/Embroidery machi
 
Fabric and Notions Required:
 
  • Rotary Cutter/Ruler/Rotary Cutting Mat
  • Marking pen/pencil
  • Thread
  • Fat quarter of White fabric (small piece 12×12 or less)
  • 3″  by 4″ piece of Heavy iron on interfacing
  • Neoprene  (small amount)
  • ½ yard of ribbon or bias tape or cord

Instructions:


On your embroidery machine…:
  1. Stabilize the white fabric and hoop your fabric.
  2. Make your information fit in a 3″x4″ space and attach the hoop and embroider.
  3. After the information is embroidered iron on the piece of interfacing.
  4. If you would like to embellish or embroider on the outside of your tag hoop a piece of your neoprene. Your design will need to be smaller than 4″ x 5″ finished size or finished size of tag.
  5. Continue to step 5 below
 

Finish Up:
  1. Iron on the heavy interfacing.
  2. Place Border Guide Foot on the machine.
  3. Place the first line of identification information on the machine according to your machines parameters being sure to use the locking stitch on the last letter of that line.
  4. Using your first line of writing and the lines on the Border Guide Foot, continue sewing your remaining information.
  5. Cut your identification information fabric to a rectangle ½ inch larger than the “writing”.
  6. Cut another piece of fabric the same size as the information piece. If you are using extremely heavy interfacing trim the seam allowance (1/4 inch) away to make it easier to turn right side out.
  7. Place your ¼ inch foot on your machine.
  8. With right sides together (if you are using a non-fusible interfacing make sure it is on the outside of one side of this “sandwich”), use your ¼ inch foot as a guide stitch on three sides: on top of your information, on the bottom of your information and to the right of your information.
  9. Trim the corners and turn right side out and press (if using fabric that can be pressed)
  10. Cut your neoprene pieces into two 4″ x 5″ pieces. You may cut this into a point if you wish.
  11. Mark the center of each piece of neoprene along the short edge.
  12. Measure down ¼ inch and mark.
  13. Place your buttonhole foot on the machine and place a ½ inch button in the back of your foot (you can just open the back ½ inch if you don’t have a appropriate size button)
  14. Select a buttonhole and pull down your sensor lever. Place your neoprene (single layer) at the mark under your buttonhole foot and make a buttonhole on each piece.
  15. Place the ¼ inch foot on the machine and lengthen your stitch to 3.5 for the top stitching on neoprene.
  16. Stitch along the two long sides of the neoprene leaving the side of the rectangle with the buttonhole and the opposite side open. Slide your information “card” you’ve made matching the raw edge with the edge of the tag without the buttonhole and stitch through all layers.
  17. Run a ribbon, cord or bias tape through buttonholes and attach to your suitcase!