Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

...a very good place to start.

Anyone else singing "Do-Re-Mi" from the Sound of Music now?
Love that movie!

Since this is the beginning of All Things Applique's blog, I thought it would be a good time to go over some of the first products you need when you start embroidering.  For you seasoned embroiders out there...keep reading...I bet you find something new that you want to try too!

A few weeks ago I attended an embroidery conference where I had the opportunity to take several embroidery classes as well as meet with lots of embroidery vendors.  It was mainly an educational trip for me, but I did make one purchase...

The Gunold Introductory Kit

This box is packed with lots of goodies any embroiderer would love!  Here is all that came in my box as well as a brief description of the products:

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A: KK 100 - a temporary spray adhesive perfect for applique fabric

B: Curved End Scissors - I purchased my first pair of embroidery scissors from Wal-Mart for $7.00 several years ago. And really, they have done great, but I have been wanting a new pair for over a year and just haven't made the purchase. These retail at $10.30 from Gunold and are fantastic. They cut without any effort and I am able to get so close to the tackdown stitch even around small curves.

C: 2 spools of Sulky Rayon thread (white and black)

D: 6 spools of Gunold Poly thread

E: Stitch Saver - A textured, 100% polyester fabric that looks like it has been embroidered. I thought this would be great for those large fill stitch areas that take so long...eyes, truck tires, etc. It is pricey, but you would only need small squares each time you use it so I imagine it would last a long time.

F: a 10 pack of 75/11 needles

G: Disposable Snips - these are $14.00 for a dozen and are perfect for thread trimming at the end of a project.

H: Metallic Thread....love this...especially for holiday projects!

I: Bobbins! Can't live without these, right?

Here is a closeup of the Stitch Saver:

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And one more close-up of the scissors and disposable snips:

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Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun product to try? Well, that is just the top layer of the box! Check out what else was inside:

Who needs thread charts? We all do! It is really helpful to match your fabric to actual thread samples.

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The top is the Sulky Rayon color card and the bottom is the Gunold Poly color card.

The Poly line has variegated thread...which I love!

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When I first started embroidering I was so confused with what stabilizer to use for what project. I ended up with lots of rolls of different types of backing. Some I used and reordered. Some are still collecting dust. Sigh. I wish I would have known about these backing sample kits when I started!

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This has over 20 square samples of backing. It is great to be able to feel the difference between the different weights and between the cutaway/tearaway/topping, etc. and know what you are getting before you order.

Each sheet is labeled with it's name, weight, and catalog number.

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In addition to the backing sample back, I also received a good starter collection of some of the most popular types of backing:

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*25 pieces of Quick Tear - Tear Away Backing
*25 pieces of Soft n Sheer - Cut Away Backing
*25 pieces of Solvy (great for bibs and terrycloth)
*25 pieces of Totally Stable - Cut Away Backing

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*5 pieces of Filmoplast Self-Adhesive Backing
*12 pieces of Tear Away for Caps

And finally...one more product that I can't wait to try:

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Puffy Foam! I will be digitizing some designs specifically for puffy foam very soon. This will really add dimension to your products!

So, there you have it.  Getting started in embroidery in a box.  Pretty fun, huh?  This box won't answer all of your questions...but it really is a great place to start.

Questions? Please leave a comment or e-mail us at allthingsapplique@gmail.com

3 comments:

  1. Can anyone purchase this box? It is AWESOME!

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  2. Hello, where do i get this and how much?

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  3. I ordered this set from Gunold Embroidery Supplies. You have to have a Sales Tax Exemption code to order from their website.

    ReplyDelete