Button Sewing on the Janome MC9450

Did you know that you can use your Janome MC9450 to sew buttons to your projects or garments? It’s so easy and saves hand sewing those buttons on – and I love to avoid this part of the process!

You can sew on a variety of button types, from flat buttons to those with shanks. I’ve tried both and the Janome MC9450 works really well in either situation. You’ll need to use the Button foot T for this technique. It’s the cute little open toe blue foot! Attach this to your foot holder and then to your Janome MC9450 and you’ll be almost ready to start.

To start, you’ll need a button and the garment or fabric on which you want to stitch the button. I guess this is fairly obvious, but still…

You next need to use the “Button” setting on the Janome MC9450. You can find it in the Sewing applications area (the t-shirt icon). Scroll through the various options until you find the Button setting and select it. You’ll notice that there are two choices: one for flat buttons and one for buttons with a shank or for which you will create a shank with thread. If you choose the shank button option, you’ll need to use the button shank plate, which you will place between the fabric and the button. In my particular situation, I didn’t need to use this as I was attaching a flat button.

Before you start stitching, the Janome MC9450 will ask you to drop the feed dogs. Once you do this, you are ready to go!

Decide where you want to attach the button, and, using the handwheel, slowly drop the needle into the left button hole. Again, using the handwheel, drop the needle into the right button hole. You may need to adjust the stitch width to ensure that the needle will go into the buttonhole and not into the button! Once you are sure that the stitch width is appropriate for your button, you can use your foot pedal to stitch on the button. The Janome MC9450 will automatically stop stitching when the button is secure. Cut the thread and you are done.

To see this process in detail, click on the image below.

Creatively,

P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.

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P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!

Favorite Stitch Adjustment Feature on the Janome MC9450

You know that you can adjust the width and length on most of the decorative stitches on the Janome MC9450, right? But… do you know how to save those adjusted stitches? It’s easy! Let me show you how it’s done.

All of the stitches on the Janome MC9450 have a default setting which will show up when you select a particular stitch. This is the optimal setting for this stitch, but you can adjust many of the stitches on the sewing machine. Once you have made your adjustments you can save these as “Favorite Stitches”, but this setting has to first be turned on in the Settings area.

To activate the Favorite Stitch Adjustment feature on the Janome MC9450, click on “Set” on your display screen. Next, go to the second sewing machine icon in the Settings menu and click on it. You will then see a variety of options that are available on several pages. Use the arrow at the bottom of the display screen to go to the fourth page where you will see “Favorite Stitch Adjustment”. Be sure that it is set to “On”. If it is set to “Off”, you won’t be able to save any of the adjustments you’ve made to stitches on the machine.

Exit this menu area by clicking “OK” at the top of the display screen and then you are ready to go!

To see exactly how to save your “new” stitch, click on the image below.

Do you use the “Favorite Stitch Adjustment” feature on your Janome MC9450? Let me know in the Comments below.

Creatively,

P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to make new quilting friends in a supportive, safe environment?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.

P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!

Book Review: Text It!

Don’t you just love projects with words or phrases on them? I definitely do and so really enjoyed checking out Text It! by Sherri Noel. This book contains pillows, wall hangings, smaller quilts, and other projects to decorate your home and quilt studio.

Photo courtesy of Martingale Publishing

One of the things I really liked about Text It! is that it contains 7 different alphabets in a pull-out at the back of the book. All of these alphabets are full-size so you won’t need to enlarge them to use them in the projects. If you want to change the look of any of the projects in Text It!, you can choose one of the other alphabets included in the book and substitute it for the one used in the pattern..

Photo courtesy of Martingale Publishing

Sherri includes information on various forms of appliqué in the back part of the book so you can use your favourite one to create the projects in Text It!.

I loved the cute designs in Text It! and thought that they would make wonderful gifts for quilting and non-quilting friends.

Click on the image below for a detailed look at the projects in Text It!

Get your own copy of Text It! at https://amzn.to/2TLAcYt.

Creatively,

P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.

P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!

Easy Appliqué Pincushion Tutorial

If you’ve never made a pincushion before, you’ll want to keep reading. This project is great for using up scrap fabrics and for dipping your toes into fusible web appliqué. It doesn’t take long to make at all, so it’s a perfect “gotta have it done in an hour” gift.

If you have never tried this easy form of appliqué and want complete instructions on how to do it, you’ll definitely want to check out my course, Fusible Web Appliqué Essentials. It goes step-by-step through the whole process of making a fusible web appliqué project. (Or join The Quilter’s Way where this course is included free with your membership).

Now back to the pincushion project. Here’s what you’ll need:

Two charm squares – one for the top and one for the backing

An appliqué shape that is backed with fusible web or you can use a glue stick to adhere it to the top

Perle cotton or similar heavy thread and a long, thick needle

Polyester fill or similar filling

Usual sewing supplies

Once you’ve assembled all your materials,  starch the two charm squares so they are stiff. This makes them easier to work with.

Fuse or glue the appliqué to the top charm square. Finish the appliqué edges by stitching with your chosen stitch. I like to use a narrow zigzag.

Note: You might need a fabric stabilizer underneath the fabric, depending on the denseness of the stitch you have selected.

Place the top and back charm squares right sides together and stitch around them with a ¼” seam, leaving an opening on one side to turn. Clip the corners and turn it right side out, poking out the corners (I like to use That Purple Thang to do this).

Stuff with Polyfil or similar stuffing until very firm. Hand stitch the opening closed.

 If you like the look of your pincushion just as it is, you can stop here, but if you want to give it a bit more definition, read on.

To give it a pincushion shape, I like to stitch through the centre of the pincushion and out the back several ties, pulling the thread taut each time. Use two lengths of perle cotton for this (a regular weight thread might break - ask me how I know!). Knot the thread and starting on the back, push the needle through to the top. Take a small stitch and then go back down to the back, pulling the thread taut. You could add a button on top while doing this if you wished. Do this 3 times and then knot the thread in the back.
Your pincushion is now done!

For a complete step-by-step tutorial on creating this pincushion, click on the image below.

Have you ever made a pincushion before? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments below.

Creatively,

P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.

P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post ,I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!

Book Review: String Frenzy

If you’ve been quilting for any time at all, you probably have fabric scraps, including strips and strings. If you’re looking for projects where you can use these bits and pieces, you need to check out the projects in String Frenzy by Bonnie K. Hunter.

Photo courtesy of C & T Publishing

This latest book by the scrap quilting queen is full of gorgeous patterns, all using leftover strips and strings of fabric. The quilts in this book are large, but could definitely be scaled down to make smaller projects, such as table runners or lap quilts.

Photo courtesy of C & T Publishing

If you’re familiar with any of Bonnie’s previous books, you’ll know how much information she includes on getting your scrap fabrics organized and ready to be used in projects. This information in itself is worth the price of the book! It’s definitely worth reading all of the helpful content in String Frenzy that Bonnie provides on getting a scrap system going so you can always have your extra fabric pieces ready to use in any project.

Photo courtesy of C & T Publishing

String Frenzy includes 12 projects from scrap fabric and each pattern follows a similar format with text as well as a section called “At a Glance” for visual instructions.

Click on the image below to see more detailed information on String Frenzy and the beautiful quilts in it.

Are you a scrap quilter? If so, give me a “yes” in the Comments below.

Get your own copy of String Frenzy at https://amzn.to/2I7kEw2 and start clearing out that scrap bin.

Creatively,

P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment?  If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.

P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!