Crafty Gear 411: Decorative Stitching + Pellon Stabilizer Giveaway

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It's time for a new edition of Crafty Gear 411, my way of sharing sewing room secrets I've learned to help others make the most of their sewing adventures.  For this round I wanted to focus on the tricks & tips for doing Decorative Sewing. 

Appliqueing, decorative stitching, machine embroidery - they add lovely embellishments and a professional finish to projects, but getting started can seem a bit daunting.  

There's a big misconception that they require complex tools or expert sewing skills to achieve.  Not true!!  This week I'll be showing how to get started with these different techniques, the gear needed and some simple project tutorials so you can be decorative sewing in no time!

The key to success with any of these techniques is using the right notions.  The two things that create great results with decorative sewing are embroidery thread & embroidery stabilizer.

Embroidery thread (not to be confused with embroidery floss) is a special thread that is less twisted and more lightweight than regular sewing thread.  It also has more of a shine to really make the decorative stitching stand out.  There are loads of colors, metallics, even glow-in-the-dark, ombre & variegated.

Embroidery Stabilizer is the backing that adds support & strength to the fabric while it's being stitched.  In insures that the design is sewn flat and evenly, as well as keeping the fabric from puckering, tearing or over-stretching.  This is key when sewing on an applique, adding decorative stitches or machine embroidering a design.

Pellon makes embroidery stabilizers for all weights of fabric, from delicate lace to heavy napped velvet and are easy to remove by cutting, tearing or dissolving in water.  And since they know it can be overwhelming to figure out exactly which type you may need, Pellon now offers their embroidery stabilizers in easy to understand, color-coded packages so it's a breeze to identify exactly what will be ideal for your project.

Each box gives info on what kinds of applications it's best for and easy follow directions for use.  You can look for these products at Joann's stores starting this month and in more shops very soon.  But how about having a chance to win them all right here?

Thanks to Pellon, I am giving away a full set of all these stabilizers!!

One winner will receive all of the following:

• Sol-U-Film Lite is great for edges, shadow work, lace work, bridging, etc, and since it completely dissolves in water, it makes it the ideal stabilizer for delicate and intricate designs. 
• Soft-N-Stay is a leave-in stabilizer that's perfect projects that will come in contact with skin. It features a lightweight, soft texture that remains with the fabric and works great in open-weave fabrics, organza, netting, lycra, dense embroidery designs and free-form embroidery.
• Fuse N Tear is an iron-on embroidery stabilizer for decorative stitching, appliques, buttonholes, monogramming, chartered needlework and stenciled borders. It saves time and hassle by eliminating pinning & shifting and just tears away.
• Stitch-N-Tear Lite sews-in & is great for decorative stitching, quilting, satin stitching, thread sketching and buttonholes. Being soft & lightweight means it does not pull or distort stitches during removal.
• Stick-N-Tear is great for knit fabric, velvet, ultra suede, brushed denim, silk, flannel and nylon. the ideal stabilizer to use for small areas like ribbon, doll clothes, cuffs, collars and socks. Easy to use by simply peeling off paper backing, applying to fabric and tearing away when done.

This is nearly 50 yards of stabilizer and 

with a total value of over $90!  

It's a great way to get a jump start on some decorative sewing.

To Enter:

Say which type of Pellon Embroidery Stabilizer you'd like to try most.  Be sure to include an email address if it's not on your profile.

For Additional Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):

- Stop by PellonProjects.com, then come back and leave a comment saying your favorite project 

- Become a fan of Pellon on Facebook

- Sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the PellonProjects.com

- Link to this giveaway on your blog, Facebook or Twitter

- Follow Sew Can Do

- Like Sew Can Do on Facebook

- Follow Sew Can Do on Pinterest

Giveaway IS CLOSED will be open until 11:59PM EST February 28th, 2012.    Giveaway is open to residents of U.S. and Canada only.  Void where prohibited.  The winner will be chosen at random and announced later that week.  Good Luck Everyone!  

Come back tomorrow to for a tutorial on how to make amazing appliques:)