Part 2: Sewing with Panels

Please refer to our janomelife post on Monday 10 December where we featured Part 1: Sewing with panels. I wrote about using printed panels as a jumping off point to spark your creativity/ They’re your not so blank, blank canvas on which to create.

Part 2 highlights the specialty presser feet and techniques I used to embellish this cute printed panel.

I used the Janome Ribbon/Sequin Foot to easily stitch some ribbon along the top edge of the colourful banner printed on the panel. I didn’t have to draw or measure any lines, I just followed the line already printed. EASY!

Above, you can see the groove in the foot which allows for various widths and thickness of ribbons or rows of sequins to easily pass through as you stitch. For sequins I’d use a wide zig-zag, but for flat ribbon or trim you could use a straight stitch and a twin-needle, or, perhaps this is a time to use one of the many decorative stitches on your machine as I did. I used a 9mm foot as that’s what I need for my machine, but be sure to visit your local Janome dealer to purchase the correct size for your machine.

The cute butterfly pictured below is one of the many built-in decorative stitches of the Janome Horizon MC 15000 Quiltmaker, and I adjusted the settings of two of the many applique stitches included to stitch above and below the butterflies. I love this colourful variegated King Tut thread by Superior Threads.

Speaking of threads, embellishing these panels is a great way to experiment with a variety of threads. In addition to the King Tut, I also used Janome’s Iris Ultra Quilting Cotton Thread

and Janome’s fabulous colourful array of polyester embroidery thread. It’s like candy to me. YUM!

Have you tried free-motion couching yet? If yes, you know how addicting it is. SEW FUN! As usual, Janome makes it easy by providing full instructions in the Janome Free-Motion Couching Foot blister pack

Basically, it’s very similar to the Darning Foot which likely came with your machine, but the notch in the foot keeps a variety of weights/ thicknesses of yarns aligned with the needle as you free-motion stitch in any direction you wish.

I just followed the lines of the inner sashing printed on the panel; again, no marking, no measuring, but you can stitch in any direction; make circles, waves, whatever.

One of the secrets of this technique is to keep slack in the yarn – do not let it pull taught or it may not get stitched down as securely by the small zig-zag used. Again, Janome provides full instructions in the blister pack. Please visit your local Janome dealer for more information.

The above photo shows the Pattern Combo Tool; part of the amazing Horizon Link Suite package which comes with the Janome Horizon MC 15000 Quiltmaker. I combined the Bird and Butterfly to stitch in sequence, then followed with another Bird, but this time I mirrored it so it faced towards the Butterfly. I could, and will, write a whole blog post just on the Pattern Combo Tool available in Horizon Link Suite, so be sure to check back to the Janome Life Blog for more information, or, better yet, “Follow” us so you don’t miss a post!
As I edit this post, I’m inspired to dig it out this sample again and practise some more techniques! There’s so much fun and creative expression to be had with Janome – What are YOU inspired to create?