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RicRACK and Allbrands in New Orleans, LA

Allbrands.com is pleased to continue our partnership with RicRACK in New Orleans, Louisiana. On January 23, 2024 Barbara Douthat stopped by to donate three McCalls pattern racks full of antique patterns, lace, buttons, zippers, and thread from the late Annette Douthat’s collection of supplies; over 200 yards of new on-the-bolt fabric; and twelve machines donated to the AllBrands.com warehouse that were serviced by machine repair contractor Joe Armstrong from Top Ten Technical (and creator of Joe’s Clean Air).

RicRACK is a nonprofit creative reuse store and sewing studio doing its best to keep textiles out of landfills. They are located in New Orleans on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. They teach two sewing classes a week to kids and beginners using donated machines from Brother, TheSewingMachineProject.org, and Allbrands. They’ve owned the building for 3.5 years and have been a nonprofit for over 10 years. The energy in the store is quite remarkable, an inspiring hang-out for sewers.

Lizz Freeman Kelly, RicRACK coordinator, states they are blessed to have volunteers and donations from the film industry/donors; however, what they need most right now is money. If you are able, please consider donating to RicRack so they can continue serving the sewers of New Orleans.

RicRACK is located less than 10 miles from our Allbrands New Orleans store and approximately 35 miles from our Allbrands Slidell store. Plan a day to visit the best of what the greater New Orleans area has to offer in sewing, quilting and embroidery.

Giving Tuesday 2023: Causes you can sew for

As the days get colder and colder this holiday season, you may find yourself spending more time in your craft room. Whether you enjoy knitting, sewing, or quilting there are many wonderful charitable organizations that would appreciate receiving handmade items from your time and talents for those in need.

Here are several organizations that you can use your skills and expertise toward sewing for those in need in your community:

Quilts of Valor
The Sewing Machine Project®
Project Linus
Quilts for Kids | Making Quilts for Kids in Need
Ryan’s Case for Smiles
Days for Girls
Sew Powerful
Operation Christmas Child
L ittle Dresses for Africa/Britches for Boys
Firehouse Quilts
Emma and Evan Foundation
Little Angel Gowns
Operation Chemo Comfort

If you end up donating to any of these organizations, please share a photo in the comments. We’d love to see all of the work our Allbrands community is doing for others in their time of need!

Brother Donates Fifteen Sewing Machines to ricRACK

RicRACK, a sewing and textile recycling nonprofit in New Orleans, LA, is passionate about keeping textiles out of the landfill and teaching the people of New Orleans how to sew. Recently, Brother USA donated fifteen sewing machines to the cause, allowing even more people in the community the chance to learn to sew.

The Brother machines have already been put to good use at the rickRACK studio! We are so happy to have partnered with Brother, The Sewing Machine Project, and rickRACK for all their wonderful work around the communities of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Allbrands Creative Sewing 2023 Lone Star University

During the last weekend of August 2023, the Allbrands Creative Sewing store in San Antonio, TX hosted Lone Star University, signaling the return of a customer favorite event.

Registrants were grouped into “sororities” that were scheduled for a rotation of six classes during the two day event. Classes were taught by Becky Thompson, Barb Mikolajczyk, Jennifer Gleich, Courtney Douthat (Allbrands After Hours) , Barbara Douthat (Allbrands Live), and Tammi Carson. They worked on projects ranging from vinyl using the Brother Scan N Cut to quilting with the Edge-to-Edge technique.

Here is what some of the attendees are saying about the 2023 Lone Star University:

There’s still time to sign up for Bayou University at Allbrands Baton Rouge on September 15-16, 2023 and Embroidery University at Allbrands Slidell on September 29-30, 2023. We hope to see you there!

Step Inside Lee Miller’s Texas Traditions Boots

Lee Miller and his apprentice Charlotte are known for creating one-of-a-kind boots in their workshop located behind his home. They have molds for the feet of various artists, including Lyle Lovett, Hall and Oates, Willie Nelson, and many more. Their custom creations are highly sought after, with a five-year waiting list and prices starting at $5,000.

Barbara Douthat, from AllBrands, had the opportunity to visit Lee Miller’s workshop in Texas between attending Brother Experience and Lonestar University in August 2023. Accompanied by Lee Miller’s wife, they were given a tour of the workshop and had the chance to see all of his equipment and techniques.

Lee Miller uses a Juki DDL-5550N for stitching, which he customized with a leather belt to allow for a special technique that slows down the machine as needed. In addition, he has a few older machines from the 1930s that are used for saddlework and boots and can do stitching without a bobbin.

Juki Juki DDL-5550N from Lee Miller's Instagram

The DDL-5550N Series lockstitch machine offers several improvements for a better sewing experience. The enhancements made to the thread take-up mechanism, feed mechanism, thread paths, and hook result in a more responsive machine that can provide consistent stitch quality even when working with different materials. Ultimately, the Juki DDL-5550N increases efficiency and productivity in your sewing projects.

See Lee Miller’s work on his Instagram.

New from Bernina! Sewing, Embroidery, and Quilting Machines for 2024

Bernina University (BU) is an event held annually when Bernina unveils their new products for the upcoming year. This year BU was held in Dallas, TX from June 27-30, 2023. It’s always a thrilling event to see the latest innovations in sewing and embroidery machines. Let’s take a closer look at some of the standout machines from this year’s lineup:

Bernina B790 PRO: This sewing embroidery quilting machine comes with the Embroidery Module L (SDT) included. One of its impressive new features is laser pinpoint placement, which allows you to mark your start and travel points as you sew and embroider. With its 4-point placement function, you can easily and precisely position your designs on your fabric. It’s a machine designed to bring precision and ease to your sewing and embroidery projects.

Bernette B79 Yaya Han Edition: As the top-of-the-line Bernette model, this special edition machine is the first Special Edition from the brand. With a 5″ color screen and a 6×10″ embroidery area, it offers plenty of space to bring your creative ideas to life. It also comes with 3 hoops, 18 different feet, and features like Dual Feed and On-screen Stitch Designer. The machine even includes Software 9 Creator, which is valued at $1500. With its unique and striking design, Yaya Han hopes that the B79 Yaya Han edition “Sewing and embroidery can become your life long passion.”

Bernina Internet Models: The B540, B740, and B485 are the three internet models introduced at BU this year. The B540 comes in both sewing and sewing/embroidery variants, offering an 8.5″ arm, a 9mm stitch width, and 6mm stitch length. The B740 model boasts features such as Auto Threader & Trim, Foot Lift, Pivot, Speed Control, and an Extension Table. The B485 sewing machine comes with a Jumbo Bobbin, 5.5mm Stitch Width, Auto Thread Trimmer, and a Color Touch Screen. These models provide a range of options for different sewing and embroidery needs.

It’s truly amazing to see the variety and capabilities of these machines from Bernina. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next year at BU!

AllBrands Donates Sewing Machine to LSU Fashion Show Winner

AllBrands donated a sewing machine to one winner of the Fashion Association at LSU’s fashion show. AllBrands is also proud to have sponsored the show.

The Junior Class winner, Bess Schuler, received a Brother Project Runway sewing machine.

One of Bess Schuler’s models with thje donated sewing machine, a winning design, and Kalli Champagne, AllBrands’ marketing manager.

The show consisted of three sections: styling, Junior Class collections, and Senior Class collections. The students honed their skills from their curriculum at LSU to create a wide variety of styles.

Due to social distancing guidelines, the 2021 fashion show was a video compilation of all the contestants’ designs modeled in LSU’s quad. View the entire show below!

My Embroidery Mentor ‘CLUB ED’ Embroidery Party with Deborah Jones

SAVE $5 INSTANTLY on Club Ed registration! ENTER PROMO CODE ‘CLUBED5’
(ends March 31)

“Hi everyone! I wanted to personally invite you to our FIRST ever Club Ed Embroidery Sit & Sew Tour with Deborah Jones. It you’ve never attended one of Deborah Jones’ classes, here’s your chance! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading embroidery expert. Discover Deborah’s secrets to getting great embroidery results while you have a blast embroidering on the most exciting projects at any event.

Three chances to attend this event:

• New Orleans, LA, (Apr. 29-30)
• Alexandria, LA, (Jul. 8-9)
• Houston, TX. , (Aug 26-27)
REGISTER ONLINE: http://www.allbrands.com/categories/4011

You can read all about it below at the link above. I hope you will join us for one of these exciting events. Deborah has put together some great projects for you to embroidery. You won’t want to miss this Sit-N-Sew Event.”

Sincerely,
Blaine Austin, CEO

Projects

Vinyl Pockets Pillow
3D Foam Cap
Thread Diva Applique Tote Bag
Cuddly Nap Buddy Bear
Mylar T-shirt
Shadow Work Keepsake Handkerchief

REGISTER ONLINE: http://www.allbrands.com/categories/4011

SEASONAL SEWING CONTESTS

INTRODUCING SEASONAL SEWING FACEBOOK CONTESTS! Show off your beautiful seasonal creations. Get your friends to vote for your photo for a chance to win great prizes! Facebook fans can now enter theme related photos of their creations for a chance to win great prizes from Allbrands.com! Entries must be hand or machine sewn. Enter up to 5 times to increase your chances. The Photo With The Most Facebook “Likes” Wins!

Contest Schedule:

(May 1 – July 31, 2015) “Spring/Summer Themed Creations”
(August 1 – October 31, 2015) “Fall/Halloween Themed Creations”
(September 1 – December 31, 2015) “Holiday Themed Creations”
(January 1 – March 31, 2016) “Winter Themed Creations”

Win Great Prizes!:

Janome MC9500 Embroidery Machine
Electrolux Steam Iron
$25 Allbrands Gift Card!

Enter Now or Learn More at http://www.allbrands.com/contest

View Entry Gallery

Allbrands 2Go Mobile App

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