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Butterfly coaster set: How I made article 22

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . In today's article, I will guide you through how I made a butterfly coaster set. Follow along with this project and share your result in Lizzsews Facebook group . Recommended read: 10 Things You Need to Start Cricut Crafting Today Recommended read: How I made article series What I used: - Square coaster - Infusible ink lilac transfer sheets - butcher paper - Cricut - EasyPress 2 + mat - Cardstock - Standardgrip mat The steps I took: I started out by looking for butterfly designs . I added white squares to my Cricut design space canvas that were 3.75" x 3.75" so I could see how the different designs would look on the coasters. I narrowed my selection down to four designs that I liked and that matched. Cricut image ID: #M2AAB3D88- Square with rounded corners Cricut image ID: #M369F6A19 - Butterfly on a Flower Cricut image ID: #M249AOAFA - Butterflies Cricut image ID: #MCB3D6C9 - Butterfly Cricut image ID: #M33F

My standard Cura slice settings

  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Every 3D printer has their own slicing settings that they have tested with their machine and works best for them. Each different material- and brand, requires different settings too. Recommended read: What is slicing in the 3D printing world These are my settings for my 3D printer, Anycubic Mega Zero 2.0: Recommended read: About my 3D printer PLA (Mech Solutions): Layer height (resolution): 2 Infill (density): 15% Infill pattern: Zigzag Printing temperature (nozzle): 200 °C Build plate temperature: 60 °C Speed: 50mm/sec Build plate adhesion type: Skirt (for articulated prints I usually use a brim) Recommended read: What is PLA TPU (Eryone): Layer height (resolution): 2 Infill (density): 15% Infill pattern: grid, concentric, or cross Printing temperature (nozzle): 215°C Build plate temperature: 60°C Speed: 30mm/sec Build plate adhesion type: Skirt Recommended read: What is TPU Any settings that I didn't mention I usually use th

When to replace the Cricut mat

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Almost every Cricut project requires the use of a mat. Any smart materials under 13" wide by 6" long need the mat too. A mat can be cleaned and its life can be prolonged, but at some point, it's time to replace it. Recommended read: How to prolong the life of Cricut mats Recommended read: What is a Cricut machine mat Recommended read: How to clean the Cricut mat At some point, there is a time when you need to replace your mat. If even after cleaning, (make sure to hang your mat overnight and don't scrape off the adhesive,) your mat has lost its stickiness, materials are ripping, shredding, and/or shifting while cutting or embellishing, it's time to replace your mat. There's no perfect number for how many Cricut mats you'll need over your machine's lifetime, and there's no perfect amount of time for how often you'll need to replace them. Depending on usage, I would give a ballpark estimate that you

Frittata Recipe

  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner, this Frittata is the perfect dish. An egg pizza with endless variations. Use whatever you have on hand and try out this traditionally Italian dish! Serves 4-8 people - 1 large onion - 3 large potatoes - 2 tablespoons butter - 3 (or more) slices of bread - 1 bell pepper - 8 eggs - Cheese (about 1/2 cup) - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1/4 cup milk - Pepper - Salt Prep before starting: get 2 tablespoons of butter, dice the potatoes and dice the bread slices. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan. Once Bubbling, add diced bread and toss to coat with the butter. Fry them for just under 5 minutes until nice and golden brown, set them aside in a separate bowl. Place the diced potatoes into the now-empty frying pan and keep on heat. Optional, but recommended: cover and let potatoes steam. Prep while potatoes are cooking: chop up the onion, dice the bell pepper, measure oil and

What colour bobbin thread should I use for machine embroidery

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . To sew or embroider, two thread feeds are needed to create stitches- bobbin thread and upper thread. Does this mean that you need to use the same bobbin thread as the top thread? No, it doesn't! Recommended read: What is bobbin thread used for Your bobbin thread should not show on the top of your embroidery design. If it does, you need to do some troubleshooting. The most common bobbin thread colours and black and white. Use white bobbin thread when the design consists of light colours and use black bobbin thread when the design consists of dark colours. 2/3 of the backstitching should be your upper thread. There are some circumstances when you might want to use a coloured bobbin thread. This might be to match the material you're embroidering but is mostly for FSL designs. These designs stand on their own, and both the front and back of the design are meant to look nice. Recommended read: How to wind and install the bobbin R

Dancer hand towel embroidery: How I made article 21

  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . In today's article, I will guide you through how I made an embroidered dance hand towel. Follow along with this project and share your result in  Lizzsews Facebook group . Recommended read: 10 Things You Need to Start Machine Embroidery Today Recommended read: How I made article series What I used: - White hand towel - Embroidery software - Dancer embroidery design - Embroidery machine - Cutaway stabilizer - Embroidery threads + bobbin thread - Machine embroidery hoop 4x4 - Washaway stabilizer - Embroidery needle - Embroidery foot - Pins/tape The steps I took: To start off this simple and fun embroidery project, I wanted to create something with the saying 'dance mom'. I used the free font almost fancy from Embrilliance and typed up 'dance mom' to the size I wanted in Embrilliance software. Using Embird embroidery software, I combined the words with the dancer embroidery design . I placed ea

How to sew snack bags with topstitching

  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Snack bags are perfect for work, school lunches, a small hike, or even a picnic. They make excellent gifts for any occasion and are a great way to reduce your use of plastic bags. With topstitching around the zipper, it's less likely the fabric will get in the way of use; and a more professional look is achieved. Recommended read: How to sew reusable snack bags (no zipper topstitching) What you’ll need: - Cotton fabric - Pul fabric - Zipper - Sewing machine and basic sewing supplies Recommended read: What is PUL fabric The steps: 1. Cut one square of both PUL fabric and cotton fabric 10” x 7”, cut the two squares in half. 2. Place the cotton fabric face up, place the zipper on the top face down and top with the PUL fabric right side (shiny, not smooth side) down, pin in place. Sew along this seam with a zipper foot, sew right next to the zipper. 3. Repeat on the other side of the zipper. 4. Place the sn

What is a GCODE file

  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . GCODE -> Geometric Code The language that tells a machine what and how to do something. The file tells the machine what path to follow, where to move, how fast to move, and more. This software programming language is used to control CNC machines- including 3D printers. When downloading or creating 3D models, you are often left with an STL or OBJ file. These files are not compatible with and cannot be read by your machine. It needs to be 'translated' for your printer to print it. Recommended read: What is an STL file \ Translating = slicing When you slice your STL or OBJ files, you receive a GCODE file. This file can now be read by your machine and contains commands for your machine. The file tells your 3D printer what parts to move within. Recommended read: What is slicing in the 3D printing world When slicing your 3D print model, you set your settings in slicing software. These settings determine what code will be writte

Cricut mat advice

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . At some point or another, no matter the Cricut machine you have, you will need to use a Cricut mat. If you have a Cricut machine that can cut without a mat, you will still need to use a mat for any smart materials under 13" wide by 6" long. If you are just using regular vinyl, and not smart vinyl, you will need a mat too. Recommended read: What is the Cricut mat Recommended read: How to prolong the life of the Cricut mat Peeling materials off of your mat can sometimes be a struggle, you don't want to ruin your cut design! The Cricut spatula can help you remove materials from the mat, but it doesn't really work that well. Instead, when you remove your materials from the mat, peel the mat away from the material, rather than the material away from the mat. It also helps if you flip the mat upside down! Glitter cardstock gets glitter everywhere, especially all over the mat. Use a separate mat for your glitter cardstock fro

How to prolong the life of Cricut mats

    This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Machine mats are essential. If you have a Cricut machine that can cut without a mat, you will still need to use a mat for any smart materials under 13" wide by 6" long. If you are just using regular vinyl, and not smart vinyl, you will need a mat too. Obviously, you're going to want to prolong the life of your mat as much as possible. Recommended read: What is the Cricut machine mat Recommended read: What is Cricut smart vinyl The mat has an adhesive film that the material sticks to. This adhesive loses its stickiness over time. But the adhesive can be cleaned, and protected while not in use. Recommended read: How to clean the Cricut mat When the mats are not in use, use the clear film cover that came with your mat. This will keep the mat sticky and free of debris. When securing materials to the mat, use the Cricut brayer. Once a cut or embellishment is complete, use the Cricut spatula to remove materials from th

Testing infusible ink on a 100% cotton washcloth

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . With infusible ink, you want to use white or light-coloured surfaces. You also need to make sure that your surface is 100% polyester or a polyester-spandex mix. But what actually happens if you use infusible ink on a cotton surface? In this article, I will show you exactly what happens when infusible ink is used on a 100% cotton washcloth. I preheated my Easypress 2 to 390°F and pressed the washcloth for 5 seconds. I placed the transfer sheet down, ink side facing down. I placed the parchment paper on top and pressed it lightly for 60 seconds.  I repeated this twice, one small design on the back and a design on the front. The ink appeared to be good so far, but the real test is the machine wash. I let the washcloth sit overnight to ensure that the ink settled. I washed the towel in a normal wash on cold with other towels. After the wash was done, I took a look at the towel and both designs had basically washed out. I think I'll be s