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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Welcome back to the Social Hour podcast, a podcast for Sewists by Sewists. I'm your host, Audra.
- [00:13]
B
And I'm Bethany. And today we're talking about something that has absolutely revolutionized how I sew and how much I can sew, and that is projector sewing. If you've never heard of projector sewing, you're in for a treat. You. Yeah.
- [00:26]
A
And I am absolutely the beginner in this episode, so I am coming into this episode as the person asking questions. This is really going to be like the Bethany episode.
- [00:37]
B
No, I've been the beginning before, too, and I have learned a lot. And I am just here to share because I think this is something that everyone could benefit from that's listening.
- [00:46]
A
Well. And you got me to buy a projector. So you were up here visiting. So April of 25, you were here and we're talking about it. And then I went on ebay and I bought one, which we'll talk about protectors later. Full disclosure, I did not take it out of the bubble wrap until the day before yesterday, shooting this episode. And it is mid February, so I am coming in. I'm the newbie. I'm here to learn. I'm gonna ask all the questions and Bethany's gonna answer them all.
- [01:14]
B
Yeah. Yeah. The best I can. And because I have had one for three, three plus years and I've gone through. You got the one you needed from the start. I went through three different types. And I will say from when I got mine to now, there is so much more information out there available to sew us for protector sewing, which we're going to share those resources with you all. But this is about just getting you to wrap your head around why, what it is, why you need it, how it helps you, the benefits and why you might want to use it. And it's not just for garment sewing, which we'll talk about. So there's a lot to uncover here. But this is just a dip your toes into the world of projector sewing. Or if you've already bought one and you're like Audra and didn't take it out of the box yet, which, don't feel bad, I'm not shaming anyone because I did the same thing. Okay. I think everybody buys one and then lets it sit there for a year. I can name three other people, including myself, that have done that. And I will say the biggest thing is as soon as I've taken it out of the box and set it up, I wish I had done it sooner. Every single person I've talked to said, I wish I'd done it sooner. If you've already got a projector, this is your motivation to just take it out of the box and set it up. If you're interested in projector sewing, this is going to get your wheels spinning, but then you're going to get one and take it out of the box and set it up. But let's, let's, let's jump into our icebreaker question and it's on topic with our topic. It's what part of traditional PDF pattern process do you dislike the most? And, Audra, what is it about that process that made you go, maybe I really do want a project?
- [02:46]
A
It's absolutely the amount of paper to print the PDF pattern, the cutting, the taping. It feels like it's such a slog to get to the actual sewing part, which is what we all enjoy. And then there's also the. There's just something. I swear, no matter how careful I am, somehow things don't line up the way they're supposed to. And then I end up.
- [03:08]
B
It's honestly the paper shifts in the printer, so nothing ever prints perfectly square every time anyways. But, yeah, that is frustrating. And it snowballs when it gets off. By the time you get to the end, you're like, oh, there's like a whole inch gap over here. And you're trying to squeeze it together.
- [03:23]
A
That's it. Because then you get worried that you printed all this paper and you've messed it up and then things aren't going to fit right. So that is really what got me interested in projector sewing. Because, A, there's just so much time and then, B, it just. I feel like I will be so much more accurate in my pattern cutting pieces.
- [03:41]
B
I think everyone, if they're on the fence about projector sewing or if they think that they don't want it, they will come across a pattern that will break them and they will go, I am never doing this again. And that was what happened.
- [03:53]
A
Well, there was one I had that was like 95 pages.
- [03:55]
B
Pages.
- [03:55]
A
And I was like, I can't. I'm not gonna take together 95 pages and cut out the pattern pieces.
- [04:02]
B
Yeah, no, I had one that was like that because it was like a pajama. It wasn't even like a cool pattern. It was just pajamas. But they had like six different patterns, types of, like, to mix and match to make your own, like, pajamas, different shorts, different tops, different tanks, all these kind of things, which is great, but it Would have been better if they had put them into maybe like two different, like, separated the PDF patterns a little bit so that you could choose which ones to print. But I printed the whole thing because the. The. The pieces that I wanted, like, one was up here in this corner, but then, like, the shorts were in the middle, but then, like, the bands were down at the bottom. So I pretty much had to print the whole thing. And I did. And it was like almost 90 pages. I'm on the floor trying to tape all of this stuff together. I'm always on the floor and I'm trying to cut it out as I go, but some of them were all structured around a really long piece, so you couldn really do that. It was really hard. And by the time I got done, it had been at least an hour and a half of me printing and taping and cutting. And my floor was a disaster. And I had. I filled up a whole trash can of just waste. And I. And I. I remember I took a photo and I was like, I am never doing this again. I am. And the next day I set up my projector and I haven't looked back once. I think everybody kind of. And I remember the pattern and still the pajamas I make today, but now I use the projector file, so. And then there's the whole storing of paper patterns and everything else. It's a whole nother issue. But I. I just really have loved my projector so much. And we're going to talk about all the perks and everything, but if you are feeling the pain of storing paper patterns, taking the time to print them and tape them, and can we just say the cost of printer ink alone. I couldn't tell you how many hundreds of dollars I've spent on printer ink. So we're gonna save you some money. We're gonna save you a lot of time, and we're gonna save some treats, all these paper patterns. And we're going to talk about that today.
- [05:58]
A
We'd love for you to comment in the social host Facebook group. Let us know if you've tried projector sewing, what you think of it, if you're ready to make the jump in a production project. Projector sewing. Bethany, let's start out with. I'm just going to ask questions. So we're gonna. I'm gonna ask you questions and then, like, you answer them and I'll jump in if I have anything to contribute, which might. Is probably not gonna be anything. So let's just go. Oh, Bethany, give us a brief overview of, like, what is projector sewing.
- [06:26]
B
We all have heard of projectors for, like, movie night or for at work. You may have a projector that projects like a PowerPoint on the screen for a big meeting or whatever. And we've all seen projectors in schools, but this is kind of taking that same concept, but pointing it down at your cutting table and projecting your pattern so you don't have to cut out a paper pattern. You don't have to have those pains we were just talking about of the. The. The spending, the monies, the time, the hassle, the getting it right. You just project it down onto your fabric and cut it out. That way we can get to the fun sewing as quickly as possible. There's so many amazing things that you can do with projectors, but that's the concept of taking out that middleman of printing and then having to store the pattern. And one thing, I like to call out two things real quick because these are things that people go, you know, I already have my paper pattern, but now I need to change sizes. Maybe I need to go up a size or down a size, but I've already cut it out in that size. Well, guess what? Now you have to print it all again. Well, not with a projector. You just project it down in the new size. Or some people say, well, I need to make adjustments, bust adjustment, a hip adjustment, a seat adjustment, height adjustment. You can do all of that with a projector still. And there's a lot of great resources out there that can walk you through that. We're not going to go into that kind of detail today because we're going to talk about all the different types of sewing you can do with projectors. But just know, like, if you're sitting here, like, you've got these obstacles going through your head that I've heard a thousand times times. I hear you, but they're not an issue. You could totally do all those things with projectors and not have to worry about, like, I have a pair of pajama pants that I make for Christmas every year for me, my fiance, and my son. I'm five six. Fiance is just a. Maybe an inch taller than me and. But he has a shorter inseam because I'm all legs and my son's six two. But we make the same unisex pajama pants. And I use the same projector file for all of us. And I just immediately can switch between sizes and then cut each one out. And I don't have to. I just keep my moving the fabric and I project the new size, and I am cutting them out so fast.
- [08:28]
A
So I'm going to jump in there real quick because you gave me a perfect segue because I do have something to contribute here. So a lot of times when you purchase a PDF pattern, and not every, not every designer does this, but most of the time what you'll see is you'll see a PDF letter file. You'll see a PDF AO file. You'll also see a projector file. And we're going to talk a little bit later how to take like your basic PDF file and turn into a projector file. But if you see projector file, that's what Bethany's talking about, is it's been developed specifically for the projector and you can just jump right in and cut out your sizes. It just creates a lot of time and money savings. Like she said. Save some trees, save the tape. I can't tell you much. Sketch tape.
- [09:13]
B
I've gone through so much tape. I have one of those big tape dispensers that you see on a teacher's desk, because that's how much tape I was using. A lot of especially indie pattern companies will offer not just a letter PDF file to print it all out. The AO is to send it to a print shop to have it printed on one or two big sheets so you don't have to print it at home and tape it together. And then the. Which costs more money. And then the projector file, which is what you would project down through a projector if they don't offer a projector file. We're going to talk later on how to make your own projector file with a PDF file. I know that sounds scary. It's not. It's not, I promise.
- [09:49]
A
Are you ready for your next question?
- [09:50]
B
Yeah, let's hear the next.
- [09:51]
A
Okay, let's talk about types of projectors sewists can use in projector sewing. Because I think this. Thankfully, I had to talk me through this, so I knew exactly what I needed right out of the gate. You said you had to do some testing and crashing and burning along the way. So let's talk about. Let's avoid that. What are the three types of projectors? And can you kind of walk through what those options are if someone's interested in projector sewing?
- [10:18]
B
So. And again, there's. We're going to, at the end, share some resources for you guys to dive into this a little deeper for your specific needs. But the reason I want to address the three most common types of projectors that you can use for Garment sewing. Not all projectors you can use for garment sewing, but we're going to talk about those. And everybody's needs are going to be based on their space, which we'll dive into. So here's where I need you to put the nerd hat on for a second and just buckle in for a little tech talk. Okay, so we've got three types of projectors that you could possibly use for your projector sewing. The first one is just a standard throw projector. This is going to be the one that you might get for the movie night. Right where it. You have 8 foot or higher ceilings. Okay. And you're going to most likely mount it to a ceiling and project it down to your table. And that's what a lot of people. I'd say that's what most people use. And what's great about that is they're the least expensive, they're the most affordable option when it comes to the three types. So it is mounted higher. It's going to require more of a vertical space. That's that. We're going to talk about throw ratio here in a little bit, but that's the distance between where it's mounted on your ceiling and the top of your table that you'll be cutting on. So if you have a high cutting table, then that's going to affect that throw ratio.
- [11:33]
A
Now, so can you say that the throw. Just question. Can you say that the throw is really. It's truly the distance between the. Where your pattern's going to be and
- [11:44]
B
where it's coming from.
- [11:45]
A
Yep. Okay.
- [11:46]
B
Right. Exactly. So that is important. And like I said, we'll give you some resources at the end that will help you decide based on your space, what's the right one for you. The second option is called short throw. It's probably the least commonly used, but it's the one I use and I'll tell you why. But the short throw is mounted closer to the cutting surface, but it's still mounted on the ceiling. Good for rooms with lower ceilings, which is why I have to use that one. And it's often the most expensive option because it is not as common. And I had to order mine. Like, I got mine for a fraction of the retail price because I went through ebay and got a used one, which was totally fine, but. Yeah, you did too. And the ceiling in my room is really low because it's a converted garage with the attic right above. So it's a 7 foot 2 ceiling. I have a really low ceiling here. I can reach up and touch it. So that's why I like, I had to have the short throw projector. It's really small, so it doesn't affect like my head walk room or anything. And it projects down. I also have a really tight, really high cutting island. And so because I like to cut standing up so I don't hurt my back. So because of that, my. My throw ratio was even way shorter. Now, I could have gotten a regular standard throw projector, but then I would have been cutting on the floor and I am not going to enjoy that. So I knew I wouldn't use it. So I was like, I need to get what will actually be enjoyable to use. So standard throw, short throw. And then there's what's called an ultra short throw, which is what Audra got and is what a lot of people use. Now. An ultra short throw is mounted very close to the cutting surface or sits right on the cutting table. It's really ideal for T spaces or portability. If you need to be able to move it around. You don't want to mount it to a ceiling or a wall. This is an option for that. And it can be found easily like on the websites like ebay and resell sites like that. There's also a Facebook group we'll talk about later. And I know people sell them in there as well, so. But they are the biggest projector. They are a good size in how much space they take up. And so those are the three types. Standard short throw and ultra short throw. And I would say three standard is your most affordable and most common option. And ultra short throw is the second most affordable and most common option. And then short throw is those oddballs like myself. And I would say not. I don't know a whole lot of people that use a short throw like I do, but there are people that need them and I just wanted to talk about them.
- [14:14]
A
So, yeah, I got the ultra short. Yeah, it makes total sense. I got the ultra short throw. I got mine. It was like 63 on eBay. So it wasn't bad at all.
- [14:23]
B
No.
- [14:23]
A
And part of the reason I didn't want to mount mine on the ceiling. There's a ceiling fan right in the center of the room. I also like to rearrange my space fairly often. So I didn't want to mount anything to the ceiling because I knew chances are I would want to move it at some point and then that just becomes a pain. I went for the ultra short throw. It's an Epson, as we all know. I still haven't Calibrated it yet. So we're going to talk about it. We're going to talk about it. Okay. So, Bethany, when it comes to mounting, you know, I just said that I didn't want to mount in the ceiling because I like to rearrange my room. For those that might be more stationary in their setups or just in general. Can you talk about mounting options for those not using an ultra short throw like myself and what that looks like?
- [15:04]
B
And you can mount an ultra short throw as well. So I think I need to get a. For it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So a standard projector, standard throw, you're typically mounting to the ceiling and pointing down. And there's. There's companies that make mounts for them. They usually have some sort of thing on the back of them that you can use to mount them. And they're meant to be mounted in different directions. So you can mount them pointing straight down to your table. And then like mine is, I'm pointing to it. You can't see it. It's on the ceiling. Mine is mounted in the center of my room because my cutting island is on wheels so I can move my island around and my projector never moves. So when I turn it on and it projects down, I just adjust my island so it lines up with my projector and it works for me. So again, I wanted my projector to be stationary because I didn't want to have to calibrate it it so often. Now I've had to a few times because it's also mounted right next to the ladder that goes to the attic. And I can. Couldn't tell you how many times people have bumped it, but hindsight. Anyways, it works great for me. Ultra short throw like you have, it could be used on a tabletop. It's great for portability. But you can mount it. There are mounting like poles that you can mount it to. So you can like wheel it over to your table and then wheel it away.
- [16:18]
A
Yeah, I need to get one of those.
- [16:19]
B
And that. That would probably be great for your space because you don't. Not everybody wants it always out on or if you have limited cutting space, you're like, I just want it out for when I'm projecting, but when I'm not, I want to be able to put it away. And I think that Epson portable portability of it makes it really great. Now it is bigger and heavy, but it's. If you're just bringing it out to cut and can I just say, one of the best things about projector sewing That I found is I could batch cut. So what I mean by that is I would, I usually cut at night because I liked my room to be pretty dark. And I would turn on my projector, I'd light a candles, turn on some music. It was like setting the whole mood. And I would have the patterns and the fabric ready that I knew I wanted to make that week. And I would spend one evening, in a couple of hours I will have all of my patterns, upcoming patterns to make, cut out, ready to go, labeled with like post its. And I would stack them and then I didn't have to cut again till the next time I was ready to sew something else. And so I would batch cut. So I would set it up, cut everything and then be ready to rock and roll. So efficiency is really key here when
- [17:23]
A
it comes to the projector, talking to your laptop or wherever your files live. When you mount it on the ceiling or however you're mounting it, do you need to take into account cords that are running or should you be looking for something that's WI fi compatible? Like what? How does the process work to getting the file from your device to the projector? And do you need to take that into account when mounting?
- [17:46]
B
There's a few options and it depends on the projector you get. I can speak most true to the one that I have and what I had set up. But nowadays a lot of the standard throw projectors, the more newer models, they're WI fi enabled, they'll connect to your computer and you don't have to worry about sending the files to it. It's all Bluetooth or WI FI enabled and that's great. Okay, you're still going to need a plug power it. And so for mine mounted on my ceiling, we just have the cords like tacked to the ceiling that go to the wall and then they go down to the outlet and it just stays plugged in and so it's really easy. And mine has a little remote so I can just turn it on, but I can reach mine because my ceilings are so low. So I sometimes if I lose the remote, I can just reach up and turn it on and it's not a big deal. And so that's, that's how mine is set up. Okay. And my projector, if you're not looking, it's, it's on. If you're not watching on YouTube, it's probably the size of a ham and cheese sandwich. Okay. Like it's literally the size of like a PB and J. Okay. It's Very small. And so that's it. It. It doesn't take up a lot of head space or anything. Some people depending on their space if they have like a studio setup space or if you're choose to like. In my filming studio, I chose to take down the ceiling fan and we replaced that outlet for the light with an actual plug outlet. So you could always, if you're ever interested in really setting up a permanent space like that, you could do something like that and turn that outlet into. And that's an electrician's job, but you can't. And then you have an outlet in the ceiling. So you're just cord managing and plugging right into the ceiling. You're not having cords running across your ceiling. But most of us aren't seeing those things anyways. I have that set up in my studio for an overhead camera, so it works great for me. But it's all what you can in your space. Like I said, everybody's space is different, so cord management is part of it. Now my projector does not have WI FI capabilities and a lot of these Epsons may not either.
- [19:43]
A
Yeah, mine's getting HDMI cable.
- [19:45]
B
Yeah, so there's hdmi. I didn't want to run an HDMI to my laptop. I'm always moving that around Anyway, so I actually have a Chromecast and that's what plugs into my projector. And my computer connects to the Chromecast Smart. That's how I connect it wirelessly. I'm saying wirelessly with air quotes because obviously I'm plugging in a Chromecast, but I don't have to plug in anything else directly to my computer to connect my computer to it. It's all done through that. So that's another option there. Pretty inexpensive option. And it works really well for my space. And I just go through Google Chrome to pull up my file and connect it it. So it works great.
- [20:22]
A
That's really slick.
- [20:23]
B
Yeah.
- [20:24]
A
Okay, so let's talk about calibration, because ultimately, yeah, you gotta have it calibrated because otherwise you're gonna be cutting up your fabric and things are not gonna be accurate and then we're, we're heartbroken. So talk us through the calibration process. You know, you've, you've got your projector set up, you've mounted it the way you want to get it mounted. How do you get it calibrated to make sure that your 1 inch cut is truly a 1 inch cut?
- [20:49]
B
Calibration is really just ensuring that what is being projected is true to size. It would be the same as if you had printed it and taped it together, if not better. Okay, so that's the whole point here. Projectors, depending on the lens, you may have to kind of pivot and turn and tilt it. And this is really most challenging with ones that are hanging from a ceiling than the tabletop ones. It's also a zoom. You're, like, adjusting the zoom, you're adjusting the focus. So once you get all of that in place and you're projecting this calibration file, it's going to give you different places to measure. And. And sometimes you'll find that, like it. It's on point in the center, but as you get further out, it gets a little askew, and so you'll have to make some adjustments. And it walks you through how to do that until you get it pretty darn perfect. And then if you ever move your projector a lot, or if you bump it going into the attic, like my family does, it drives me nuts. You may want to just have that file on hand, throw it down, just. And once you've done it once and you get it pretty close, you kind of know where the sweet spot is, and then you're good to go. It's. I will say it's probably the biggest learning curve, to be honest, when you first set it up. But once you set it up and you've done it once and you've gotten it right, then it's great. And I always recommend testing it with, like, a simple pattern. Maybe after you get it calibrated, take a pattern that you've made before, or maybe it's a pattern you already have a PDF printout of, and now you're going to throw down the projector file. And you throw down the projector file and you lay that front bodice piece right on top of, and then you can really tell, like, yeah, this is true to size. That's another option that way. And I say that because that 1 inch square, that little measure test square that comes on most files and projector files, it's usually off to one side. It's not everywhere to be able to test it. The other thing that is great about projector files, though, is they'll have layers. So when you open a PDF file, most companies nowadays put the sizes in layers, so you can turn off the layers and only. Only print your size that you need. They do the same with projector files. That means that when you project a garment, you're not projecting all the sizes because there's a lot of lines and that's going to get confusing. You just unclick the sizes you don't want to cut out and you just cut out the one. And this is where you can project two sizes and you can grade between. So you can still do grading and all of that, but for adjustments. But you can project the one or two or three sizes that you need to grade between and still do that. And, and it works just. But they also have a layer that is a grid layer that goes across the entire pattern when you project it to just double check this, this 1 inch grid across the whole pattern. Then you can turn it off and, and just project the lines. I try to project as little as possible so that it's especially on busier fabrics. And I usually cut on the back side of my fabrics on the wrong side because it'll show up better, especially with busier prints.
- [23:44]
A
Do you have a. So say that the PDF pattern projector file you have doesn't have a grid. Do you have somewhere that you would refer people to get a basic grid to calibrate? So say it didn't come with your projector. Say your PDF file didn't come with it. Is there a resource you can recommend to get that grid layout so you can really make sure it's calibrated properly?
- [24:06]
B
Well, if it's a projector file that's made by the pattern company, it should have the grid. I don't think I've ever come across a projector file that was provided for me that, that didn't have the grid. The, the calibration file is kind of like a grid with different size boxes to measure different sizes as you go out to square it up. So you could always just throw that down. And once you've got a calibrator, you don't have to worry about your projector file pattern being out of whack. So you can always just do a quick test. But after a couple times you're, you'll start to build trust that like I haven't moved it, it's fine, you know, should be good to go if you're mounting yours. If you're sitting yours right on the table, that throw ratio is always the same. It really shouldn't affect anything. And you shouldn't have to calibrate it very often. Even if you're moving it off the table. If you are putting it on a post and wheeling it over, you shouldn't really have to calibrate it very often, but you may want to the first few times just to make sure it's consistently staying the same, especially like on carpet in your space. You may want to just make sure. Make sure it's settling and it's not getting off. But other than that, you should be fine. You really shouldn't have to recalibrate very often.
- [25:15]
A
When I pulled out my projector the day before yesterday and I was going through all I keep all my sewing patterns in a Google Drive, and so I was going through all my Google Drive sewing patterns, and I realized probably like most people, when I buy a PDF pattern, a lot of times I will only download what I need. And so most of my files are just the letter PDF file because I didn't have a projector. And then I was thinking like, oh, my gosh, I don't want to go back and redownload all of these files because then I gotta go back and find proof of purchase, et cetera, et cetera. And then I talked to Bethany and Bethany said, no, you can actually convert those into a projector file and you don't have to go back and redownload them all. So talk to me a little bit about, or talk to us a little bit about that process and how that works.
- [26:02]
B
Well, first of all, I would recommend starting with going back to the company. Usually if you purchased a pattern, you log in and you can see your purchase history and you can download that extra file pretty quickly. And I would just say do it as you're sewing, do it as you go through the patterns. You don't have to go back through and do all of them. If you know you're never going to make that garment again, you don't need to bother. But if it's something you're like, I really want to make this again, I'm going to go see if they have. Because their projector file is going to still have the layers that's going to give you that ability to. It's just going to be a lot easier. Easier. Okay, now there are.
- [26:37]
A
So don't be lazy and go back and just redo.
- [26:40]
B
It literally takes two seconds. It takes you just as long to do turn it into a projector file. It probably takes you a little longer than if. Than to just go download the file. So just log in, download it. They've already made it for you and you paid for it, so go get it.
- [26:53]
A
Facts, man.
- [26:54]
B
That's true. All right, don't be lazy, do it, get it, and then just make a habit every time you purchase a new pattern. If they offer a projector file, even though I use a projector, I still download the PDF?
- [27:05]
A
I still do.
- [27:06]
B
So I always download instructions, PDF and projector. I don't ever download the AO file because I never send stuff off to a print shop. But that's just me. And there's a lot of people that'll just download the whole thing, and that's totally fine. Okay, so if you. There are pattern companies out there that don't make projector files. They have great PDF patterns and they have AO files, but they don't make projector files. And you'll come across that with some, like newer designers or Big Fours that are offering, that have paper patterns in storage, that still offer, like, digital versions online. They're not giving you projector files typically, so you can make your own. The challenge there is they typically don't have their PDF file set up with layers for each size. So if you take that PDF file and you do convert it to a projector file through this program I'm going to talk about, you won't have the layers, so you'll see all the sizes when you project it, and it can be a little challenging. Now, if you do find a PDF file that has the layers, those are great to turn into projector files because you can just choose the size that you want and you're just creating a new document on your computer that you want to project. So how this works, there's a program, it's free, it's called PDF Stitcher. You download it to your computer. It works on Windows and Mac. Because I have a Mac and I've used it. It's something that I believe it was someone in this really big Facebook group about projector sewing that created it. So it's like crowdfunded kind of thing. And it's a way to upload a PDF file and then turn it into a projector file by going through a few steps. And then it creates the file and then you can project it and just test it and make sure it. It is exactly what you needed it to be. The thing with projector files is you have to have a huge border around the pattern pieces themselves. That's the part. This is where we're getting real technical. But that's the part that you can't just project PDF pieces. That's not how the projector works. And you need to flatten them all together. That's, that's. That's what that program is doing. In a nutshell, there is a website called projectorsewing.com and she actually has a whole blog and a video that walks you through the steps to convert a PDF file to a projector file and explains why you need to click on certain buttons and when and where you might want to do different buttons. So like I said, if your file has layers, then you can just select to make a projector file for the size that you need and not see all the others. And there's all of those kind of variables in there. So it walks you through all of that. And I've used it countless times. It's wonderful. Highly recommend. It's free, which is wonderful as well. And it's a great way to still overcome, be able to make the patterns that you want that don't offer projector file without having to be like a technical expert. It really, you just upload it the PDF and you click a few buttons buttons and then it exports it for you. It's that simple. And yeah, so go check out projectorsewing.com for those resources. And I do want to say like that website also walks you through the different types of projectors, helps you determine what you need based on your space and your needs, different mounting options. There's a lot of great information and there's I believe, a downloadable calibration file that you can download over there. And that's the one that I've used to calibrate my projector, especially if I haven't used it in a while or I've changed my table. Like now I have a table that goes up and down instead of the cutting island that was the same height all the time. So if I were to use this, I would absolutely need to calibrate again because the height is a variable now. So yeah, there's definitely that. But PDF Stitcher is a great program, so don't feel like you are limited by the patterns you can use. If anything, you're unlimited. Like you have all the options available.
- [30:49]
A
Now we're talking a lot about in regards to garment sewing, but truly projectors have really gained so much traction over recent years that it's not just garment sewing we're talking about anymore. I mean, obviously when it comes to garment sewing, that's going to be the biggest behemoth when it comes to paper and tape and cutting, etc. So that's really where we see the biggest pain point. But we're seeing a lot more people develop projector files for bag making, for quilting, for. I mean, I don't even know what else. Like I. What else is out there? Bethany Like I.
- [31:23]
B
If you wanted to cut out a design or trace a design from Applique. You can project anything. You don't even have to have an applique design. You could go find an image online and project it and trace it right onto your fabric and then cut it out. I have a friend, I didn't even think of that. Whose daughter was a senior in high school and she wanted. This was when like the painting down the pant leg. Senior, class of. And do all that. Yeah. That was so cool. So she projected down. Down the letters and then painted it right on. Projected it right onto the jeans and painted it and used it as a template. Just like if you were to project it on a wall for a mural and she used it to be able to get it all the way down the leg and not run out of room and not say senor. It would. Yeah. So you can totally use it for so many different things. I've seen people use their projector on like parchment paper or something like that. Some sort of like craft paper. And then they'll project stuff down and then the kids are like doodling in the. You know, so you're making your own little coloring pages and then they can go away and then, you know, it's just the kids doodles. So there's so many things that you can do with a projector.
- [32:28]
A
Let's talk about resources. Give us your best resources when it
- [32:32]
B
comes to just scratch the surface. But it. It's enough for you to have knowledge to begin your process of setting up a projector in your space. But there is a Facebook group with over 100,000 members. Okay. So it's got a ton of knowledge in there. They've got a ton of great files and resources. You can ask questions. And that is the projectors for sewing Facebook group. So you can go search for that and find it. Great for troubleshooting help and things like that. When you need to just talk to someone that has a similar setup as you and out of a hundred thousand people, you're probably going to find somebody. Then as I mentioned, there's projectorsewing.com and there's our guides, tutorials, calculating tools for calibration, set up help, those kind of things. So it's. You can go through that website, you can go to the Facebook group. Between those two, you should have success. I didn't have those resources when I set up mine. So it's great to see that how much this has taken off and how much people have benefited from it that they're now creating these resources so that more people can benefit from projectors for Sewing. Yeah.
- [33:34]
A
I think the biggest takeaway here. And I mean, there's things you've mentioned today that I didn't even think of. Like, I didn't even think about using it for applique or some of those other. Or, like, going right on to the project itself. It's so smart. This has helped me realize that it's more approachable. I just need to take the time to do it. It's like learning anything.
- [33:54]
B
Yeah.
- [33:54]
A
New. We just need to take the time to do it. And I love your idea of starting with just like a simple project, because you don't necessarily want to dive in and make the ball gown with your projector for the first time. Time. Maybe you start with a simple bag project or you start with something small, like just a quick pair of, like, boxer shorts or something that, you know is easy. You know, you can test the size. You know that worst case, you've got some slop in there if it doesn't work out.
- [34:20]
B
Right.
- [34:21]
A
And don't use your favorite fabrics. We're just going to say that right now. I know we talked about using your favorite fabrics a couple episodes ago, but maybe when testing something new. Yeah. Maybe when you're testing this.
- [34:32]
B
Yeah.
- [34:33]
A
Don't use your favorites, but use a pattern. You know, don't necessarily use your favorite fabrics, but just get acclimated.
- [34:39]
B
I feel like we all have the way you like, favorite T shirt pattern that we've made more than once. Right. Like, that's the one that you're going to project. You're going to print it.
- [34:47]
A
You're.
- [34:47]
B
Or you're going to project it, cut it out, sew it up in like 30 minutes and put it on and go. It fits just like all the other ones I've made. I'm doing something right. And then you. And with those quick wins, you, you it, man. It lights a fire under you. And now you're like, what else can I project? You get real excited about it, and then you're to the races and you're going to never print another PDF pattern again. I can tell you the only pattern I have printed since getting my projector was for a quilt coat. And that's because I was laying my quilt out on the floor and fussy cutting, and I needed to make sure all the pieces could fit on the one quilt. That is the only pattern I have printed since getting a projector. The only one. Yeah.
- [35:26]
A
Hopefully you guys are all with me and we'll dive in and give this a go and. And not be scared.
- [35:33]
B
And you got this. The amount of productivity you will have, you're cutting out a huge chunk of time. That alone, that is what usually pushes people over the edge. To finally break down and go into this projector sewing is just the time saving. I couldn't tell you how many times I'm like, I'm in the mojo. I want to sew. I want to get right to it. I want to make this pattern. I'm so excited. And two hours later, I am still. Still. I still just finished cutting out the pattern pieces. I still have to cut out the fabric, and I'm, like, exhausted, and now it's time for bed, and I'm just like, this is. This is frustrating.
- [36:08]
A
Yeah, it's a little bit of a buzz kill.
- [36:10]
B
It is. It's a total buzzkill. We're not doing that anymore. This is 2026, and we're thriving with projectors.
- [36:16]
A
All right, well, I'm gonna segue into spool school, because looking at our notes, it looks like your spool school is in the projector sewing vein. Spool school is a segment where we do share a quick sewing tip or a hack or a lesson. So, Bethany, what do you got for us?
- [36:30]
B
Okay, so mine is on the topic of projector sewing, and it's one of the most common questions I get with. I'm so used to having to put my fabric down and then position my paper piece like my pattern, and then use weights and. And. Or rulers or whatever. You literally throw the fabric down. And then I still use really good pattern weights, but just on the fabric right inside the line lines. And then I cut with a rotary cutter. There's no rulers or anything. So I literally. Fabric weights cut. Fabric weights cut. Like, it is very quick and efficient, and I just shift things around as I need it. Get some really good fabric or pattern weights. That. Or can of Campbell soup, it doesn't really matter. It just needs to have some good weight, and it's going to prevent the weight of the fabric hanging off your table from shifting as you're cutting, especially with knits. And. And then you don't have any pull, so you don't have to worry about the fabric stretching while you're cutting and things like that. So get some good fabric weights. Pattern weights. You're just going to put it right on the fabric and then straight to cutting with a rotary cutter. You don't need rollers. You don't need scissors. You don't want to use scissors with a projector because then you're lifting the fabric up from. And you're throwing off the ratio. Just use a rotary cutter. It doesn't have to be perfect. We've got seam allowance for that. You know, like, it's okay. Get close and you'll be fine. Fine. And that. That's the best thing is like just a really good. Really good. You need something with some weight. And I think I have eight of these discs that are heavy, and I just spread those out. But if I ever need more, man, there's always something I can grab in here or out of my pantry. I've used cans of soup before, and it works great. So just get a good pair of pattern weights. Not those bean bags. Those bean bags are not enough. Those little bean bags. Those are hacky sacks. Don't even bother. Get. Use the can of soup first.
- [38:17]
A
My favorite pattern weights are from Bianca Springer. Thanks. I made them. And I absolutely love my pattern weights from her. I'll add them into the show notes. Yeah, my spool school is just don't underestimate the value of your mistakes. Yeah. So I was working on a quilt. My mom and I taught the tutorials for the Fireworks finale quilt with Missouri Star Quilt Company. And I was working on one of the months blocks, and I absolutely snowballed the wrong corners. And they were sitting. I had this pile of blocks that I had messed up, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them away. Cause I'm like, this is good fabric. And it actually. They're really cute colors. There's just red marks, white. So the other day when I was trying to get my sew jo back, I just decided to, like, randomly stitch them together. I just laid them out on my quilt wall and just randomly stitched them together just to see what it looked like. I wasn't looking for a design. I just wanted to use them. It felt like Valentine's Day. It felt a little. It brought along the lovey vibes. When you make a mistake, don't throw away those pieces. Because sometimes it's exactly what you need to break your rut or just change up what you're doing and who knows what happy accidents are going to come out of it. But I just say, like, just don't underestimate the power of your mistakes and how they can help you later. Or break you out of your sew jo or just make something fun. It's actually behind me, like you can. It's actually. I just.
- [39:33]
B
She's embroidering on it.
- [39:35]
A
And then I decided to embroider on it. And now I think I'm going to Turn it into, like, a tote bag. So just don't throw away that fabric. You never know what it'll turn into.
- [39:43]
B
You never know. Never know. Give it new life. Happy accidents. Who always said happy relaxes? That was Bob Ross.
- [39:51]
A
Bob Ross. God.
- [39:52]
B
Every.
- [39:53]
A
Even I will pull up Bob Ross on YouTube, man. He's. I just love. It's very meditative.
- [39:58]
B
I used to watch him on PBS every day when I would get home from school. Oh.
- [40:02]
A
And you'd watch and you're like, where is he going with this? And then you're like, oh, my God, that's amazing. Anyway, happy little accidents. So let's talk about you. Love to see it. Yours. What's mine?
- [40:14]
B
Yeah.
- [40:15]
A
I am feeling. So, as you guys have known, I've been kind of talking about accountability and rededicating myself to surface pattern design.
- [40:22]
B
Yeah.
- [40:22]
A
Back in 2022, I took Bonnie Christine's Immersion course, and I've been dabbling. I've been dabbling, I've been dabbling, and I'm really finding my traction, and it feels really good. I was actually going through my devices the other day, realizing how many designs I've actually done, and I'm working on getting all those upload to Spoonflower. I'm finding more motivation. Bonnie Christine's Immersion course opens up for signup this week, which, if you're interested or have questions, please DM me, me. I also have the link in my Instagram bio. I am going to go redo the 22 course along with the people that are doing the current course, just to kind of hold myself accountable and remember those things. I've learned, because I invested that time, I invested that money, and I really. I think I needed. I do love it, and I think I needed to actually realize how much I've done. Like, I was going through my devices and like, oh, I forgot I did.
- [41:14]
B
I did that.
- [41:15]
A
Oh, I forgot I did that, actually. And then I was really like, that one sitting here. That's one of the things in the moment you don't realize that you like it. And then you go back, you're like, oh, that wasn't actually half bad. And then I was playing with mockups, and I love doing mockups. Mockups are where you actually take the 2D design and then put it on a 3D product. And so it's been really fun to just play with mockups because it brings it to life.
- [41:38]
B
Yeah.
- [41:38]
A
And then it reminds you, someone might actually like this as much as I do, or someone might actually want to buy this. And. And so it gets exciting. And so I'm just excited to be rededicating myself to it and making it a priority. And like I said, if you're interested when this episode airs, Immersion's open for enrollment. Feel free to DM me, ask me questions. I've got more information in my Instagram bio. I just. It's been really fun, and it feels good to kind of realize what I've done and to be getting back in the groove.
- [42:06]
B
I'm really proud of you. Do you have a link on your Instagram to your designs that are already on Spoonflower? For those, I do.
- [42:13]
A
So, yeah. Thank you. In my Instagram bio, you'll see a link to my link tree. And in the link tree, it's got a link to my Spoon flower store in there as well, so you can see.
- [42:25]
B
And all the new designs, you're going
- [42:26]
A
to be uploading to all the new designs. And what's cool about what I enjoy
- [42:30]
B
about Spoonflower designs, by the way, they're beautiful, so you guys should check them out.
- [42:35]
A
Thanks. I'm still trying to find, like, my voice, but it's fun playing trying to find your voice.
- [42:40]
B
Yeah.
- [42:40]
A
And what's cool about Spoonflower and I really appreciate what they do do, is when you upload a design, they immediately, like, mock it up on other things for you to show off different substrates. So just because maybe you see me using it as a quilting cotton, you could buy it as a knit or you could buy it as a tea towel or whatever. And I really love that people can immediately do it in different ways without necessarily having to buy an obscene amount of fabric.
- [43:06]
B
Yeah. So it's great. I've used Spin Flower so many times, especially when I had my dog bandana business, because I could find designs, designs that were kitschy to my audience of dog owners. And I would order custom fabrics all the time, especially for, like, big holidays and Christmas and in certain seasons, because they would sell every time. And I love. It was always great quality. And I would get it so quickly, and it's, like, custom printed just to the amount that I needed. And it was wonderful, actually. I've even saved some of the scraps. And so I've incorporated them like this little. I'm holding up my three in one sewing organizer pattern. But this little donut valentine fabric was one of the dog bandana fabrics. But I cut them out and used them as applique on this project, like, because they're just so cute. But, like, you can find some really cute. I did a lot of Food fabrics for the dog bandanas. People loved them. Anyways, I digress. But Spoonflower is great. And you can choose. You pick the design and then choose the type of fabric. And there's a lot to choose from. You can also do wallpaper, paper, like, you can do prints. Like, there's so many different things you can do with the designs. It's really cool. So I'm so proud of you.
- [44:19]
A
Thank you. What's your love to see it?
- [44:22]
B
Well, mine's kind of along the same concept of yours of just, like, getting into, like, I invested into a pattern writing course with Quilters Candy last fall, and I quote, unquote, graduated from the course December 1st. I released my very first quilt pattern. In January, I just released my second one. And I'm really proud of myself for that because it is a lot of work. Not just having a creative mindset to design something new, but the technical process of using Illustrator and InDesign to turn it into a design, a digital design and digital instructions. It's a lot of work. And it's a. It's not a quick process. And I really do love it. And I feel like I'm getting my footing and my goal is to just do a bunch more patterns this year here, small ones, big ones. And now I'm. Every time I'm doing a new one, I'm growing my skill. So, like, my recent one introduces foundation paper piecing with traditional piecing, which is my ultimate goal to do more of. And so it took me a little longer to figure out how to make my own FPP pattern, you know, and all of that stuff. So, yeah, that it's been really rewarding and I just appreciate all the support for my new patterns. And my patterns are beginner friendly in the sense. Sense of like, you can. If it's your first quilt, you can do it, you know, and it's going to build skill through repetition and. And make it easier to, like, match points and things the way that it's sewn together. So, like, my first one is the Frost Yourself quilt. And it looks. It's a lot of points, but I'm telling you, the points are captured through your stitch. When you're stitching your seams, they're not having to be lined up perfectly. And it works really well for beginners who are skin scared, but when they see it, they're like, oh, that's a lot of points. I wouldn't want to do that. I was like, I don't like doing points either. That's why I made it in the way that I did, so it's not so hard. And it actually works really well, so don't be intimidated. Just because it looks hard, impressive doesn't actually mean it's hard. And my instructions are really thorough so that you are always set up for success. But I. I just love making them. I found my avenue.
- [46:29]
A
I'm really, really proud of you, because I remember when you told me you signed up for the course, and I was like, this is gonna be. Be great for you. And I think you've. You've killed the beginning of this year with your patterns, and I'm loving seeing people make them, and I'm just excited to see where it goes. And, like, my dream is that, like, my fabric and your patterns come together, and then we can, like, kit up our stuff, and then it'll be, like, this really great combo, and we can come up with, like, a really fun name for all of our stuff that we do together with, like, my fabric and your quilts. Manifesting universe.
- [47:04]
B
Yeah, I'm here for it. I would love to design stuff based on a fabric line. Right now, I'm designing stuff based on vibes and my vibes, and I just. It's. But it's funny. Is like, my two that I've released so far. The design part of it is what came easy to me. It came so quick. I sat down and designed the entire Valentine's pattern. Had it all planned of the construction and math for fabric and everything. All the pieces individually. Had it all done in one night while we were watching a football game.
- [47:35]
A
Nice.
- [47:35]
B
And then it took me weeks to get it, like, written and squared away and tech edited and everything. But it's no joke.
- [47:41]
A
The writing's no joke.
- [47:42]
B
Yeah. No, it's not. Okay. Very, very thorough. All right, coming up next, our next
- [47:48]
A
episode, we're gonna be talking all things Quiltcon, folks. It's Bethany's first trip to Quiltcon. It's my. I don't even know how many trip
- [47:55]
B
to Quiltcon are reversing for that episode compared to this. I.
- [48:00]
A
We're gonna have a great time recapping, and we're just. We're excited about it, so.
- [48:05]
B
I know. Don't forget talking to a lot of people at Quiltcon that we would love to have as guests on our podcast this year. So we're just know that when. When we were at. I'm saying when we were. Because it will have already happened when you're listening to this, but we. We were hustling to get some amazing guests this year. Uh, and we're really excited to share some of that with you guys in the next episode. And some sound bit of our friends that we've run into. It's. I'm just. It's. I'm saying I'm so excited when you're listening to this. I've already lived it, but I haven't lived it yet because we're recording this right before we leave, and I am so pumped. And I have very limited. Now that my pattern is done and my Valentine's pattern is done and released, I now have time to focus on my quiltcon projects. And I have three that I want to do. I went from one I'm doing.
- [48:53]
A
I did zero. This is the first year I've done zero. And you know what? I am perfectly okay with it, but
- [48:59]
B
can I just say one of them is almost done. It's a big tote to carry stuff and it's got pockets, but I just need to put the zipper and top and handle on it.
- [49:07]
A
Well, I'm just telling you, like, maybe
- [49:08]
B
two and a half project.
- [49:09]
A
If two days before I tell you I'm making something, just tell me.
- [49:13]
B
No.
- [49:13]
A
So we're just gonna say that right now?
- [49:14]
B
Yes.
- [49:15]
A
No, you're not. Tell me. No.
- [49:16]
B
Okay.
- [49:17]
A
Anyway, don't forget to like and subscribe this episode. Share our podcast with fellow Sew us or creatives that you think would enjoy it. We'd love to see you join the social service Facebook group. And it'll be after Quilcon. So I can't say say hello, but.
- [49:31]
B
But just out in the wild, please go see.
- [49:34]
A
If you ever see us out in the wild, please say hello. Anyway, thank you so much for joining us today. I have a projector to go set up and happy sewing.
- [49:42]
B
Bye, guys.