Hi Cheryl. Thanks for the question. We're sorry you're having trouble. I contacted Jackie (PJ from PJ Designs) and she wanted me to convey the following information to you:
She says to be sure to attach the tree to the mat BY HAND and NOT BY MACHINE. The pattern instructions recommend hand-tacking. In that case, she says: "I don't have any special recommendation, just a sharp fine needle (and maybe a thimble if she's having problems getting the needle to pass through) and just regular sewing thread, although I probably just used my embroidery thread that was handy. One thing she needs to keep in mind is that she should pass the needle on both articles (the tree and the mat) through the fabric NEAR the satin stitching instead of through the satin stitching itself. Another choice which I actually used to make my sample more stow-able was to use safety pins on the back side of the mat, passing the point up through the mat, catching a bit of the tree and then passing the point back under the mat and fastening the pin closed."
I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have further questions.
~Heather
[email protected]
Cheryl G.
I am having a hard time attaching the tree to the mat. Do you have any suggestions like size of sewing needle and weight of thread. It is very awkward trying to attach this.