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Royal Monograms

I’m not really a news junkie but you’d have to be living in a cave to miss the hype on the Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. In case you don’t know, the nuptials will occur on April 29th. So it seems the perfect time to address monograms – royal monograms.

I did a bit of research and learned that royal tradition puts the groom’s first name initial, first, followed by the bride’s first name initial which, in this case, would be WC, the abbreviation for Water Closet. Because of that unseemly reference, the young couple has bucked tradition and is using CW for horizontal monograms and a stacked monogram (C above the W) on vertical monograms.

Of course where there is hype, you will usually find commemorative items. The Royal Palace is no different. The Royal Collection has launched an official range of china to mark the forthcoming wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton. The English fine bone china set displays a delicate C centered vertically between a W and a crown.

I’ve also spotted some ‘unofficial’ souvenirs such as this gorgeous decorative plate.

And a pill box by Wedgewood which is sticking with tradition and ignoring any unintentional reference.

Since monogramming is a subject dear to embroiderers’ hearts, I decided to go to our industry’s leader in historic lettering, Richards Jarden, owner of EmbroideryArts, for his view on the couple’s monogram. EmbroideryArts’ website states, “The Gold standard for monograms in the embroidery industry.” If you need a machine embroidery font that stitches brilliantly, they are your go-to source.

I was interested in Richards’ approach to the royal monogram because of his expertise in lettering and his personal style. He is a contemplative person and approaches tasks with curiosity. And he usually knows where to go for the answers. In this case, he had an email exchange with Helen Faulkner – wife of David Beevers, the Keeper of the Royal Pavillion, Brighton and learned that there has been no official announcement on the bucking of tradition for the couple’s monogram.

Richards stated, “The intertwined monogram on the Royal Wedding commemorative items for sale is fine – stately, traditional, serious.

No one asked me to design one for them, but if I did it would be interesting to try to incorporate some aspects of the couple themselves:

* She: a regular person, college graduate, has worked as an accessories buyer in the clothing industry. Fashion conscious, fashion icon. 5’10″ tall.

* He: a member of the British Royal Family, Kings and Queens for the past 1140 years.
College graduate. President of the Football Association, the governing body of English professional soccer. 6’3″ tall.

Overall, a vertical monogram seems appropriate. The initial C comes from our Arabesque Monogram Set 7 – symmetrical, graceful, with a stylish but not too feminine quality.  The W comes from our Diamond Monogram Set 6 – balanced, traditional with a modern, tall stature.  The crown is from another source.”

As embroiderers we are often asked to create monograms for engaged couples. It is our duty to help the couple select their style and critique any improper message the newly-combined initials may portray. Every couple’s monogram is important and will be reflective of their style for many years to come, so take some time to create a beautiful stamp.

For instance, a young conservative English couple, Kevin and Olivia, may need some guidance when selecting their machine embroidery monogram. As OK is probably not a combo they want to see splashed on every towel, plate and glass in their home. A little creative machine embroidery layout is required here to come up with an appropriate monogram for them. Here’s a few suggestions:

I always take into consideration the 6 F’s of monogramming: Fabric, Fit, Feel, Format, Font and Finish. Not every font will work on every fabric, fit in every space, portray the right mood and send the right message. Take your time and use exceptional lettering – it’s worth it!

Have you had to create challenging machine embroidery monogram? Share your dilemma with us.

Last week we asked why you needed a vacation.  The winner of the tote bag full of spa essential items from Discount Embroidery Blanks is…Margaret Grice!

“I NEED a vacation beacuse I am a fifth grade teacher and anyone who has had a fifth grader knows the trial and troubles of the end of the fifth grade year. Hormones are running rampant and they are ready for the end of the year. Only good thing is I get end of year too and I will have more time to sew and embroidery. Help!”

Congratulations, Margaret!

Everyone needs a vacation

Yikes! Gloria from www.cruise-consultants.com sent me a frantic email yesterday telling me the ship is going to sell out for the July 10, 2011 sailing. She said if you know anyone who wants to sail with us, they need to book soon. It’s been a long, hard winter for most of the US and I’ll bet most of you are ready for some fun.

My Stitching Sister, Marie Zinno and I can’t wait to hit the high seas and stitch with an ocean view. I know Marie really needs a vacation because her commercial embroidery business, Sew Creative, has been swamped with Spring sports orders. Last week, she stitched 90 hats on Monday, 133 team shirts on Tuesday, 60 umpire shirts on Wednesday, then had her usual orders of baby and wedding shower gifts, followed by 34 coaches’ left chest and sleeve embroidery. And her son is the second baseman for their high school team and her daughter plays lacrosse – both teams in full swing right now. She is in desperate need of a vacation. Does this sound like you?

I, on the other hand, just love the ocean. I love moving across the surface of the ocean whether that movement is powered by arms, legs, jets skis, water skis, an Evenrude outboard, a canvas sail or a large ship. I want to smell the salt air. I want to feel the ocean breeze. I want to enjoy the sun.

Oh wait, I don’t do the suntan thing anymore (so bad for you). So my next favorite thing to do besides play in the water is play in the sewing room! I couldn’t think of a better way to combine my two loves (water and sewing) without any danger.

And since we are only allowing a small number of students into the workshop, it will be a week of stitching heaven. Very personalized attention, we have over seven projects planned for the cruise. Attendees will use top-of-line Baby Lock machines – one student per machine. Students will be pampered with personal attention from our first mate, Gilligan (ok, he has a real name – Scott Goodman – but we’re going to make him wear that white hat and blue-white rugby shirt), a Baby Lock educator and Marie and I.

We’ll machine embroider on pashminas, terry cloth, waffle weave cotton, make a quilted purse, master continuous embroidery, stitch a lace t-shirt, create a charming pin cushion (bet you can’t just make one!) and more. So if you’ve been hankering for a vacation, join us! It will be delightful. Click here for more information or call Gloria at 888-719-7698. You can reach Gilligan, er, Scott at 866-429-3432.

If you want to join us and plan on bringing an embroidered terry cloth cover-up, here’s a few tips on stitching on that troublesome fabric.

Magnetic Hoops

Luscious towels are often impossible to hoop in standard tools with tear-away stabilizer. I opt for Magna-Hoop Jumbo. The industrial-strength magnets hold any towel with a strong grip – perfect for robes, hand or bath towels. Just hoop the towel with tear-away and machine embroider.

Standard Hoops

Perfect towels are achieved by using a trio of stabilizers when hooping in a standard hoop. The combination of an adhesive tear-away; a low-tack, iron-on tear-away and a water soluble film-type stabilizer tames the bulky nature of terry cloth and protects the easily damaged fibers.

Stabilizer

Use the adhesive to avoid hooping the bulky towel and the low-tack, iron-on tear-away to protect the terry cloth’s loops from touching the sticky adhesive. The terry’s loops are often distorted when pulled away from the adhesive stabilizer so iron the low-tack stabilizer onto the back of the design area and finger press that to the sticky surface. Lastly, film-type water soluble stabilizer helps keep the embroidery thread from sinking into the lush fibers of the terry cloth.

Fonts

Properly digitized machine embroidery fonts are critical to embroidering the perfect towel. You need a font that has been designed to hold down the nap of the terry cloth throughout the life of the towel to ensure luxurious results after repeated washings.

Water soluble toppers disappear when laundered leaving the terry’s loops to work their way through the embroidery. Double underlay on embroidery designs will permanently solve that problem. If you’re working with a design that you can not manipulate in digitizing software, use bridal tulle as a topper. Matching the tulle to the towel ensures the tulle to fade into the background but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how cleanly tulle rips away from satin stitches.

The combination of the right hoop, stabilizers and digitized fonts are the tools you need for successfully machine embroidery on terry cloth every time.

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Discount Embroidery Blanks.  They are generously giving away a tote bag full of spa essential items just begging for your personal touch!  Leave a comment telling us why you need a vacation and you’ll be entered to win!

Last week we asked you about your favorite planning tips for machine embroidery.  The winner of the Magna Hoop is…Karin!  She said…

“I always lay out my item or garment, then audition the colors by laying the spools of thread out on top of the item in the order they’re called for. That way, I get to see if the colors all play nicely together and stand out or fade into the item.”

Congratulations, Karin!

Top 10 Tips for Machine Embroidery Fashions

1. Find a focal point. Examine the garment to determine if there’s a design detail that could serve as the starting or focal point for the embroidery. On this plain sheath, the slit is the only detail. I can choose to accent it or ignore it.

2. Sketch a few possibilities. You don’t have to be an artist. You can trace a similar garment from a pattern or catalog. You only need the basic shape and some dots, squiggles and lines to simulate the embroidery.

3. Print templates of the embroidery design(s). Never take a stitch without seeing the design in actual size on paper. Any embroidery software is capable of producing a template. Just go to File, Print. Consider using transparencies or vellum for translucent templates. Otherwise, cut the templates out paper-doll style. The template must have a center crosshair with an arrow designating the top of the embroidery design. If your templates do not have those markings, add them by drawing a crosshair with a ruler and marker. Place one arrow head at the vertical line pointing towards the top of the design.

4. Audition the templates on the garment. Tape the templates on the garment while wearing the garment or using a dress form. It’s very important to ‘see’ the embroidery on the figure. Garments laid on flat surface appear to be much larger than the actually are. Machine embroidery placement is often skewed when decided on flat garments. Take the time to plan the layout correctly.

5. Experiement with the layout by making subtle changes in placement. Take caution when placing templates around the bust line and hips. These are danger areas and can draw unwanted attention (or add girth) to the figure. Sometimes, all that is needed is a small adjustment, such as moving a flower 2” above the bust point. Use a digital camera to record your progress, review the images to decide which placement is best.

If some designs stitch on top of others, write numbers on each template to indicate the stitching sequence.

6. Play with scale. Machine embroidery designs in a variety of sizes create a more interesting layout than repeating the same size design.

7. Add contrast with color, sparkle and shine. If you match the embroidery thread to the base fabric, what’s the point of stitching all of those designs? Separate the embroidery from the fabric by selecting threads that are a different value or color from the base. Incorporate a little splash with metallic threads or crystals. Sparkle gets the eye in a subtle way, remember less is more here.

8. Don’t overlook the power of appliqué. Machine embroidery applique comes in many forms, you can always find one method that works on your fabric. It can pack a powerful punch when dealing with delicate fabrics like lightweight knits, and sheers. It’s a great alternative to high stitch count designs.

9. Include decorative stitching. Want to make your embroidery look like you had an embroidery machine with a 3 ft. sewing field? Just connect the embroidery designs with decorative stitching or satin stitching. In this cover garment, flowers were sprinkled on the bodice then down the sleeve. I satin-stitched the stems to fill the area. Simple to do and very pleasing to the eye.

10. Plan the Process. Once you’ve gone through the first 9 steps, you’ll know what to stitch first, second and third. This embroidery layout plan or schematic will guide you through the whole project. If you get interrupted before completing the project, you’ll know just what to do when you return.

Do you have any favorite tips for planning your embroidery projects? Tell us what works for you when planning a machine embroidery project and you’ll be entered to win a Magna-Hoop!

Last we asked you to tell us about your shopping experiences.  The winner of last weeks bundle which includes Boatload of Bags and Contemporary Machine Embroidered Accessories is…Bridget Cheatham!

“I LOVE purses…currently I probably have about twenty in my closet! I have all styles and colors (as I like to have something appropriate for different outfits) but only when I started designing and sewing my own bags did I get something that felt truly “me”. I use my bought handbags as inpiration and combine my favorite details from each to make something unique and useful.”

Congrats, Bridget!

What do jeans, bathing suits and handbags have in common?

It’s almost impossible to find one that fits you! And the shopping experience is truly miserable. Let’s start with jeans. You have to bring at least six different pairs into the dressing room – a full range of sizes, cuts and lengths. Then there’s the joy of getting out of your clothes and trying each one on. The lighting is terrible, you need two mirrors so you can get a true view of the back of the jeans, none of them fit, so it’s back into your clothes, return the jeans to the sales floor and get another slew to try on. That is – if – there are more styles in that store. Probably not, most likely you have to head to another store. Of course, I didn’t address the pricing issue – that’s another whole scenario. And how come the only ones that fit really well have holes in them? I am not paying extra for holes. I refuse.

Bathing suits. This experience is so degrading I know many women who simply do not wear bathing suits. I don’t blame them. But sometimes, they’re necessary and I do love the water so I wear them. I am very comfortable in a suit with complete strangers. Any other condition is an entirely different story.

Back to the search for a suit. Again, a full arm of suits in a variety of cuts and sizes goes into the dressing room. Now, we have to strip down to our skivvies and stand in the fluorescent glare and look in the mirror. Oh for heavens sake, dim the lights, use the Crazy House mirrors that make us look skinny, paint the walls a soft, rosy pink – anything to make the naked, aging skin look youthful again! And I’m not even in the suit yet! Today the suits come with slimming linings so your tummy is flat, you’re having difficulty breathing and your thighs look like stuffed sausages. Oh a little skirt might do the trick! Every time I pick up a skirted suit, I remember the last time my mother wore a bathing suit. I was about 8 (she would have been my age now) and said, “Oh Mom, I love that swim dress!” Never again did she don a suit and join us in the water. And we lived at the beach. Sorry, Mom. It is a family rule – never describe a skirted bathing suit as a swim dress.

The best part of bathing suit shopping is buying the cover-up. I love the cover-ups! They can be glamorous, plain, tropical, beachy, you name it… they’re beautiful and comfortable! So if you have to actually purchase a suit always treat yourself to a new cover-up. And add embroidery – up near the face so everyone stops looking at your thighs!

Handbags. Shopping for handbags is even worse because this you have to do in public – on the sales floor. I always feel like I’m about to commit a crime because my behavior is so suspicious. I pick up the bag, examine it and open every pocket and zipper. Put it over my shoulder. Look for a mirror (they don’t exist in most handbag departments, they do in the shoe department but not the bag department, which is funny because you can see the shoes when they’re on your feet!) Then I travel over to the ladies clothing department in search of a mirror. Now I’m moving through the store with THEIR handbag on my shoulder (in addition to mine). I think that’s very suspicious behavior. What I would really like to do is, dump all the contents from my bag into the new bag and see if everything fits. But I think I would be approached by a badge-wearing security person with a very stern look on his/her face.

So? What’s a machine embroiderer to do? I can only help you on the handbags here. There is no rescue to the bathing suit-jeans scenarios (mail order might help but still it’s such a trial-and-error process). At least we can make our own bags! Thank heavens! And today we can make them soft-sided, stiff, small, large, shoulder or clutch. The list goes on and on. Right now I’m designing a collection of bags – and having a lot of fun doing it. But I am still behaving quite suspiciously in the handbag department. Now I’m actually measuring the bags on the sales floor! You know, ever-so-discreetly. Just how wide is that bottom, and how long is that strap, ooh look at that zipper placement!

Tell me about your shopping experiences. Do you bring a tape measure into the store and measure clothing or accessories? Do you find it helpful to examine the innards of bags? And feel free to tell us that last time you purchased a swimsuit!  Leave a comment for a chance to win this weeks bundle which includes Boatload of Bags and Contemporary Machine Embroidered Accessories!

Last week we asked what you would do if you had Loralie Designs and markers!  The winner is…Sorcha girl!  You’ve won the autographed drawing and Loralie’s Fast Women Light design collection.

“I’m a fan of Loralie and her characters.  Having her  autographed “art” in my sewing room would be delightful.  I missed Sewing Expo this year.  The first project I’d use with the Art Stamp “crayons” would be to add one of the  embroidered designs to a plain beige canvas tote and then, fill in with the markers.

Love to read the creative ideas your blog introduces.”

Congratulations!



There Seems to be a Trend…

Everywhere I turn, I see ‘light embroidery’ – digitized designs that intentionally expose the fabric behind the embroidery. This technique is advantageous when heavy stitches will change the drape of the fabric or when a soft look is desired. But you don’t have to settle for subtle – you can add color with fabric markers.

Managing Editor Denise Holguin recently visited with Loralie Harris of Loralie Designs at Sewing and Stitchery Expo, 2011. Loralie shared her new technique of stitching fast and coloring quick. Her Fast Women! Collection (it’s not what you think) is titled ‘fast’ because they stitch in a jiffy. If you know Loralie, you know she’s quite an artist and plain black stitches on white fabric aren’t going to stay that way for long.

Loralie illustrated how easy it is to fill in the embroidered areas with her Art Stamps Copic Sketch markers. Copic Sketch markers have two tips – a sharp and a wide for filling all kinds of spaces. These markers do not bleed so you have total control over the pigment. Loralie includes an instruction sheet for coloring faces, leaves and flowers with the purchase of each Art Stamp kit. You’ll find step-by-step instructions on blending, shading and highlighting.

Denise had so much fun in Loralie’s booth that she purchased a set of the Art Stamps. Once back in Dallas she couldn’t wait to use them. She stitched one of her favorite blocks from the Stipple! Butterfly Collection. She hooped fuchsia fabric and used a beige tone-on-tone applique for the butterfly. Then she went to town adding details with the markers. If you look very closely you’ll see the details of the tone-on-tone fabric through the ink. Denise had a blast doing this and I think we’ll be seeing more of this technique in the future.

I thought I would take this a step further and stitch the same block on plain white fabric – no applique. Take a look at what you can do with just markers on a plain quilt sandwich.

If you’re a Loralie fan, you’ll love this week’s giveaway – an autographed sketch that Loralie made while at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo AND one Fast Women! Light Machine Embroidery Collection. These markers are a more sophisticated approach to coloring than the crayons we grew up with.

Tell us what types of projects would be your first if you were to use them and you could win Loralie’s autographed sketch and Fast Women! Embroidery design collection.

Last week we asked about your favorite machine dealer.  We have two winners for a  2011 Internet Embroidery Club Membership from Martha Pullen!  They winners are Barbara Yanta and Charlotte Lipe!

Barbara Yanta –  ”My favorite sewing center is Bernina 245 in Hancock Fabric in Austin, TX. They always welcome me and drop what they are doing to help me find what I need. At Christmas I was embroidering place mats for gifts when my machine told me that the memory was full and would not let me go further. I tried everything and was on a deadline for the next day. I called the center and told them my problem. After trying to “un-freeze” my machine over the phone, they offered their machines in the center to help me finish. How many centers would do that?”

Charlotte Lipe – “My favorite sewing machine store is SEWING MACHINES AND THINGS in Franklin, TN. So many times they have gone the extra mile to solve the problems I have had with my machine. They are always friendly and caring and in the past 10 years have become friends.”

Congratulations!

Places with Personality!

I am one lucky lady. I get to visit sewing machine dealers all over the country. I have seen everything (and taught there) from vac shops to full-service machine emporiums to a stitcher’s haven chock full of machines, notions and fabrics.

A stitcher’s emporium at Quiltique, Henderson, NV

When I walk in the door of a sewing machine dealer, the first few minutes tell me quite a bit about the owner, staff and customer base. Sometimes I’m stunned; occasionally disappointed but often inspired. The first thing that hits me is the overall layout of the store. Next, the greeting from the staff (or lack of) and finally, the merchandise displays.

Texture, color and light fill Steve’s Sewing & Vacuum in King of Prussia, PA

A well-thought out and inviting layout draws me into the store. It makes me want to get in there and see what’s on display. By this time, I would hope to have been acknowledged by a staff member, just a friendly, “Hello!” is all that is required here. I know some staffers in the industry know me by my photos but you’d be surprised how many don’t recognize me until I identify myself. It’s my feeling that all who enter should be verbally welcomed.

A treasure trove of buttons and trims at Benno’s Buttons, Dallas, TX

Samples galore at Sew Much More, Austin, TX

Now it’s time to get down to the merchandise displays – the real reason why we enter a sewing machine dealer – because we need something! This is the one area that kind of grates on my nerves. I believe sewing machine retail locations should be beautiful, colorful, clean and up-dated. The light – and lots of it – should shine on gorgeous quilts, clothing, soft accessories, framed or hooped stitch-outs, racks of thread and bolts of fabric. I may have traveled into this store to buy blue thread but I’d really like to go home with new goodies such as a pattern, fabric, a new ruler or machine foot.

Inviting layout at Sewing Machines Plus, San Marcos, CA

Sewing machine retailers enjoy complete freedom in setting up their stores. It is the one retail outlet that can really reflect its geographical location. I visit malls all over the country – each one practically identical to the next. But our sewing machine retail stores can be so personal, so representative of their region. In Texas shops, you can expect to find western-related fabrics, buttons and the like. In Minnesota, warm woolens and flannels are often in abundance. Florida offers tropical prints, flamingos by the flock and lots of beachy-themed accessories. Sewing machine retail stores have personality and we’ve lost that in retail as a nation. That’s one of the things I love about our industry – it has personality!

B-Sew Inn’s spacious classroom in Tulsa, OK

Tell me about your sewing machine dealer. What do you love about them? Do they have personality? Is it reflected in their store, in the way they treat their customers?

Tell us your thoughts and you’ll be entered to win one of two 2011 Internet Embroidery Club Memberships from Martha Pullen! 

 

Last week we asked what your favorite emberoidery tool or notion was.  So many of you can’t live without your curved scissors!  The winner is Bernie Webre!

“I have two favorites – Wonder Tape for my embroidery hoops. It holds the fabric in place to make the hooping process so much easier. My other new favorite is a “loop puller” to camoflague those annoying loopies that sometimes pop up – usually near the end of a stitch intensive design.”

Congratulations, Bernie!

Join Designs in Machine Embroidery Editor Eileen Roche and her Stitching Sister, Marie Zinno for a week of fun-filled, embroidery aboard the Carnival Cruise Line to Mexico. Arrive with suntan lotion, comfortable cruising attire and a big smile.

For more info click here!

The Final Steps for Professional Embroidery Results

We talk so much about planning embroidery and hooping fabric but we rarely discuss what to do with a project when we take it out of the hoop. Just like a golf swing, follow-through is important in embroidery.

Once the design is complete, remove the hoop from the machine. If you used a basting outline, remove it now from the wrong side. Also look for any thread tails that will interfere with stabilizer removal and trim them from the back.

If you’re using a standard hoop with a non-adhesive stabilizer, loosen the screw and release the inner ring, freeing the project from the hoop.

Hold cut-away stabilizer away from the fabric and trim the stabilizer about ¼” beyond the embroidery.

Examine the embroidery from the front. If there are puckers between solid areas of a design, or between two designs, slit the cut-away between the solid areas. This will relax the fabric in that area and most, if not all, puckers will iron away.

Use caution when ripping tear-away stabilizer to avoid distorting the fabric or the design. Hold the fabric while placing your thumbnail at the edge of the embroidery and gently tear the stabilizer at that point. If you used multiple layers of tear-away, remove them one layer at a time. The strength provided by the multiple layers during the stitching also gives added resistance in the tearing process.

Water soluble stabilizers should be removed exactly as stated on the packaging. With that being said, always, always, place the packaging inside the tube of stabilizer for future reference. When using water-soluble stabilizer, allow for the time it takes to wet and dry the fabric.

If your fabric is adhered to a tear-away adhesive stabilizer, place the entire hoop on a flat surface, right side up. Lift the fabric away from the adhesive outside of the embroidered area working your way around the entire design.

Flip the hoop over and gently puncture the stabilizer (with your thumbnail) along the edge of the embroidery. Any stabilizer remaining within the design will stay on the fabric.

Finally, it’s out of the hoop and the stabilizer is removed. Take a good look at the embroidery from the right side. Trim any thread remnants and pull away any topper that was applied. If any bobbin thread is showing on the right side, consider hiding it with a permanent fabric marker.

Press the embroidery from the wrong side on a fluffy towel to keep the stitches from flattening. Now, you’re really finished!

The Designs team recently attended the Sewing Expo in Puyallup, WA and brought home tons of information (have you seen what’s been happening on our Facebook page?) and a basket of goodies, including two of my favorite new tools – Lighted Tweezers & Magnifier and a Lighted Seam Ripper & Magnifier from our friends at Dalco Home Sew. Each tool features a LED light (never has to be replaced!) with a magnifying glass. Makes close-up work a breeze.

Tell me what your favorite embroidery tool/notion is and you could be a winner.

 

Last week we asked what your favorite embroidery blank is.  The winners of the towel blanks from www.allaboutblanks.com are…Mary Haggenmaker and Paule-Marie!

Mary said, “My favorite embroidery work is done on kitchen towels. I have digitized several designs that have proven to be popular at the craft fairs I go to. I also digitized one for me. It is Grandma hanging out of a tree and she is definitely upset with the reindeer.”

Paule-Marie said, “I like towels and napkins. (yes there is an ulterior motive for them – I don’t have to worry about putting them in an embarrassing place!) I also like to use outlines and quilting designs to quilt my quilts.”

Congratulations, Mary and Paule-Marie!

I Missed It…again…

Last year, I sullenly sat at my desk during the first week of March wishing I was somewhere else. Not because I don’t like my job. Oh no, I love what I do I just wanted to do it in Puyallup, WA that week. You see, the first week of March heralds in Sewing & Stitchery Expo, the largest sewing and quilting expo in the USA. I was a regular vendor, speaker and just plain Expo junkie for a number of years but financial sense caught up with me and I opted to drop Expo from my travel schedule. Sounded like a wise decision in a meeting months prior to the event. But during that week – I was sad! Really sad that I was missing all the fun. I followed along as best I could on Rita Farro’s blog but she was too busy to post continuously throughout the show. Rita is in charge of public relations for Sewing & Stitchery Expo. So I survived.

Months followed, my teaching calendar got quite full and lo and behold, I scheduled a Stitching Sisters event for the first weekend in March, in California. Ugh – here we go again! I figured if that show meant so much to me, it probably meant just as much to others who weren’t able to attend. So instead of going myself, I sent two very able-bodied members of the Designs team, Amanda Griffin and Denise Holguin and asked them to bring the show to us.

And now, we have two more Expo junkies! See? It works, just give them a taste and they can’t wait to go back for more. But look what they brought us – photos, videos and the best of all – prizes from the Expo vendors! Of course, they’re not just any vendors, they’re also Designs in Machine Embroidery advertisers.

Be sure to visit our Facebook page to check out the videos and photos! 

Their first stop was at AllAboutBlanks. After waiting several minutes to get into the crammed both and say hello to owner Susan Mars, Denise and Amanda learned that AllAboutBlanks’ hot seller at the show was their luscious linen towels. Why? Well, those kitchen towels embroider like a dream and make the absolute best gifts – for anyone on an embroiderer’s gift list – including her own kitchen! This year they come in a ton of colors, different weaves and patterns.

Of course, it wasn’t all towels, there were children’s items, cosmetic bags, pillows, bags of lavender for filling sachets, luggage tags, oh the list goes on and on. Visit their website to view all of their offerings, www.allaboutblanks.com.

Tell us what is your favorite blank to embroider on and you’ll be entered to win a set of towels from AllAboutBlanks.com.  We have two sets so that means we’ll have two winners! 

Last week we asked what you thought about the large scale prints.  The winner of the Embroidery Tool Kit is….Annette Haney!

“I love the large prints if they don’t have too many colors in them. If they do they are too busy. I love the print and “almost” solid you used for the tunic. And the design was just right!”

Congrats, Annette!

Didn’t win the Embroidery Tool Kit?  No worries…everyone is a winner this week thanks to AllAboutBlanks.com!

AllAboutBlanks has a great offer for Eileen’s Blog and Facebook readers!  They’re offering free shipping on US orders for purchases made at allaboutblanks.com until March 31, 2011.  Simply enter the coupon code, Designs, upon checkout to take advantage of this great offer!  Thanks, AllAboutBlanks!  

Be sure to  mark your calendars for next year’s Sewing & Stitchery Expo, March 1-4, 2012. See you there!

Working with Prints – It’s all about Color and Scale

Combining embroidery with patterned fabric is challenging but here are a few tips for a successful outcome.

• Add a plain fabric as the base for the embroidery.
• Take your color cues from the printed fabric.
• Differentiate the scale of the embroidery

In this tunic, I selected a base fabric (manufacturer unknown) that matches one of the colors in Valorie Wells Free Spirit Jenaveve Linen print. Notice it contrasts in color and value from the background of the print and defines the embroidered area.

Use the colors in the fabric as your guide for selecting threads. I selected a dark, very dark, brown thread that pops off of the medium value plain fabric. That same dark brown thread is also the same shade as the background of the print creating a unified schematic.

Rarely is it a good idea to introduce another color scheme when balancing embroidery with a large scale print. Of course, you want the embroidery to be visible so select threads the same color as the print but of a different value. It’s the contrast between the base fabric and the thread that makes the embroidery visible.

Now select the embroidery design. Make sure its one that coordinates in style with the large print yet contrasts in scale. If the main fabric in the garment is a large print, then stitch a simple, medium-sized, repeating design. Large prints draw the eye across the fabric while the embroidery here frames the face and adds a touch of texture on an otherwise flat surface. Audition different sizes of designs – too small and the embroidery will be completely overpowered by the large scale print. Too large and the embroidery will battle with the large scale print for center stage.

But what about small scale prints? Apply the same principals keeping the focus on the embroidery, not the print. I made this jacket (Indygo Junction Midtown Trench) with Ty Pennington’s Impressions sateen fabric, Kimono, in taupe.

Way too busy of a print to splash embroidery across, I opted for a black collar washed with open, airy embroidery designs.

I selected black for the collar because black is the smallest element in the Kimono print. Next, I used taupe and silver thread to stitch the embroidery. The threads coordinate with the fabric and most certainly separate from the black base letting me achieve my ever present number one goal – let the embroidery be seen! The large designs, built-in on the Brother Quattro, do not fight with the Kimono print, rather they complement it very well.

I enjoyed making both of these garments and learned quite a bit about working with luscious, printed fabrics – both large and small! It’s always good to stretch your creativity and get out of your comfort zone.

So tell me, have you noticed all of the large scale prints in the quilt shops now? Do you love them, or do you prefer more subdued fabrics? Leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win an Embroidery Tool Kit – my favorite set of tools! Can’t stitch without the Angle Finder and new target rulers! You’ll love it too.



The winner of Stipple Butterflies is…Mary Kvam!

“I just bought a Babylock Embroidery Professional which is totally new to me. My goal is to learn how to use it and to make a small picture to start with to show off to my husband for bragging rights! I just love colorful butterflies and was planning experimenting with different designs.”

Congratulations, Mary!