The Avid Embroiderer

The Avid Embroiderer Presents - The Zen of Mars

2012-02-10T16:00:00Z

Everyone who has been on this site for more than a short time is aware of Susan Mars and her wonderful embroidery blanks from AllAboutBlanks.

When I asked her to do a blog about her, she modestly said it would not be very interesting. How wrong she was!!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. I laughed and felt like we were having a cup of coffee on her porch. Thanks Susan, here is to many more years of love and laughter!

1. Your profile at the bottom of your blog shows that your hubby got you an embroidery machine in the late 1990's. WOW, that seems like a long time ago now! What do you suppose possessed him to do that? Do you have a clone of him?

The story of how I ended up with an embroidery machine is probably one-of-a-kind. I grew up with a mother and two grandmothers who always sewed and quilted. Very crafty people who taught me the basics. I was sewing on a hand-me-down Kenmore from my husband's grandmother and doing just fine. I was just beginning to teach myself to piece quilts and was doing a lot of home-decorating projects. I mentioned to him casually one day that a lot of what I do on the sewing machine would probably be easier if I had a newer sewing machine, because there were probably features built in that would make it easier. At this point, I had not been to any sewing machine dealer---was just sort of thinking out loud.

Fast forward a few months and my husband (who is in the computer support business) got called to jury duty in our county. He just happened to end up on the same jury as the owner of Atlanta Sewing Center, a local Bernina & Baby Lock dealer. They got to chatting, and my husband ended up being hired by Atlanta Sewing Center to do some computer work. He then found himself being completely impressed with these sewing machines and that Christmas he bought me my first Bernina! My first machine was not an embroidery machine, but it was only about 6 months later that I ended up trading up to the embroidery one. And I was in love! It's been a hobby that I have never lost interest in.

2. Also in that profile you mention your first 'gig' as a salesperson with blanks. You note that you could not get your product out fast enough, the ladies were so delighted with the items. What did you carry at that time?

When we first started, we focused on pretty linen items such as guest towels, pillows, table linens---all that sort of pretty stuff. Being in the South, that kind of merchandise had always been familiar to me. And it seemed that others liked it too. Of course I had never sold my merchandise before so I had no clue as far as systems, etc. I wrote each order out on a paper sales receipt and had my calculator to add things up. Prior to that, my corporate career had been in a retail buying office for a major department store in the Atlanta area---I've always said that I was born and bred to be a merchant-somehow buying and selling pretty things. It's my comfort zone and what excites me. So when I realized that other people who embroidered were looking for pretty things to monogram, just like I was---it was exciting, natural, and challenging---all at one time! It was one of those turning moments in life---a happy one.

3. What is YOUR favorite thing that you carry and why?

I always love handkerchiefs. Usually they are being embroidered especially for a new bride, her mother and her new, extended family. I can appreciate the love that goes into making that hankie special and what it will mean to the bride years after her special day. How many of us have a few hankies tucked away in a drawer that belonged to a special family member---it makes me happy to think that 50 years down the road, one of our hankies will be tucked into someone's drawer.

4. What was the dumbest thing you attempted to sell on your site and what did you end up doing with that item?

This one makes me laugh. I once bought these ADORABLE stuffed animals that are filled with wheat and lavender. They are meant to be heated and then your child can snuggle up with them at night. They are NOT embroiderable at all, but I was struck by how sweet they were and thought they would be a nice "extra" item a person could purchase if they were shopping with us for a baby gift. The problem is they are very heavy from the buckwheat and lavender fill, which made shipping an issue. And to top it all off, they have to be heated up in a microwave. Do you know how creepy it is to have a stuffed penguin, cat, or puppy spinning around the tray in your microwave?!? We actually never sold a single one through the website and they are still sitting in a box in our back room. It's a shame, because the product itself is not a bad product---it was just a TERRIBLE fit for our product line. We each have one that we use when we have an achy back or neck---so if you time it just right, you can walk in and see one of us with a fluffy stuffed penguin sitting on our shoulder!! LOL Maybe eventually I will give them all away as gifts to friends, but it's still creepy having it spin around in your microwave.

5. If you had one thing to say to an aspiring entrepreneur, what would it be?

Don't try to do everything yourself. Maybe you feel like you have to do so in the beginning, but at some point in the game, it becomes counterproductive. Follow your gut when you feel like you should be hiring someone to do the things you are procrastinating doing---spend your energies on the things that keep the business growing and headed in the right direction. DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE. There were too many things I let slide because I kept insisting to myself that I should be able to do it all myself---guess what. Turns out I'm not Wonder Woman after all!

6. Where do you live?

I ended up in Atlanta because my boyfriend (now husband) went to school at Georgia Tech. When I finished school (before him, I might add!) I moved to Atlanta to wait for him to finish. I found a career here and we have been here since 1992! I don't see us moving anytime soon. We're too spoiled here---we've got everything in the world within driving distance.

7. Tell us about your own family.

I am married with a four year old son. Anyone have any advice about enforcing bedtimes!?! ARGH! He is a wonderful, sweet and loving child---who refuses to go to sleep!

8. Tell us something fun/interesting about you that no one else knows. . . . .

I have a love/hate relationship with Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes.

And I think everyone should try to visit New York City at least once in their lifetime.

WOW, that is so familiar to me. We have a lot in common. I feel like people everywhere are enjoying the same things, just at a different address.

My guilty pleasure is doing crosswords, Sudoku and other word games. I have ink marks (of course we who do these puzzles always do them in ink) all over my sheets because my favorite time to do them is just before sleep.

Well, readers, it is time to confess - - - What is your guilty pleasure? It does not have to be about embroidery, just something that is your delight.

Plauen Lace

2012-01-27T19:50:00Z

In the event that you think that bloggers have to be knowledgeable, let me assure you that (at least for myself) they are not. I simply enjoy finding new things to read, respond to and research – and if I feel you might be interested as well, I do a blog.

If you want to know more about something, please let me know and I will do the research and proceed.

For details of Plauen Lace, you can see more here http://moderngermanlace.com/history.html (or just read my blog):

Circa 1780 the embroidery trade begins to grow in the Vogtland region of Germany, and it centered around the city of Plauen.

As common for the time, the popular hand-made lace was a significant financial mainstay for the area. It was a lace for the clergy and nobility and rather popular.

Machine lace began in the mid 19th century with the machines being hand operated. Made with battleship-grade cast iron, working with one must have been challenging. Perhaps that is why our grandmothers never had to go to the gym to work out. . . .

If you have read about early embroidery, it was often done with a 'tape' style of format. One can almost see the design within the paper plan.

In 1900, at the World Exposition in Paris, Plauen won the Grand Prix and it still is synonymous with the highest quality laces. Interestingly, Plauen had more millionaires than any other city in Germany. Plauen exports a large amount of laces to the United States.

World War I and its aftermath plunged Plauen into the highest unemployment rate in Germany. Furthermore, World War IIs bombing of Plauen destroyed approximately 80% of the lace industry. The city was then Soviet occupied.

By 1950, Plauen restarted lace production, and at that time was in the East Germany region. Small, family-owned companies operated until 1973 when the lace production was nationalized. In 1990, Germany's reunification returned the operations back to their owners. Those who toiled at the lace manufacturer kept the tradition of the highest quality through the communist regime. As we well know, the human spirit endures under all conditions.

In 2000, significant production was resumed. The Plauener Spitze and Embroidery Association owns the trademark Plauen Spitze and is registered in the US. The member companies adhere to the Association's strict standards, good design, local production and rigorous training of employees.

Here at AnnTheGran, John Deer of Adorable Ideas, has a tradition in embroidery as well. His family immigrated from war-torn Europe to Canada with a (circa) 1910 Plauen Pantograph machine. Embroidery was also done on the Schiffli loom.

John's grandparents created what is called "Schiffli" which are designs created by masters of their crafts, learned as young men and they became masters after only many years of dedicated work.

According to John's book, Basic Digitizing Made Easy, digitizing was done on the manual pantograph machine. If you think your experience has been challenging, consider that an entire design was digitized one stitch at a time. There was NO undo button and NO edit opportunity. One mistake and an entire design was ruined.

It is a lot easier for you and me! Take advantage of these truly incredible designs, right here at AnnTheGran. These are bridal, baptist and communion worthy with an heirloom quality that is so breath taking!

When John says "Vintage" he really means it!

What the Stabilizer Sellers Won't Tell You

2012-01-06T19:00:00Z

With that title line, I am thinking that there are hundreds and hundreds of things they won't tell you, but I will zoom in on a few of my personal favorites, in no particular order:

Those prices - unbelievably, are way overpriced.

This one reminds me of cosmetics, if you figure out the real price, it is astonishing. My comparison charts for stabilizers (among other things) is available here. When I did the comparison, I was careful to select the other sellers at random. Time after time, AnnTheGran was the lowest and joining Ann's Club made a lot of difference! In their defense, this is their bread and butter so that they can continue to stay viable as a company. After all, they are in the business of being profitable.

Tear Away is only paper.

Tear away stabilizer is, 95% of them, made of paper. Why on earth do they charge so much for some paper? Some have a ‘direction' which would create a small difference when you need to use multiple layers. With the directional types, you would place one at a horizontal position and the second at a vertical position. That would create a little additional tensile strength (the point at which there is failure) but not a great deal. Look through your tear away toward a light and you will see, it is likely to be small pieces of paper pressed together. Tear away is probably where, years ago, some embroiderers decided they could use coffee filters instead of tear away. Coffee filters are not that cheap, stick with the ‘real thing.'

You need a quality water soluble stabilizer (wss) for the best results.

Some of the water soluble stabilizers out there should be shot - make that the manufacturers should be shot. Some are so thin that you can make a hole in them with a single puncture of the needle. When you place a number of stitches such as a narrow satin stitch, you are going to have failure with a capital F. For Free Standing Lace (FSL) wss is a must. I am a big advocate of Badgemaster Water Soluble Stabilizer. I don't say that lightly, I really mean it. You can read my Forum post - A Three Year Journey where I describe my process where I got to being a serious fan of Badgemaster. I am on my second roll of 50 yards by 15" of it and know I won't have problems, even if I have to rework an area. I also use it on projects where I would not normally use water soluble, heavy density of stitches does not have a negative effect on Badgemaster.

A professional shop uses just one or two types of stabilizers.

You can check on this if there is an embroidery shop in your area. They do have machines that are much more precise than we can buy (at a reasonable price), but they don't need 15 different stabilizers around. What is my point here? Well, I have about 30 different stabilizers in my stash but I won't use most of them. I use my favorite tear away, my favorite cut away, my favorite adhesive, and my favorite water soluble. Those others are still around because I am too cheap to throw them away. I probably will never use them, but sometimes I want to try something different and any old stabilizer will do.

What are my favorites? Honestly, all of them are AnnTheGran products and Badgemaster. I use them for their quality and price. Whomever sought out the original marketable brand for this site did their homework on these items. I do have a 'special use' that is a 'heat away' stabilizer. Ann does not carry that, but I have found one that works well for me.

My Top Three Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Newbie

2011-12-16T16:00:00Z

If there is anything that all embroiderers have in common, it must be pride of workmanship. Not one of us wants to give or display something that does not look like it was made professionally. That is obvious – after all, how much have you invested financially, emotionally and artistically in your craft?

Well, there are so many ways that a beautifully conceived project can fail. There are so many persons who are willing to encourage you to do certain things. And, then, there is whatever works for you. With all that going on, it is a wonder that anyone gets beyond one or two frustrating projects and/or training sessions.

I am just going to discuss a few of my favorites that you may find helpful as well.

Puckering –

Puckering is the bane of an embroiderer’s existence. It can happen to any of us if we are not paying attention to the stitch count and/or stabilizers.

I have seen puckering in national magazines both embroidery and non-embroidery publications. Watch the next time you read your favorite guru or article with photos.

I have been guilty of it myself. In the above project, I had used two layers of heavy cutaway which is a lot of stabilizer. However, I had not taken into consideration the number of stitches, 45,000 which made this project in need of three layers of heavy cutaway! You can check out my previous blog on stabilizers. That blog is not attempt to give an answer to every question but it does give many ideas to help you learn about your own projects and the requirements for stabilization.

I have said this before and it is a rule that I believe in – It is easy to under stabilize your project but difficult to over stabilize it. That does not mean that your piece should be bullet proof (usually caused by too many stitches over a small area) but if you are experiencing some puckering, next time float another piece of stabilizer.

Floating just means that the stabilizer is not attached to the fabric or the hoop, it is simply placed under the whole project as it is placed on your machine.

Most stabilizers are not woven (some are) and if you are using a woven, turn the floating piece 90 degrees offset to the hoop for extra strength.

Placement

While there are multiple places you can get information on placement of designs on different articles of clothing, nothing looks stranger than a misplaced design.

I remember seeing one that was so crooked a non embroiderer would have noticed it.

The human body is not flat, neither is the world so that may help you remember to give a little slant to your t-shirts, shirts, blouses and jackets for a more natural look.

Because placement is so important to your success, I totally recommend – and use – In The Hoop Kit and Perfect Placement Kit. The reason I use them is that they are accurate and simple to work with. I have sufficient complexity to my life and these make my projects much better. Additionally the Towel Placement (tricky!!!!!) is on sale!

There are places to find general information for these guidelines such as - http://www.embroiderymall.com/library/placement.html or http://www.emblibrary.com/el/elprojects/pdf/PR1152.pdf but I really prefer something that I can follow with photos and details. I am always curious as to why someone would purchase an expensive embroidery machine and then fail to purchase the necessary tools with it. I buy a car but to keep it entirely functioning, I purchase the best products available and that seems to be a good idea for both situations.

Design Selection

AnnTheGran is probably one of the premiere places, on or off the Internet, to get excellent designs. And, to top that off, AnnTheGran has terrific free designs as well as high quality vendor created designs.

The very first thing that a newbie will do upon purchase of his/her machine is to go on the Net and find every freebie design they can get their hands on. Well, there is good news and bad news on this issue.

First the bad news – Some of the designs you will find are done by newer digitizers. That is not terrible, it is just that I had my pc worked on by a young man – fresh out of tech school – and I ended up having to buy a new pc. It is not that he was careless or anything of the sort, it was just that experience trumps a fresh face every time. There is a place for all here at AnnTheGran, but understand that when you want to raise your work to a new level, it is time for a little maturity. I don’t remember where I got one freebie design but it actually said “I love you grandad.” Really?

Now the good news – If you were to check into the background of – for instance – John Deer, a third generation digitizer, you will find that he has the knowledge and sells his quality designs here at AnnTheGran. Sold under the name of Adorable Ideas you can get the really beautiful 3D Flowers Pack that are wonderful for putting on all sorts of things. I have this pack and frankly, there is so much I love about it, not the least of which is the fact that every design is professionally digitized and they look it!

Many of the other designers here at AnnTheGran are long time embroidery business persons as well. One is Dakota Collectibles – who is more versed then they are? I love the Alphabet Collection which has 5 different fonts, upper and lower case and in two sizes. That comes to a total of over 500 letters for under $50.

So, the bottom line is – quality is your best bet. You were a newbie (even if it was since yesterday) it is time to step up to having excellence in your embroidery.

Digitizing for the non-digitizer

2011-12-09T15:30:00Z

After asking several digitizers me all important question - "tell your readers that it takes a lot more than pressing a few keys create a beautiful design."

There are a few things that they get want to share which you and I'm going to share them with you now. These will be in no particular order.

Truly good digitizing requires many things including, but not limited to, understanding underlay, software, bullet proof stitching, stitch types, elements of a design and distortion to mention just a few.
Digitizing is not just putting a few objects together and pressing a button.
Watching a demonstration does not constitute a lesson. It is very likely you will not be able to duplicate it as shown.
Your project will not be a group of horizontal and vertical lines. It will have many dimensions including slanting of stitches to create a 3D appearance.
You need to consider what fabric the final project will be using. Digitizing for a silk is different than for denim.

Let's just consider a project rather than discussing software.

You will need to start with a copy of an image. We have to know about that image too. Is it a "raster" type? A raster is a bitmap image and the extension may be one of - jpg, tif, gif or bmp. This type is generally not sharp or clear so you will have some variation.

The second type is called a "vector" which is created in specialized software like CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator. The advantage of vector art is that it can be made very small, such as for a collar on a Onezie or as large as you want without distortion. This is what is used by many good digitizers.

I am using this design as an example.

OK, now you have your design loaded and you are beginning to visualize your project in your mind.

Now you have to be thinking like an artist. You will be thinking about things such as scale, relative scale for multiple items, the angles of leaves and petals, and shading among other things.

Just for your information, this design only uses three colors, a red, green and pink. Additionally, it does not have any underlay. Since it is a sketch and not meant to be too realistic, underlay is not needed.

So, looking at the shading at as shown in the circle, not only did the digitizer use two colors, but they were intermingled to make a deeper color than pink and a lighter color than the red.

The stitching can be further apart or closer together to create a more natural appearance of the rose.

It is likewise for the bud color. Making differences in the directions of the stitch gives the bud and the bud cover individual in their position.

The satin outline of the petals is both thick and thin and curved for a more typical curvature of the petal as it starts to decline.

Here you can see the details of the stitches.

Still want to digitize? If you want to start out with a small investment, KP Compositions is one way to get your feet wet. You can try it free for 30 days. Make sure you give yourself a lot of time to learn and grow, you may just be a rose. . . .

Kokopelli, The Prankster

2011-11-11T17:15:00Z

While I live in La Mesa California (adjoins San Diego) now, I lived in Phoenix for many years. I am sure there are places where the southwest motif is prevalent, such as Santa Fe New Mexico, but few places embrace the heritage of the local Indians more than the metropolitan Phoenix area.

Additionally, I worked for the Arizona Game and Fish Department who had jurisdiction over things like wildlife, including game and non game and their feathers. Kachina Dolls are Native American Indian art that represents the spiritual messengers that include the sun, rainbows, health and abundance. They are often adorned with feathers and if those feathers are of a protected species, it would be illegal. Todays dolls are made with the same care but with feathers that are beautiful, suitable and legitimate.

With Thanksgiving soon upon us, I am giving homage to the people who first inhabited this beautiful land we call America.

I have selected Kokopelli as my Kachina friend for this year's activities.

The first picture is a life size bronze statue that sells (wholesale) for $120,000. If that is a little more than you would like to spend, you can always pick up an embroidery design for a little less.

Kokopelli dates back over 3,000 years ago when the first petroglyphs were carved. He is not only considered to be a prankster, healer and story teller, but he is also known as a fertility god!!

I always thought he was dancing, but upon investigation, I found out that he was a hunchback flute player. He was said to venture between villages bring spring to the winter-weary areas. I can almost hear spring within the sound of the flute. It was also said that he roused the villagers to dance and sing to his flute all night long. Upon the dawn of the next day, all the village maidens were with child. Hmmm. . . I think I like him as the prankster, healer and story teller.

If you decide to do a design on a lightweight table runner, don't forget to give the design enough stabilizer to support it. The fabric should not need to do the work. It is better to use multiple layers (yes, sometimes even three) of stabilizer rather than one heavy piece. Be sure that you cross them at 90 degree angles to create a stronger base. You all know that I am an avid fan of the stabilizers that are available here at AnnTheGran. They are high quality and the best part is that they are very cost effective. See my blog on costs of stabilizers and know that I have good reason to love these stabilizers.

Here are some terrific Indian themed items from right here at AnnTheGran:

From Dakota Collectibles there are some wonderful southwest designs. In Phoenix, it is common to see the red hot chili pepper designs around for the Christmas holidays as well.

Not to be outdone, Embroidery Studios has a great Indian Spice Collection. It is exclusive to AnnTheGran.

Bring something new to your Thanksgiving table this year, embroidery showing your appreciation of the natives of this nation. I am going to use mine as a place mat for the turkey platter or I might just make it a wall hanging.

If you missed your email on Wednesday, it was just so full of good information, great holiday projects and terrific deals. Check out the Home Page to see what is happening!

This is only a test . . . Part 2

2011-10-21T15:10:00Z

I kept thinking about my last project that failed. I am always excited about presenting project that are really great, but a failure is giving me some uncomfortable feelings. I did retry the design but got the same results, failure of the stitching.

I should have been suspicious when I saw that the pattern had a LOT of jump stitches. An experienced digitizer can and does make as few jump stitches as possible. In fact, I know a digitizer who prides herself on never using jump stitches!

I discussed this with an embroidery friend and got the answers (yes, plural) immediately.

The digitizing was definitely a problem.
KISS is the answer (as it usually is).

I am not aware of anyway to judge a digitizing except to sew the design out. I do take advantage of the freebies offered by different sites, not because they are free, but because they are a sample of what you can expect in the way of quality. Free is the right price if the quality is not there.

So, I decided to try the method again. I started with a design that is definitely quality. I know the digitizers work and I want to have something that is unique for my bridal boutique on Etsy.

The instructions were simple to follow and again, I am creating a sample before I try to do something larger.

Here is the digitizer's completed project. I know that sometimes you get an artists rendering (run away from those!!) of a completed project, but when I see a truly completed project, I know that the digitizer has worked out all of the issues.

Photo courtesy of Threadlove.com, Digitized by Bonnie Domeny (Design Sample)

When I did the blog on 'endless hooping', I used a method that is easy for me to use and I have done so successfully many times. This digitizer created the design with a 'built-in' method of creating an endless line of embroidery. You could use it on a napkin and/or the entire table cloth!

This set is created so you chain together the lace portions to create a border of any length. Each design section shows 2 colors so that your machine will stop to set up the actual chain. You will use the same color as your lace for both.

For these instructions, there are sections marked with an 'a' to create a chain and some with a 'b' to end the pattern.

I began with a corner, using the 'a' style. The directions indicate that you need to trim the sew out with a half inch to an inch of stabilizer left on the design. I recommend leaving the 1" because you will be pinning it to the next piece and you want to have sufficient room for your straight pins to avoid the machine's needle.

I am using Badgemaster, so I can cut from the film without loosing the strength. I know if I were using other water soluble stabilizers, I could and would not do that.

Here is the layout for matching up the design. The blue is for the sample. My straight pin was too close to the eventual stitching.

After completing a corner, long side and corner, I used a short side so that it will be a rectangle rather than a square. As I went along, I was getting giggly because it was WORKING!

Here is the finished square, made mostly from a single Badgemaster sheet. After doing the first 'chain' the only thing left to do is keep doing that chain, but I would say this is not a project for a Newbie. Getting the area lined up was not always easy. I even removed one corner because it was not well aligned. However, I can see this on a pillow case, placemat, a hem on a little girl's dress, anywhere you can have a straight edge with or without a corner.

Here is the finished project. When I zigzag it to the cloth, I will make it square.

Success is a 'high' for me I never need anything else to have a great day!!!

This is only a test. . . .

2011-10-07T16:15:00Z

I have wanted to try this technique for 2 years but something always gets in the way. Such is life. This is a technique to make a doily or table runner or even a table cloth if you are that ambitious.

As I recall the instructions, which I cannot find anymore, you are to make some edging free standing lace (fsl) with matching corners to approximately the size of your project. (See my fsl blog for instructions for creating fsl.)

So, here are my beginning pieces. I am making a sample project before I try to do something really large, so the pieces are not large, I can do them in a 4x4 frame. I am making 4 sides and 4 corners.

Because I have done fsl many, many times before, I know to attach the pieces before I soak/remove the water soluble stabilizer. I have trimmed the stabilizer, Badgemaster, of course.

On the left is Badgemaster and on the right is a 'heavy' water soluble stabilizer found in many embroidery stores. The arrows point to where the other stabilizer failed.

Since I don't sew, I did use glue. Please don't stop reading now. . . . I know that is a (modest) sin, but the lace touches at only two brief places and I needed to be able to be sure that all 8 pieces were going to be a single piece when I was done. As it turns out, the glue may have been an advantage. Keeping the pieces square is challenging and the glue allowed me to adjust for a little time to be sure it was a good angle.

Putting them together before soaking guarantees that they will fit correctly whereas if I soaked them first, I run the risk of having one piece getting just a little crooked. That would put the entire project out of alignment.

After soaking I am using my brayer because I want the corners to be in alignment and the brayer will lay my pieces flat and their are a lot of curls in the design as well. Deviation would ruin the project.

I am taking a piece of fabric, about 2" wider and longer and lay the fsl frame on it. I tacked it carefully so that there would be no pinches. When I do something like this, and because I am not a good seamstress, I tend to pin the fabric more than most sewers would.

I have read where some embroiders put these together and frankly, they make it look easy and here is an example. It really looks nice!

I can honestly say that I am glad this was just testing out the technique. I ran into a great many problems starting with the fact that the lace fell apart after the soak. There were places where the lace should have been attached but was not. There were places where the stitching unravelled. This was a more frustrating project than I had thought. Not evertything works the way we would like it to.

I tried to attach the lace with my long unused sewing machine and determined that it needs to go to the shop for a cleaning and reset of virtually everything. So, I attached the edge with a simple whip stitch. With everything going wrong, I just did a single edge so I could see some of the finished project.

Other than the problems encountered, I thought it looked pretty good. If I were to do it again, I would be sure that my FSL design was a better quality and held together. I don't think I would ever want to do a large project because of all the time involved.

I guess you can see for certain that I just share what I do, not just the great things that happen. My experience may not be your experience. If I missed a step, I would love to hear about it. Another thing that this project showed me was that it is important to do a test sew out and if I were going to do something large, be sure to do it on a small scale first to learn and grow!

Caught in a trap . . . .

2011-09-23T15:00:00Z

I love to read tips and tricks about all sorts of things. I love computer tips (if you have a good one, I want to hear about it!!). I enjoy organizational tips (but I am so disorganized, I need to do them, not just read them!). I devour ideas for cleaning (see "disorganized" for reality check). And best of all, I love to find embroidery tips and tricks. Even better, I like to find tips, tricks and traps. Those traps are treacherous and in embroidery, they abound. I am going over a few of them that I have had a little experience with - - - or a lot of experience with.

In no particular order, here are a couple of my favorites -

When I was new to embroidery (your own recollection inserted here), I had no idea about threads (OK, more than threads, but this was a trap that I walked right into). I did not understand quality, weights or even fabric blend - polyester v. rayon v. cotton, etc. At the same time I remember thinking "I just spent all this money on this machine and all I am doing now is spending more and more and more." While I have thought that many more time, at that time, I needed thread.

Enter the Internet. You already know that everyone has the finest quality and the best prices, so I won't go there. Mind you, this was about 10 years ago and the options were not as great as we have available today. But, I bought my machine from the Internet, therefore, the Internet is the gigantic machine embroidery goddess that knows all and tells all. LOL

I bought a package of about 80 spools of rayon thread for about $100. I could not wait for the arrival. (Deep sigh. . .) How do I explain the array of colors? There was no true red, or blue, there were a lot of weird browns and purples and the best of all, there was three of the same very strange and sad gray green color.

TRAP - It always costs twice as much as you estimated. A bargain is only worth the true value of the commodity. See my blog on colors for one method of choosing colors.

My next trap was so silly that I don't know why I did not understand it right from the beginning. I supposed that people with a sewing background (not me) may not have had this issue, I did not understand that lightweight fabrics and heavily stitched embroidery just don't mix. I thought that if you used the right stabilizer, you could do whatever you thought you could create.

Woe is me, I wanted to have an income and thought that I could make money on the Internet, I just needed to open a site and after I ‘built it, they would come.' My interest was in pashminas. They are so beautiful; everyone needs and wants one.

Well, people do love them, especially brides. I began to get orders (you can see the URL for my site in my Profile) and was offering them with monogramming. So far, so good. Then it came time to actually embroider them. OMG!!!

Pashminas (This link is about how I actually managed to handle this issue.) are very loosely woven and monograms tend to be dense in a very small area. What a disaster! The monograms caused the woven threads to separate leaving large holes in the pashminas. I searched the Net seeking anyone who might be able to give me some guidance. Nothing was available. Additionally, what I did find, I tried without success. There are some writers who may or may not know what they are talking about. I wondered if they had actually tried what they presented. I am certain that some figured that what they offered made sense and would work.

I actually bought a book with a pattern for a scarf. The drawn photos they were showing did not work. They had the pattern for the right side correct, but the left side was upside down. I learned the hard way that you need to try what they offer and judge for yourself.

Additionally, just because something worked for them, under certain circumstances they won't work for you. For instance, adhesives do work differently depending on the amount of humidity or the age of the adhesive.

TRAP - Just because it is written down does not make it so. And as a reminder to my readers, all my blogs are my personal experiences; I make no claims as to expertise. Your outcome may vary.

Read some really good information from true experts. Check these out. This one, from Nancy Zieman is terrific and has photos proving that they did what they were demonstrating. Mine is dog eared from use and I guarantee, every project was completed as shown.

Thanks for reading my blog and many good wishes to you and yours, Pat

Making a silk purse out of a placemat?

2011-09-09T16:00:00Z

Just when I think I am not going to be able to come up with another blog, something crosses my computer screen and I get excited all over again.

I saw an embroidered purse and I just could not resist giving it a try. In addition, I wanted it to be really colorful and WOW, I found Robison-Anton on SALE! I love a sale and at 30% off, it is one of the best deals around. It brings the cost per spool to $3.50!

My blog on colors of thread talks about how to decide on what to select when you buy thread. After all, there must be a zillion (or close) colors of thread that are usable for embroidery. When on sale, I always take advantage of sets of threads for a good reason. They are normally put together by artists or someone with working knowledge of how to put together colors. After all, I don't know about hues, saturations, contrast and lightness. I need someone who understands how to use color and put them together.

I selected the Color Medley Collection-Spring Flowers which is one beautiful array of colors. Additionally, Robison-Anton has taken the time to include the Pantone(R) Numbers with these thread collections.

What does that mean to you? A LOT! It means that if you wanted to do a project for a friend anywhere in the world, they could say "I want a red." Well, how many red colors can you think of? You can ask the friend to check on Pantone colors (they are universal and meant to be that way), and say that I want #193 which is a lovely scarlet.

Getting back to the purse, it is created just like an applique with the addition of a stitch on for a sew on place for the lining. I am using a faux leather placemat that was already lined. I removed the lining and placed it back on when it was time. This pattern called for tearaway stabilizer (my favorite is AnnTheGran) but I ended up using cut away because of the multiple times of stitching around the edge eventually broke down the tearaway stabilizer.

Using the colors from the package, I matched them to the colors of the original pattern.

I created a back, front and front flap. Each piece had its own lining and assembly was easy. I just sewed the flap to the back and then the front to the back.

It took less than an hour.

I think it was a great hour and love the outcome!

The only change I would make would be to trim closer to the original stitching before doing the satis stitch. I was a little too far away from the stitches for fear of triming the stitches. I also think I might have wanted to place some kind of trim around the edge if I wanted something more interesting.

Portable Loyalty

2011-08-17T13:35:00Z

When I first heard the term "Portable Loyalty" I thought that it did not refer to me. I am a loyal client. I buy where I am treated well. That goes for all of my purchases. A good example is the AlphabetXpress available here at AnnTheGran.com. I always check out new font/words programs because I do so much of it, but I never have found a better software at any price. I know that it is a quality product and I really don't mind paying a little more if I feel like I am being considered to be someone of interest to the seller. If a hankie is ruined because of the software, it is no bargain. AlphabetXpress is really quite inexpensive for the power of the program.

Conversely, with the people I patronize, I have found that loyalty can be a bit transient when it comes to the cash register. I had some specific needs during my family emergency (which has not yet ended) and was a little surprised by the responses I got when I needed help locally in southern California. Because of that treatment, I may be seeking out new, local embroidery shops for my needs.

While in Phoenix, I needed some embroidery supplies, and anyone in that metropolitan area knows the 'go to' store is 35th Avenue Sew and Vac. There I got the attention I needed and help with a small burr on my bobbin case - at no charge and immediately. I came away feeling like a princess. I was there no more than 20 minutes and I know that sometimes they cannot do the same thing under different circumstances, but this time, they were my heros!

I still had a problem with my thread. I had been using different brands trying to figure out why my thread was shredding. The shredding was different that when thread breaks cleanly. I did not keep any of that thread, but you may have found some of it yourself. Some how the 2, 3 or 4 threads that are braided together to make embroidery thread start to 'tear' one piece at a time until there is barely a spider web thin piece of thread left.

Here are some of the things I had tried to get the shredding to stop: (I actually kept track of everything I tried)

loosened/tightened the tension (always remember to rethread the machine after the change)
changed the thread brand
Changed the needle
changed the needle from Universal to Metallic type
changed bobbin (tried prewound and machine wound)
clean the race
reduced the speed of the stitches
used more stabilizer
used silicon on the thread (see my blog )
reduced the 'fill' amount for the stitches

OMG! That was a lot of trying to resolve the issue but I did not have success anyway.

Well, there is a store on Northern Avenue but also a store on Grand Avenue. I am very close to the one on Grand and visited there late on a Saturday afternoon. The store is small, probably less than 30' wide and 40' long; but, it was well stocked and very organized. There were many items that larger stores don't carry and that was impressive to me. I even found this little treasure (that is a quarter in the photo) -

(623-583-0070) $2.99 + $1.00 s/h.

I started speaking to the manager, Fran and two clients and we had a lively discussion on embroidery issues. I love talking embroidery. While I am not an expert, I like to share what I have experienced and they did as well.

Fran made a simple suggestion, change the size of my needle. Use a larger needle. And with that, my issue that I have had for at least a year (off and on) was solved. What does all that have to do with loyalty? Well, I can be loyal but still visit stores, big and small, in my area and still have loyalty to where I am treated the best. My business matters, whether I am spending a few dollars or thousands of dollars. Along with that, I can enjoy meeting new people who have different thoughts to make my embroidery the beautiful work for which I can be very proud. That is my bottom line!

I know that I have discussed AlphabetXpress many times. I have encouraged you to give it a try for yourself. I have discussed how very well it is designed with excellent underlay (not found on all other digitizer's fonts). In addition to all of that, they are always coming up with new and innovative fonts for my selection. I never liked those 'cutesy' fonts with strange things around them - - with the exception of Halloween fonts which have a reason to be silly and funny.

This weel AlphabetXpress and the fonts are ALL ON SALE at 40% off. The prices are very good normally, but when you add 40% off, it is a bargain that you will appreciate for a long time to come.

Another reason I like AX is that I often have a need for very small fonts for my bridal hankies. I have several that are really beautiful, but you may notice that there is a recommendation for the smallest and tallest size for each font. I am going to get the Adrian because it can go as low at .35" (9mm) to the height of 1.58 (40mm). That is an excellent range and the font is very simple and practical.

If a bride likes a script style font, Carnation is excellent because it can go from .31" (8mm) to 2.36 (60mm). With the Carnation, I not only can do writing, but I can also create a very nice Monogram from it and frame it with one of the frames on my machine. Talk about versatile!

Lastly, I always need to have a fancy/heirloom style of font available and the Yorkshire fits that bill well. In this case, you will note that the smallest recommended size is 1"(25mm). There is a good reason for that - if you are using something so ornate, using it in writing must be done large or the details just look like someone dropped spaghetti on your hankie. It would be used for monogramming and be very antique in nature for your project.

And for those users who now have Windows 7, the program does work for that system as well. I am using it myself. If you have been using a 32bit system but upgraded to a 64bit system, the original file you downloaded has both versions in them. You are ready to go!

There is so much to love about AlphabetXpress, I hope you give it a try. It is an excellent program that you will use often. In fact, you will probably start writing all sorts of things on your project such as names (as creator, you should sign your work!), dates (it will become an heirloom!) or other fun/interesting thoughts (that is what grandma did on her 'sampler').

Start a tradition for children of all ages. Give a gift of embroidery, it is OOAK*

*One of a kind

Emergencies are the Mother of Invention

2011-08-05T16:30:00Z

When it comes to family, the words family emergency causes me to have chills. We all know what those words mean and I hope you are not having one right now. But I am and I considered not blogging until this was settled. However, so many things were coming forward that were positive and interesting that I want to share them with you.

The crisis portion is over but the related issues will continue for an unknown time. Making decisions under the gun can be so stressful, but I found a few things that helped me through those times. Learning that considering the absolute worst and best outcomes - while discounting everything in between - helped keep me focused. Just preparing to leave California for Phoenix in the middle of July was challenging. Here are some things that may be of interest to you.

Most of you know that I have a business on the Internet that is about heirloom embroidery for brides. It is growing very rapidly and keeping up at home has been getting difficult. But now I had to travel with my equipment and supplies AND deal with a different climate totally. I have long suspected that I would get different results in different situations for the exact same problem.

For instance, my water soluble stabilizer, my absolute favorite one, Badgemaster, preformed differently in Phoenix than San Diego. You know Phoenix is a "dry heat" with the humidity in the teens most of the time. Phoenix has been known to get down to 8% humidity in the summer making it a serious threat to fire issues. San Diego on the other hand, tends to be around 30 to 40% humidity making the 85 degree weather this time of year really wonderful. So, Badgemaster did feel a little dry but was OK on the sewing end. When I went to wash it, it nearly disappeared instantly because it was already so dry.

I also believe my thread is acting as if it were much drier as well. It is shredding much more than it ever had done. It is two weeks that I have been in Phoenix, and I guess it is enough for the thread to acclimate. I can honestly say that I have not done so.

One last thing, I needed to get some shorts that were a little more suitable for Phoenix. I don't like the short-shorts and did find some 100% cotton (it is supposed to breathe) that I really liked and were on sale, my other criteria for everything!

After wearing for 20 minutes, the great fit was baggy. . . Ugh. I think that pulling at bra straps, tank tops and shorts are as unladylike as it gets. I looked at the embroidery machine and got a great idea. Since they fit when they were fresh from the store and/or drier, I decided to embroider a design across the back in a 'tone-on-tone' color. It will keep the stretch out of my shorts and if necessary, I can add more on the front or sides. I love the idea that my shorts will not be baggy any more.

Once again, when I got started, I just wanted to continue on and on. I love embroidery. I did learn a lot from this idea.

All my blogs are my experiences (only). Success or failure, I share with you because I believe that sharing is a gift, and a lot of fun.
I need to make sure that I have enough clearance from any extra thick spots and/or lines, etc.
I forgot that a short make for a woman is going to have a 'yoke' to fit the curves of a woman's body. I need to place a degree or two to account for the 'slope.'

I like the idea just the same. I will be doing something more elaborate the next time!

Thank you for reading my blogs. If you have a suggestion to share, please add it here or in the forum. All ideas are welcome whether or not they apply to my particular blog.

Pat

Tricky Embroidering

2011-07-22T15:25:00Z

When you first started to learn machine embroidery, there was so much to learn that it was a very daunting (well, it was for me!).

Along the way, and even at the very beginning, I thought of things that would make the process and/or problems easier to deal with. For instance, I don't sew (heaven knows that is a blessing for the rest of the universe) but I had so much in the way of snips of thread that I was going nuts. I have two methods to keep them in control. One is to have a small, shallow dish of water by my machine. It is actually a dish for use under a plant to catch the excess water. I can drop tails into it quickly. Then, at the end of my project, I take an adhesive rolling lint remover to pick up all that remains. Between the two, I usually don't have too many threads hanging around.

Last week I had an order for a hankie that ended up being over 50,000 stitches. There was an intricate design and writing as well. There was a moment when my machine snarled up some thread on the underside of the hankie. It was really a large rats nest and, of course, very near the end of the project - - - Ugh! This wording was done with my FAVORITE font - AlphabetXpress, Darling.

I realized that I had to fix that issue without messing up the project.

I recognized that one tool would not be able to do the whole job. Interestingly, there was very little nesting on the front, it was all on the back. So, here is how I did it -

I started with picking out any stray threads with my tweezers. In this case, I spent a little extra for these tweezers so that I had a really tight point with which to pick up the smallest of threads. Of course as I went along, I was using my favorite scissors.

My next tool is "Peggy's Stitch Eraser." If you have one, you know how well they work. Remember to make sure that you use it in more than one direction. It needs to be able to cut stitches and some stitches are left to right, up and down or anywhere in between.

You want to just touch the stitches. If you press down, you risk cutting your fabric. These blades are different than the ones in a standard shaver, trust me, I tried to use a standard shaver.

Remember to keep the shaver upright. A little practice is essential just like with embroidery. . . .

Now for my super - duper trick. This is an old book that is water damaged. But, I am just using it as a cushion. When I turn over my embroidery, there is a ‘space' which causes my embroidery fabric to ‘move' if not properly supported. I put the book in the ‘hollow' of the embroidery hoop and I have enough support to be able to put a little pressure on the stitches I want to remove.

The next tool I use is the adhesive lint remover. It will get out mini fibers that cause me not to be able to see where a section can be damaged. I consider that lint remover to be one of my most important embroidery tools.

Keep your area clean to aid in determining if more needs to be removed. Frankly, I never think it is necessary to remove 100% of the thread. Depending on your project, perhaps much of it can be left behind when it is covered by new embroidery.

I hope you learned a few tricks on this blog. Thank you for reading it, I love writing it just for you! Pat

Home Décor, Miniature Style

2011-07-08T16:00:00Z

From the moment the first item of cloth was embroidered, clothing, church and home décor would never be the same.

I enjoy ‘life' history. Don't tell me about wars, politics or hate; give me the history of people who lived their lives during the time when war and pestilence were going on. How did they survive? How did they live on a day to day basis? How did they make their lives as joyful as they could? How did they display their personality? How did they show the world they laughed, loved and were not just survivors but were ALIVE?

Embroidery history is interesting in itself. It was likely invented just after cloth!

It always surprises me when I read that machine embroidery has been around for a very long time. As a craft that can be in any household, it probably is not as ‘old' but it is amazing to have something so beautiful at our fingertips.

New uses are always being dreamed up and while this is not new, it is an interesting use of embroidery -

How about putting some interesting things in a Doll House? I have found so many great items that would work!

Here are a couple of rugs that are really adorable with the bedside rug has so much detail -

(photos courtesy of SoniaShowaltersdesigns.com)

How about something for the living room wall?

(this is a freebie right here at AnnTheGran - sign into the Download Designs and search the category "uncategorized.")

Here are some that will make great ‘wall hangings' for a doll house!

For the Game/Family Room - a "Guy Design Pack"- -

Or for the Baby's Room - - Baby's Design Pack

How fun is this one for Poolside? - " Summer Beach Accessories Design Pack"

And, if you don't have a doll house to decorate (what fun!!!) you can put these on baby items everywhere! If it is not breathing or nailed down, put an embroidery design on it. LOL

The Devil is in the details

2011-06-24T19:05:00Z

Mom was right, the devil is in the details and he has had a devilishly good time with embroidery - - -

Just like any computer aided process, out thinking the required steps can be very challenging indeed. If you figure out the stabilizer correctly, then the thread may be acting up. If those are working correctly, the design may not be exactly perfect. If everything so far is working - well you know what I mean.

I keep a list of tips and tricks that I find are necessary to help my recall. Hmmm it may not be my recall, it could be my forgetfulness that is a culprit. I have a notebook full of things and trying to keep them organized is a full time job in itself. I do keep some of my best/most needed hints right at hand and I am happy that I have them.

You know, if you read my projects regularly, that I have a website that sells embroidered bridal items. I have been seeing a significant increase in sales and gleefully say that the rest of the world may think the sky is falling, but two young people in love still believe in happily ever after. God Bless Them! Contrary to what you may hear in the way of statistics, they are still getting married and starting families with hope and excitement. We who may be a little jaded could take a cue from that.

One of my most popular items is the hankies for brides to mothers-in-law (highest sales!!!), mothers, fathers-in-law, fathers and stepparents. The hankies are not too expensive and they can convey the bride's thoughts or my own original sayings. Just to brag just a little, here is my thought for a stepparent (either mother or father):

You came into my life
to protect and care for me.
You made my family whole
and I am delighted you are
here on my special day.

On to my 'sharing' information. (Don't forget, I am not an expert, I just share what I learn from my projects!)

Doing those hankies has been a real challenge for a number of reasons; the most important to me is to have a finished project that is "Wedding Ready." A bride wants to have the best for her special day and I agree that she should have the finest I can provide. Getting to that finished project was more interesting than I expected. After all, just fill in a few words, finish with "Love, Suzie (next line) January 31, 2020." Right? Well, not really.

First you must consider your fonts that you will be using for your items. As you know, I really like the fonts in AlphabetXpress which is the pride of the company here at AnnTheGran. You may not know that it was among the very first of its kind in the embroidery field. It has lead the way to beautiful fonts all of the time. Please do read my experience between my expensive (but aren't they all) machine and AlphaX in this blog. I was really surprised that my machine did not do a better job of lettering than it did. Additionally, I would have to input the words one line at a time which is really time consuming if I used the machine. With AlphaX, all you have to do it type. . . . Even I can do that. Keep in mind that the fewer words the better. If you have a bride wanting to put a novel on her hankie, I discourage her. It takes too much of my time and less is really more when thanking others.

I also use a 'quick type' software called Direct Access (DA). What DA does is called 'macros' or creating a small program that I instruct it to do typing for me. For instance, once I type something on my pc and if I know I will use it again and again, I simply tell DA what letters I want to use and DA will do the rest. An example is if I wanted to give you a URL to one of my older blogs, I would input the address into DA (like the address for AlphabetXpress) and give it a short name (which is alphax) and when I type 'alphax' the computer puts in the correct URL for that site. So instead of remembering that address, I just remember the code for it and I can give that URL 100 times a day without looking it up. I do the same for whole paragraphs and pages of information. The thought for the stepparent shown earlier is coded so I don't have to remember the worded AND I know that there are no typos or mistakes because I use it all the time as is. It is a big time saver for me!

Back to the hankie. My most frequently requested font is Darling. Darling is about the most versatile font I have ever found. It is clean (no unnecessary swirls), easy to read (some are not!) and looks like handwriting. This is a sample of Darling for a bride to her mother and my second most sold thought.

Here are the details of how I create a hankie that is Wedding Ready!

First I always use Heat Away stabilizer. You may ask why I don't use a water soluble and that is logical, but I seek the best product for the best results with the least amount of work for me. Water soluble is more work that heat away and time is money. Just an FYI, I also use Hugo's Tape to hold the opened roll of stabilizer. It is clear and sticks to itself. I wrap it around the stabilizer and mark the name and end of it with a black permanent marker. I know which stabilizer I am working with and it is easy to remove the tape, it does NOT leave any sort of mark of any kind. And, Hugo's Amazing Tape (I agree with the name, it is Amazing) is used for hundreds of other things including wrapping all sorts of moving items without leaving any marks, keeps items clean (cover item), holds very snugly and you will find so many uses around the house. You get a large roll and a very small one for bobbins. You will LOVE it!

Using my 'self-healing' mat, I align my hoop, then my stabilizer, then my hankie. It sounds like a lot, but getting wording on straight on a corner is important to the success of my project. These mats may be for quilters, but I use mine daily without fail. It is my work area and it helps me keep the area clean. If the mat is not clear, my sewing area is a mess.

I always do a baste stitch around my words for two reasons, #1, it shows me that I am centered, or not, on the hankie. Secondly, it holds the hankie down to the stabilizer without the use of adhesives. If you want to put some glue on, spray it on the stabilizer.

After the baste is complete, I remove the hoop to assure me of accuracy of the placement. If it is not straight, it will show in the final sew out. I adjust via the hoop all that I can but often must remove the hankie from the hoop. That is starting all over again, and I try to avoid this if possible

Another hint is to keep your wording width to as little as 5" or 12.5cm. If you don't, you will need to use a larger hoop and there is no advantage to doing that. It just costs you more money for a larger piece of stabilizer without adding any value to the project.

Then I sew out my wording. It is important to remember that a well digitized font (AlphabetXpress!) will have a stop point (a couple of tack-down stitches) at the end of a letter and the beginning of the next letter. That is really important and NOT all fonts have this feature.

I take one last look at my project while it is still in the hoop. Occasionally there will be a spot that needs to be redone and if you don't catch it now, you may have a ruined project. If needed, I will start with the back of the words to remove stitches and only use my tweezers on the front. This helps to avoid cutting your fabric because the stabilizer is still in place.

Next, I remove the baste stitching. I do start on the back and clip the 4 corners and remove the thread. The top thread will then be only laying on the fabric.

Remove as much of the stabilizer as is practical. Be careful not to damage the stitching.

BUT, to start removing the jump stitches between words and some letters, you MUST start on the front. Carefully remove the jump from right to left or vice versa as you please. I leave about 1mm on each side to keep the letters in place. I have ruined projects by cutting the back first and on both sides of the jump on the back as well as the front. That is a big mistake because a letter can unstitch with this method. First, cut the jumps on the front using two cuts. After all the jumps are done, do a single cut in the middle of the jump on the back. Doing so will assure that your stitching will stay put.

When you are cutting, you will see and/or feel the fabric relaxing. That will eliminate most of the puckering you may experience from the letters.

Don't forget to carefully cut the 'i' and that is really a tender spot! You will make two cuts on the front and a single on the back and since there is so little room to work, this should be done with excellent lighting and very precisely. Making the letters look good are the job of both the digitizer and the embroiderer. AlphabetXpress does a great job with this task.

After all cuts are make, I hold up the hankie to a good light to see if there is anything hanging around that I want to remove. I also lay it flat on a clipboard and look at it as if it were the horizon. You may see things you did not see before and make adjustments at this time.

Next, making sure you have turned off your steam on your iron, dry iron the heat away according to the manufacturer's suggestions. At first you will feel like you are ruining the hankie, the iron or both. However, you will get some very small plastic balls that you merely need wipe away to a trash receptacle. We are nearly done. . . .

Lastly, and this is one of those delightful moments that I love, using a spray of Mary Ellen's Best Press tops the hankie off beautifully! It gives your hankie the look of being pressed at the dry cleaners. If you love that crisp look, the Best Press is something you will use for many things. It is beautiful on your heirloom linens, cotton shirts and anything you want to look especially nice. It is excellent!

I place my project into my wedding envelopes and it is sent off for the bride to give without any further tasks for her to do. I like to put it in upside down so when you take it out, there is a surprise!

It is really Wedding Ready and the Devil does his dirty work somewhere else.

You can see that the details of this hankie are demanding whereas a tote or t-shirt embroidery is a little more forgiving. But, I love doing this and feel great satisfaction from a beautiful job well done.