HELLO HELLO WORLD ME’ers!!!!!

WHERE in the WORLD are you ME’ers ( Machine Embroiderers(???!!!)

FINALLY……….Here’s your opportunity to share WHERE YOU LIVE with AnntheGran’s Community!!!!

It will be SO MUCH FUN to see where you ARE!!!! I hope you will SHARE!!!!!

Those of you who have read my earliest blogs, know that I have wanted to know this for a long time!!! I finally found  a simple map!!! (Those of you who are computer experts though will recognize it in a nano second:) It’s not what I envisioned to begin with, but at least it is a START. (I’m a newbie  in MEing and have very limited knowledge of computers, for those of you who are reading my blog for the 1st time.) These are just pictures of the Google maps I'll be using, but we'll put the real one up there once I have some locations put it into.

Anyway, for those of you who DID tell me where you're from - way back when on my second post…I will go back and retrieve those, but it sure would help me if you did it here again on today’s latest post. It will save me a ton of time, but if you did it once & you don’t want to do it again here, now, I understand.  I WILL add you as I get back to each of those earlier posts & comments; it will just take me a little longer switching back and forth to add them to this one. 
Also, (I will ONLY add your NAME  IF you specifically gave me permission to do so.) IF I accidentally add or leave out one of you…please gently  (thank you very much) let me know, and I will correct it as soon as I can. THANKS!!!!

For sure, please tell me your STATE, PROVINCE, foreign COUNTRY you’re MEing in, to the COMMENTS section BELOW and I will do PART 1 of the map right away. (It will have a marker on the state or country only to begin with.) Then after another tutoring lesson, I will be able to do ‘level 2’ so that with an additional click, it will list your cities (& name if you so choose.) Well or at least that is the plan!!! Wish me luck!!! Hope that is all clear. LOL….:)   If not, just write me a note!!! 

I hope you are all doing some ME projects!!!!….OH speaking of projects….I FINALLY went to the new MEDIA section on AtG!!!! Holy Cow….what  TERRIFIC pictures YOU folks have shared!!! I am totally impressed!!!! You’ve inspired me….even enough to get E and I to break out the new little Disney machine in our hectic schedule right now. We ME’d our 1st  Mickey Mouse.!!!! (with some errors, but I’ll share it anyway next time:)

Speaking of blogs….I have a  quick question for you!!!???…..Now that we have added many ‘expert’ bloggers on AnnTheGran (and I’m just a beginner AND because my blogs are SOOOOO long)…would you prefer me writing just once a month instead of more often as before? I can ‘chat up a storm’ in a flash, just not sure if it’s helping you M.E. or not though???!!! I’m not fishing for compliments or criticisms just wanting your honest input here.

HAVE A GREAT time MEing until next time!!!!! Let me know how it’s going for you and what projects you are doing!!!! I ‘d love to hear!! (& SEE!!!!)

CinO

P.S.  Have a SAFE and GREAT Weekend!!!!

Directions start @ paragraph 9 - Just a  hint to save you some time if you want to go to the project directly. (Chatty Cathy is going strong 1-8)

HH  (Hello Hello) Fellow M’Eers,

I hope all is going well for you and that your MEing is going great! I hope too that your machines are purring and you are still happy and excited about your hobby!!!! Even if you’ve had some glitches, I hope you are at least DOING something with your machine!!!

(I am speaking more to myself than to you, here.) I was so swamped (and stressed) with “other things’ (summer school, kids crisis, renters, c- tunnel flair up, canning, July blogs not done on time, & a very excited husband not packed but headed for Alaska to fish with some sons etc)  Everything is getting back to normal now finally with the exception my home looks like a cyclone went through it!!!.:) I don’t do well in chaos and clutter and it sure has been both to the max.

One special friend (with whom I did share all the gory details of ALL that’s been going on) suggested I needed to go to a spa & drink a bottle of wine.

Well         1. I can’t afford a spa. (since I bought so many THINGS) and:

               2. I don’t drink alcohol,

 but I  did tell her that I was going to drink my home-grown  grape juice - STRAIGHT - completely UNDILUTED!!!!   - We’re talking strong stuff!!! L0L

Now that’s getting serious!!

(I bought an entire case of Pepsi when I went through my divorce but that’s another story.) I’m off caffeine except for chocolate; & it would behoove me to drop that too.

I’ve done almost nothing on my machine for the last few weeks…although I did make up for it  shopping for things to ‘help me embroider better ’!!!!  Not all stress is bad, right???? (Well not until the Visa bill comes at least, - but unfortunately/fortunately I just learned how to do online banking…holy cow…now that is an eye opener to see what one can do to themselves shopping with on-line shopping now too !!!!!! ) I used to pay off my visa once a month…then had to do it twice a month to keep on top of it…lately it’s been every 2- 3 days!!! Enough is enough!!!

I guess I should give a word of warning to any of your newbies….PHEW…It can be addictive and at least for me…since I am so new…I just got “ALL EXCITED” when I saw NEW designs that I thought I just HAD to HAVE  right then etc  (oh and ALWAYS the ‘carrot dangling ’ …” ON SALE” …well if it’s on sale then I had ‘better hurry’ or I might miss out!….Those marketers have me all figured out!!!! (My son, who DOES have a degree in marketing from UNLV, sat with me one day while we were at a ‘presentation’ and he explained what the steps are that sales people were going to use (which they did) …so it isn’t that I have never been told….Well I am now “putting the BRAKES on until I take care of , & find a place for WHAT I already have, & USE it -   at least SOME of what I have!”

Now THAT is a good plan!

OK don’t faint…. I am actually going to share with you a REAL project for any of you beginners out there like myself -  who might not know where to begin. It’s been awhile…sorry!!! Really I am!!!

You might have heard many different terms describing various types of machine embroidery;  appliqué, trapunto, rosemaling, FSL ( free standing lace- which is really easy – honest), etc etc  ) and you might feel a bit overwhelmed. I did and still do, but I personally am GOING BACK to the BASICS here and I am going to do more of them!  I am truly a beginner and it’s where I’m at & need to be because I am just learning. I felt somehow that I needed to hurry up and learn as many new things so I could be blogging about them….but now I am SO happy because there are more and more bloggers coming on to Ann’s site who can help those who are advanced and/or wanting to learn a specific technique. They KNOW what they are doing & HAVE EXPERIENCE…)  I think it is so great too that Ann is adding a quilting section…that is SO very popular!!!!! My friend Kitty will be beyond thrilled! She’s been at it for a long time and so far I haven’t gotten into it because I see fabric stashes in the horizon if I do and I don’t need ANY more stashes of ANYTHING for awhile!!!

So I am going to take a new fresh deep breath, drink my grape juice (diluted in the near future I hope)  and enjoy the rest of this embroidery journey I started just a few months ago. It’s time to HAVE FUN and ENJOY embroidering!!!! I can’t wait to do projects and give them as gifts …be they small or humble to begin with. 

**** OK. Let’s begin the PROJECT of RED WORK

A very basic, but still VERY nice gift to give is called “REDWORK. “

 I believe it is usually done on kitchen hand towels but could be done on napkins, a quilt square, baby receiving blanket, gardening towel, purse, eyeglass holder, napkins and probably a golf towel too. I’m sure you’ll come up with lots of ideas once you do it yourself. Then please DO share it with me in Ann’s community. We’ll love to see and/or hear about it!!!

I didn’t know (prior to doing it) that REDWORK is almost identical to BLACKWORK & GREEN WORK and I am pretty certain BLUE  work could be found too,  so why stop there?????…Why don’t the EMBROIDERY gurus on high out there just call it COLORWORK????   Hmmmm??? I am serious! It would be easier for us beginners….plus it would be like getting 3 + things for the price of one training!!!… (What a bargain!!)

The ONLY thing I found out to be different was the color of thread you use!!!! …although when looking at different designs you can buy, they were separated into different categories.  Why????? Hmmmm someone more advanced than I can set me straight, but to me as a beginner, I could have missed out on black work for example, and think it ( ‘blackwork’ ) was a completely different embroidery type that may have used a different technique/stabilizer/ etc etc.

Not so!!!! So why make something so simple – harder???? They’re  all SIMPLE!!!!

Until an expert sets me straight I think they are INTERCHANGEABLE.

OK…enough editorializing…here we go….

Supplies needed for the project Ethan and I did (besides your machine and hoop)

1.   Hand towel

2   Embroidery thread

3.  Bobbin  thread ( I used white.)

4.  Tear away stabilizer

5.  Redwork/ blackwork  etc ‘design’ (It has many fewer stitches than many designs and NO fill.)

6.  Rick Rack (optional but I really thought it added A LOT)

7. Alphabet for name/ or day of the week etc  (optional) We did it and we really liked the individualization.

Hint…..In the embroidery class when we did it, the towels were NOT washed in advanced and they looked crisp and wonderful. They still do because I haven’t used them yet because I knew once the dust settled, I’d be blogging about it and wanted to photograph them while they still looked really new.

Yesterday I bought SEVERAL similar towels but ALL in SOLID colors (from the same store the teacher bought ours) and WASHED THEM IN ADVANCE, so as to remove any sizing. I also put in one sheet of Color Catcher (recommended by a quilt shop) into the washer (made by Shout that says it “traps color –runs to protect clothes.) I got the box - a pkg of 24 for less than $5. I put all 75 (of them into the dryer (2 loads ) also in order to make sure that they would NOT shrink after the stitching was done so no puckering would occur.

WELL…. ALL the new towels/napkins I bought FADED, and my rainbow of colors now look like worn-out  wanna-be cleaning cloths. I am SOOOO disappointed. (I washed the colored ones in COLD water…& only the very light yellow ones in warm water.) I am going tomorrow to Lynn, who is a professional embroiderer that I met in ‘ embroidery group’, to see what she thinks. Rather than fancy napkins for each person, I think I’ll change the theme to ‘gardening’ this next Christmas or bike rags for one family who designs racing bikes etc.

I’ve heard so many times to do a ‘test’ on your patterns…well I suggest you do a ‘test’ on ANY new fabric before you even do a stitch.

Had I NOT done that 1st step of getting rid of any sizing….they would have been beautiful at least at first glance…I’m not a quilter so it could be worse…had I done them all up into squares thinking they’d be a beautiful rainbow quilt and then given as a gift…only to have it all faded whammo fast would have been so disheartening…

OK…. Back to the DIRECTIONS for doing the dish towels.

The only ‘hard’ part (& it wasn’t that hard ) one could say, is getting the PLACEMENT of the design WHERE you want it on your towel. You may want to measure it so that it is up from the bottom edge about 4 or so inches & get it centered. (You can fold your towel 2 directions to get the center or use one of the fancier ‘gadgets’ to get it centered.).

Once you place the tear away stabilizer UNDER  the towel  (& some put a water soluable on the top…but we didn’t in class) and then HOOP it  tightly…Snap it all into your it it  machine & then sit back and be thoroughly AMAZED how QUICKLY it stitches out and then you are done. VOILA!!! Well except for a few tiny thread clippings & tearing the stabilizer off the bottom.  I think you will love it!!!

Hint….Just select your designs in advance if you know for sure who it’s going to.…E SHOULD have gotten a rooster for example rather than a hen….but we’ll do better next time!!! (He’s so flexible…He just went with the flow being a black hen instead of a rooster!!!! ) Not all men would go for that!!!  What a guy!)

His towel is called BLACK WORK and my towel is called RED work.  EVERYTHING  was done exactly the same EXCEPT for the color of thread used!!!! See I told you….Now you can do MULTIPLE types of machine embroidery EVEN if this is your very 1st project!!! It takes just a FEW minutes to get the design on the towel!!!  REALLY FAST!!!

We did add the rick rack on both of ours. I think they turned out really cute!!! IF you do put rick rack on, your machine must be able to do a simple sewing stitch or hand stitch it on.

I may NEVER ever WASH them….but for now I just love them. (SO I also would not use water soluble because that would need to be removed with H2O, and I am not high on ‘washing with water right now.”). BRAND NEW, they would make a darling wedding or hostess gift.

SOOOOOO good luck on your NEWEST PROJECT. If you try to choose this. I will love hearing from you!!!!

Hugs,

Cathy...speaking of  ‘hens’ this one needs to ‘fly the coop’ for a week at the beach & I will!

P.S.   For Newbies' eyes only… what do you say…Shall we unite and start using the term “COLOR WORK “ and see how soon it catches on in the embroidery world.???!!! Hmmmmmm  We’d have our very OWN NEW technique called COLOR WORK…..we could make it famous.!!!  We need to be brave and expand our vision….!!! , sort of like when the “Fosbury Flop” was 1st shown publicly to the world of track and field.  Do any of you remember when 1st did it ???- It was a new style for high jumping which now is used in the Olympics instead of the scissor style. BtW  we went to the same high school & I saw him practicing!!! I just stared at him and he just smiled back. To finish the story, I scissored 4’2” when I was younger…went to Europe gained 30 lbs and jumped 2’6” when I got back!!!) True story! My track days were SO over!!!!

So, what do you say newbies…Shall we start a NEW movement??? Heavens… I can see it now!!! I LOVE hot pink, purple, violet and lots of other colors. I also LOVE SIMPLE and quick….I couldn’t help but think it sure would be nice to be in the position of agranddaughter of Ann's - getting to do a project already selected and having it completed in a short time under her trained and experienced eyes!!!!  Lucky girl!!!! Ann, do you want to become even MORE famous than you already are??? How about doing a collection of SUPER SIMPLE designs that you did for your granddaughter by putting them into a new package marketed  “especially for beginners’ and calling it COLOR WORKS. It could be the newest and hottest trend !!!! We’d love it, right!!!

Let’s hear it for Ann !!!! (We’d just have to change embroidery threads.) Yeah!!!! Just think you could be right on the cutting edge and we readers on AnntheGran will KNOW exactly what it is…right off the bat…even before the golden oldies know what it is?? Yeah for us newbies!!

HH all my fellow ME’ers….I’ve been SHOPPING up a storm!!!!!….

Actually it started right there in Orlando at Ann’s Community Circle the day BEFORE I won the machine last April… and it sort of hasn’t stopped….but I THINK, finally, I am getting really close to having what I need -  in bulk -  (& actually soooo much more!!!!!) to seriously “ get started.” I now need to STAY PUT for awhile  & ME up a storm!!!
(For those who didn’t read my last blog, I was attending summer school in more than one place and didn’t sew a stitch….or blog a word.)

Since my last ‘book/blog’ was extra extra long and wordy…I’m giving you a break. Today’s blog is mostly pictures. (Well that might not turn out to be  possible, but I will at least try!!)

Some of the items you can get @ Ann the Gran’s store (ex. The BadgeMaster stabilizer that I wrote about has been added to Ann’s store.)  It is a wonderful product for doing ‘lace.”  Ann carries the Thread Pilot too and some great scissors. I just got in the mail the  Gingher 6” Applique Scissors  Knife Edge that one of you suggested as s favorite. I just used them to cut the thread making the cherry design on my PE700 to top our canned cherries made earlier today. (And total oops….I made matching a matching red thread bobbin because of my ‘lace’ in my head lesson I guess…and did NOT remember to use BOBBIN thread. Will one of you experts tell me WHY I am suppose to NOT use the same thread????

I’ve  purchased several items from Wendy (my instructor)  @ the SewingRoom & the Mill End store both in Beaverton, Oregon and NW Quilts in Sherwood..my old stompin’ grounds…. and some  additonal big items from ‘on-line’ stores.

All you ‘newbies” like me  (& golden oldies for that matter) know what I am talking about as far as ‘setting up” & starting a ‘new hobby.”   -   WHERE DOES one begin/ WHAT should I buy!!??? What are the basics??? (The same thing happened with water colors this last grad class…but that’s another story!)

I REALLY really appreciated everyone letting me know what your favorite gadgets were too !!! It helped a lot!!! Ann’s store has some of these items I have pictures of today. Also, if you are reading this for the 1st time  -  since I “won my machine” - I did not get ‘free lessons’ that usually come with a purchase. I think that it is super important especially if you are completely new at it. Just find a good teacher. You CAN find knowledgeable people to help you. For some ,sitting down with the manual is just fine.  For me, I am all for a WARM body helping me & preferably right beside me.….(It helps reduce my frustration.) I did buy a phone and phone head set for ‘long distance learning!” Pat I will be calling you and any others who’d be willing to share your knowledge.

Those of you who are in the market for an embroidery machine, I think it’s super important to meet owners/instructors and shop around for a store you like.  It can be a great experience or just the opposite.

My friend Kitty who is a total die hard quilter enthusiast …gave me a piece of wonderful advice which I somehow ignored initially….but OH so how true it was…She said, “Cathy, go around to different shops and see how they treat you. Get a ‘feel’ for the place.”  She goes where she feels ‘part of the family.”

Well I was originally ‘locked into thinking BROTHER machine only” and had tunnel vision period.  I somehow had my thinking set that I also had to go to the closest Brother dealership too. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the close local Brother wanted to charge  $75 per hour for lessons. It seemed really high. (As a professional teacher with a gazillion years of college credits and 28 years of experience, I NEVER made that an hour.) So, to be honest, I felt that quote was WAY way over priced.)….

When you consider I was a brand new newbie and would be buying hundreds of dollars worth of items in the future….(which I have since done but not from them.) it was short sighted in my opinion. Anyway,  I now order items from other Brother dealerships in Portland, Oregon City and even Missouri!!!

Oh, another biggie that might be helpful to you….. I was also very shocked to find out the difference in prices that different dealerships charge for the very SAME machines!!!! (It may hold true for other brands too..I don’t know.)  For example, the top of the line Brother model was $6,000 just down the road (@ that $75 an hr place) - which I ended up not getting right before I left for Orlando because of a glitch to finance it for 90 days – ( which turned out to be a GREAT blessing as I won Ann’s machine etc.) …Anyway,  it turns out that if I DID want to get that same machine…  I can get it for under $4,000 from Mike in a Michigan’s Brother dealership!!!! Holy cow…..so NEWBIES….shop around…& don’t let someone pressure you into a fast buy or assume all stores charge the same amount. They don’t!!!! I initially went in for a PE700 demonstration just prior to leaving for Orlando…and ended up ALMOST ended up paying  $6,000!!! for their top model.

I had assumed ‘same model machines’ would be about the same price, but they’re not!!! (A $2,000 difference….are you kidding me!!!???) There is a brand new Brother machine coming out in a couple of months ….not sure what it will do and what ‘bells and whistles’ it will have!!! I’m sure just great & I will love hearing about it from any of you who do end up getting one!!!

(Oh any visitors to Ann’s site… you might be very pleased (& surprised) at the price of the PE700 @ Ann’s store compared to ANY on-line Brother store etc that I found that carrying the same model.) I am getting a bit more educated in machine embroidery…and FOR ME, I STILL love the idea of having a ‘dedicated embroidery machine.” I DO now see the reason to have a sewing machine, but having the PE700 is FUN!!!!

Another idea is to buy a good used machine if you are starting out. My sweet Wendy at Pfaff  is willing to sell me a  great floor model at a really great price too on one of her favorite machines….(which still may happen down the road) but for now I am trying to  just learn my Brother.  But my point here is….Don’t be afraid to  shop around.
Find people who are nice and supportive & that you make a connection with!!!

I LOVE to shop and will continue to do so, but now I also really look at how I am treated-  be it for a $5 purchase or $500  & perhaps $5,000  or more down the road….Ok…enough….off that soapbox….

My biggest new purchase……TA- DA…..is my new ‘other Brother SE270 ” machine. It is almost a twin to my PE700, but it is the DISNEY model YEAH…DOUBLE YEAH!!!!! ( Well actually the newest and somewhat more expensive purchase was the Dell laptop - so that I can EVENTUALLY download what I bought in Orlando (Alphabet Express and its buddy…but I’ll write about that in another month or 3 . Maybe a whole blog could be dedicated to just that. I have YET to download one purchased design…etc….SIGH….talk about putting the cart before the horse….gee…how about a warehouse of carts before the horse!

My new Brother  is also is a “sewing machine”. With a gazillion grand kids you can see the ‘WHY’  of  a Disney machine….(what an excuse that is…. because … …I TOTALLY LOVE Disney myself!!)  (Just yesterday we had 6 grandchildren picking fresh raspberries in our yard and one had a Disney shirt on….I asked them all…How many of you like Mickey Mouse?….They ALL did!!!….My point exactly.  (I actually met Walt Disney accidentally  when I was 5 or 6 right there at Disneyland.)  He was as sweet and kind (and offered me a bite of his chicken leg) as you saw him on TV. I have been hooked ever since. I have a darling Mickey Mouse watch I wear a LOT and I have visited Tokyo Disney & the ones in Florida and California…Anyway….back to embroidery…

Since E has been helping me since day one and he ENJOYS MEing too…We now  have side by side machines!!!! Yes!!!! and we  can use the SAME hoops & bobbins!!!!!!! -  and for now I really need “SAME!!!! “  (Once I get the basics down, I am open to a more expensive machine….but for now I am ONE very happy camper & have more than enough stuff  to keep me busy.

My next largest purchase was a steam press iron under $250.  I read Ann’s site and several others on the internet & decided I wanted a large (even though it takes up space) steam presser so I can iron several blocks of  material quickly. (I bought one entire bolt of black Kona cotton so I can FINALLY stitch out each ‘ built in sample’ now for  both Brother machines.)  Yeah!!!! I also bought a bolt of black stabilizer to go with it, so I should be set for quite awhile. I will let you know how the iron works etc in a later post.

All I can say again is that FOR ME…I really just wanted 1 type of material (oops fabric), 1 machine, 1 stabilizer, 1 needle & thread brand ( loved Madeira colors)  1 hoop, 1 design company, “1 everything” …. so that I could minimize the variables & that I had a really good chance of ‘mastering’ the basics while trying to learn to even thread a machine. I SO wanted to keep it simple…I did not.

I ended up NOT going that route….but now I am going back to go back to GROUND ZERO and will start FROM the beginning and approach it as if I had JUST started, only this time E will be beside me and we will stitch together with our 2 new basic Brother machines. I can hardly wait.

E is away clamming in Alaska, but once he’s back we will take those machines down to the ALMOST completed new art studio and stitch away, stitch away, stitch away….(Can’t you just hear Enya singing that instead of Sail Away which is just about my theme song…I want it played as  my casket is leaving the church.)

OK ME’ers I  promise – I’ll do more projects (for beginners.) I will do a few more new-for-me projects and will write those up for you too. In the meantime, the other ladies are blogging up a storm with such GREAT projects, helps, photos and ideas!!! They are the experts and can help you a lot!!!! For now I’m here just journaling my baby steps, my shopping sprees, etc & walks down memory lane. I really don’t know if I am helping you much, but perhaps I can save you some $ from my experiences.
 
This is a good time too to thank those of you for taking the time to write me! I really appreciate it!

Have a really GREAT August everyone!!!!

Hugs,
Chatty Cathy in Hillsboro

HH Fellow MEers!!,

HOW are you doing???!!! I’ve missed hearing from you !!!

Warning….(If you want quick and easy and lots to do with embroidery…skip this blog and wait to read my next one that I will be posting very soon.)

(Sorry on my part because Chatty Cathy wasn’t so “ chatty lately” because I was in summer school…but I’m now back and I’m happy I get to switch gears again- back to machine embroidery that is!!!. Yeah!!!!

I do feel like there are parallels trying to learn to watercolor, blog and do machine embroidering, even though they don’t seem very similar at all. I’ve decided that machine embroidery will bring me joy because I can count on the design looking like the picture …not so for my beginning efforts in water color painting!!!..but OH do I love the magic of those colors (especially water color pencils) coming alive when you add water!!! Now if I just can get my hands to draw what they’re suppose to, I will be one happy camper!

I appreciate so much the DARLING designs the digitizers can do. I want to meet you personally and pick your brain!!!!! How in the WORLD do you do it??? I know that it is way advanced stuff from what I heard, and I am not wanting to do it now…I just want someone to really BLOG on the subject and see HOW in the world you 1^st drew the design and then got it to co-operate into a final product!!!

I’m gonna admit out loud right here and now that it’s pretty humbling to be an adult @ a “ kindergarten level” & in more than one area at the same time!!!!... especially - when you are way past kindergarten age!!!! It’s not always so much fun when I’m surrounded by those that DO already paint, compute, ME well, and I’m still fumbling with the basic vocab, tools etc etc etc ( I used to not cook or grow a garden either…& I’ve come a long ways from back then….I haven’t burned up 2 stoves since high school!!!)

I’ll also admit I MUCH prefer the feeling I have when TEACHING than I do now, - being an ‘adult student/learner…especially when new areas I know so little about I am either being ‘graded’ and/or have deadlines. Talk about stress city! (Hmmm I wonder if any of this has some ‘control issues’ going…!!!)

It’s probably good though to be reminded how kids & grandkids must feel when they are learning & are expected to learn something new….rather…..lots of ‘some thingS’ plural. Boy there is an awful lot expected now even in kindergarten these days…at least around here! All those tests, benchmarks etc !!!! (Speaking of young ones, I just played my phone messages & there was one inviting me to interview with Nike for an early childhood teaching position.) I’m too hot and too tired to even think about that right now….maybe later….in a year or 200 ????

I DO think one of the advantages of ‘learning,’ especially out of your comfort zone & trying ‘new things’( and yes grades and deadlines,) is that I am in high hopes I am stirring up my brain cells that will help postpone dementia etc!!!! Surely…this must be helping some part of my body besides my fingers!!!!

It’s times like this when I remind myself that I was once on a full 4 year scholarship for my bachelor’s degree, I wrote an educational series that was published by the state and later I was selected for a master’s degree program for a rural special ed grant where only 13 people were chosen out of 15 states for the scholarships!….. So my brain cells must have worked at least once there in my life…They just must be dormant now or something!!!) or am I just ‘getting old??””” Parts of me ache, my carpal tunnel is flaring up & the doc thinks I probably have fibromyalgia…etc etc.

( Kidding ( I hope ) aside)… my mom actually had dementia for the last 5years of her life. She did not know me at all for the last couple of them, but would warm a bit when my son took her hand. That was sweet to see as they had been so very close.

One just doesn’t know what’s in our future or our earth timeline….so I think its best that we enjoy what we have now and help others along the way too if we can.

I know when I had “low kids” in my classroom I’d ALWAYS start out day one saying…”You ALL need to know that everyone one in here is talented and gifted!! Yes you heard me right…you are ALL talented & gifted….We may learn at different speeds and in different ways…but we are ALL TAG in one way or another (maybe not by what the schools’ TAG”definition was), but believe me…each of you are talented and gifted.!!!” ….. and I meant it!!! & they knew I meant it!! We approached the school year knowing we WOULD accomplish whatever we set out to do individually and as a classroom…behavior included!

I ‘d also share with them that I had been in a bad car accident once (when I was at the tail end of working on a master’s degree in special education (full time nights) and how I had forgotten how to spell EVERYTHING & how I could not remember a single person’s name, lost many vocabulary words & my thinking was very ‘delayed’ . ( to put it mildly ) etc etc !!!. I had to relearn the VERY basics…names, how to spell the colors, learn to add etc etc….It was an awful time in my life & it was so hard on me on so many levels….I couldn’t drive, my son was with his dad and I didn’t get to see him at all…. I don’t need to go into more gory details…..but you get the picture.

I literally got down to my very last dollar that year. It was such a horrible feeling…alone, in constant major pain, barely able to walk to the bathroom, etc etc) . I could no longer teach (for the rest of that year & then only very part time the following year in a classroom the teacher did not want to share.) I will never ever forget getting down to that last dollar & not knowing when I could ever work again.

Anyway….I survived…It took a long time to heal and it didn’t happen overnight, but years later my life completely turned around…& now, most of my hopes and dreams do turn out. I am not afraid to dream big and believe it can all come true. It is SO fun to think of something and then work towards it & have it come to pass.

I SO appreciate the good that can come on a daily basis.

I so appreciate kindness. I love and appreciate a good husband who loves and supports me. I am grateful to have a son who has turned out so well and is living a full & productive life. I’m grateful for the beautiful people and things that have come into my life…and am so grateful for the abundance I now have.

I don’t mean to be bragging here at all…It’s just that perhaps someone reading this or who met me, might have thought that my whole life has been ‘charmed’ or something. I’ve had an exciting life…no doubt about it, but it was hardly ‘rosy’ the entire time. Nope, but there IS daylight at the end of some dark tunnels if we just keep the faith. We don’t know what life will bring us….but I feel so strongly that through education & work, one can really help their situation & turn things around. 

The only reason I am sharing this saga is that, with the tough times we're in, there just might be someone on Ann’s site who might be at a low financially, healthwise or emotionally right now…& I guess I want to be somewhat of a cheerleader here saying…”things CAN turn around”!!!!!! I’m living proof of it. It would take another day of your life reading how things turned around for me, but to those of you who DO do machine embroidery I really believe you CAN earn some extra income.

You could use your hobby to start building a business and get yourself on your feet more and more. Starting off slowly makes a lot of sense to me…Perhaps start with projects that have fewer stitches & that you enjoy doing. (Perhaps bookmarks, checkbook covers for us oldies who still use them, glass holders, hand towels, pillow cases etc…) I’d really LOVE to hear from any of you readers who HAVE marketed their items & how you built your business. Is it kind of easy or really hard?…..It’d be great to hear from you who have experience and answers. I just feel there are some out there who really would appreciate hearing how it’s done.

As a former ‘outsider to machine embroidery’ I know that I just LOVED the beauty, uniqueness and appeal of it. Not a lot of people know how to do it, OR have the ‘stuff’ ( and you know how much stuff it can take) to make personalized embroidered items.

I have to laugh…I went into the local group’s ME monthly get together last month before my summer grad classes at the Sewing Room for a demonstration, and the ladies ‘knew me” or felt they did – after having read my blog…

One lady was so cute…she said…”Oh I feel like I know you now……...I had to go ‘reheat my coffee once ’ ……but I loved reading it! “ That TOTALLY cracked me up!!! ….She had to go reheat her coffee, huh???? It took THAT long to read it.???!!! (I think one could bake a loaf of bread during this one!!!). Then the other ladies all piped in and said..Oh yah..you have to get yourself all comfortable and then sit back and just read it.. It’s just like ‘talking to you.”

Thank you ladies, you were so kind & I don’t believe a one of you called me Chatty either!!!!

Thanks to all of you who take time away from your busy days to let me ‘chat with you.”

By the way…I really have enjoyed reading the comments of the various people who have shared their embroidery lives which also includes cats, family etc etc etc….It sure seems like we are a ‘homey and not glued to a rigid format” group…. I know the other bloggers who know what they are doing are REALLY contributing helpful ideas.

SOOOO here I am…an adult now as old as some of the ‘cruise ladies’ ( not the college oldies!!!) but just as nervous and uptight as they were trying to ‘learn’ new things.
I TRY SOOOOO hard…but it is not coming easily for me. I have spent SOOOOOO little time actually machine embroidering & SOOOOOO much money on things to ‘help me’!!! I have been shopping!!!…OH my goodness….I have spent like I was never going to be able to shop again. I think it must be an anxiety soother or something…but once I get this all organized and set up…I should really be set to have enough supplies on hand to do just about anything I want…& it WILL be so much fun!!! I LOVE the designs!!! I really can’t wait to get more instruction on doing the various types of embroidery out there!!!!!!

SO now, after all those years ago, I must turn right around to myself and say those very same words I had said to my kids in the classroom…..I’m talented and gifted….we are ALL talented and gifted…it may take some extra tries and I’ll have to work at it in more than one way …but I WILL learn to ME, I will compute and I will watercolor. I’ve decided that I am going to enjoy being a ‘kid’ again & enjoy my art like a kindergartender would. I TOTALLY LOVE bright colors…and it is just magic when color lightens up a piece of fabric or the page.

Here I am retired and one would think I could just lollygag around doing things I was good at & enjoyed or at at least at a slower pace….noooooooope, not me…I guess I am not ready to go out to pasture quite yet!

Hugs,

Chatty Cathy in Hillsboro just getting ready to help can 20 more quarts of fresh Oregon cherries. Yum! 

HH ME’ers!!!, (Hello Hello, Machine Embroiderers)

Just back from a glorious trip to the beach. Yeah!!!!
While there, I came to the conclusion that before I take another embroidery class in order to blog about it,I needed to …… Whoa! …… Stop!......... & GET ORGANIZED!!!

I needed to:

1.    WRITE DOWN what I already have.

2.    FIND A PLACE to put it.

3.    ASK for your input.

4.    INVITE you to ‘share my beach home” (see photo) for a visit  (1-1 tutoring on machine embroidery, the Brother PE-700 machine itself, computers, or……  ???? ( LMT’s….(licensed massage therapists are you there??? )

5.    Purchase items ( shop – yeah ) if necessary to help me get organized for my new passion.

6.    GET HELP with what I’m not getting done myself or getting frustrated over.


The solution looked simple on paper, ……but  it would involve more time, $ and energy. So I then realized I needed to regroup, analyze the situation,  & then ….. ta dah….PRIORITIZE….!!!!

1st thing done -
MOVE the guest BED OUT of the guest room/office to make more room.!!!! (There’s still room for more gadgets !!! & I would LOVE your input on that topic in the forum.

2nd- went shopping…this time with a specific plan & purpose, but forgot the measurements ..oops)
 

New Furniture

I bought a special craft table that ‘hides doodads galore’, a folding cutting table and a SIMPLE sewing table for my Brother PE-700 that would hold a few important items. I also got to find a place for my DARLING unexpected Orlando furniture purchase (see photo). It’s 1 of a kind & it always makes me smile.!
 

Junior Senior?

Aarrgh….I also bit the bullet and bought a laptop PC so I can eventually do machine embroidery like most everyone out there does. (……..by downloading the designs over  the internet!!!!). Personally I DON’T like the little cards that can get lost. That’s me, but that’s how I feel at least for now. Speaking of losing things…(I wear my reading glasses on my head, have my keys around my neck on a lanyard and I’ve switched to a fanny pack for Pete Sakes…just so I can get home with what I started out with!)  I am just a JUNIOR ‘Senior Citizen’…I am not even a ‘full fledged discount on my meals’ senior yet…and lo & behold I have had to resort to drastic measures already. What happens when I get REALLY old ????!!!! Please fill me in!!!

Organizing Designs

OK back to computers….not my favorite subject,….. I know there was one fellow at Community Circle who took time to try & explain how it (downloading) could be done with modifications to my new Apple, but the reality is…the Apple store here isn’t geared for that and I am a  duck out of water for the time being with everything else I’m trying to learn. So, my ME teacher helped me order a laptop for downloading all those BEAUTIFUL designs out there!!! But it is going to be VERY important that I ‘organize them’ into something…& thank goodness I had purchased the Catalog Xpress & Alphabet Express in Orlando.   (So that ‘cart before the horse’ purchase turned out ok!!!)

Calling All Newbies!

I have yet to down load 1 thing. Sigh…I am SUCH a beginner…but that’s OK. It’s where I am for now. I read of course, the ‘advanced’ bloggers and admire them & all those who really know their stuff…and my goodness, so many of the readers have so much experience too!!! What a wealth of information and experience there is on AnntheGran. Once in awhile I read something from someone NEW like myself.  The website is for ALL ME’ers!!!! No question is TOO basic!!!  The advanced people are SO willing to help us Newbies. Now remember folks, my blog is specifically written to make sure beginners like me, can learn from others, enjoy OUR journey starting out & maybe avoid some mistakes.

Software Experiences?

I ‘d LOVE to hear from those of you who have either of those 2 products (Catalog & Alphabet Express - product reviews here)….How has it worked for you? How DOES it even work????  TIPS PLEASE  etc etc or better yet…show me at the beach!!! (If I had a wiggling carrot icon that I could put in about now I would!  Just picture a cute seagull dangling that carrot swaying in the ocean breeze!!!)

I can't wait to start on Ann’s lace hearts because I NOW know how to make lace!!! Yeah!!!!! Speaking of which….HOW MANY OF YOU TRIED LACE for the 1st time??? Is there even ONE of you out there who did????   I haven’t heard from you!!!!!!…..Some said they were going to try….Did you???? Hmm?

I also bought a new phone and a new ‘head set’ so that my hands can be totally free when I am getting instructions over the phone.( eventually) (It isn’t set up yet..but soon I hope.) Feel free to send me your phone numbers in the meantime though!!! (Did I mention that I am spending ALL of my retirement checks for the moment!!!! )

Two Simple Questions

Now as always, I have a gazillion questions but will narrow them down to 2….Don’t Faint!!!
 
1.    Please share your MUST HAVE gadgets or items you wouldn’t want to live without). ( w/price and why  you love them so much - if you have the extra time for details)
      So far at the forum we have a short but great list & it is really helping me prioritize. (Thread Pilot, Havel scissors, the tote from Ann’s store, tweezers, magnifying glass, & paint brush). You can give me your ideas by clicking here.   

2.    Space Design ideas….When you SIT DOWN to machine embroider….WHAT do you REALLY need and WHERE do you put it?????? Judy in Florida shared a picture of a wall unit that I’d LOVE to incorporate!!!!!! You can answer that one by clicking here.

So, thanks ME’rs  who have already contributed to the ‘gadgets forum  & have supported me along my way here as a NEWBIE!  I love your thoughts-  be they long or short. I really do love them!!!

Have a great June everyone!!!….I hope you’ll send us photos & give  me hints & ideas  etc….!!!!

Hugs,

Cathy in Oregon….who just shared her rose garden with a deer this morning.

P.S. (I’m sending this in a bit early because I have a grad class for a week coming up fairly soon  and it will be time intensive.) I’ll still check on my blog and the forums. HAPPY EMBROIDERING!!!!



 

Hear Ye’ Hear Ye’ …STOP the PRESS ….  The ULTIMATE Beginner’s Project is………….. LACE!!

HH ( Hello Hello )  all you fellow ME’ers!!!

I have been shopping up a storm!... and MEing too….

Speaking of shopping, Ann’s store has some good specials right now!!!!! Have you gone to her ‘shop' lately? (….&  no,  they aren’t paying me to plug their site, I’m just grateful to them for my beautiful new machine I won & I  like to acknowledge those who have helped me along my way. So thanks AnnTheGran!!!

Update…

I’ve tried 5 (I think???) NEW  TYPES of  machine embroidering projects now, but by far I L-O-V-E L-A-C-E the most!!!! And while thinking about lace, the thought just hit me…..Those of you who love to do lace and to quilt, etc  are leaving a legacy each time you give something away!!!! How wonderful that you are giving something tangible, something they can keep …It’s a labor of love that will last & last! (I hope you are signing & dating them!!! ) I just bet there are a gazillion cute  'machine embroidery label designs' you can make to attach to your gifts. (Oh I am so not there yet….Boy this M.E. world can keep you  busy forever trying new things!!!  What will they think of NEXT??)

More Stuff? 

In the meantime, I am trying to SLOWLY (yah, sure) learn something new and ENJOY the process. It’s kinda easy to start overloading the circuits….trying to do too much too soon etc. It’s ok to be a beginner and be in that stage for as long as YOU want. It’s your time etc etc and there are many lovely lovely things can be made with a skeleton amount of items…REALLY!!! I just happen to love ‘gadgets.’ IF I have a place to put it and if I can pay for it free and clear…then I get it. So far I have not gotten into over buying ‘fabric’ & I want to keep it that way! ( but I’m not a sewer or a quilter.)

Question: Just curious what do you like to listen to when you M-E…or do you like it quiet???? TV/news???

Why I Love Lace 

OK back to lace. Oh my goodness…. Can there be anything more beautiful in the machine embroidery world than lace… I ask you????  Experienced ME’ers….do you agree?????

I have done some CUTE, NICE, and SIMPLE  things just starting out here so far, but I am totally totally in love with lace!!!  Can you tell???? Let’s see if I can inspire you to try lace especially if you have not ever done it before or thought it was WAY too HARD……It’s NOT-------- It’s:

1. SIMPLE
2. INEXPENSIVE  (well kind of)
3. BEAUTIFUL
4. QUICK
5. Deeply satisfying …
6. EASY to HOOP!!!

Oh my goodness, I can’t tell you enough times….START w/ LACE if you are NEW to embroidery!!!!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!! TRUST ME!!!!! And then when you do, please write me  back and tell us how it went for you.! I can HARDLY wait to hear from you!!!!

Fair warning…it can be extremely addictive and you MAY lose sleep!!!!.

Getting Started with Lace 

OK beginners here we go…..

Supplies needed: Only 4 items (well, besides your machine) Thread, bobbin, stabilizer & LACE design!!!! 
                             
1.   THREAD -- I used Madeira, Yenmet and  Isacord. I like SHINY poly thread &/or metallic. Tip: Be sure to REMOVE the sticky label off the spool of thread. (I stick it inside a clear ziplock “ project” bag   along with  gathered strands  of the color.)

2 . BOBBINS -- One or more FULL bobbins dedicated for this project alone- You use  the SAME thread as your top stitch thread!!!! Yes,  you read it correctly, USE the SAME thread. RAHOO!!!! SOOOO simple!!!  It is used on BOTH TOP & BOTTOM!!! )  Don’t you just love this project already!!!!????.

TIP:   Just make sure you have enough bobbin thread ready to go  in advance -  so you don’t have to try and restart your project in the middle of it. Some machines will keep track of where you stitched last…not sure if mine does, not there yet,  but who wants to start and stop in the middle of  a project anyway??? Right???…..It’s bad enough when the top thread breaks that you CAN  get to….The bobbin that’s buried is not  good. Nope, not good at all….

So you might do what I did….I bought several bobbins that will fit my Brother machine…(boy one DOES need to be VERY specific and it helps store owners out if you know the MAKE and MODEl , but better yet…TIP: Take the ORIGINAL BOBBIN (that came with the machine)  INTO the store to buy more.

***I also bought Ann’s SideWinder to wind a bunch of bobbins in a hurry and not tie up my machine. That’s just me…but I love it, and am glad I have it. I’d buy it  again in a flash because, to my way of thinking….  it causes  ‘less wear and tear ‘ on my BROTHER PE 700. …so the extra gadget was worth it to me. (Good price too I thought.) It’s very light and hardly takes up any space. The best part is you can be winding away on the SideWinder and your embroidery machine can be doing its thing …. ALL at the SAME TIME!!!! I love it. (plus I am right by my machine, doing something productive &  keeping  my eye on the machine to make sure everything is going smoothly.)  Marriage made in heaven - especially for  us ‘lacers” don’t you think.

I’m CALLING on  all “LACERS”  (which you will be affectionately called from now on ) to contribute ideas to us newbies as to what to do with all the lace we make!!!  Thanks!!!

3. STABILIZER -- The most famous & critical question, …. right ???? …Which stabilizer to use? Well PAT, the guru of ANY topic that has come up yet so far as I can tell, has done an ENTIRE post on that subject alone!!!!! It contains a WEALTH of information on stabilizers!!!! Thank YOU Pat!!!!! We needed that!!!!
 
Someone asked me about Badge Master in a forum. I think...Well, I used it during my lesson at The Sewing Room in Beaverton, Oregon.  It’s THICK, CLEAR and it only took 1 layer to do ANY lace I have done so far. I love it. TIP: Remember to put the stabilizer back INTO the container so that it doesn’t get moisture etc. (It’s made to disintegrate easily.)  Tip 2 : Remember to cut a piece large enough to have a little extra hanging out on each side of the hoop. (E turned the roll sideways to cut it in order to reduce waste.)

Manly Embroidery? 

Speaking of Ethan  ……….Tonight E is going to help contribute to my blog by doing a lace design…..as a BEGINNER - MAN !!!!   What a guy!!!! …….SO if there are any MEN out there who might think it is not a manly enough thing to do (lace embroidery) I want you to have total confidence that it is & give it a try!!! (He IS a ‘he man’ too - a full fledged fire fighter & has been “Mr. July”  2 years running in the American Red Cross calendar for our area - of course they had him pose fully clothed and it was taken in the museum, but….that’s another story!!! LOL)
 
He is looking at thread colors right now as I am writing this….I wonder what color thread he’ll pick and which design…??? Hmmmmm  If he chooses black out of all the choices..I am going to crack up…. !!!!) I guess that makes perfect sense to a man  though- -   black lace …..Hmmmmmmm,  I wonder if he thinks I am going to wear it tonight??? How big is the design???…The hoop is only 5X7!!!! (I should not joke about my size. I was thin once and even modeled…but I was stunned at my ‘size’ when the photos of me winning the machine were posted. My round face is attached automatically each time I write something.) When I get some weight off I am having them retrofitted…OK???!!!

But back to business... he chose a butterfly and DID choose black initially (lol) but has changed it to yellow to put on a card for his g-daughter’s HS graduation next week. He is using Sulky’s Ultra Solve for the stabilizer that he’ll wash it out….TIP:  Oh,  & thanks to one of our readers for the tip about NOT having the stabilizer residue go down the drain -- we‘ll do it in our greenhouse instead of inside our home to keep from having the drain clog. E used the alphabet in the PE700 to spell out Alicia and chose the ‘outline’ alphabet one and stitched it on the Ultra Solve. There was one glitch on the middle letter with the thread accumulating, not sure why but we just snipped it out the excess once the hoop was removed.

4.   DESIGN pattern - My 1st  lace design was a SHELL (oesd Lace Shell #NX230 ) -  for my beach house. OK Ann don’t flip…and go ahead and  let me crack you up again….I  just left the design in it’s stabilizer!!!!  I love it just the way it is!!!! &  I don’t want to wreck it!!!

Too Nice to Use... 

Well, now that I do think about it….It IS ME’d on water soluable stabilizer and it IS going to be at the beach which tends to be ‘water prone’….Hmmmmm...I still don’t want to touch it further.

I could actually put a frame around it ( in glass ) and leave it as is and it would be SOOOOOO pretty. (I  love to design homes, flowers, gardens, cards etc…. even went to school and earned a certificate in interior decorating not so long ago….I am use to ‘thinking outside the box’ a bit and it is SO fun…anyway… don’t give me TOO hard of a time, OK??!!!  Some of you may think I have gone completely off my rocker....but think back to when you were BRAND NEW to machine embroidery and when you actually made something  beautiful….Didn’t you want to keep it  at a stage that it still ‘looked good’….not wanting to ‘go on’ and add something more…just so it didn’t get messed up??? Hmm???  Well, That’s where I’m at.

So the next question is….Now what to do with all the lace after they’ve been stitched???!!!!!…

That will be another thing to blog about but hopefully MANY of you readers will contribute ideas, thoughts and projects. I LOVE your input! I REALLY want to hear what you experienced  “lacers” have done with your finished lace designs!!!!

Please Share Your Lace Projects! 

Seriously, I could stop right now with all lessons and stay home with my Brother PE700 , thread and  stabilizer and be happy stitching out every single lace design I can get my hands on…..I am not kidding!  If you have favorite designs….please, please please share them!!!! I’m just getting started!!! Let me know what you have done. Maybe you could post them in the Project Gallery.

I haven’t done Eileen Roche’s Little Black Tee yet that I bought it in Orlando the day before I won my machine. I knew that if I ever DID do embroidery…that would be something I would LOVE to  do!!!! ( I thought lace would be HARD….it’s NOT!!!!!) ( Little black lace!!!..Hmmm & I was giving my husband a hard time earlier…that’s funny!!! )

One last thing ---  under the “DESIGN patterns.” I looked online at Ann’s site and she had DARLING beautiful HEART lace patterns that I am going to do as soon as I can figure out how to download them. Sigh……I am such a beginner on SO many levels…but I am making some progress slowly but surely….& am having a GOOD time in the process and that is what counts!!!

HH (Hello Hello!) Fellow Embroiderers, 
 
How are ALL of you??? What things are you doing these days???!!!!! How many NEW embroiders are out there like me. (I stitched my 1st design last week. Yeah!!!). It would also be interesting to find out who has embroidered for the LONGEST time in this group too? Please share!!!!! 

Pins In The Map 

It's REALLY exciting to know that you are from so many places in the US, Canada other countries on OTHER continents. How exciting!   In fact, just as I am writing this, an idea for Greg just emerged. Personally I'd love to see a map with 'pins' representing where AnntheGran members live. It would be so fun to watch the community board map grow as people started sharing their locations.  I bet there are multiple members from EACH of the 50 states, Canada & ........beyond!!!!

I wonder which state has the most members in AnntheGran. (One might think for sure it would be Florida, but we might be surprised...Let's find out!!!! ) Which continents are represented???? So fellow e m' ers how about submitting your place of residence???!!! Just a Hi, ( or an HH ) , I'm from  New York,USA....or Oslo, Norway etc etc  would be great!

===========

A Little Overwhelmed...

Some of you already have asked how I was doing; I'm fine and thrilled to actually have a machine!!!!! :):) I will try to answer your questions in the future as soon as I can get everything in working order...( me, that is.)  I'm just getting use to my new computer (an Apple),  trying to download photos w/iPhoto, plus learn to 'blog.' ( oh and learn to m e .!!! How could I forget that!!). I kind of feel like the person who is patting her head, chewing gum, rubbing her stomach, throwing plates up into the air and trying to type and embroider all at the same time. :) You get the picture.... For the moment, most of the questions are going to be from me, and there are so many in this post alone that I've created separate forum posts for each one, so that you can help me by answering a particular question in a new window and then getting back to me and my next question!

I have, however,  learned to quit cooking and cleaning  since winning the Brother machine in Florida .... so it has all been worth it!!!   Thanks Ann & Brother!!! My husband E is picking up the slack.   Portland  firefighters learned to do "chores" in training. Yeah...  Somebody was very inspired: I will be forever grateful! (He also is willing to iron at times.   

The Iron Question

Speaking of irons & boards...Do any of you have an iron you love for m e ing? [please answer here]Does the size of ironing board really matter?(...big, small,portable, industrial like push down handle w/steam.) or the one Ann has that folds  that looks pretty neat and has 2 different side with a special purpose each. Have any of you used it? I have heard quilters love it via my friend whose passion is quilting.

Pucker Up!

I still do SOME 'domestic' things... For whatever reason,  I love to do laundry...don't ask me why...but I do, well..... except for scrunched up dirty socks). Good thing, because I learned that PRE washing  material  (oops...there I go again ......"fabric" ) is important for shrinkage, especially when it comes to embroidering on any fabric that MAY some day be laundered. Apparently if you forget to, it can mess up your designs royally (threads can pucker up.)  Although some items won't ever be washed (but my input on that topic is WAY down the road because I am not there yet.)  In the meantime, I have washed (and thoroughly shrunk) my 'bag to decorate' from Florida, some basic black cotton material and white muslin.

Not Fade Away 

I'd love your input as to what product you use to retain colors in the fabric ( especially black). [please answer here] I haven't checked out Ann's store yet for that, but those of you who have had success, please let me know.  (I happen to LOVE the look of metallic thread on 'black" fabric & I bought Eileen Roche's Little Black Tee offered in Orlando for a down the road project.)

Fabric Brands 

For those of you who have sewn on silk or cotton  'fabric'  before...is there one brand name you'd recommend? (I have heard Kona black is great for quilters for example.) What do you e m'ers LOVE to use? [please answer here]

Hot & Cold 

Do all of you use HOT water to prewash cotton for embroidering??? [please answer here] ( I have been told 3 different things so far at various fabric shops in my area; 1. Use COLD H2O only, that the dryer is what shrinks it. 2. Use HOT water and a hot dryer. 3. Use WARM water.....aarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!  ) Now, this was just for COTTON material....one little ol' fabric type. and I haven't even gotten to my favorite  fabric which is silk...but that - is definitely on the back burner and I will ask you about it & other fabrics in the future. For right now, I'm concentrating on learning my machine & I want to reduce as many variables as I can...so I want to use a GOOD black cotton material, prepare it before I start my design, use Ann's black tear away stabilizer ( stiff I think ).........for success. THANKS!!!!

Calling All PE-700 Owners! 

I truly want to order a 'bolt' of one fabric and just do EVERY one of the designs available on the Brother PE 700 so that I will have each design SAMPLE showing the final size etc.
 I don't ever plan to sell this machine or trade it in. I LOVE my new  Brother PE 700 machine!!!!! I am GLAD that it is a dedicated embroidery machine.. (I don't sew either, so trying to learn to do that also right now would make me need to touch up my roots every week instead every month.:) It is a 'treasured gift" and so I want to learn every aspect on it that I can. If you already own the 700 machine I would LOVE to have you specify that in a note to me so I can pick your brain. [PE-700 posts here]

I have SO many questions and sincerely want to hear from you!!! I can learn SO much from you - both beginners and very experienced. So when you do have some time, please share. It will be appreciated!!!

Going Rate for Lessons

What is the going rate where you live for private (or group tutoring) for 'm e'  lessons? [please answer here] My 1st quote from the local dealership was $75 an hour. Yikes???? That seemed a LOT to me, but I am new and maybe that was ok, but I decided to 'shop around'. I found another shop owner who charged me $25 per hour.  That seemed much more reasonable. She ( Wendy) is a doll and I LOVED my 1st session with her.

Getting There...

So, 1 month after Community Circle in Orlando, SOME of the mountain of information I got there really IS starting to make sense, and I now understand better the need for various stabilizers, the need for quality threads( I LOVE my MADEIRA threads!!!)  I have some beautiful colors that are both strong and shiny!!!  Yeah!!!! ....They are gorgeous and I can hardly wait to do a sample of each design that comes on my machine!!! Speaking of threads...I didn't know  before (until Florida) that in m e'ing  -  one should use special 'bobbin threads'  ( black, white  & maybe it comes in cream too ??? ) , vs using regular matching colored machine embroidery thread.

Lesson Learned

When I got home I went to a local store and bought  a brand-name " m e  'bobbin thread'. " (not Madeira.. They didn't carry that brand.) Anyway, I took it with me for my 1st lesson. My teacher showed me the difference in quality of threads. Thank goodness I was taught what to look for next time,  so that it won't  gum up my bobbin casing (?) and machine in general. ( Linda, my very 1st new Florida m e friend I met at the convention, shared with me her experience with 'thread, bobbins, and machine repairs.' That got etched in my mind.) I now know what to look for in thread.  Hold the thread up into the light and take a good look. If there are "knots in it" (I kid you not) or if there are already wisps of thread hanging from the main line...DON'T use it, regardless of the name. I was shocked to see that my quick purchase would have eventually caused me grief. 


Hugs,

Crash Course Cathy (Chatty Cathy, given the length of this post?)


 

Hello Hello fellow  AnntheGran Embroiderers & New Orlando Circle of Friends!!!! :):):),

Who Am I? 

For those of you who attended the VERY SPECIAL 1st annual AnntheGran's convention in Orlando in April, you may remember me...it was pretty hard to miss my loud scream and waving arms when I won the grand prize of the Brother PE 700 embroidery machine!!!!  I'm Cathy from Oregon who went to Community Circle to see if I indeed wanted to get into 'machine embroidery' as a hobby. As far as I know, I was the only one there who did not have a machine....most of you have MORE than 1!!!!!! Yikes.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into? 

I KNEW it was beautiful, but I had also heard it was VERY addictive and very expensive... SO before I invested in buying a machine I googled the topic and found AnnTheGran right off the bat....along with several other sites that had 'designs'..oh my goodness..the designs!!!!! I fell completely in love with the BEAUTIFUL and also beyond CUTE designs that are 'out there'. I seriously wanted to 'try' it...but didn't know which machine, etc etc etc.to buy. ( I had a couple of 'tries' which I will share later...)

Magic Moments 

When I saw the upcoming event in Orlando and talked to my husband Ethan about it, we decided to make a vacation out of it...and the rest is history as they say. When I found out at Community Circle that the Brother PE 700 was going to be given out as a prize...I thought, WOW, wouldn't THAT be nice to win, and lo and behold, I DID win it!!! I want to personally thank those of you who had the presence of mind ( mine was long gone ) to take some photos of that drawing......the outstretched arms with the wide wide smile says it all. Thanks for sharing those. I will have that magic moment captured forever. THANKS!!!! I just can't put into words what it was like winning that machine and THEN to have SO many of you SINCERELY happy that I won (.....and not you.)  You are an AMAZING group of women ( and gents ) and I can hardly wait to get to know you better through this site....and at next year's Community Circle...(hint hint, Ann).

Scary Stuff 

Since I am BRAND new to machine embroidery and literally am starting from scratch, and I think because I am not very shy, Ann's Beamish Boy contacted me after I got home to see if I would be willing to write a blog to share my "new adventures" in this "new passion" with the 'group'!!!! I was very flattered but to do a  'blog was as intimidating as trying to ME (machine embroider) for the 1st time...but his rationale was that if I can learn to do it, anyone can. I am not a sewer either and I did not have space dedicated to the hobby...but I'm working on it.

Temporary Home for my Machine 

Before Orlando, my husband was about 80% done building me a new art studio out in the country. It was a dream to have a dedicated space to 'play' since I took early retirement. (from teaching after 28 years). I didn't want to take my new machine and materials into  a space that needed to be sheet-rocked and painted etc., and the building is now about 90% done, but after winning the machine I made a 'new design' for the upstairs'....my poor husband...but it IS going to work and I will actually end up with a  dedicated room just for machine embroidery. I can HARDLY wait...but in the meantime, I am using my office. Have a look at the photo to the right.

My First Project! 

I actually DID my very 1st project yesterday and it brought tears to my eyes. (tears of joy). I was just THRILLED ....I used the Brother machine, Madeira magenta thread on black material that I had pre-washed and ironed. Thank goodness I found a willing teacher who worked me in for a private lesson yesterday. She's worth her weight in gold. I made my share of mistakes (broken needle, got side-tracked and the initials messed up), but it was under the watchful eye of Wendy my teacher and it turned out to be good that it happened at her store rather than here at home.

Join Me on My Journey 

So, a LOT has happened since a month ago in Orlando....& I will write as long as you like. I hope you'll join me on my journey of learning through this new world, and help me along the way when I need it.