The Adventures of Crash Course Cathy : community circle

GETTING ORGANIZED...or one can at least hope!

TravelBug1237 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:02:00 GMT

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!!!!

Introducing Crash Course Cathy...

TravelBug1237 — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:07:00 GMT

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.