Dear Friends,

It surely has been a long time since I have blogged but I did want to share the story of this very prestigious award that Brother has recently received....in the name of a wonderful sewing machine and it's very innovative features....

BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD. RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD
Brother^® is Awarded the 2010 iF Communication Design Award for Sewing and Embroidery Machines

BRIDGEWATER, NJ - Brother Industries, Ltd., the parent company of Brother International Corporation, has been awarded the prestigious 2010 iF Communication Design Award for the Product Interface category. A reliable indicator of outstanding quality in design, the award acknowledges the graphic user-friendly interface of Brother^® Quattro^TM 6000D, a technologically advanced sewing, embroidery, quilting and crafting machine. With worldwide sales approaching $5 billion, Brother was started almost 100 years ago by sewing fanatics, so the company is honored to receive this accreditation.

By participating in the iF design awards, Brother has demonstrated the courage to compare themselves to others in competition. The iF Communication Design Award acknowledges the growing media options and the related challenges for the creative sector in a globally networked world.  A total of 1,687 entries were submitted to this year's iF Communication Design Award. The international jury presented the coveted iF label 499 times to 480 entries (20 entries received an award in more than one category). The iF logo is trusted internationally and denotes proven design quality. As a winner of the award, Brother can use the logo as a visible symbol of their outstanding innovation.

The award-winning interface went through a rigorous research and development process before completion to ensure that the design was user-friendly and easy-to-navigate. From the high quality graphics, to where the control keys were placed, to the ability to alter the operation sound, Brother ensured it was of the best quality.  The Innov-ís I interface is used on the Quattro^TM 6000D, one of the most high-tech, innovative sewing, embroidery, quilting and crafting machines in the extensive line of home sewing products. With this machine, Brother introduced technology that is like having a built-in camera above the needle of the machine. The InnovEye^TM Technology instantly magnifies an aerial view of the needle area on the LCD display. With the help of a unique adhesive backed positioning marker, the Snowman® Embroidery Positioning Marker, there is no need to worry about imperfect placement. When the Snowman® is placed on hooped fabric, the InnovEye^TM Technology automatically positions the needle, and therefore the embroidery design, above the marker for precise embroidery placement. If fabric is slightly mishooped, the InnovEye^TM detects this, and makes the correction by automatically rotating the embroidery design!  All of this can be seen on the HD LCD display screen from Sharp Corporation so there is no guess work. Whether the user is sewing, embellishing with embroidery, quilting, or creating 3-D art, the advanced technology and performance make it easier and more enjoyable than ever before. The Quattro^TM 6000D is sold exclusively at Authorized Brother Innov-ís Dealers nationwide.

This is not the first iF Product Design Award that Brother has received--they have previously been awarded for the exterior appearance of their products.  Brother is proud that their award-winning products that have been acknowledged for their appearance as well as their user-friendly functionality. The company will continue their commitment to improving their products in the future.  For more information on the award-winning interface of the Quattro^TM 6000D, or to find a local Authorized Brother Innov-ís Dealer, visit home sewing pages of www.brother.com.

We have been so busy lately at Brother coming up with lots of great products and ideas.  For those of you who may not realize it, Brother now also has an exclusive Laura Ashley sewing machine.  The NX2000 is just about the best sewing machine that Brother has ever made.  It has lots of great sewing stitches, it sews ever so quietly and accurately and participating Brother dealers offer it with the most beautiful sewing trolley that I have seen in a long time.  It would be nice to show a pretty picture of the machine but I thought I would go one better and show you a shot of the machine and all of the wonderful accessories that come with it...lots of feet, an oversized extension table and the fun to use circular sewing bundle.  I have to share with you that I have been invited to visit the US headquarters for Laura Ashley and when I go to South Carolina to visit, I want to stay and have tea!  The Laura Ashley organization seems to align themselves with best brands and it sure is wonderful to be in their collection.  Cranston Fabrics has a wonderful fabric collection as well. 

Well as my dad used to say  "It's  time for Lily White's party."  Have no idea where that saying came from but we knew it meant one thing...time for bed! 

Take care!

June