Ann The Gran Community

Does anyone here on the "Ann the Gran" site use Masterworks or Masterworks 2 software?  Also, anyone with a Babylock BMP 6 machine?  I really need people that I can ask some questions about these two things.  IF not, can you recommend anywhere else that I might try?  Or a Masterworks Forum you might know about?  I have questions about the true type font usage in Masterworks if anyone can help.

Also.... thanking Beamishboy for his post to mine in Ann's Blog.  The .BLF (Babylock file) was not on the list you referred me to look at, but sincerely do appreciate the thought!

Lollie in Oregon

Hi Lolli,

My name is Tammie and I have a bmp6 which I love, this machine is a true workhorse. I have had my machine since '06 and have embroidery everything on it. Just email me if you need help!

I also you Generations for digitizing. There is a yahoo group for Masterworks/2

hope this helps.

Tammie

Hey there Tammie!!!  Glad to hear from you, at last I know I'm not out here alone!!!  I will be asking alot of questions of you, thank you for responding.  I love my bmp6 too!!!  I do wish I had the upgrade so that I could get the cylinder hoops though.  Do you have that??  Gotta go to bed, spent the entire day trying to digitize, it didn't come out perfect, not quite right yet, Ha ha!  But hopefully we will chat real soon.  Lollie in Oregon

Hi Lolli,

I don't have the cylinder hoops, but they look pretty cool!

what type of software do you have for digitizing? I've only digitized a couple of things...I need to do it more often...

I hope that you have a great weekend!

Tammie

Hey there Tammie!

Since our last chat, I finally got the digitizing done & hats sewed out and mailed!!! They look great.  I use Masterworks 2, it's a Designers Gallery product, I am new to it, but it seems like it's a good one, although I don't find good support on Masterworks so far through their site.  I have found a Masterworks user group online that offers excellent suggestions thus far, it's a Yahoo group forum.

My question for you:  Have you found the setting to use on your machine that adjusts the "cutting trims between text" so that the machine always does it??  I find that as it sews out some of the threads are trimmed and some not, and it doesn't seem to have rhyme or reason!!!  Sometimes the thread between the text is long and it doesn't trim it, while other times the threads between the text are short and it does trim them???  Any suggestions???  I do alot of hats and they always contain text so IF I could get this down pat, it would save me alot of trimming afterwards.  Thanks, please let me know your experience?  Lollie in Oregon

Tammie,

Good suggestion about coloring the threads!  I'll try it next time!  Thank you.

I do have that button set to trim!

I was wondering what you have your machine set on for:

1) in the settings key (box):  (where ya change the machine's embroidery settings)

on page 2

2) I have the "thread trimming " key "on"

and underneath that, still on page 2

3) I have the ".dst setting" at "+3"

and still on page 2 underneath that,

4) I have the "short stitch delete" set at ".01 inch"

Is that what you have yours set at??  I have no clue yet what the ".dst setting" is about!!!!!

The "short stitch delete" I think I have figured out, not sure yet.

   Does your machine always cut all the trims between the letters?  How about text that you bring into the machine from outside sources? Just still trying to "get it", some how I have a feeling it might take a while.  Appreciate any input you might have, thanks again, Lollie in Oregon

I have been using Masterworks for about a year and a half and although I am no expert, I do love it. If I can help, let me know what your questions are and I will be glad to try and help.

Hi Lolli,

Sorry this email answer is so late, I'm very active in the American Legion Auxiliary and I had meetings all weekend. So here it goes for my machine.

My settings are the same as yours. The .dst setting is for that particular embroidery patterns. you adjust your settings to how many jump stitches that it has to your machine and they will be trimmed.the answer for both of these are on page 149 and 150 of your manual.

No my machine doesn't always cut the trim between letters, but there should be something in Masterworks to do that? I have to embroider some burp cloths today and we experiment with this. I will let you know my results.

we talk to you later today!

Tammie

Hi there Tammie,

  Well, how did your "burp cloths" turn out?

Thank you for all the help, I really appreciate it.  It's nice to know you are out there.

On another forum, I found out how to "trick" the machine into cutting all the trims between the text!!!!!  If you are interested?  It sounds ALOT more difficult than it actually is, I'm glad to say.  It takes alittle more time, but alot less time trimming, (and I guess that's dependent upon how many of the same design that you are sewing out).

I use Masterworks 2 software (it most likely works in all the other softwares that enable you to edit individual stitches) and this is what I do:

1) Be in "stitch mode" .  (which is your machine format mode for this design, PES, DST, etc.) NOT your .BLF design

2) Find the first stitch in the next letter.  (I do this by "computer on-screen sewing it out).  Then sew from that stitch backwards one stitch at a time until you find the "jump" "trim" OR any other kind of stitch other than "normal". Change this stitch to "needle change" and sew forward and you should see the stitchline turn into a dotted line & a "needle" symbol appear.  This makes the machine "think" you are changing colors so it cuts, ties & TRIMS!!!!

Let me know ifyou ever try this, how it worked for you.

Again, how did your last embroidery go?

Later,

Lollie in Oregon

kshough,

Thank you, THANK YOU!!

Do you have MW or MW2?  What machine do you have?  What type of items do you usually embroidery?  Have you tried the "photo stitch"?  Do you use vector art or bitmaps?  As you can see...... I'll have a TON of questions for you.

Sincerely,

Lollie in Oregon

Hi Lolli,

My burp cloths turned out great!

That is a great suggestion about the trim between letters will definitely try that out and let you know. I've been making burp cloths for this friend of mine in MA since 2005, she always orders 4-6 per baby. I always try something unique with them. If you and ksough don't mind I'm want to listen to your hints about mw, I use generations.

tammie

Tammie,

Good Job on the "burp cloths"!  I know at least for me, when something comes out looking really good it just lifts my spirits dramatically! And then it seems as if seconds later, I'm off thinking about the next project, ha ha!  I haven't heard more tonight from ksough, but I sure don't mind, hopefully we will all find out that we can "master" our software programs (ha ha ha!!!!).  I think my husband a while back was doing something with Orgins, I "think" that is the older version of your Generations????   Do you like it?

What state do you live in?

Lollie in Oregon

Lolli,

I know that when I get something accomplished on the embroidery machine I'm pretty proud of that too! I might have told you but I did a jacket back with In Flanders Field Poem on it for competition with the Auxiliary. I take it to state competition in July. I was going to get MW, but at the time it was new and I went with generations because it is in the St. Louis area. I live in Southern Illinois about 20 minutes from St. Louis. But, I do have designers gallery customworks, size, density, and letterworks. I really like those programs. I could probably get rid of them because of generations.

Our best man is from Medford Oregon. where are you in relationship to Medford?

have a great evening.

Tammie

Tammie,

I live in a very small town, Molalla, OR, population probably almost 4500.  Medford is probaby 3 hours south of us, it's much hotter there in the summers.  I would,t get rid of your other programs yet if I were you.  I hear the Letterworks is a really great program.  Do you use it much?  Sorry, I can't chat long today, I'm having to re-assign all my groups with new address for me as my hubby was getting upset because of all the mail I am getting from all the forums I've joined!  MEN !!!!!   lol

If you go to Yahoo and type in 6 needles& search, it will direct you to a great group that own 6 needle machines!  

Talk with ya later, Lollie in Oregon 

Hi Lolli,

I joined the yahoo group for the 6needle machines. I do use my Letterworks quite often. Its a great program and easy to use. I haven't embroidery much at all this week. But, I made these heirloom dress hankies, they are just to cute. I only have 1 niece so she gets everything girlie that I try. I had just embroidered her a monogram bag (she has 5 initials - the things people think of when they are pregnant .

I will talk to you later this week.

Tammie

I am thinking about investing in Master Works diziting software.  Do you think , since you already bought the software, it is as good as the others offered out there.  Is it fairly easy to use and did you find any avenues for help?

 The cost I got quoted was $1000 -do you know anywhere else I can buy this at a cheaper price??

jackrabbit

Tammi

I am interested in buying the Masterworks for dizitizing.  Do yu know who has the best price for this software.Do yu find it hard to use or fairly easy to use?

jackrabbit

Jackie,

I don't have masterworks, I have generations. I did play with it at my dealers where I bought my emp6. I think it is great software. I know at one time you could get it for $700 if you turned in a customizing etc software. You might put out a ISO in the yahoo group "sews it for sale", you might find it there pretty reasonable.

I know that Lolli uses masterworks, maybe she has some ideas.

Tammie

Hello Jackie & Tammie:

Hey there Tammie, good to hear from you again!  Also good to know you joined the PRO-600 group, they are wonderful, I really enjoy them alot.  I've kept my eye out for ya while I'm on their site but thus far I haven't seen a post from ya, are ya going under a different name there??  One question for you:  do ya know any sites that have mules or donkeys?  Neighbor lady's "mule" Association is wanting some & if I can find some to make them happy I have a job!!!!

Hello Jackie!  Nice to hear from ya.

Yes, I do have MW II.  IF you are thinking about it, be SURE to get MW II not just MW I.  They have made significant changes (all good) between MW I & MW II (probably the most important to me is the new  ("pathing").  I am thus far satisfied w/MW II.  (I also have MW I on another computer that I had purchased earlier & I have several of the other DG products.).  My husband had years ago played around with Origins.  I'm still in the baby stages of learning, but I'm "really" into learning it.  And from what I hear that takes a while!!!  But, that's okay with me because I'm loving it!  My goal is to be a "REAL" digitizer" one day!  Also, machine embroidery has been a "hobby" for years, but now I'm trying to get a small home based business going.

Tammie uses Generations from what I hear.  Alot of others do also.  Seems like alot are into PE-7, as well as Embird.  I'm looking into Generations currently & so far it looks great, & from what I understand they don't "charge" for their upgrades (which can get very expensive) .  I think both (MW II & Generations) are of the top most without being a "commercial" software.  I haven't decided yet which I think is better, (too new at it yet!!!).  I'm doing alot of reading others' posts on the subject.  BUT, ALOT of that decision is based on what YOU want to accomplish with the particular software.  I strongly suggest that you join the DG yahoo group & MW yahoo group & the (very active, so you get responses quickly) PRO-600 yahoo group & any others..... all the forums offer soooooooo much knowledge (& they are FREE).  Many of the groups have not only their current discussions on them, but you can do a "search" on their sites and receive the posts on that particular subject all the way from years back, which is very helpful knowledge.  And what more can I tell you GOOD about THIS SITE  !!!!    Some of the most helpful people out there are HERE.

One last HUMBLE opinion..... I don't know YET "which" is the best software to have (IF I ever will), I suspect you at least need 2 simply for the ease of doing certain things easier & quicker on one than the other.  I do know that depending on what you want to do, there are some dog-gone really good ones out there that are reasonably priced for what they offer.  It seems like the more you want to be able to have control, the more the software is going to cost!    Support for whatever software is critical.  Everyone thinks theirs is best. Both Tammie & I have the same machine, & that's comforting!  I find that as I learn about ALL softwares.... most of the higher-end ones have the same features, just different names & ways of doing things.  BUT..... I could be wrong about everything I've told ya, all is subject to change as I continue to learn.  I hope this helps a little.    Glad you're on board, you've joined a good group of people!!   Sincerely, Lollie in Oregon