Ann The Gran Community

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to pop in and say, "Hello and Welcome" you to the groups area! If anyone has any questions, or I can help you out in any way just give me a shout! Would be more than happy to lend a hand! I hope you enjoy your new home here on the Ann The Gran site!

Judy   Stitchin Shortcuts    

Central Florida Embroiders Group

Hi Judy

thanks for the welcome

I hope to learn to navigate this group. I tried to post after your greeting, but it would not let me. any pointers?

cme  8^)

They may still be working on it for you guys! Be patient, it will all come together for you! It is just like in the forums, just hit reply then post!    Everything is the same as in the forums area.

Judy

Hi Judy - thanks for the warm welcome.  I'm so glad we are starting a group out here in Washington, and I'm sure we will want to "pick your brains" for advice from time to time!

I'm not sure how this works.  I guess I'll just introduce myself, and they wait to see who else joins!

I'm Pat - known as SunRai Pat here, to differentiate myself from the other Pat!  I live in Redmond, Washington.  I was so glad to see several others from my neck of the woods.  I'd like to get to know others with similar interests that live here.  And similar interests cover a wide range!  I love embroidery and sewing, am a beginner at quilting, and like to try just about anything that has fiber, color, texture, etc!  I'm married to a wonderful man, John, who is totally supportive of all my various hobbies!

I retired from Boeing last Fall after working there for 16 years as a Technical Illustrator and Designer.  I loved my work, especially before we went to computers.  I really liked drawing on a board with pen and ink rather than on the compurer.  I actually enjoy the conmputer work as well, but also need the hands-on work like embroidery and sewing give me!  That was my 2nd career after raising a son and daughter as a stay-at-home mom. 

My son, Jason, is an Engineer for Boeing, is single, loves to travel, and is a computer genious!  Growing up in Redmond in the shadow of Microsoft and Bill Gates was quite an inspiration to him!  He is my computer support guy!

My daughter. Heidi, has a husband (Rusty), a 4-year-old daughter (Sundis), manages a Dr's office, is a very active Real Estate agent, and is going to school at night.  She stays busy!  I have the one granddaughter who I think is just the best in the world!  I have her several days a week, often overnight.   I share babysitting days with her great-grandma (her dad's grandmother).  She has lots of family around her and knows she is loved!  She is one on the reasons I decided to retire early! 

Sundis, my granddaughter, loves to "sew" with me, and loves to choose the thread colors.  She has a great eye for color and design, and is already a wonderful artist!  She also knows all the steps and what button to push on my embroidery machine!  She stands on a stool so she can reach and pushes the buttons when I tell her to!  She also loves to play with my button box, which is an accumulation of buttons from moms and MIL's, grandmas and great-grandmas, and their grandmas, etc!  I don't really know how far back that box goes!

When I retired I started a small at-home embroidery business as an adjunct to our Promotional Product business because my husband wanted to embroider hats!  Well, we have done hats, but I fell in love with everything about embroidery.  So now I do lots of personal work as well as work for clients.  I'm slowly learning about digitizing, but the more I learn, the more I need to learn!  I'm impatient, wanting to know it all right away!  When I do things for myself, I try to push my learning curve!  And I figure if I ruin something I also learned a thing or two!  And that ruined piece becomes a practice peice that I cover every available inch with tryouts!

Aside from the creative pursuits, I love to camp and read.  My husband and I have several camping buddies that we go out with almost every weekend in the summer.  I also have a Golden Retriever who is 1 1/2 yrs old.  I had one while I was raising my kids, but had to put him to sleep a few years ago - he was 16 trs old!  So now I have this just-out-of-puppyhood adolescent dog that is a bundle of energy!  Mojo keeps me quite busy.  I love taking him to Marymoor Dog Park, where he can swim and play with all the other dogs!  And if he gets tired enough I can actually get other things done around the house! 

So - that's a little bit about me.  I hope to meet others from this area, at least via this "groups" area.  Who knows, maybe we can plan a get-together sometime!  It would be great to see what we are each doing and learn from each other.  I know a few things, but know I can learn a BUNCH from the rest of you!

Waiting on "pins & needles" to meet the rest of you!  - Pat

Hi CME!  I'm so glad we got this group going!  Where do you live?  I know I saw it on Cathy's blog, but am drawing a blank!  I do that more and more - it's scary!  I'd love to learn more about you and your interests.  I'm looking forward to "meeting"  others from our area.  Who knows where that might lead?!  -Pat

Hi Pat;

Best of luck to you and all the fantastic folks you're going to meet through the ATG site! Just keep in mind that they do ask that no one puts their personal e-mail addresses on here, as it can lead to many issues for you, not the least of which you will be getting many unwanted solicitations.  There are many other ways on the site that you can safely contact each other.

So with that said, have a Great Time and I know you will all have a fabulous time learning from each other!

Have a terrific day!

Hi Pat

I live in Port Orchard. That is across the Narrows. I too am glad we started this group.

A little about myself. Hummmm. I have lived in Port Orchard since 1978. I have loved it, (even with all the rain..lol) I was a stay at home mom until the kids got older, then I was partners with a friend and we had our own janitorial service for a good many years. I was able to work nights, had their dad look after them. After they all got older, I went back to school and became a legal assistant. I work part time now for a lawyer and sometimes like it and sometimes not. lol.... It is very interesting.

I started sewing when my kids were very young. I made the girls their very own "twirly dresses" You know the kind. When you spin it twirls around with you and "poofs" out. As they got older they became very "picky" about what kind of dresses they would wear to the school dances. So of course mom had to make them. The off the shelf ones had....too thin straps, to thick straps, to low necked, ugly sleeves, no sleeves.. etc. etc. I bought patterns and modified to fit. After they left home I put the machine away for a good many years.

My new husband does leather work. We went into a sewing machine store and I fell in love all over again. We bought a machine that should do his leather sewing and my sewing also. He then decided he needed his own machine, so he purchased a strictly leather machine.

I am now making all sorts of ME for the grandkids, friends, neighbors. I even do trades. I will do jackets for dozing work. Oh yeah. Did I mention I have two horses and a dog?

I just strating quilting. I have 5 quilts at various stages. Another one is still a pile of fabric. 8^).

Well that is me in a nutshell.

Yes Pat, I hope we meet lots of others in the area. Who knows?

Clem

OOPS!! I meant to say, " I just started quilting" not "strating" what ever that means!!!! lol

Judy

Thanks for the welcome. I was going to ask you about the smileys but ... I took the time to look around and voila ... here it is...

I love reading your blogs too. I love the new one about color. thanks ever so much

Judy

Ok, I am sorry about the mix up. You are doing the one on thread. I have been keeping up with both yours and LaRue. She did the one on color. Again I am sorry.

I did an ME on a pair of jeans, and I used the poly thread. Sometimes I think it does not matter if the thread fades, because then it will fade with the garment it is on, like jeans. I did a set of three pansies on the back pocket.

I haven't tried embroidering on jeans yet!  Did you have to take off the pockets or open the seams?  I want to try some for my granddaughter (Sundis), but haven't "gotten round" to it yet!!  I want to do some for me as well, but I haven't decided on what design yet.  I probably will do something rather simple on mine.  I love embroidering for my granddaughter and daughter.  So far they like what I've done for them.  I'm waiting for the day when my daughter says - "Oh, Mom, enough!"! Of course Sundis likes everything still - she's not a teen-ager yet!

I've made a few small quilts, but have tied them rather than quilting them.  I just finished piecing a quilt made  of denim squares embroidered with all sorts of butterflies, interspersed with other colorful blocks.  Now I want to quilt it and am scared to start!  But I have it all together with the batting and backing ready to go and hope to start this week!  Sundis picked out the butterflies and the colors for them.  She had so much fun going through my thread to get just what she wanted.

I use poly thread for everything.  I like it's colorfastness.  I haven't had any trouble with it.  Though, I did a dress for Sundis that had a white collar embroidered with red cross-stitching.  I had washed it and ironed it.  But when I gave it to my daughter she ironed the collar and melted the embroidery before Sundis ever got to wear it!  I've never had that happen and don't know why it happened to her.  But now I'm careful when I put an iron to it!  I took off the collar, and repalced it with another one that I embroidered.  What a lot of work for a dress that she will grow out of so soon!  But I did have fun making it for her, and she LOVES dresses.

Years ago I used to do a lot of bartering - even for a truck that I drove for many years!  We got out of that habit, but now that you mention it, I think I'll start doing that again!  Thanks for the reminder!  And with the economy the way it is, there will be greater incentive to do that!

Are you going to the Sewing Expo at Puyallup in November?  I plan to go at least one of the days - maybe even two.  If you're going, maybe we could meet to say "howdy"!  I will probably go on Thursday, and maybe Friday.    Let me know it that sounds good to you.

Anyone else out there?  We could have a quick "meet and greet" over coffee while there.  I'll let you know when I'l be there and see if that coincides with others of you.

Tonight I've got an order to get out - a prototype of placemats for a convention in the spring.  It's going to be fun creating them, but I have to get busy, or I'll put it off too long and then be stressed!  So - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go".

Hi

The pocket of the jeans. I took off all but the two main tack bars at the top corner of the pocket. That way it was easier to put back on and not worry about lining anything up. I used a sticky stabilizer. It worked wonderfully. Try it, it is very easy.

Doing things for the grandkids, especially because they are still young and love it, is a great treat.

As for the quilting. I have not actually quilted anything yet myself. I have just made all the tops. I have a friend with a longarm and she said that I can buy some very cheap fabric and practice on it and then try to quilt any of my quilts. That will be fun, but I will wait until after the holidays, because her and her husband are very busy making things for christmas and all the shows they go to. The rag quilt that i want to do for my grandson will have "redwork" planes and if I can find cars too, then "redwork" cars on the squares. It will be done in blue and yellow. "Lellow" being his favorite color.    Good luck with quilting your butterfly quilt. Don't forget to take a picture and post it, I would love to see it. I just know you will do great. 

Yes, I am going to the Expo at the Puyallup, but now sure which day yet. I have to check with DH and see which day he wants to go. He goes with me because I know he wants me to go with him to his leather shows.  

It will probably be on Friday, but not sure yet. I will let you know as soon as i have the day firmed up. I think a quick meet and greet would be wonderful.

I wonder why the collar melted on Sundis' dress? Did your daughter have the iron too hot? Glad you could fix it though. 

Good luck with your placemat project too. Don't wait till the last minute, but don't let it get in the way of your Christmas gifts either.

Have fun and here's hoping we can meet at the Expo and hopefully someone else out there can meet with us too.

Are you listening ladies???? and Gents????

Hi cme-

I just "found" this!  I'm new to this forum stuff, and I didn't see it in with the new posts.  It was under the welcome subject and I didn't look far enough down!  DUH!  I'll learn this yet!

I think it's great that your hubby likes to sew as well.  Mine likes to do hats but that is the limit of it.  And really, now he just wants to come up with the ideas (or orders, which is great!) and have me do the embroidery.  We went to the training together, and he had fun, so I don't know why he leaves it all up to me!

I'll be going to the Expo alone, or with another friend, but not sure of the day yet.  I might go two days - one alone, and one with a friend.  I like doing both!  Let me know which day you're going and we can meet up somewhere.  Maybe we can set a time and meet at the information booth.   Then we could get a cup of coffee or something!  Let me know what would work for you.  It would be great if some others join us, too!

My Emb Machine is down!  I have a call in to tech support.  I've run some tests, but don't know what to do next.  I hope it's a simple fix.  It's a BAD time of year to be without!  Last year my trusty sewing machine went out.  It was a simple part, but got on back order for months!  I finally bought a new machine because I couldn't live without one!  In the end the part came in but didn't fit properly (after market part) and because the machine was so old it just wasn't fixable.  So, I'm glad I went ahead and bought my new one.  But my emb machine isn't very old, so it should be either under warranty, or it's just an adjustment or a part that needs replacing occasionally that I can order.  I just hope I can get it running quickly as I have a couple of orders to get out!

I guess I'll catch up on some of my sewing projects while I'm unable to embroider.  I need to do that anyway.  I have a spiral skirt that I have cut out and need to sew up.  I got the pattern last Spring at the Expo!  It's one of the Birch Street Clothing Spirals.  They have a dress, skirt, blouse, and maybe something else.  It's a fun pattern, and easy to do - just LOTS of seams.

And I still need to get up the courage to quilt the butterfly quilt!  Maybe that will be my next project!  I'm never without options!

Anyway - hope to see you at Expo.  And ! hope to see some others join this group - I know you're out there!!  Happy stitching - Pat

I know that with the holiday season upon us we are all busy!  I'm just curious if there are any other Western Washington embroiderers out the that want to chime in on our new Group.

Meanwhile, I continue to sew and embroider.  I finally got my embroidery machine running again - I needed a couple of parts.  I'm glad it was still under warranty!

I'll be at the Sewing Festival in Puyallup - probably on both Thursday and Friday.  I'd love to meet any of you that are going to be there.  Just let me know if you want to meet!

-Pat

Hi Pat 

I am going to be at the Puyallup on Thursday. I am going with a few friends that do quilting, they are not into the embroidery. The have there own quilting business. It is a couple. We can meet somewhere on the fairgrounds?

I am hoping to go fairly early, but I have to ask my friends what time they want to go. It is a couple and are very nice and friendly.

I hope it does not rain.      Hope to see you there Thursday.

Clem

I forgot!!!   I am glad to hear that your machine is fixed. I haven't had anything happen to mine yet. (knock on wood) Not that I am superstitious or anything...... but just in case.....(knock, knock, knock. ) 

I will let you know the time. The information booth you say? sounds good to me.

see you then

clem

I'll be at the show tomorrow all day.  If anyone wants to meet me there, I'll be at the Information Booth about 2 PM and I'll hang around there for a bit.  Just look for the middle-aged lady in jeans and a red t-shirt that says "Dangerously Crafty" on it!

I know our main focus is to LOOK and SHOP the Festival.  I just thought it might be fun to quickly meet others from ATG in the Western Washington Group!  This seems like a good gathering place since we are so spread out!

Clem - I don't know if you'll be free then, but if so it would be great to just say "Hi". 

Happy shopping - Pat (SunRai)

Hey Pat

I was at the information booth from about 1:55 till 2:10 and did not see you. I even asked others that were standing around if they were Pat, just in case you changed your mind about the shirt you were wearing.

Sorry I missed you.

Clem

I am SO SORRY I missed you.  I got sick and had to leave early.  I didn't even go on Friday.  I'm still fighting something and may go see the Doc today.  I meant to get on here and let you know what happened, but just didn't feel up to doing anything.

I hope you had a good time at the show.  I did get a chance to do a quick tour, and bought a couple of small things.  Did you find anything exciting?  There are a few things I'd like to get - the steam iron and the Quilt Cut II, as well as some batiks.  I looked at the batiks but just couldn't decide what I wanted.  I guess my mind was just in a fog due to being sick, because usually I don't have that problem!!

I also enjoyed seeing one booth (can't remember the name) that has a warehouse in Marysville.  They said they have lots more there, said I could come there and shop if I give them advance notice.  So, I'm going to do that sometime. 

Maybe we can try to meet up again at Expo!  Again, I apologize for missing you.

-Pat

I hope you are feeling better? Sorry I have not been on here lately. I have been sewing sewing sewing for Christmas and have just barely begun.

We had some remodel done on the house and all me "I am going to start early" intentions went out the window.

Yes, I will be going to Expo in February also, so maybe we can meet up then?

I bought a few things, but not much.

I wanted to get a penel from one of the upstairs shop, but they said it was last years and no longer available. aarrrrgggghh. They shound not have had it up there. bummer... oh well

I will be gone for Thanksgiving, so hope to talk to you later.

clem