What makes the machine embroidery industry one of the most enjoyable and inspiring hobbies? It’s made up of real people who love the art, craft and sheer joy of machine embroidery and it shines through with the products and services they have to offer.
Let’s take a tour of the highlights from the current issue, Volume 73 March/April 2012.
Planet Applique – wow! Free alphabet appliqué designs with every order. Visit www.PlanetApplique.com to see their adorable, affordable and to-die-for appliqué designs.
Discount Embroidery Blanks has cozies, market totes, notebooks, key fobs, bath items…. Come to think of it there’s definitely something for everyone at www.DiscountEmbroideryBlanks.com
It’s going to be another Flip Flop summer at DigiStitches. Sign up for their newsletter and receive special coupon codes and offers to last you all summer long. Visit today at www.DigiStitches.com
iBroidery.com – Brother’s embroidery download center is at your fingertips – 24/7. Find Disney, Disney-Pixar and more – only at www.iBroidery.com Over 5,000 designs are a click away and there’s no need to purchase an entire collection. Look for Brother Sews on Facebook, You Tube and Twitter.
Love quilting with your embroidery? Then you’re going to love Anita Goodesign’s Mix & Match Quilting. Visit www.anitagoodesignonline.com for more information. While there, check their schedule – they just might be coming to a local dealer near you.
Trade-In and Trade-Up with Pfaff’s National Software Trade-In Event. Check out how versatile 5D™ Embroidery System is – works with any brand of machine. You could receive up to a $400 rebate when you trade-in and trade-up! Visit www.pfaffusa.com or call 1-800-997-3233.
Start a new journey with Janome’s Horizon Memory Craft 12000, it’s a perfect blend of advanced technology and signature ease-of-use all wrapped up in Janome’s superior stitch quality. Visit www.HorizonMemoryCraft12000.com today to begin your creative journey.
Want to stitch something different? Then www.urbanthreads.com is for you. Urban Threads has put an edge into machine embroidery that appeals to a broad range of embroiderers. Looking for something for that hard-to-buy-for 20-something? Look no further – Urban Threads is your answer. And I’ll bet you find something for yourself that you can’t live without! Urban Threads is not just for the young stitcher, it’s for all embroiderers.
How does Embroidery Library do it? They keep coming up with fresh ideas at low prices, tons of choices, a bevy of stitch knowledge all wrapped into one great world-wide community of machine embroiderers. Visit, browse and shop – you’ll be entranced with this site www.EmbLibrary.com
Feeling lucky? Enter a once-in-a-lifetime contest at www.Sulky.com The winner will join Fred and Joyce Drexler, co-founders of Sulky of America (and one of the industry’s most charming couples) on an all-expense paid trip for two to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Wow! Just like Sulky on Facebook to enter, http://www.facebook.com/sulkyofamerica
It’s not too late to join Martha Pullen’s 2012 Internet Embroidery Club. You’ll enjoy a value of over $700 in goodies for your one-time annual membership fee of $59.00 You’ll find tons of uses for the free-standing lace ornaments, 6 alphabet appliqué sets, in the hoop projects, vintage reproduction designs, shadow work and more. Click over to http://iec.marthapullen.com/ to sign up today.
Looking for a user-friendly auto-digitizing software? Then take a look at Buzz2Stitches® at www.BuzzTools.com Buzz says it’s as simple as Ready, Set, Go! A program wizard guides you through simple choices and automatically turns your artwork into beautiful stitches.
The search is over when you install Embrillance Thumbnailer. This nifty (and priced-so-right) software program turns all of your embroidery designs into images – or thumbnails as they’re called in the graphics world. You won’t waste any more time digging around computer files to locate your embroidery designs. Now you’ll spot them in a flash. What a time saver! www.embrilliance.com
One dilemma we all have is what to do with that pretty embroidery collection we just purchased? Project inspiration awaits you at www.NancysNotions.com. Enter DMEMAR2012 in the keyword search box and the vault opens for you. You’ll find dozens of embroidery projects such as quilts, jackets, shirts, home décor accessories to quick start your creative process.
Easy Easter projects are waiting for you at Five Star Fonts and if you’re a first-time buyer, you’ll enjoy 20% off of your first order. Just type dime-mar in the coupon box and you’ll be all set. But hurry up – the coupon expires on May 15, 2012. www.FiveStarFonts.com
I know what you’re thinking! You need a little time to take all this in! Enjoy your week perusing the websites and stop by next Wednesday for Part 2!
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My favorite project was the little girls white sweater with Hope Yoder’s QT pie designs. It had the girl on one side holding a leash to her poodle on the other side. I made it for my granddaughter and she loved it. It was several years ago…sorry I don’t remember the issue number.
Hope Yoder was so clever making the leash travel from one side of the cardigan to the other. We received quite a few compliments on that project.
I have many favorites from your magazines. If I had to pick one, it would be Blooming Flowers from the Jan/Feb 2011 issue.
My favorite is Issue #36, Jan/Feb 2006. I made the “Jacket With A Red Head Attitude”. Everytime I wear it I get soo many compliments.
My favorite project from your magazines would have to be the embroidered boots in the last issue. Were these done on a regular embroidery machine? I really want to attempt them. They are awesome!
Sherrie, aren’t those boots cool? We love them too. And yes, they were stitched on a home machine – single needle. The key is to use boots that zip from sole to top on the inside calf. Just open the zip and flatten the design area onto hooped sticky stabilizer.
Hi there, my favourite project was the A Skirt for all ages in the May/June issue 2010. I made my own applique flowers with my software, they turned ok and they added a bit of flash to a once plain skirt. Thanks for the ideas, Anna
That was a fast and easy update to a boring skirt. Glad you liked it, Anna.
I enjoyed the up-cycle of using a damask tablecloth to make a jacket and then to use lace as the applique. Great ideas.
I am a big fan of Katharine Artines! Her designs are always so classy. One of my favorite designs that she did was the Goodnight Prayer pillow several years ago. I have saved the article and plan to make one for our new grandson. Her Lady Liberty jacket in Volume 72 was beautiful. I think that Volume 72 was the best issue yet! Can hardly wait to get the new issue.
It is almost impossible to pick a favorite. I loved the thread scarves, purses, sweatshirts, and the jean jacket that were in some of your last issues. But I love all of the creative projects that abound in your magazines.
Gail
My very favorite project would be “The READ” bag featured in the 2010 Fall issue of your magazine. The first “READ” bag was made for a special young lady’s 4th birthday. I filled her “READ” bag with books so she could read to her parents and her little brother. She loved, loved, loved it! In fact, her mother said she even slept with the bag! I am a retired teacher and I work part-time at Zede’s Sewing Studio in Columbia, Missouri. Last spring, we decided to make “READ” bags for the children in the JUMPSTART Reading Program because the “READ” bag had been such a hit for my young friend. Customers and staff at Zede’s made about 250 “READ” bags. The bags were filled with books and given to students at the end of the school year. This year we talked about just buying a bag for the books and donating them to JUMPSTART for the students. Mallory, store manager, met with the JUMPSTART personnel to discuss the project. They loved the “READ” bags we had made so much that they almost begged for us to do the same thing again this year! How could Mallory so no to that?? Once again, we(staff and customers of Zede’s) are making 250 “READ” bags for students in the JUMPSTART Program. This has been such a neat project and it was all because I subscribed to such a fantastic magazine! Thank you!
Linda – that is one heartwarming story. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you again for publishing such neat projects!
Linda,
Thank you SO much for sharing your story about the “Read” bags. That was my article and I LOVE what you’ve done with it!! Can you contact me? I’d love to hear more about it!
Jo
(You can reach me through my website, http://www.gardenofdaisies.com)
Hi Jo,
I am so pleased you wrote to me! That means a lot. I also want to say thank you for creating such a fun project to share through DIME.
Linda
I didn’t make the actual quilt from Issue No.64, but the Autumn Leaves quilt inspired me to make my own version and it was one of my most favourite projects ever. I gave the quilt away to my mother and she just loves it too.
Love so many of them, but I agree with Sherrie Lilly that those boots are unbelievable! Might have to check around at thrift stores to find some to practise on before I buy a new pair to do for myself.
Great idea, Kathy!
I love all of the projects in DME but I think my favorite was the Jacket with a Red Head Attitude. It was so inspiring. I made my jacket with different colors and added my own twist, but it is one of my favorite jackets. Everyone loves it.
I was so inspired by the clock, that I designed my own and have made many for Christmas and Wedding gifts.
I’ve been a subscriber to Designs in Machine Embroidery since the very first issue! To choose only one favorite is hard, but I would say that the plain black tee shirt that became a stunning one-of-a-kind top with embroidered lace on the back was a favorite. I’m sorry I don’t remember the issue, and my description doesn’t do it justice, but it was gorgeous!
I love any of the project that remake store bought clothes. I think it is great to make old items new again with a few embroidered touches.
Hi Eileen,
It is toooooo hard to come up with only one favorite, I think I like the current month the best, and then here comes the next month, and I like that one better! Each month has something unique, and makes me want to do the project; right now, I have your “Little Black tee”, Posh pincushions, Madeira faux cherry napkins, and I can’t tell you what all in my stack of “to do” things first—I just know that I had to have a whole container just for your projects and designs! It seems like whatever the item is, the directions, etc., are not too difficult to ubderstand, and when things don’t come out just right, I find it is usually “operator error” that is the problem, and not something from your end of it.
I am thinking of upgrading to a 6, 9, or 10 needle machine, as I am selling quite a bit of my work. Do you have a reccommendation for me? I would appreciate any information you or Marie can give me.
Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.
Peggy
Hi Peggy! Glad to hear you’re doing so well. As far as advice for a machine, I have to stick to my tried and true advice. Buy the best machine you can afford from a dealership that provides education. A multi-needle machine is an exciting step but not a wise one unless you can learn how to use it! I think you’ll be in good hands if you buy from your local dealer in Santa Rosa.
So many great projects to choose from, but the boots in the current issue are great. I have a pair of boots waiting in the “to do” pile for this. Hopefully I can get them finished by next fall.
[...] with the publishers of “Designs in Machine Embroidery” and won a prize from the Eileen Roche’s blog. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to read Linda’s account of the “Read.” [...]
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