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Give Thanks Video Tutorial Part 2

by / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Holiday Stitching, Inspiration Software, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Saturday, Software Techniques / 0 comment

Check out Part 2 of Katherine Artines’ Give Thanks video tutorial on YouTube.  Finish the remaining two blocks of the fun Thanksgiving project begun in Give Thanks Part 1. You’ll create additional custom stippling and work with Text on Path and the Outline feature. Katherine illustrates how to access artwork from Word Art in Stitches and use it for other techniques. 

If you’ve been wanting to explore the Artwork and Shape tools, this video will help you understand the features of both helpful tools.  Learn how and when to use the Combine tool plus how to set colors in the proper order (sequencing).

Katherine shares the steps for completing the quilted wallhanging – the actual sewing part!  She’s so much more than a ‘virtual quilter’, I’m sure you’ll pick up several tips to use in your digitizing.  Enjoy!

To Rip or Not to Rip?

by / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Embroidery Tips / 11 Comments

Imperfect stitches happen, no matter how experienced you are. The more you stitch, the better you get. The more confidence you have, the more you trust your machine to produce professional results. Even so, not every project will be perfect.  You can stitch the same design 30 times and 28 of them will be spot on, but two may not be up to snuff. Is it the end of the world? Of course not, but it does beg to answer a serious question, “To rip or not too rip?”

Some rip out EVERY misaligned stitch while others shrug and move on. Here’s the criteria I apply on making this call: How bad is it?  Can it be easily corrected? Will the recipient even know if something is amiss?

How bad is it? On a scale of 1 to 5, is it glaringly noticeable?  That’s a 5.  Barely visible, that’s a 1.

Can it be easily corrected?  On a scale of 1 to 5, will the removal of 20-30 stitches fix the problem?  That’s a 1.  A 5 is when you must start over as the project cannot be salvaged (and really that’s a 10!).

Will the recipient even know something is amiss? If yes, that’s a 5, you must fix it.  If not at all, that’s a 1.

Recently, I stitched an applique name and everything started out smoothly.

But as I advanced to color 3, the satin outline of the first letter, something must have hit the hoop and the outline didn’t cover the tackdown.  Ugh!  

Immediately, I applied the 3 questions: How bad is it? It’s a 1 in my book because the tackdown and satin outline is the same color as the applique fabric and there’s a just a speck of background fabric peaking out.

Can it be easily corrected?  Since I didn’t notice the problem until the satin outline was complete, it’s a 4. That’s a lot of satin stitches to remove.   Plus, I was on a tight schedule so ‘easily corrected’ didn’t fit the time frame.

Will the recipient even know something was amiss? No, not this little angel. She’s only 5 and not an embroidery expert yet!  If this was for a customer, then yes, by all means, rip it out.

End result? I removed the visible tackdown stitches, moved on and completed the project. 

How about you? What’s your criteria for removing stitches?

Your Opinion Matters

by / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Embroidery Tips, Inspiration Socials, Seminars and Conventions, Uncategorized, Wildcard Wednesday / 19 Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of teaching at Wisconsin Quilt Expo. My topic was Turn Your Embroidery Machine into a Longarm.  The one-hour lecture covered everything from selecting designs to placement of designs to handling the bulk/weight of the quilt.  I had a blast! I love that topic and my students were really interested in mastering the technique. I shared everything I know about the topic that I could fit into 55 minutes. You know, I’m originally from New Jersey so I can talk really fast! 

That experience made me wonder what you look for when you want to learn new embroidery techniques.  What motivates you to attend a teaching event? What’s your preferred learning environment: at your local dealer in small groups, large group, hands-on, short lectures, online, TV or in print?  If you prefer a mix of environments, I’d love to hear our thoughts. Would you take a moment to share your thoughts on classes/events?

More Denim Inspiration

by / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Inspiration Software, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Software Techniques, Uncategorized, Vintage Embroidery Software / 1 Comment

Last week, we started with this flower in Inspirations’ Perfect Embroidery Pro (with Vintage Embroidery Software installed on the computer):

and ended up with this flower:

You can follow those steps by clicking here. Now, let’s take it a step further. Remove the complex fill (blue) and the center embellishment (red).

Resize the flower to 2.13” x 2.07” and move it to the top right corner.

Now that the flower is smaller, you might want to narrow the oval shapes a bit. Just click on each side center point and move the node in towards the center.  Copy and paste all elements.  Move the second flower below the first. 

Remove the two bottom petals and ovals (they are all separate elements).

Select the Shape tool, zoom in and click on the left petal extending below the square.

Move the stop point to a node just above the square outline.

Delete all nodes below the outline. Repeat for the right petal.

Change the colors of the second flower.

Copy, paste and rotate the third flower. Move it to the open space on the left.

Recolor and resequence all elements so that the 15 wt. elements stitch as one color and the 40 wt. ovals stitch as one.

Of course, you can add color stops to stitch three uniquely-colored flowers.

What a fun trio of flower patches!  

In a few months you’ll see what I decided to do with the patches in a future issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine.  I know there is bleach, bling and a bit more of embellishment in their future. But I’d love to hear what you would do them. Please share!

Denim Inspiration

by / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Inspiration Software, Perfect Embroidery Pro, Uncategorized, Vintage Embroidery Software / 7 Comments

A few weeks ago, I posted several photos of embroidered denim that I spotted in a department store.  You can read that post here.  I mentioned my favorite technique of the several options I showed was this one:

I love that embroidered patch. I found a similar design, Flo_0019Flower_D, in Inspirations Vintage Embroidery software. 

Once I started playing with the idea, I spotted another flower, Flo_0085_Buttercup_D in Vintage Embroidery Software that struck my fancy.

I stitched the flower on a scrap of denim with the intention of making a patch.

I couldn’t resist playing with it a bit more in Perfect Embroidery Pro.  Follow these steps if you want to play along. First, trace around the flower petals and add a complex fill. Apply a stitch length of 3.5 and the same number in the density setting to stitch this color with Inspiration’s 15 wt. Vintage Rope Thread.

Next, use the artwork tool to draw an oval inside of each petal.  Just draw one, then copy and paste each one into position.

Draw a square around the flower and apply a long bean stitch: 3.0.  Reorder the sequence with the complex fill in color 1 (15 wt. Rope), satin outline in color 2 (15 wt. Rope), oval shapes in color 3 (40 wt. thread), flower center in color 4 (15 wt. Rope) and finally the square outline in 15 wt. thread.

Next weekend, I’ll walk you through the third version of Flo_0085_Buttercup_D.

What Have You Learned from Nancy Zieman?

by / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Nancy Zieman, Sewing tips / 69 Comments

 

In 1988, I took a beginner’s sewing class from Mary Hayes of Hayes Sewing Machines (now in Wilmington, Delaware).  Shortly after that introduction to sewing, I found Sewing with Nancy on PBS.  I never missed a show. I taped every episode and watched diligently. When my children were born, I scheduled their naps around Sewing with Nancy.  If I were to list every sewing technique I learned from Nancy Zieman, you would think I never took a stitch without referencing one of her books or SWN episodes.  And you might be right.

On the set of Sewing with Nancy

But I have learned so much more than sewing techniques from Nancy. I have been blessed to become dear friends with her over the years and we have partnered on many projects together.  Brush aside the sewing, Nancy taught me how to set and reach goals, lead a team, tackle large projects, cherish family and friends and weather turbulent relationships. Most of all, Nancy teaches me to walk in my Christian faith. And she does that by her example, she doesn’t preach, she doesn’t try to convert yet she lives her faith. Oh, how blessed I am to having Nancy as my friend.

Today, she announced her retirement and, well, she broke the internet. Her blog crashed – for hours!  That’s actually very hard to do.  You see, thousands and thousands of sewing friends tried (hundreds were successful) to leave messages for Nancy.  Messages of encouragement, gratitude and hope.

She means so much to so many but especially those who learned to sew through Sewing with Nancy episodes, her blog, books and personal appearances.  Do you think of Nancy every time you perform a certain sewing task or technique?  Would you share what you have learned from Nancy?  I think she would enjoy knowing how her ingenious techniques have helped you in your sewing room.

Turn Your Embroidery Machine Into a Longarm

by / Continuous Embroidery, Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Nancy Zieman, Quilting, Seminars and Conventions, shortE, Software Saturday, Uncategorized, Weightless Quilter / 22 Comments

If you want to successfully quilt with your machine, you have to learn the secrets to controlling the process.  In my class, Turn Your Embroidery Machine Into a Longarm at Wisconsin Quilt Expo Sept. 7-9, you’ll learn why handling your quilt like this is a recipe for disaster:

I’ll also share why having two versions of a continuous design, not just mirror-imaged, makes connecting designs a breeze.

And what to do when you have a thread break in the middle of a design.

Most of all, I’ll show you how to get your embroidery machine to do what you want it to do!

I hope you’ll join me in Turn Your Embroidery Machine into a Longarm, at 1:00 every day at the Wisconsin Quilt Expo, Madison, WI, Sept.7-9.

I’m really looking forward to this quilt show because I’ve been spending too much time in my office and studio!  It’ll be great to meet and chat with other embroiderers/quilters/sewists. Hope to see you there!

If you purchase your tickets online before the big event, you’ll save $2.00 per lecture.  Hurry – seats are going…

Wisconsin Quilt Expo 2017

by / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Techniques, Quilting, Seminars and Conventions, Uncategorized, Weightless Quilter / 8 Comments

 

In just a few short weeks, I’m heading to my favorite quilt show – Wisconsin Quilt Expo, in Madison, Wisconsin, Sept 7-9, 2017.  Why is WQE my favorite quilt show?  Well, first off, it was created by my dear friend, Nancy Zieman, so I know every detail has been covered.  Second, it’s in Wisconsin in early September.  Wisconsin literally sparkles in late summer.  Third, the food – oh my.  They don’t call it America’s Dairy Land for nothing!  Fourth – the people. I’ve never met a population that pitches in with such gusto and a smile.  If you don’t know what I mean, consider this: Green Bay Packer fans VOLUNTEER to shovel out the stadium on a snowy game day. In fact, they stand in line to do so!  Oh, I love Wisconsin.

I am honored to teach one of my favorite topics, Turn Your Embroidery Machine into a Longarm, at 1:00 every day. Tickets are on sale now and from what I hear – going fast!

I can’t wait to meet with fellow quilters especially those who want to get more out of their embroidery machines and finish those quilt tops they so lovingly created. I want to show them that it is possible to quilt an entire quilt – even a queen or king – on an embroidery machine. I’ve been doing this for years and along the way, I’ve made every mistake.  Now, I can confidently finish my quilts.  In my class, you’ll learn how to select designs for specific areas of the quilt, precisely place designs and handle all that bulk. To purchase a ticket to Turn Your Embroidery Machine into a Longarm, just click here.

We’ll discuss continuous line designs.

Custom designs (that fit perfectly into specific spaces.

And we’ll take a look at nesting designs.

I’ll share my secrets for perfect placement of all three types of quilting designs. To see what else is in store at Wisconsin Quilt Expo, visit https://wiquiltexpo.com/

Any chance I’ll see you there?  I hope so!

 

Embroidery is Not Just for Hemlines

by / Current Posts, Digitizing, Eileen Roche, Inspiration Software, Uncategorized, Vintage Embroidery Software, Wearables / 5 Comments

I was browsing in a department store this weekend and like normal, I was drawn to anything embroidered. Much to my delight, I saw so many embroidered t-shirts, sweaters and jeans. In the past, embroidery always seem to land at the hem. I’m sure you’ve had your fill of floral hemline borders!  Well, finally, the stitches have jumped out of the border.  I grabbed a couple of photos to share with you so you could see what I mean.

Some were embellished along the outside seam.

One just below the front pocket.

The brown denim was adorned above and below the knee.

While the mannequin sported a beautiful embroidered floral spray at the knee.  So wearable, wouldn’t that be flattering?

 

But I think my favorite technique was this one:

I love that embroidered patch. I know I can get a similar look with design Flo_0019Flower_D from Inspirations Vintage Embroidery software. 

It would be so easy to do. Start with a piece of denim scrap about 5” square.  Then, embroider the design on the square.  Next, trim the patch down so that the flower flows right to the edge.  Turn the edges, topstitch and apply to the jeans.  What a fast update to wardrobe staple!   Oh the possibilities are endless once you move away from the hemline!

 

Take These 5 Time-saving steps Before You Embroider

by / Current Posts, Eileen Roche, Embroidery Tips, Sewing Studio Tips, Uncategorized / 9 Comments

Embrace these five tips to save as much time as possible in your embroidery studio. These tips have saved me countless hours, I hope you find them helpful.

  1. Stock up on supplies. Nothing slows you down more than running out of the right materials for the project. Always have a variety of stabilizers and threads on hand. Take advantage of store sales and buy in bulk if necessary.blphoto1
  2. Pre-cut stabilizers to fit your most popular hoops. You’ll have a stack to go to whenever you’re ready to hoop.
  3. Consider purchasing extra hoops in your favorite sizes. This way you can prepare the next hooping while the first one is stitching. My number one go-to hoop is the 5” x 7”. I have four of them and I still believe they were worth the investment.
  4. Plan your project by using embroidery templates and target stickers. Mark the placement of the embroidery on the item with the target stickers. When you’re interrupted during the embroidery process (and who isn’t?) you’ll know where you left off.
  5. Test your designs! Stitch a sample using the same fabric/stabilizer/design/thread combination. Make adjustments to the variables before tackling the final project. Keep a towel, knit t-shirt, or cotton blouse on hand to test different designs. For specialty items, shop at thrift stores to find similar-fabrics. blphoto

Of course, once the towel or t-shirt is covered with designs, it’s time to start a new one. Starting a new one never seems to a problem for me, I save mistakes for that chore. Unfortunately, I have plenty of inventory!

 

 

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