Happy HOOPAPALOOZA! My Stitching Sister and co-author of Hoop It Up, Marie Zinno and I just did our first Facebook LIVE as the Stitching Sisters! We shared our Top 10 Hooping Tips and some special news on our hoops this month.
Watch below!
Receive a FREE gift ( our e-book Quilting Continuous Line Designs plus TWO designs) and FREE shipping when you purchase our Snap Hoop Monster 🤩
Use Code: SHIPHOOPFREE 😎
Happy Hoopapalooza! This month will be all about hoops, starting with magnetic hoops. When the first home embroidery machines were released in 1990, consumers were advised not to use a magnetic pincushion near the machine. The computer console in those machines probably resembled our 1990 cell phones – large and clunky, and looked like this:
And our computers (if you even had one) were something like this dinosaur:
Today, all that computing power is in our cell phones and it fits in your pocket.
Imagine the technical advances that have been made in our embroidery machines. Its computer console is no longer ‘large and clunky’ and it is highly insulated. Snap Hoop Monster magnetic hoops are safe for your machine. For instance, the magnetic hoop attaches to the machine far away from the machine’s computer module and the metal bottom frame insulates the magnetic shield. In this video, you’ll see how a pair of scissors are firmly attached to the magnetic frame but when the metal bottom frame is connected to the magnetic top, the scissors fall away.
Some people think their machine will not recognize a Snap Hoop Monster or the sewing field will be diminished. If your embroidery machine recognizes what size standard embroidery hoop is attached, then it will recognize the Snap Hoop Monster. The sewing field is the same size as the corresponding standard hoop. Take a look below, you’ll see the attachments are the same.
Another popular misconception is magnetic hoops will erase your embroidery designs. Not true – your digital designs are safe with Snap Hoop Monster.
I use Snap Hoop Monster everyday – and I don’t think I would still love machine embroidery if I had to squeeze every piece of fabric I stitch between the inner and outer rings of a standard embroidery hoop. My hands would have given out long ago!
Join me on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 at 1:00 PM CST on Facebook Live. Marie Zinno, my Stitching Sister and co-author of Hoop It Up will be joining me in the studio. We’ll share our Top Ten Tips for Hooping. Follow us on Facebook to get a reminder here https://www.facebook.com/DesignsInMachineEmbroidery/
Stitch Lab, the formula for embroidery fun and success, debuted last weekend in Dublin, Ohio! What a blast, I’m so glad I attended. Inspirations consultant Ashley Jones led the 2-day hands-on event for 72 embroidery enthusiasts. Our host, Quilt Beginnings, was a delight – boy, do they know how to treat their customers.
I met so many old acquaintances and friended new ones. We stitched 6 unique projects and everyone learned something new. Even the ladies who told me they’ve been stitching since the first embroidery machines were available, learned some new tricks. That shouldn’t have been a surprise to me because every class or event I attend, I always learn something new!
Look at some of the fun we had. 
After all that stitching, Kathy Daum, Quilt Beginnings owner and customer cheerleader, donated all of the projects made in class to a local charity – a women’s shelter that helps countless women and children in the Columbus, OH area. We stitched items for home, mom, baby and pets.
But the best part, all attendees took home a kit to stitch at home on their own machine. I hope you’ll consider attending a Stitch Lab this year. I’m heading to several Stitch Lab events this fall, scattered all over the country. I’ll release the schedule soon and maybe you can join me at an event in your town.
What’s the best part of sewing? Inspiring others to learn the craft. Sometimes the ‘inspiration’ is subtle, not deliberate. You don’t have to sit someone at a machine and show them how to operate it. No, inspiration can happen by osmosis. Just exposing someone – specifically family members at a young age – to sewing. Leaving the sewing room door open, welcoming them into your creative space and answering questions.
Mothers and daughters can lock heads when it comes time to teach sewing. In fact, in many households, the love of sewing skips a generation. But not always. My niece, Lindsey Zinno (daughter of my infamous stitching sister, Marie Zinno), is the proud maker and owner of The Northern Market. Lindsey created NM to provide multi-functional fiber art for the modern home and lifestyle. Her work is sold online and in boutiques across America and Europe. And she started this company at the ripe old age of 17 – yes, SEVENTEEN!
Marie has always left her sewing room door open to Lindsey encouraging her to find her way and explore different mediums. Lindsey witnessed Marie succeed in her commercial embroidery business and joined the Stitching Sisters on the road. I think she couldn’t help being inspired by her surroundings. 
Today, she’s featured on Nancy Zieman’s blog as she was a guest on Sewing with Nancy. How did that come about? Well, I happened to be taping with Nancy in November 2016 when Marie sent me a link to a local newspaper story about Lindsey and The Northern Market. I showed Nancy and she was intrigued with Lindsey craftsmanship and minimalist style. She wondered if Lindsey would like to be guest on Sewing with Nancy. Not many people turn down that offer.
Lindsey’s success is due to her creative, open spirit. As a youngster, she was forever dabbling in art – drawing, painting, sculpting and music. She was like a sponge, drawing inspiration from everything and everyone around her. It was no surprise that she took to making rope baskets under the tutelage of another one of my sisters, Mary Pat Palombo (the oldest of my five sisters and the first stitcher). While visiting Mary Pat, Lindsey watched her wrap clothesline with fabric and then sew the wrapped cord into baskets. Lindsey jumped into action and quickly made the technique her own.
Like many of today’s makers, she started selling her work on Etsy. As she poured her heart and soul into every stitch, The Northern Market’s popularity grew. She will graduate from the University of Cincinnati this spring and then, heaven knows what’s next for her.
You can watch Lindsey and Nancy as they share these techniques with you on, Rope Sewing Reinvented on Sewing with Nancy. Click here to watch online now.
Thanks for letting me toot my horn – I’m so proud of Lindsey!
The blog will be back for regular programming on Wednesday. Last week, Marie and I were cruising on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas ship.
After a year of planning with Baby Lock and Inspirations’ dealer Flash Sew and Quilt, Naples, FL, we had a ball.
Not only did 70 cruise attendees embroider with the Stitching Sisters, they are also received expert software instruction from Inspiration education consultants, Donna Siler and Lisa Knight. Donna is at the helm here.
And Lisa is first mate during this class.
Marie and I enjoyed connecting with familiar faces – embroidery enthusiasts we’ve met all over the country through the past six years.
And our dealer, Harold Havard, is one easy-going chap! “Yeah, mon” as they say in Jamaica.
If you’ve been considering an embroidery/sewing/quilting cruise, sign up today. It’s a blast!
Embroidering t-shirts are so simple on a multi-needle machine. Through my five years teaching on the road with my Stitching Sister we have discovered many interesting scenarios regarding hooping t-shirts. Single needle embroidery machine owners have to be creative when they hoop and embroider a t-shirt. We teach some out of the ordinary techniques such as using tape, clips, Hoop Guards, spray adhesive and pins. Some people use all of the items listed! If you are fortunate enough to own a multi-needle embroidery machine, hooping and embroidering a t-shirt is very simple.
Step1. Select the embroidery design and decide on the appropriate size hoop. T-shirts should not be embroidered on a hoop larger than a 5” x 7” for optimal quality. For example: stitching jumbo letters or multiple lines of text on a stretchy knit fabric is not ideal. Make your job a bit easier and re-size the design to fit in a 5” x 7” or 4” x 4” hoop.
Step 2. Stabilizer rule: If it stretches, cut it out. It’s that simple. Stabilize the wrong side of the t-shirt in the area to be embroidered with a fusible no-show or poly-mesh cut away stabilizer. Cut the stabilizer larger than the hoop you plan to use. For a 4” x 4” hoop, cut a 8” square of fusible stabilizer. (Poly mesh and no-show are interchangeable terms.) Poly mesh stabilizer is available in fusible and non-fusible in white, natural or black colors.
Step3. Do not over stretch the fabric when placing it in the hoop. Once the fusible poly mesh is ironed in place, carefully hoop the fabric taut without over stretching. Mark the area to be embroidered with a target sticker; cross hair centered in the hoop. The fabric should be tight like a drum, without ripples. Feel underneath the hoop to make sure excess fabric is not caught in the hoop. Remove the target sticker after it is aligned with the needle bar.
Step4. DO NOT FLOAT! (To float fabric is to hoop stabilizer and spray adhesive to the stabilizer, then add the garment or fabric on top of the hoop. The fabric is not actually contained in the hoop.) I hear so many embroiderers talk about floating the garment or fabric and floating the fabric does not create any tension on the fabric.
Embroidery machine manufacturers make hoops because it is the best way to stabilize the fabric. Yes, there are many instances when you might need a specialty hoop and we are glad to have them. On a daily basis, hoop properly and your embroidery will look professional.
Step 5. Use water soluble stabilizer on top of the fabric to keep the thread from sinking into the knit fabric. Hold the stabilizer in place with the basting file.
Step 6. Use the free-arm ability to easily embroider tubular items such as t-shirts, sweat shirts and onesies. Insert the neckline over the machine throat and let the body of the shirt hang below the throat. Get creative if the design is more vertical, you can use the sleeve to fit around the hoop’s extended attachment.
Want to learn more about stitching professionally? Take advantage of this $10 coupon for my Craftsy class, How to Start a Machine Embroidery Business.
Recently, my sister Marie Zinno was explaining to me how she hoops a drawstring bag. And I told her I use a different hoop but I think she should share her technique with you. So here’s what she had to say…
If you own a multi-needle embroidery machine I am sure you have encountered a hard to hoop bag. Duffle, tote, draw string, backpack and cosmetic bags can be so challenging for the embroiderer. Bags are very profitable and generally do not require a large high stitch count design but the difficulty involved in the set up might make you give bags a second thought.
One of the most popular styles for teams and businesses is the drawstring duffle backpack. The embroidery is usually placed in the center of the bag (because when you tighten the drawstring the upper portion is synched together). I like to use the Tote Bag and Purse hoop available from Brother and Baby Lock. The hoop used measures 5×7 and has curved arms to easily fit a bag over the bobbin throat.
I like this hoop because I can use simple tear away stabilizer and the embroidery machine “reads” the correct hoop size. There is no guessing if the design will fit and if the needle will touch the frame. Mark the center on your bag and use a target sticker to designate the area to be embroidered. Slide the bottom frame of the hoop inside the bag with the stabilizer and place the top portion of the hoop on top.
Attach the hoop to the machine and line up the target sticker with the correct needle bar. Remove the sticker and stitch the design. Carefully remove the hoop and tear away excess stabilizer from the back of bag.
It’s your chance for an evening of fun and luck! Luck? If you come to Friday Night Live at Sew Expo, Puyallup, WA on February 27th you’ll have a chance to win not one, not two, but FIVE machines! Baby Lock is giving away over $6,000 worth of machines. All you have to do is buy a ticket to Friday Night Live and come and enjoy the show. Of course you have to be present to win. And why wouldn’t you? Because not only do you have a chance to win a machine but you’ll also enjoy a night of education and hilarity!
My stitching Sister and I have been working on our presentation – it’s has a Tonight Show theme and although I can’t promise you an appearance from Jimmy Fallon or Justin Timberlake – I can tell you we will have as much fun in Puyallup as they have in Times Square. What can you expect? The traditional Tonight Show Friday night format kicks off with Thank You notes. These thank you notes won’t have anything to do with New York tourists. Oh no, our thank you notes are focused on our industry. We’ll share our tongue-in-cheek gratitude to Singer, Viking, Pfaff, Brother, Bernina and Baby Lock.
A few weeks ago, I hinted to the possibility of a lip sync battle performed by our special guests. And our special guests have agreed! Right now, they are working on their routines and perfecting their form. I have to say they are not only great sports but they’re bringing their ‘game’ – full of enthusiasm for this unique opportunity to showcase their previously hidden talents. Who are they? None other than the President of Baby Lock, Steve Jeffrey and local favorite, Eddie Schultz of Issaquah Sewing & Vacuum! So who do you think they should impersonate? Jennifer Hudson, The Bee Gees, Elvis, Rod Stewart, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash? Oh my, the possibilities are endless!
But we know you want more than fun – you want to learn and win some prizes. We have the fun handled, the education is a given (Marie and I are unveiling our top 30 embroidery tips) and we’ll hand out tons of prizes! Over $6200 worth of prizes! Five machines – complements of Baby Lock plus books and notions from Designs in Machine Embroidery.
Rachel: MSRP $800.00
Imagine: MSRP $3,000.00
Tempo: MSRP $1,400.00
Molly: MSRP $500.00
Anna: MSRP $400.00
Hope you’ll join us for a night of edutainment! Reserve your seats now!
If you’ve been a Johnny Carson, Jay Leno or Jimmy Fallon fan – then you’ll definitely want to catch the Stitching Sisters at Friday Night Live. Sew Expo, our industry’s largest trade show, is host to this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. 
Yep – the Tonight Show takes on embroidery and sewing and quilting! 
What can you expect in Friday Night Live? Well, the predictable Tonight Show fare: a host, guests and entertaining segments. The host – me along with my Stitching Sister Marie Zinno; two very special guests (whose identities will have to remain a secret for right now). And of course, the entertaining segments, I mean the unpredictable segments:
• Thank You Notes to sewing industry giants, an hilarious Friday night tradition started by Jimmy Fallon.
• An embroidery fashion show – unlike any you’ve ever seen before. You’ll learn just how crucial placement and spelling can be.
• You’ll see what NOT to do with embroidery hoops and feet.
• You’ll compete in a hilarious game of Do You Have? to win priceless – and I mean priceless – prizes!
• The Stitching Sisters Top Embroidery Tips
If you’re a current Tonight Show fan (think Jimmy Fallon), then you probably know a little about his infamous lip sinc battles. Lip Sinc Battle? Hmm. Do you think those mystery guests would be game? Tell me your favorite Tonight Show host, Carson, Leno or Fallon. A random comment will be selected to win an autographed PAL!
Our winner from last week, with a $100 gift certificate at the Sewphisticated Stitcher website is Sara R. “I give bibs and burp pads as baby gifts. My BFF’s granddaughter told us the name she was planning to use. I spelled it the traditional way rather than her way, then she ended up naming the baby something totally different. Oh well.”
Friday Night Live Feb. 27, 2015, Sew Expo runs from Feb. 26 to March 1, 2015 in Puyallup , Washington.
It’s common to feel the urge to get organized in January– purge closets, cabinets and drawers. Many sewers feel the same way. We want a fresh start in the New Year, often pledging to finish projects, clear the cutting table, and tame our stashes – fabrics, stabilizers and threads. The goal is to follow that urge all year and really get our environments under control. I don’t know about you but it’s an annual event for me. It helps me get organized for the next 12 months; forgive myself for the projects that didn’t get completed and make a decision on whether or not I’ll ever finish them. And then toss them, if I know I won’t finish them. It’s a tough decision but I find once I make up my mind, it’s very cleansing to move on with a clean slate. I even like to create a clean space in my digital workspace when I work on a design.
In Perfect Embroidery Pro, My Block Piecer and My Quilt Embellisher, I clean up my thread chips. Sounds silly, right? Well, removing the excess thread chips at the bottom of the screen helps me focus. Let me show you what I mean.
I dragged one of December’s free designs onto the workspace. Notice the 11 color chips in the thread tray. The design is only three colors so I find all of those excess chips to be distracting, unnecessary clutter.
First, I clicked on the minus sign to remove all excess chips.
Now, only three chips remain in the tray.
I’m going to change the colors to reflect a warm, tropical climate (like the one Stitching Sisters are going to enjoy on our February 2016 cruise – join us!) First, click on a chip to see the thread palette.
At the top of the thread palette click on the brand to access the thread you have in your sewing room. 
Once you set this brand, the palette will always default to that brand although you can reset it anytime you’d like.
Simplifying the thread tray makes it easy to see what threads I need to collect from stash of thread. I love the new plastic drawer inserts that keep my stash under control. It’s the fine-tuning of organizing that helps me keep my year-long goal of staying on top of clutter!
