Creative Machine Embroidery September - October 2018

“Pumpkin spice season” is upon us! There are pumpkin spice candles, cheesecake, hummus, sausage—you name it, there’s a pumpkin spice variety of it. I happen to love the smell of a pumpkin pie baking in the oven; I’m just not one to chew it in gum form. Pumpkin as a color, however, is my absolute favorite. (My bridesmaids wore pumpkin colored dresses at my wedding.) This is one of the many reasons I love the Orange Crush Cape on page 38. It’s a plush, wool cape that elevates a simple jeans-and-T-shirt ensemble to high-end couture status. The subtle embroidery adds just enough interest without being overdone. You can wear this to work, a sporting event or even a party. And if you hate everything pumpkin spice, choose a rich navy…

Lisa Archer In the Hoop: Apple Charm—page 18 picklepiedesigns.com Ramona Baird Towels of Terror—page 32 asg.org/resources/conference “I love to add a border design to outerwear and then, when possible, bring that design into an additional accent on a collar or cover buttons with an element.” Pamela Cox Heirloom Effects: Trapunto Techniques—page 28 Nancy Fiedler Quilt This: Hoop by Hoop—page 20 Julia Griffey Little Monsters—page 62 machineembroiderygeek.com Soni Grint Software Savvy: Stitching Order —page 24 Jessica Johnson A Dog's Life—page 50 Kim Saba Orange Crush Cape—page 38 Sue O’Very What a Hoot—page 42 sueoverydesigns.com “I’ve always lived in a climate that allows (or demands!) jackets and coats to be worn 8 or 9 months of the year. I especially appreciate the fact that a beautiful coat means…

THREAD CAROUSEL Use a coffee cup carousel to store your thread spools for easy accessibility. Kaitlyn B., Facebook FUTURE PLANS Organize future projects by placing all components in a sealed bag and hang them with pant hangers for storage. Leah J., Facebook CONFIDENT CLEANSING Save time (and money) when prewashing new fabric by adding some laundry and a color-absorbing laundry sheet. The color-absorbing sheet will prevent the new fabric from bleeding onto your clothes. Betty B., letter NAME GAME When you have multiple USBs filled with design files and need to organize them, rename the USBs when they're plugged into your computer by right clicking on the C: drive. Slect "rename" from the menu, and label your USB to reflect the designs you have stored. Marilynn M., email LABEL LEFTOVERS…

1. Are you new to quilting? If so, the Ultimate Quilt Block Collection book is a must. With over 60 block designs, colored and labeled block templates and step-by-step instructions you’ll be ready to quilt in no time. Create endless amounts of quilt designs by combining and arranging different quilt blocks. ($19.99, foxchapelpublishing.com) 2. Get Halloween ready with CME’s exclusive Dress Up Play Embroidery Design Collection. This collection makes dressing up easy: just put on a solid color that matches the headband design and you’re done. Or pair the intricate headband with an elaborate costume for a well-suited match. The collection is complete with devil horns, bat wings, monster bolts, antlers, cat ears and a princess crown. ($4.99/ design, $24.99/collection, shopsewitall.com) 3. Lighten your entire sewing area with the Slimline…

A single embroidery design often has thousands of stitches. Multiply this by the number of designs in a project, and it’s easy to see that an embroidery machine does a lot of work in a comparatively short amount of time. The following steps help keep your machine looking and sewing its best between trips to a professional service technician. For complete care instructions for your embroidery machine brand, refer to the owner’s manual. TOOLS Keep the following tools on hand for maintaining your machine. • Screwdriver to open the side cover and/or remove needle plate • Long handled tweezers to grab threads that get caught in tight areas • Soft brush to clean out the large pieces of lint • Crocus cloth (available at the local hardware store) to smooth…

Some owner’s manuals state “no need to oil.” This is because the parts that need to be lubricated are only accessible by opening the machine, or they’re self-lubricating. For warranty purposes, this is best left to your service technician. This person has been trained in the proper way of opening a computerized machine to prevent damage to mechanical parts and the circuit boards. For normal use, under 40 hours a week, a once-a-year visit to the service technician is sufficient. Machines that are working over 40 hours a week should be serviced twice a year. For machines that are used over 40 hours a week, it’s advisable to oil the moving parts in the needle bar area approximately once a month. It’s easy to find the parts that need oil…