Creative Machine Embroidery September - October 2017

Dear Readers, Many of you are pet owners. We receive countless images of your cats and dogs lying atop fabric piles or even nosing around the machine as you sew and embroider. We had the great pleasure of working with seven little kittens for this issue, and it was great therapy for the day! Amazingly, they had no accidents and we only (almost) lost one. World Mental Health Day is Oct. 10, so we decided to combine our love of creating with our love of pets — two things that are said to calm, distress and nurture our souls. The pet bed on page 54 is made from cuddly minkee and embellished with our brand new font, Classi. Make it for a cat and add one of our Feline Faces…

lisa archer (“In the Hoop: Creepy Crawlies” — page 26) is the owner and creative director of Pickle Pie Designs. She loves the challenge of creating in-the-hoop designs that reflect her personal style. Home Base: Holly Springs, NC Visit: picklepiedesigns.com pamela cox (“Unique Technique: Felting in the Hoop” — page 22) received a fashion design degree from The Boston School of Design with an emphasis on patternmaking. Purchasing her first embroidery machine added a new dimension to her education. Home Base: Dublin, NH lisa shaw (“Software Savvy: Working with Borders” — page 18) has been involved with machine embroidery education and inspiration since the mid ’90s. Lisa’s teaching philosophy is that the computer is a tool, and the artistic beauty that we can create with the computer is inside…

DIGITAL DO-RIGHT Save digital patterns in a large envelope with the pattern cover taped to the front and the pattern material list taped to the back for ease and organization. Scotty P., email ON YOUR MARKS Before using a new thread spool, mark the slit that secures the thread end using a permanent marker. After using the thread, simply find the mark and slide the thread end into the slit. Norma S., letter RIGHT STUFF Save unwanted bobbin thread and thread ends to fill up a handmade pincushion. Kate Z., email PRIME POLISH Use nail polish remover and a cotton ball to remove built-up spray adhesive from hoops. S.C., Facebook TOUGH SITUATION When embroidery stitches go awry on a heavyweight fabric paired with a heavyweight stabilizer, fit a seam ripper…

1. It’s Tootsie Roll Time by Riley Blake Designs brings back fond Halloween memories. This fabric line has all of the nostalgic charm you could ask for. Imagine using this fabric for children’s pajamas, trick-or-treat bags or a candy-themed colorful quilt. (prices vary, rileyblakedesigns.com) 2. Colorful autumn leaves tumble to the ground in this delightful 55"×70" throw or lap quilt. Falling Leaves digital quilt pattern includes complete yardage and cutting requirements, basic quiltmaking lessons, template-free quiltmaking, simple foundation patterns, breezy quilting plan and easy appliquéd stems. ($7.99, quiltandsewshop.com) 3. HTC RinseAway Water-Soluble Stabilizer is designed for open embroidery on light cottons and linens. When the embroidery is finished, the excess tears easily away from the stitches and the rest dissolves in water with the first wash. This type of stabilizer…

Freestanding lace (FSL) designs are digitized using a dense layer of underlay stitches that support the design after the stabilizer is removed. Underlay stitches are the foundation of the designs, providing stability to help prevent puckering and distortion, and are usually hidden under subsequent design stitches. THREAD Use the recommended thread weight and type for the chosen design. Use 50- to 60-weight heirloom cotton thread for mediumweight cotton lace. Rayon and silk thread create a lovely sheen and fluid drape. All-purpose and fine polyester thread are also good choices. Polyester embroidery thread creates stiffer lace than comparable weight rayon thread. While this trait is ideal for ornaments and other dimensional projects where stiffness is helpful, don’t use polyester thread for making lace for garments, as it won’t have the necessary…

A border design is made up of equally spaced repeated elements. These elements are oftentimes touching one another to create a continuous design, such as lace edging stitched on a pillowcase or a line of holly branches stitched and used as a border accent on a quilted pillow. Equally spaced designs that have distance, or white space, between each element also fall into the border design category and follow the same software principles. Read on to learn some key practices for working with border designs. PREMADE BORDER DESIGNS Digitizers intend for these designs to be stitched as borders, so the designer may have included instructions on how to combine and stitch them to make specific projects. Because each digitizer has specific instructions on how their designs should be stitched, it’s…