Get paid $20.00 for submitting an article or a free design set for submitting a tip!
We’re l looking for good embroidery article writers, and now we’re looking for good tips too (though we have some fabulous tip to share throughout this week).
Authors of embroidery articles will be paid $20.00. All payments for articles will be paid through PayPal and you will be sent instructions regarding how to receive your money (please no money requests, thank you). Submitters of tips that are accepted for publication, will receive their choice of one set of embroidery designs located at http://www.designsbysick.com though please do wait for instructions regarding where to send your request, thank you. Send ALL submissions to Charlotte at articles@designsbysick.com for review.
If you show a particular aptitude, you will be invited to join our group of authors at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/embroideryauthors/
Please folks, this group is not for learners, it’s a think-tank for embroidery article authors =0) if you feel you are willing and can write embroidery articles on a regular basis and be paid for them (if published**) please submit a short resume to Charlotte at articles@designsbysick.com
Not sure what to write about? Keep reading this newsletter as it comes out to help you get a better feel of what we’re looking for.
Guidelines for articles/tips:
All embroidery articles/projects/tips must be your own work/words. Articles don’t have to be long (in fact it’s preferred if they’re condensed as much as possible) but they do need to be complete articles (tips are not eligible for the $20 recompense).
Tips, while very brief, are still valuable! If accepted for publication** tips will get you your choice of one free embroidery design set.
You agree that when your submitted article/tip is submitted for publication the editor has the right to correct any spelling, grammatical errors, and basic flow (please be assured that every effort will be employed to keep the integrity of your work intact as you intended it). Due to legal reasons we will not publish any portions of an article that directly relate to any legal actions that may or may not be taken against an individual(s).
What are the benefits of writing such articles/tips you may ask?
You get to play an exciting roll in educating and helping other embroiderers and digitizers (now doesn’t that make you feel good? =0) and if your article is accepted for publication, you get paid $20!
If your tip is accepted for publication, you can choose a free embroidery design set from http://www.designsbysick.com
Your name remains on the work! That’s right! You can be immortalized through your embroidery article or tip. If you have a site we will be happy to include a link to your site, blog, etc. (the possibility of more visitors to your site can’t help but be a good thing).
Legal (copyright/intellectual property rights) notice: By submitting an article for consideration, should said article be accepted for inclusion and the author paid for said article; the author agrees that all such articles become the property of thepublisher and all rights to said article become the property of:Shawn Knight Systems Inc of Ontario Canada
This is adorable and have enjoyed your patterns and letters. Thank you
Just want to say how much i enjoy this site.
so much information and lovely designs.
Thank you Bonnie B AZ
good to see them bring out some wonderul designs shame i have finish my memenbership soon
Ever struggled to remove the stickyness from your frame?? Use ordanary DOOM insect killer. Spray on the frame, rub with your hand and wash with soapy water.
On my frame I use Avon’s Dry Body Oil smells better and is great for removing sticky stuff. just spray onto a cloth or cotton ball, rub away ‘goo’ then wash in warm soapy water.
This is for your “tip” section!
Identify your supplies!
When getting a new item to add to your hobby always identify it with a small dot of fingernail polish. This especially comes in handy when taking a class and many of us have items that look the same. This way you will can always easily spot your items. Works great on hoops, rulers, sissors, thread box, etc. This is also helps let others in the house who might feel the need to use your sissors or something know they have picked up the wrong ones!
Use Good Gone to remove sticky glue from embroidery frame
Love to do Designs and I like most of all to do Lace Bowl Embroidery ……Thank you Ann Scheider
How about a shoe bag for a male with the initials embroidered on it.
Thanks for the tips that give, they are much ultiles for me. I live in Venezuela and there are few technicians to arrange and to clean my machine.
(Soluble Water). In all our houses we always have plastic for embolver or to cover meal and to lead to the icebox so Tips to embroider on towels and we do not have of the material used like that they are protected from other smells, good we place this plastic between the towel and the drum. It is embroidered perfectly and what it exceeds it comes out easily.
Tips to embroider on towels and we do not have of the material used like (Soluble Water). In all our houses we always have plastic for embolver or to cover meal and to lead to the icebox so that they are protected from other smells, good we place this plastic between the towel and the drum. It is embroidered perfectly and what it exceeds it comes out easily.
Love your site heaps to read and try.How about using your Test designs to make machine covers for your machines I have 3 and always get nice comments when my visitors come to my craft room I am also using them on quilts for the police who donate them to young children or families in need
Am a grandma of 10 and make quilts I donate to Project Linus. Have donated 500 over the past 7 years. Many contain embroidered blocks. The quilts are lap size, made of any and all washable fabrics. Sturdy, fun and funky not herilooms. Although I purchase most all materials, I have had bits and pieces of others leftovers given to me and all find their way into the quilts. Odd shapes are sewn together until large enough to use as backing (my primitive crazy quilt fabric).
I hope my quilts provide a little comfort to those who receive them and if along the way they provide a litte diversion and cause a smile, all the better.
Please continue to encourage people to donate their own quilts or pass on their leftovers for this or another charity including those for animals.
I have found to get water soluable stabilizer out of lace and washable fabrics. All you need to do it put “Oxy clean” in your washing machine put article in wash on cold water and rense 3 times on gentle no soap needed. Let the fabric air dry and then press it will be soft.
New member “in training” very willing to read and learn any ideas to improve
my desire to learn. It appears that I am
in the ideal spot. It is informative.
Thanks, for the dedicated time and effort to all participants.
ps: this was not to be more than a comment.
hi i found out how to save on wss i iron it together with the other small big left over,s and you can use it again and i put them in a plactic cantaner,s the kind i use is the ones wipes are in tall ones you use for kitchen they work great to store all other things to to keep fresh and safe from kids and pets
When I am using a 5×7 hoop, I take a large rubber band and put it around the inside hoop to keep my project taut. It works great.
Phaedra
I use Co-Flex or Vet Wrap (self-adhering bandage)cut in I” pieces and wrap it around my thread spools.Keeps them neat and tidy.
My tip would be organizing. I’ve recently retired and constantly finding better ways or organization. I had a lot of the popcorn tins from Christmas presents. I have put them on a shelf in my sewing room and put all of my stablizers in them. They are mostly on rolls and fit the depth and are right there where I can see them.
Think outside the box…I look at the desgns/projects and think how can I use that to make…Coasters, bookmarks, ornaments etc. I recently started making FSL stitched on bridal toulle and it is much easier to manage than water soluable stabilizer. I just trim around the satin stitching and add a ornament hook.
When using metalic thread, or any thread that tends to twist and coil
1. Slow down the machine.
2. I place an empty toilet paper roll over the thread, (make sure it’s not touching thread). This keeps if from whipping around the thread eye and post.
3. I then pass by the first two areas of threading and go right to the tension disc.
4. With metalic or sliver, (the flat thread)I keep an eye on it and when the coiling starts to get tight I flip the thread over on the spool.
what is FSL?
*editor’s note: FSL = Free Standing Lace A stand-alone design that does not have to be stitched ON to something. Think of the lacy looking angels on Christmas trees. Look thru the files for FSL sets (search button on left side of page will bring up keywords)
I really like the tips!!!!
When hooping a project put rubber shelf liner under the hoop. Your hoop will not slip.
MY tip is to use the left over pieces of water soluble stablizer that you put in a container and liquidfy. With a paint brush spread the liquid over a washable fabric (like a knit),and let dry. The fabric will not stretch and can be embroidered on or an applique can be sewed on.
Always when I embroider, I keep my large spool of bobbin thread ready to fill the bobbins.
When one runs out I just put in on the bobbin pin and wind it while I am embroidering and I always have a full bobbin on hand.
No taking time to wind several at one time.
Works great for me.
Arlene
I keep a roll of plain old scotch tape available to my PR600 machine. Sometimes I just need to tack an extra piece of cut away stabalizer under a design or when using the fast frames I might tape the stabalizer in place until the machine can get started and tack it down in place. It works great and cost next to nothing. You can’t believe how many times it comes in handy if it is right there where you are working. Nancy
I find that by always filling a number of bobbins at a time – I usually keep 6 or 8 filled – and then I never run out. With my Janome 9000 machine, once I start filling bobbins I cannot continue with the design I was embroidering – so if my bobbin runs out half way through the design I have to go back to the beginning. I have been caught a couple of times, particularly with FSLace.
Enjoy all comments an tips. My mother taught me to have a bobbin thread for all colors “just in case”, but with embroidery I have 3 bobbin holders full of several basic colors an the odd ones. My dealer did not recommend the pre wound bobbins, so I do my own..my eyes are some what on the aging side an I have trouble seeing which indention on the bobbin is the real hole..I finally cured that..I took a permanent marker an made a mark on each of the real holes…now they can be sited immediately.=0)
When I use metalic threads I place the spool in a jar and use a tall thread stand to guide thread through for threading machine. The trread moves around in the jar and does not knot or tangle.
Post it notes by my machine are used to remind me of any changes I make while doing a project. If I change to a different needle size I tend to forget to change back. Jot it down and stick to the side of your machine. Also any position changes of the design or if it is a testing design jot down what you want to change.
I take a time to wind and fill up my bobbin threads so they will be handy and not slow me down when emboidering or sewing a project. My handy tip is to keep those wound bobbins in prescription bottles and snap the lid on. No more floating bobbin threads and colored threads can also be organized or grouped. Thanks for your column! Shar
Something simple but can save time and frustration when using Vliesofix (the iron on stuff used for applique). After it has been ironed to the fabric and ready to iron in place it can be difficult to separate the edge of the backing paper to pull it off. If you just score across the paper with a pin, it is easy to find and tears away without any problem.
Joan in Australia
This is for your tips section.
I use frosting containers, coffee cans,and drink mix containers to store my sewing stuff. Scissors, pens, rulers.etc. I remove the label if I can, and recover them with fabric. The new taller frosting containers are great. And if you need something with a lid it already has one.
Also another tip. I always sew out the embroidery design first to see what it looks like, what size I can make it, and what the colors look like on the finished design. but because embroidery thread is so expensive I don’t want to waist it, so I embroider the design out in regular thread. It’s cheaper and the color range is great. If I like the design I can use it for a bookmark,or I staple the design on my wall.Then I can be surrounded by my favorite designs.
I use pre-wound bobbins in my embroidery machine and I save them when they are empty. You can use them to make a crochet necklace with them to show the world that you sew/embroider! Such a fun project.
I often place a cone of embroidery thread on the table in front of my machine (if it won’t fit on the spindle) and that works perfectly for me. No need for thread stands and it’s handy for changing cone colors.
When I have pieces of WSS left over or trimmed from a design, I save them. Then when I have time, I zig-zag them together to make larger pieces using WSS thread. The thread will dissolve when you wash out the WSS. No waste at all by doing this.
When you trim your embroidery threads after stitching, save them by putting them into a canning jar. You can use them to make a lamp (glass base) or you can use them to stuff a small toy or pin cushion….or you can sandwich them between two layers of wss, stitch the layers together, wash the wss away and you can make a lacy collar. Another use of the snippets would be to incorporate them into fsl embroidery.
At any rate, save them!
I use several different types of stabilizers. After running out of some of my favorites and not remembering what brand it was I now take the label and stuff it inside the roll. When I run low I just pull out the plastic wrap with the label and I can replace it more easily.
New to FSL and I had such a mess. I placed my sewn item between two paper plate holders,the cheap plastic ones with lots of holes and stack together,held under faucet until item was loose in holders and left it in there to dry too, no mess or curling. PERFECT!!!
My embroidery machine will automatically cut the jump stitches. I find it is better to turn this function OFF when doing embroidering dense designs or cross stitch designs as the thread will break a lot if left on. My other rule of thumb is that there is no such thing as over stabilizing.
For a chuckle: My daughter-in-law and I made and sold embroidered children’s clothing at craft shows. One day we were embroidering a design on a Aline dress and this lady came by. She was amazed that the machine was doing it all. She asked if we just took the material and put it in the machine and the outfit came out and then embroidered it. We couldn’t believe anyone would think it was that simple. We got a chuckle out of it anyway.
To see how the embroidery design will fit and look when making a crazy quilt, I print the design on tracing paper so I am able to see how the design will look and also see the quilt underneath for exact placement. I can then cut the tracing paper to the inside size of the hoop, pin it to the quilt and place my hoop so the design aligns perfectly.
Toclip jump stitches between small letters or eyes,I lift the jump stitch wiith a fine crochet hoook.Then I clip both ends with cuticle nippers[like little pliars, Revlon like]this gets rid of the fuzzies.
Even though I have several of the thread stands with pegs, I still run out of places to put all my spools of thread. I solved this problem by putting drinking straws over the pegs, thereby extending them so they will hold 2 spools rather than just 1. This technique could also be used to store a matching bobbin.
I joined last year when I first got my embroidery machine an I have loved everything I have used. I really like to read the comments. It seems that everyone has the same problem with thread coming off the spools. I read a tip a long time ago about a tape an have used it every since. I know there are some lady’s out there that remember having to use pink curler tape in there hair, that’s right pink tape it works great an doesn’t leave a sticky residue.
I would also like to know if anyone knows of a tutorial for the Pfaff 4D Suite?
I would also like to know if anyone has started some four wheeler mud bog type designs, as mud bogging is popular in my area?
Unique Yo-Yos
You can also embroider a design on a piece of material and then position it on the Yo-Yo to create one-of-a kind Yo-Yos. If you embroider a design on it, then the design, of course, will be positioned to show on your creation.
You can also sew scraps together before you create the embroidery to give added emphasis to your design.
Just remember to make the design small enough so that all of it will show in the Yo-Yo. If you are hand embroidering your Yo-Yo to something, it is ok to “recenter” the back of the Yo-Yo so your embroider will show up properly. After all, it’s your creation, so you can do it any way you want!
Have FUN!
Every one has such wonderful tips to share and I use many of them. I would like to share one that a friend gave me years ago… To save on money I purchase twin bed flat sheets with at least 250 thread count cotton. You can get different colors during the year as the season changes. The lighters colors only come out in the spring. I cut these in 8 x 8 blocks and sew my designs on them and then trim them as needed to go in to some very pretty quilts. The material is not expensive and can be used for trial runs or use the blocks as the center of larger blocks in a quilt.