Machine Embroidery Improvements

Oh but wait...first a Flamingo Update:

I'm not sure if this is Mommy or Daddy taking the new offspring out for a stroll....can you believe it? 

Ok, now on the the stitching :)  A few weeks ago I had made some kitchen towels for a wedding shower.  Much to my dismay I used a stabilizer that was not so easy to get out of this particular design.  Before I go on, I want to say that folks will tell you that learning what stabilizer to use is not an easy thing....and that is only a little bit true.   As a newbie to Machine Embroidery I can tell you that if there has been a mistake to be made, I've made it....and I wish I were kidding (not to say there are not more to make :).  Floriani offers a Stabilizer Workbook that you can download for free and print if you like.  You can find it HERE.  Between a little bit of experience and the Floriani Workbook you will find choosing the right stabilizer to be a whole lot easier :)

On this one I used Floriani Perfect Stick and I was very happy with the hooping process....all I had to do was line up my design and press the towel down.  Easy right?  Right!  The thing I didn't take into consideration was the density of the stitching  and how to get out those small bits of stabilizer. 

Honestly...no biggie in the whole scheme of things because it will come out in the wash.  However, most folks don't want to have to do that...and naturally the experts at Floriani know what they are doing!

This time I used Floriani Wet N Gone Tacky. 

The cool thing about Floriani Wet N Gone Tacky is it is also a sticky back stabilizer but it dissolves in water and there is not tiny pieces of paper to tear away.  Inside the package there are instructions for anyone who has not used this stabilizer before.  I hooped the stabilizer and scored the top with a pin and tore off the paper, revealing the sticky back stabilizer.  The shiny stuff you are seeing above is there because of the adhesive on the stabilizer.

As you can see, I hooped it with the paper on and then scored the paper exposing the adhesive.  I wanted the paper part to stay where the hoop was so it would not stick to the hoop.  Keep in mind, I am a newbie so if you know more than I do....feel free to share :)

The machine is just a stitchin' away....and I could not be happier that it isn't asking me what to do next :)

By the way, I'm using the towels by Dunroven House.  I've added a ton of them to the IHAN website and you can find them HERE.  I have been very happy with the quality and consistency of the Dunroven House Linens so I have purchased several different colors and have a nice little stash for making those fun kitchen towels.

Back to the stabilizer....

After the machine finished with the Salt towel I cut around the design and left the rest of the stabilizer in the hoop.  As you can see, I patched the stabilizer (which conserves stabilizer) for the next towel.

This photo may be a bit difficult to make out.  The blue is a kitchen bowl I used.  I filled it with water and just put the part of the towel with the stabilizer on it into the warm water and soaked it.  The white hazy looking stuff is the stabilizer melting away.  When it is dissolving it has the consistency of light egg white...a little goopy.  After a few more minutes I took the towel out of the water and took paper towel and wiped off the back of the design.  I could have soaked the entire towel but I was on a time line....as usual.....and I wanted the design to dry so my sister could take the the gift to deliver.

Here is the towel drying....look...no little pieces of stabilizer to be annoyed with....yeah!!!!


Speaking of annoyed....I find myself annoyed with the bobbins running out when I'm doing Machine Embroidery.  Truth be told, I don't want to stop having fun to do these "necessary" things ( I also don't like to stop and go potty....I just want to have fun...I'm a real child aren't I?). 

YEP....I did it....I got a Portable Side Winder.   If you think like I used to think....you are probably wondering why do you need a Side Winder when the Machine's have bobbin winders on them... right?

Because I spend my time winding bobbins while the Embroidery Machine is doing it's thing and I don't want to take the risk of messing up the machine by using it's winder.  I have pre-wound tons of bobbins so they are at the ready when I need them.  Is is a bit extravagant?  Probably....but I have to say the Portable Side Winder works well...works with batteries or electric and it winds a spanky bobbin :)

Above you might be able to see I was winding from a large cone.  The Portable Side Winder has a pin for regular size spools and not the larger cones.  There is a Deluxe Sidewinder as well....but I wanted the compact Portable Side Winder so I put the cone on my thread rack and fed it into the Side Winder.  It worked wonderfully :) 

The black thread in this photo probably shows up better.  I was pretty happy to have a bobbin at the ready so I could keep on keepin' on.

That's what I've been up too....other than a really bad hair accident...:)  Yep....my sister and I were coloring our hair over the weekend and mine turned out bright orange ...but only around my face and at the roots.

Yep....it was more like the dark orange around the outer part of this photo.  To get such "rare beauty" only cost me 8 bucks.  Correcting  it cost me 105 bucks.....ouch!  That is the first time that has ever happened to me and I have to say it brought a lot of laughter....and laughter never hurt anyone...it was good for the soul.

I"m goin' fishing again....Tomorrow, Thursday, is the last day I'll be shipping IHAN orders until Monday April 9th.  Since I'm not supplying organs for transplant....what is waiting 10 days for your notions right?  I have not decided weather or not I'll take my laptop to do some blogging or not....we'll see.  The boss told me to do what ever my heart desired....I just love my boss :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Talk About Addictive

Addictive in a good way....naturally! :)  I know many of you are not into Machine Embroidery but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the results...right?  Right :)

I had a wedding shower to go to last Saturday and I knew I was going to be giving a gift card because the couple live out of state and they'll be moving soon...a gift card is just the right size and weight for travel.  I still wanted to give them something fun to open at their shower.  Check these out.....

I used Floriani threads because I love the way the colors have a shine that just pops the design.  I didn't want hoop marks on the towels because I was them the same day so I used Floriani Perfect Stick stabilizer.   I just hooped the stabilizer and positioned the towel, pressed it down and I was good to go.

 Call me corney if you must...but I have always liked hand towels and kitchen towels that have a pretty design on them.  I think they are sort of decadent....clearly not required....but fun and frivolous to have.  Like kitchen / bathroom jewelry if you will.

What I'd like to know is how on earth anyone does Machine Embroidery without excellent tweezers and a pair of very fine pointed and sharp scissors?  I used my Famore Micro Fine Tweezers and my Dovo Embroidery Scissors to cut the fine threads from the back.  All the other tweezers I own would not pull just one or two threads....and I needed to do that here and there....so I'm thinking if anyone who doesn't have a pair of Famore Micro Fine Tweezers needs to get some lickity split....no kidding.  By the way, if you do order them from IHAN and decide you don't think they are the bomb I'm telling you they are....I'll refund your money along with paying the shipping too.   The tweezers were great to get that little bit of stabilizer off the back in the tiny spaces too.

This is another one I made for them....I loved the Eggplant design.  Naturally I made them others and in my race to the finish line I didn't take photos.  I literally finished the towels within a 1/2 hour of needing to leave to go to the shower.  Do you know anyone else like that?  :)

Switching topics here....I've gotten a lot of e-mails asking how the Flamingos are doing.  They are just fine and in the same place that I showed you last time.  When the folks who own them get around to moving them...I'll be sure to get another photo to update everyone.  I was thinking about sneaking over there and doing something funny with them to give the owners some pleasure and humor....but then I was afraid it might not be the best thing to do....I'd be trespassing....so I didn't.

While tutoring at my co-workers school last week, a little girl wanted to show me the book she had just written.  I asked to take a pix and she let me.....and since it isn't identifiable....I'm posting photos here to share with you a few moments of joy and humor that was written by a 9 year old little girl.
 

 

I hope you can read each page....

Smiles,
Kelly