I have a 1500D Brother. I don't get to use it near as much as I'd like but have just cut a heap of cloth nappies (diapers)in half and overlocked the raw edge and put a little embroidery on one end and my daughter is going to use them as burp cloths for the new baby, due on the 1st June.

I purchased the Brother 8500D many years ago but I have just really started using it for embroidery. I have been making quilts with figures for my grandchildren. We had so much fun with the SpongeBob package. I have been a little frustrated with the Brother color codes not matching the design codes but overall it has turned out to be very rewarding and fun!

I'm sure that is going to be a beautiful quilt! Please show us the top when you have it pieced together.

This thread is amazing! Thank you for all of the information...it is wonderful to read what others are doing, have learned and the kinds of machines and designs being used.

Mother's Day Gift
 

Hi Everyone,
I thought this might me a better thread to post these pics on since we all share the same fun and passion of machine embroidery. This is a towel holder I made for my mom to put on the oven handle. I made one holder that velcro's around the handle and gave her two towels so she can wash one and replace it with the other. I used the stringed baby snaps on the towels. Hope you enjoy. Here is the link to the design I used. My mother likes wine!

http://www.wattsemb.com/jj_house_work.htm

What a great design! Hilarious!

LOVE it!!

I use to buy snaps like that then WalMart stopped
carrying them and haven't been able to find them
again.

Think I will check at Denver Fabrics and Joanns.

This gives me ideas for my MIL's 5th wheel camper
that they have.

New to the board and I found just where I need to be! I am getting ready to purchase my first (hopefully for a long time) embroidery machine. I have narrowed my choice down to a Janome. Can anyone advise about the difference (other than price) between the MemoryCraft 300 and the 350? Is the 350 worth the extra cost?

If you do a search on here you should be able to find info on this; I've seen this talked about on the board many times. I don't remember what the outcome was; I have a Ruby so I didn't really follow along. Sorry. I love my Ruby though

I would make sure that the machine you purchase has a USB port and cord that hooks up to your computer then you can download from the internet. There are alot of free designs you can download.

Yes you have a lot of choice. Some require you sign in

http://www.annthegran.com/
http://www.designsbysick.com/votingresults
http://www.embroiderydesigns.com/fre...rydesigns.aspx

Here is a start and you can pm me for more

http://www.oregonpatchworks.com/OPW/FRE.php

I just had to get the last word in didn't I I thought you might like these too

I just ordered the new Brother 500 from Wal-Mart that costs 300. I know it is a small hoop 4 x 4---but what I really want to use it for is quilt labels. I struggle all the time making them and donated 80 quilts last year to various charities. This is what I can afford for now and I will be excited to learn to use it and grateful I found something in my budget. I will stitch out the writing on white and then border it with complimentary fabric from the front.

I see their free designs are in a PES format. I do not have that on my computer but can look for a free download. I do not want to have to purchase anything else right now to get started. I saw a free flag on the site that would be perfect for Quits Of Valor.

quiltnut,
I usually use an 80 embroidery or an 80 topstitch needle. Hope this helps.

you don't need the fabric so taunt anymore it really is more about stabalizers

Just got pointed in this threads direction - now to start reading from the beginning!

Glad you were able to find this thread. Think you will love it. It has taught me alot. The people on this thread know their business!!!!!

I don't know how many of you know/been to this
embroidery website, but I just found it today.

Although I haven't found any SUPER great deals
they do have some cute designs.

The Stitchery Mall

"I just ordered the new Brother 500 from Wal-Mart that costs 300. I know it is a small hoop 4 x 4---but what I really want to use it for is quilt labels. "

That's where my search started but Hh actually said "if your going to get one..make it one that you won't need to upgrade too soon..cheap tools aren't worth the price" While I don't agee that the lower priced machines are useless who am I to deny him the pleasure of buying me a nice machine! FINALLY! He admits my quilting machines etc are tools of the trade and not toys that I amuse myself with! Ha! Little does he know!

Ah! Good thought! that is one of the main differences I have noticed between teh 300 and the 350. the 300 does not have a USB.

This and the hoop size I think is the most important parts so that you don't limit yourself and you don't get bored to fast.

I embroider a great deal and generally use a sharp 80/12. It works on most fabrics. If I'm doing a design on a knit, I use a ballpoint 80/12. If the fabric is pretty fine, I use a 70/11. I even use these same needles when doing metallic theads, I just slow the machine down. Hope this works for you. Good luck with your new machine.

I just wasted two hours and spent waaaay too much money ... tempted? Take a look at http://www.urbanthreads.com
Hysterical Sunbonnet designs there too. And don't forget to collect your freebies. Everything is on sale. Have fun ... and don't say I didn't warn you!

Thanks Fab! I will definitely use these this weekend, if I can get unpacking my sewing room :(

Thanks for all the input! DH did suffer a little "sticker shock" when we went to the shop to test drive but then I showed him all of the "expert" advice I got on this thread. You all repeated many of the pointers the shop owner had mentioned, and since you had no financial gain from your recomendations he listened! Janome 350 here we come!

Congratulations Debbie!

SALE NOTICE if you do not (or have not) been to Julia's Needle Designs
they are having an ALL SETS sale for $1 each.

Don't hesitate go see if there is something you might want.

Oh yeah sale ends MAY 27th!

Nice Site!!!!

[QUOTE=DebbieKT; You all repeated many of the pointers the shop owner had mentioned, and since you had no financial gain from your recomendations he listened! Janome 350 here we come![/QUOTE]

I'm glad we could help you out Debbie. It is hard for someone who doesn't use the machines to even think of what all you can do with them and how things like the hoop size and USB/internet connection can make such a big difference. Now you can start having fun collecting designs. Check with your machine because even though mine is a Viking and I normally use VP3 it'll see all designs formats so that really helps. I started out downloading hus formats and then seen a difference in the way they showed up on the screen. I contacted emblibrary.com and they said that hus has limited colors and that's why. VIP and VP3 are the closest to what they use for their designs. If you can always download the colorsheet because that'll really help you out. My dealer/teacher gave me great advice. Most sites will let you re-download your designs more than one time but if they upgrade/change their sites your design might be in the archives and if you don't see it or don't know the name or might forget what site you got it from you'll lose out. I have a separate section that I download all of my orders to and put them into folders. I name my folders orders_companyname. Then I leave a copy of the design in the folder and if it's zipped I leave the zipped folder in it. I have a folder for each company. Then I unzip the files and rename them to make since to me and move them into folders to show what they are; animals, home decor, holidays w/sub folders of the different holidays, etc. This has really helped. I just bought software where I can now start modifying and making designs so I now have folders like JudysDesigns, JudysMonograms, etc. I hope this helps. I'm learning so much here lately as I'm really trying to make sure my embroidery doesn't take a back seat to my sewing. Right now I'm making cutwork tablerunners using the cutwork needles and I'm also making my daughter a mesh beach bag w/applique and embroideried designs on it.
Here are a few sites that I really like. One is Hatched in Africa, I just went to their trunk show and they have great designs that aren't densily stitched. I also like emblibrary.com and my Viking library and I've been googleing a few others but since I haven't stitched out their designs I won't comment on them. Good luck with your new baby.

I have a Janome 10001. I've had it a little over a year, and love using it. I've made a few towels, t-shirts, but no real big projects. It gets easier each time, as you learn the little tricks.

I seen some pop-up pals on a card for designer 1 , just wondering if anyone knows where I can get some on a cd I do not have the designer 1

Embroidery Quilt
 

Here is a embroidery quilt I made to donate to Relay For Life. It is going to be auction off on 6/21/2012.

Beautiful quilt! You can do so much with embroidery.

Yesterday I was so excited to receive my prize for winning the Nancy Zieman Scarf Challenge -- a Babylock Embroidery machine trolley. It is HUGE!

Hello all. I am hoping someone here can point me in the right direction for some help. I received a Singer CE-350 embroidery/sewing machine for Christmas, 2009, so it is less than 3 years old. Once I became accustomed to its idiosyncrasies, it was a lot of fun and I kept it humming. However, on my latest project, a tablecloth for my DDIL, the designs are misaligned. I took it to the store where I bought it February 13, for servicing, explaining carefully what the problem was. The repair guy returned it to the store mid-May, while I was out of town. I paid the regular service fee of $99.95 when I returned May 21.

The repair guy is supposedly an authorized Singer repair person, but all he did was the regular service, cleaning and oiling. He did tell me at one point that he was having trouble figuring out what was wrong with it, but I assumed when he returned it that it would be fixed. The designs are still misaligned, and I am in a quandary. If I take it back to the same guy, will it be gone for another 3 months? Will he fix it this time? Will I have to send it to someplace else? I still have the original box, so shipping shouldn't be a problem, but I'll be without my machine!
I'm attaching a photo of a design done AFTER servicing.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]339055[/ATTACH]

Labug, This is an absolute Beauty! Someone will be real lucky when they get this.

Have you stitched this design out before? It could be the stabilizer. It could also be how it is hooped. What I have been doing is to hoop my stabilizer, spray it with some Sullivans Machine Embroidery Adhesive Spray, lay the item to be stitched on the stabilizer and smooth out, being careful not to stretch it out of shape. This has helped me. Hope it helps.

I totally agree with Laura. I don't really think it's your machine. In machine embroidery stabilizer is the key to a great stitch out. If the stabilizer is too light weight the fabric can draw up especially in designs that have heavily stitched areas or a high stitch count. Your best bet is to use either a heavier stabilizer or more than one layer. Also, my machine has the capability to baste around the design before the embroidery begins. That anchors the fabric and stabilizer together. Also, occasionally I will 'float' a piece of stabilizer under my hoop as a secondary step to ensure that I have enough there to 'stabilize' the fabric for the design. Rule of thumb also, is lightweight fabrics need lower count designs and heavier designs can take a higher or more dense design. HTH

Krystyna;
Doin' the Happy Dance for YOU!!! AWESOME! Enjoy and Congratulations!!

Yesterday I was so excited to receive my prize for winning the Nancy Zieman Scarf Challenge -- a Babylock Embroidery machine trolley. It is HUGE![/QUOTE]