I got my UFO done today. Pattern is from Designs by juju. I love her designs and prices.

Juanita....its such a cute quilt....really very very nice....Great job....I am not familiar with the site you mention but I am sure going to check it...you really inspired me with this quilt....

I used a wash away stabilizer, make sure the bobbin thread matches the top thread. I would not use a design that is dense in stitches.

Wow, this is a great thread! I have a Brother Dream Machine, a Babylock Ellisimo Gold II. I use the DIME Professional Embroidery Suite, Embrillance Essentials (lettering is fantastic with this one). I have been embroidering since 1992. Love it! Recently I learned how to embroider on toilet paper. For some reason I can't seem to upload a picture ! Will try later on my PC, it may be the iPad being weird again!

Yes the embrilliance is fantastuc in many aspects but it won,t convert a format ...when I was using the paint brush, I had more posibilities when it comes to converting ( in my case its JEF).... But Mac doesn,t have paint brush..so I bough the essentials and the enthusiast ( bith from embrilliance) and I was told that I need to buy the whole program if I want to convert......its very expensive and I am just not sure hiw far I want to get....I am embroudering for fun and myself........IF and when I will buy the rest of embrilliance it will be for the challenge of keeping learning something new......( like we wrote with quilting goat above in here) right now I still don,l know if I can split a design....and if I can,t so may be I will ned a whole new machine....its endless.......I do envy you for having these wonderful expensive machines......They do not carry them in here.....so even if and when I will buy one ( I was considering seriously the dream weaver.....its a wonderful machine) ....I will have no where to take it for a service...or if somethung will go wrong with it.....its too much money just to risk......
............thank you for the tip about the thread......

Minky really isn't any harder to embroider on than fleece. Just make sure you don't stretch it when hooping. I use poly mesh for a light design and float a tear away for a more dense design. Use a wss on top to keep the stitches from sinking, and if you're doing lettering a wider font is preferred.

Cari

Ania I don't think I've used any of the built in designs except for letters so I don't really know. Loops can be caused by a number of things. Sticky stabilizer gumming up the needle, wrong tension, threads getting caught somewhere, wrong stabilizer for the fabric, sometimes it's a mystery. I can't say I've ever had a real problem like that. I do get an occasional loop with all of my machines, I'm sure everyone does. Slowing the machine down and using a thread stand can help with a lot of issues. Embroidery Library does have beautiful designs but I find a lot of them are pretty dense so I'll use a thinner 60wt thread, or I'll enlarge the design by 5% in the machine. That helps with the density.
Also, Wilcom True Sizer is a free program that will change formats for you.

Cari

[QUOTE=Cari-in-Oly;7676052]Minky really isn't any harder to embroider on than fleece. Just make sure you don't stretch it when hooping. I use poly mesh for a light design and float a tear away for a more dense design. Use a wss on top to keep the stitches from sinking, and if you're doing lettering a wider font is preferred.

Cari-in-Oly: Thanks for your help. Will you please explain what you mean by "float a tear away"?

I understand poly mesh for a light design, and I understand using water-soluble stabilizer to keep the stitches from sinking (like you would with terry cloth).

Once you have the project in the hoop and the hoop attached to the machine, you slide another piece of stabilizer under the hoop. Once the first few stitches are sewn it won't slip.

Cari

Cari, thank you so much for the helpful information....I will sure try to get this Wilcom True sizer...I didn,t even know about its existance....Thanks again....and keep posting so they won,t let this thrad desappered again.....

Sushi....did you try to use the knocking stitching ???? .....

Really? Amazing! Thank you for explaining!!!

I saw the babylock machines at the sewing store in that little strip mall on kitzke near plumb lane. Sew and Such , I think is the name of it. It is right by the Franktown corner car wash with the tall spiral roof and tandy leather.

Embrillance will save as to any format you want to use. That converts it.

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power...I love my embriliance but I bought only he essential and the enthusiast and they don,t convert.... I am relatively new to Mac as well so I really don,t want to go back to window.... I will have to think if to buy the rest of of embrilliance program ( which is expensive for me since I do it all for fun only ) or go back to window and download the willow (which I know is awesome program as well )..... Thank you..... so many toys and possibilities.....and all the learning curves....LOL

I want to thank you all for the great information.

Here are some Advent Stockings I made for my youngest DGD. I combined an in-the-hoop stocking design from Newfound Applique with Itty Bitty Christmas Stamps from Designs by JuJu. I use a free version of SewWhat-Pro to merge the designs.

A few more questions for y'all as I venture into the world of machine embroidery:

1. What do you do when the design you've downloaded specifies colors that don't have equivalents in your brand of thread? (For instance, what thread I own is Isacord. The design I want to use specifies Madiera, and only about 1/2 the colors have corresponding equivalents in Isacord.)

2. Can you mix brands of thread in one design? Can you mix rayon with polyester?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

I mix threads all the time. I don't have a large selection so I choose the color closest to what they recommend. I also change the colors completely from what the design shows if I like the design but not the color combo. So far, I haven't had a problem. I'm sure some of them are rayon and some are polyester.

DJ they are awesome.....!!!! Good job !!

....First of all I will sit and cry...then I will get angry and frustrated.....in the third step I will try to run a fast quick design where I would mix the colors....(different kind)....and check to see how it works....
Good luck.....start step 1 (crying ) .....and please don,t forget to post about the results....Most of us in here are in the learning process...(me included)
....

Anita, Tajima's Pulse Ambassador is free, easy to use, changes formats and thread colors--does sew ribbon (shows stitch out)---prints actual size w/ info re how much thread top & bottom.
Wings My Editor is free, changes formats, colors, edits (cut away design parts you don't want, resizes, rotates, and merges. I have both these for many yrs ..and have been very pleased. I understand you can even digitize with Editor, tho I have not tried. No need to pay for conversion software. The best money I ever spent was for Embrilliance Thumbnailer to have images of my designs --hover mouse over design to see size in cm and inches, # of thread colors, & # of stitches .it works in Windows and in Mac. Wonderful company gives personal help if needed and usually the same day.

mermaid...Thank you so much....SOOOOOOOOOOO much.....I did,t even know about their existence.....

DJ like your Christmas stamps Great job. I LOVE JUJU designs.

sushi I mix all my threads not sure if that is good but it what I do.

I don't know what machine you have but when I had my Designer 1, I bought light, medium and dark of all my thread. that just get me started with small thing. If your in to larger designs you will need more colors. where ever you buy your thread try to get a color chart from them. HAVE FUN and GOOD LUCK

if you choose My Editor, feel free to ask me questions..it can look daunting at first, and there is long long manual, but once you get the hang of it, you will like it, I'm sure.

Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread alive. Working on embroidery design right now will try to post when I get it finished!!!!

Mermaid, thank you so much....
I will sure check into it....
And first if all I will need to fix my laptop that has windows ...since I had switched to Mac....
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It will take me a while but I will sure let yoy know....... Just to think that there are free options, makes me so happy......HUGS.....

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We will be waiting...hurry up...and when I will succeed to fix my old laptop with the windows ...I will probablly be able to post in here again.......

I have a 770QE. Bernina. I did not get the embroidery feature but can add it, which many have encouraged me to do. Will love reading how you guys all use them, if it is a worthwhile addition....

its a great toy but does have a learning curve....Your machine is probably very sophisticated with advance software..make sure to get some good classes of how to use it so you won,t get frustrated....
or consider starting on a small modest machine first......
enjoinment is guarantee once you are into it..... ....

Ania & JuanitaBean~ Thanks!

BTW ... Designs by JUJU has all sets and fonts on sale this weekend.

yes...TRhank as well.....I had already took care of this site...JUJU wonderful

Mine is a cheap Brother with a 4 in only design. Ive had a lot of fun with it. Made a table topper with leaf designs in the 6 in sqs. Have a bunch of sqs done with round designs in them. Did a bunch of teddy bears designs and mother goose for kids quilts. Now I want a embroidery machine that I can quilt a layered quilt with. Would like to put a design in a quilt with 12 in blocks.

Rose Marie....This is the right spirit.....you are in the right place....check if you can post a pic....Have a great day making lots of fun projects

I had my machine 2 years before I ever used the embroidery module. Now I use it more than any other feature of my machines. It's very addictive!

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its more than addictive....I realize you really need to use your brain while working with it....I was so intimidated at first....and now I am even trying to digitize....it makes me feel young again....lol...

I've been using Isacord for about 15 years and love it, so I won't switch threads (not to mention the size of my thread stash.)

I print out every conversion chart I find, but have the same problem. One website that sells Isacord has a chart with lots of matches and some marked "exact match." Many are not even close!

If your printer has fairly accurate color, you're better off printing the picture and making your own color choice.

I agree with AnnieQuilts, print and try to match colors yourself, I do this too!!

I mix brands of thread all the time. And, I usually make my own color choices, not what the design calls for.