The problem is with machines like mine (Janome 350 )where the screen is not too clear and you never know where it will sew first....I need to make a lot of guessing....I can,t use the colors that are recommended since I don,t have them.....but somehow the final results are always very good........ I once changed all the colors to another theme and it came out great.....after all its about fun...

Since you all were so generous in answering my last two questions, I can't resist asking you another one (maybe two): How does one embroidered on velvet? Does anything change if the velvet is stretchy?

I've committed (gulp) to making Christmas stockings for my first two grands, both born in the last 4 months. My (probably unrealistic) goal is to make them lovely enough to serve these little guys for their entire lives.

Many thanks in advance for your much-needed and much-appreciated advice!!!

Sushi you need to put a Fusible No Show Mesh Stabilizer or iron on interfacing on the back of velvet first. Make sure that the straight of grain of the velvet and the straight of grain of the interfacing are going the opposite of each other This is so the velvet doesn't stretch out of shape. You still have to use the stabilizer for the embroidery. This works for all fabrics that are stretchy. The Fusible No Show Mesh doesn't have any stretch it's a embroider Stabilizer you buy at a quilt/ embroidery machine shop. Hope this helps you.

I use the sticky stabilizer in my hoop--do not hoop the velvet as it will leave marks. Press the velvet fabric to the sticky...Then you must use the wash-a-way stabilizer on top so the stitching will sit on the 'plush' and not sink into nap. Ore you can use bridal tulle on top if you have it, but the 'W-A-S' is my preference. You can remove most of it before rubbing the rest away with a damp wash cloth.
I would never iron onto velvet!

JuanitaBean, love the Sunbonnet quilt! I have used those designs for monthly kitchen towels. They are a little wrinkled because they are several years old. but you get the idea - these are October and November.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]560446[/ATTACH]

Maggie Sue, I agree that it can be hard to find. I have it listed as one of my "subscribed threads" (I think I did it using those thread tools at top of main page or somewhere) and I can go there and check to see if anyone has posted lately.

Rennie love your towels. They were one of the first Embroidery designs I did Love them

Rennie, They are wonderful..I love them too...very cute...

Thanks for the tip about putting grain lines in opposite directions, Juanita Bean. Makes perfect sense, but I never heard that before.

OK, I've hooped (using the hoop size called for in the design I purchased) my minky, complete with polymesh underneath and WSS above, threaded both needle and bobbin of my Bernina 635, started sewing the design ... but I keep getting a "!" message on the screen after the first ~85 stitches. The manual says that "!" means the user is supposed to do something ... but it doesn't tell you what and I haven't a clue. I've pressed OK just to find out what would happen, and it starts sewing the design over again from the beginning, stopping in exactly the same place and giving me exactly the same message. Any suggestions?

Could you need a stabilizer other than the mesh? Slide a piece of tearaway or cutaway under the hoop and test. I'm not familiar w/Bernina, but if the design is too large for the hoop or a stitch is outside the margin, my Brother machines will not accept the hoop size and force a larger hoop--unless the design stitch is removed. Sometimes that happens with digitizing that a stitch goes astray.

Sorry sushi...I can only simpatize...I had a similar problem with two designs ...the janome 350e was getting crazy when I connected the USB stating that " there is not enough memory...." ..... It was so ennoying...I had arased all the other designs from the USB and was still getting the same message.....I even bough a new USB...and nothing....
Next time I had the same problem I just did send the file to the embrilliance support and they were wonderful....she did send me a foto showing me how exactlly my design was too big for my hoop.....
As it came out The hoop that I had picked up for the design, was incorrect...... They even recomended me which hoop to use for this design.... And it worked !!!!...... .... .....if I were you, I would put this design aside for few days.....and do something else......sometimes it help to get away from something that causes problems...... ....Good luck....

Mermaid I did download the Wings my editor finally on my toshiba laptop that runs on windows....from first look it does seem wonderful but I believe it won,t convert an image into embroidery file... ....or am I wrong??? I don,t want to go into serious sifisticating degitizing...but simple things would be nice to convert to embroidery....
I couldn,t suceed to download the pulse ambassador........ Not sure why but it didn,t let me download it....
Anyway...I have the essencials and enthusiast from embrilliance but they also won,t convert an image to embroidery stitch.......
.......

I am soooo glad I found this thread.I have been thinking about the Brother PE770 machine.If anyone has one please tell me what you think. I would have to order online but have already checked the return policy. Hope I can find smoe answers here to help make up my mind. Dee

Deeleigh, I have a PE770 and really like it. The only thing I don't like is the design details are hard to make out on the screen. If you have several similar designs, it's hard to tell which one you want. I generally have to look at the stitch count to make sure I have the right design. I would also like to have a larger hoop but this is good for most designs. Another problem I have and I'm not sure if it's the machine or not but it won't read all the designs on my USB's. If I have 10 designs loaded, it may only see six. Not sure if it's the USB's or the machine. The USB's are all different brands though.

..make sure its the one that you can use with USB....makes life easier..... Some of these machines come without the option of USB......... You may also check the Janome350e.... I am very happy with mine....good luck

They don,t recomend to store many designs on the USB....since the memory of the machine is not all that big as the USB,s..... Yoy save and store them on your computer ....

Ania is exactly correct...the machine has a maximum stitch memory..it is the stitches of the design that it's memory is reading..not how many designs. So it is not a good idea to put more than a few designs at a time on the USB drive.

No, Editor does not convert jpg to emb stitches...tho there are some software programs ( expensive) that do. If you want to learn to digitize, sophiesew has a free program and also has free tutorial videos. Go to sophiesew.com/ss2/the-software I don't know of any free image conversion software. But the video tutes should be great help.
Re Pulse Ambassador...I don't know why you couldn't d/l either unless your anti virus was the culprit. Try http://cindysembroiderydesigns.com/ambassador.html and see if you can access from there.

Machines have a maximum stitch count per design, they don't add up the total stitches of all designs on a USB. I have three Janome machines, and my BFF has a Brother Designio and a Janome. We have no problems with having many designs on a USB, we have USBs as big as 8G. If you have a problem with the machine not reading all the designs on the USB, keep scrolling forward. Sometimes there's a blank page in between pages of designs on the USB as the machine will read all the designs for each size hoop separately. The machines' memory has nothing to do with what's stored on the USB unless you move the design into the machine memory.
Another thing I do is if I'm going to stitch out a whole set of designs is I'll copy the whole folder onto my USB instead of copying the designs one at a time to the EMBF folder. I've been told by the teacher at my dealer and by Janome that you can't do this but it can be done. I did it by accident the first time, and it worked in the machine so I've got multiple folders now on all my USBs, it saves time looking for designs.

Cari

None of the designs I've loaded have more than approx. 20K stitches each so that shouldn't be a problem. Even with 10 or 12 designs on a 8GB USB or larger there is plenty of room. I'll check to see if there is a blank space between designs but I don't think there is. I agree with Cari-in-oly that it my Brother will read designs in a folder. I found it by accident too. I just don't remember what I did.

Mermaid..thank you so much again....no one has extra time to sit in here and check if maybe someone needs some help...but its a fact that all these tips that we are getting from the great people in here ( like you ) that do take the time and effort to answer....make this place to be so wonderful..
Always new suggestions, new windows and new horrizons.....
I am not sure if I will really get deep into the digitizing...its very confusing ( all theese threads running on the screen....lol) but I am going to try.....( old dog learning new tips )....
i am going to check this link that you had mention.....and thanks again......

Has anyone had a problem with design sizes stitching out larger than Emblibrary says they will? I purchased a design that they say measures 123.0mm x 162.1mm. My mega hoop can handle up to 150mm x 400mm, so I thought everything would be fine. But when I loaded it on my Bernina, the screen said the size of the design was 310mm x 328mm. No wonder I couldn't get it to stitch out!!!

I'm sending a question about this to Emblibrary. If they answer, I'll forward it to y'all if you're interested.

Thank you again and again and again for trying to help me get going. It's a long, slow learning curve!

Sushi....

Yes...I bough designs that were too big for my modest hoops to handle....( it was when I started with the embroidery machine ).....I wrote to them and they were very nice about it......they exchanged them for me.....they are very friendly....I don,t think you will have any problems with them....they will exchange it for you....Good luck

Embroidery Library usually offers 2 to 4 sizes on the designs. Could you have ordered the wrong size by accident. They are very good about responding to your questions/concerns and quick to right things. I have never had problems with the sizes though.

sushi, when sewing on anything with a nap that you want to stand up as in terry towel ,velvet along with the bottom stabilizer, which sticky back is great if you don't want to hoop it, but by putting a layer on top of the fabric as well will keep the nap of the velvet from misbehaving. Go to embroiderylibrary.com and they have videos on emb on velvet. Good luck, may also need to changed out needle.

start with taking online classes/videos. I think Craftsy used to have at least one emb class and most sites have tutorials, like emblibaray.com, Viking has lots of videos and so does youtube. search youtube for your machine and they'll probably have one or at least enough videos that you can use it. I have Diamond Deluxe and it is very user friendly

Maybe you clicked on the wrong format, it was my understanding that what format that is chosen decides what sizes are displayed for you to chose from. I have different Vikings and they take different formats, if I chose an older version it won't show me the extensions that are for the later models of machines that I have. Mine are VIP, HUS and VP3,

Sushi, I bet Emblibrary will be able to help you. I find they have great and fast customer service. I am always amazed when I contact them on the weekend they respond within hours!

Emblibrary has indeed been very responsive. Unfortunately we still can find the problem. They sent me a fresh copy of the design and I downloaded it onto a brand new jump drive. But when I put it into my machine, it still gave me really weird (and unusable) sizing. (Along the way, we established that it had nothing to do with my having chosen the wrong size design.) Something must be happening between their files, my computer, and my sewing/embroidery machine. UGH!

Sushi...i found there are some threads about MINKY problems in general...under the main section in here...

Thanks, ania. They may be helpful. Now if I can just get the sizes right!

Sushi..
its like the seam ripper...(becomes our best friend)...continue digging and you will get there....
Good luck....

I love this thread. I have an Ellisimo upgraded to a II. It took me a few "years" to learn how to use it. But now that I know mostly how to use my machine I really love embroidery. I've made a lot of in the hoop projects and recently used a design to quilt a whole quilt. To those of you just starting please be patient with yourself and just keep trying. I have been self taught and am now very happy with my results. And yes folks this is quilting! Just another way of using a machine to enjoy what we do.

I wonder if any of you ever embroider the split desin?? I have just learnt that there are two ways to do it...one is with a special hoop ) which I don,t have ) and the other is in rehooping.....
........
I have the modest Janome 350e for two years now and we are developing very good relationship after a real struggle when it first arrived....so Ronda is right.....it does take some time...
so eone told me that the big hule fir this machine is a waste of time...I wonder if anyone here has it and use it with this machine....??? It would be nice to make a baby quilt with just one big design in the center.... ( we have two new nephews on their way.....LOL )

Y'all are the best. Thank you for your support!

Yesterday I spent over an hour working with the embroidery teacher at the Bernina store where I bought my machine. She tried everything, eventually loading the design into her computer to see if she could find a problem using her Bernina embroidery software.

Alas the design was perfect - but it didn't look at all like what my machine was trying to stitch. AHA! Turns out you can't use the mega-hoop on my level of machine without processing the design through the software in order to break the design into three sections (top, middle, and bottom). So in order to make my $160 hoop work, I had to buy a $250 package of embroidery software, PLUS a PC computer 'cuz the software won't run on a Mac. GRRRRRRRRRRR!

Given that my goal is to make Christmas stockings for my two grandchildren, I'd been spending north of $500 (plus the cost of fabric, stabilizers, and thread). Something tells me I'd be a whole lot better off commissioning them on Etsy - or just using the regular size hoop and re-hooping.

What bothers me the most is that nowhere in the sales literature or in the mega hoop manual does it EVER tell you that you need the software. (In fact, software is never mentioned.) I think that's downright UNETHICAL on Bernina's part!

Thanks again for your patience and support!

Oh, I am so sorry! It looks like you got your Xmas early. It's too bad they don't give better information with products. It is so easy for a novice to think a machine that embroiders 4x4 designs will make bigger designs with a bigger hoop. There is little understanding that the MACHINE is programmed to only stitch that size. Of course, a larger design can be split and stitched in stages. That is what you will be doing now with your new, expensive "set up". I imagine I would not have been a happy camper, either. A new PC also! Ouch.

Sushi.....sound like it really stink.....
The whole huge hoop idea.......and I was wondering if to buy one.....
Thank you so much for posting it......you are my life saver and my pocket as well......
This is in my realistic point view ( I live far away from everything....)
From the pissitive point of view.....Congratulation !!!!! Now that you know where the problem is, you will be able to do soooo many wonderful things...... ... And its Xmes...so, like mermaid wrote...it came early to your door....ENJOY.....
.......
As for the computers...... I also realize I cannot just give up on my Toshiba laptop with the windows in it.......paint brush and SewArt and all the digitizing programs that mermaid mention, they are all running with windows .....
.... And just to think that I was so dummy to think that the Mac will make my life easier..... ..... ......
Anyway....have fun...
You did win this one....LOL

Ania,

It warms my heart to think that I have helped you in some small way. You are so very generous with your help on this board!

Sushi....thanks for the complements..... This board is very important to me since I am so very far away from everything... I did get plenty of help in here where I first started to quilt...the people here are wonderful.... ..
Have fun with your new toys now....