Jupiter

Super good! I'm glad the right guy was there when you needed him. Happy embroidering (is that a real word? )...

hugs, Jupiter

Jupiter

I spent all day yesterday in my studio, and now I have 4 sets of 6 blocks (plus #7 block to keep) all hanging on my design wall. Guess I got a little bit excited, lol! Oh what will I do between now and November?

hugs, Jup

QuilterMomma

Find another swap to do.

Jupiter

I've been considering getting an embroidery machine. I would like to ask you a question about the leaf and skunk blocks you just did. How did the fabric get in the middle? I mean, did you stitch its outline and trim to size before you satin stitched around it, or did you satin stitch through the fabric and then trim it out afterwards? And if you did trim it out afterwards, you sure did a nice job of it. I don't see any little hairy snags along the edges.

I've been shopping online for an embroidery machine... looking for a middle of the road model that would both be fun to use and fairly easy on the checkbook. I am leaning toward the Brother PE770. Do any of you have that model or can make a recommendation on it? I can buy that one with lots of extra hoops and thread and design cds for under $1000 from mrvacandmrssew.com.

I am probably talking way too much here and should be in a chat room, but several of you seem to be into embroidery, so I thought this would be a great chance to ask people who actually use their embroidery machines.

Thanks!

hugs, Jupiter :thumbup:


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QuilterMomma

Ok Jupiter, I am a spoiled Bernina owner. I only have a 165, it is older, but works great. My suggestion would be to find an older Bernina on ebay with a program. I also have a Viking embroidery Iris that I would be glad to sell you for $500 + shipping. I like it, but I love my Bernina and I have the software for my Bernina attached into my computer and have gotten used to using it. Let me know on that. I have not used any other machine for embroidery except these two so I could not tell you about the Brother, but I do know from listening and reading comments, that you either get a good one or you don't. If you want a good one, you will need to pay for it.

JudyG

Jupiter, I have had 3 Brother machines and loved them all. At the moment I still have 2, but I am also going to buy the PE770 to have at our home in Arizona. All the reviews I have read on this machine have been great and I don't think you can go wrong with it. Since I already have a ton of thread and stabilizers and such, I won't be buying anything extra except for the larger 5x12 hoop. If you've never had an embroidery machine and don't have any of that stuff, that Grand Slam package (or whatever it's called) looks like a good deal. I don't think you'll be sorry if you buy this machine.

moonrise

Here's a link to that particular pattern:

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/Product...roductID=Y3655

And here's a link to the instructions for applique embroidery:

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elproje...oductID=PR1129

In a nutshell, the pattern includes a separate dieline (outline) for the skunk fabric. You sew that dieline first onto paper or stabilizer, and use it as your pattern for cutting the skunk fabric.

Then you load up your background fabric and stabilizer like normal, and start appliqueing. When it's time to add the skunk fabric, the machine will sew the dieline of the skunk so you can position the skunk fabric in place. You can use spray adhesive to stick it down temporarily. I personally just use a tiny, tiny smear of Elmer's glue along the inside edges ... not enough to soak through the fabric. The machine will tack down the skunk fabric, and then will go back and sew it down permanently.

It comes out very precise and neat-looking! 8-)

My machine is a Brother SE-400. DH got it for me in May for my birthday. LOVE it! :thumbup: It was under $400, and is a combination embroidery machine and sewing machine. It has a USB cord that connects right to the computer. The only drawback is that it only has a 4" hoop, but so far I haven't felt limited. It has a bunch of built-in patterns, which is nice, but there are literally thousands of patterns available online. :)

Aully

Hello,
Can the blocks be 12.5" by 12.5"? I am a newbie so that is the only size I am familiar with making.

I do not have an embroidery machine, so I would just make easy blocks.

Do the block fabrics all need to be the same or just the same block?

Do you accept international quilters? We do not have SASE for Canadians but I could send you payment by Paypal for return shipping.

Thanks!

Jupiter

I got the nicest surprize today. I was out with a quilter friend, and I mentioned that I was considering buying an embroidery machine, and she offered to loan hers to me! I didn't even know she had one. She bought in in 2001, then got into a huge illness with lots of hospitalization and recovery time. Long and short of it is that she has only used it once or twice ever!

So later in the day she mentioned she wanted to learn to make bread. I said I though you just threw flour and yeast into the machine and it come out bread in the morning.

Yup, we are swapping machines for a month or two, to see if we'd really like to own one. Great to have friends with toys!

I am now in custody of a nearly brand new 2001 Baby Lock ESe-2 esante'. It even has video instructions...VHS, so not really worth much because we don't have a VHS machine. I will be reading the instruction manual, and hopefully enjoying the playtime!

hugs, Jup

QuilterMomma

OH YOU HAVE FUN NOW YA HEAR.