Happy Holidays!!

I hope everyone enjoys the festivities with family and friends if that is how you are planning on spending the holidays. I wish you more in the coming New Year also.

I know, I myself have a lot of big plans, hopefully to become realities.

Making Embroidered Patches

My Brother-In-Law belongs to an American Legion group called the Legion Riders http://www.legion.org/legionriders/ I have made a few patches for them in Memory of lost riders.

Also a special request from him for this patch, his nickname

Special note about this patch-this was not the finished patch, this one is pretty wrinkled, and not stitched out on the actual fabric used, this was a sample sent to him to show the general idea and to get approval for the design itself.

Another special request from a member,

The way that I make patches is to digitize the inside design. My digitizing of lettering has greatly improved due to lessons free and purchased from Carin Sharon at http://www.heavenly-inspirations.com/ great teacher!

Even though I have several fonts that I purchased to use in Embird, once I reduce the lettering to fit inside of a patch it looks pretty horrible without some additional parameter adjustments.

I stitch out the finished designs on a twill/denim fabric then do the outer border. I do it this way so that the outer border won't get distorted. If you stitch the border first then do the design it tends to distort it. I also use a cut-away stabilizer.

Once the design is done I then iron on HeatnBond Ultrahold, following the instructions on the package. (I do not cut the jump stitches on the back, and I also leave the cut-away in place to add more body) Once it has cooled I then trim around the patch as close as I can with scissors, making sure to not cut any of the satin stitches around the outside. Then just peel and remove the paper backing from the HeatnBond.

My experience with patches over the years from many school and scout events is that they don't stay on just by ironing them on. I have always stitched them down, there is also a special glue you can use to put patches on so you can apply them to items that you can't iron, I have never tried that option so I don't have any words of wisdom on its use.

Another Monday and No School Due to the Weather

We have gotten a lot of snow! I was out driving (playing) in it today, I have to keep telling my 16 yr old son that hasn't gotten his license yet that he is suppose to drive like I say, not like I do! How many times have I heard this from my own Mother in regards to other things, lol.

I don't feel like I have accomplished anything creatively today. I decided to pull out my "old" QuickBooks Pro 2001 version and install it on my computer. My plan had been to use it to track stuff I list and sell on eBay (feeBay?) and PayPal fees and some other items if I ever get that idea going. I would like to actually see what I am spending and what I am making using eBay.

After loading everything it said I needed to register it, ok, I have all the numbers so no problem, so I thought, wrong. Had to call their help line, of course I had a hard time understanding the person I was talking to. I was asking about an upgrade, well there are quite a few upgrades in between I imagine, the lady said I could upgrade to 2008 version for a little bit of money, lol. It is always a little bit of money until I have to pay that bill.

I went ahead and purchased the upgrade and installed it, they are sending me a CD and a manual to go with it so I can install it on another computer if I need to. I then discovered that eBay can import my stuff into QuickBooks, great, went through all the steps and it said my stuff was imported. Ok, but I haven't figured out where in QB it is? Grrrrr

I did get my check book balanced in QB, to bad I already had it balanced in my checkbook register. Oh well tomorrow is another day.

I am feeling creative now, tired of the business side working all day. Think I will go sew something, or maybe take care of the laundry that is sitting in the baskets, or unload the dishwasher and re-load it. Kids being home, stuff sure does add up fast!

Stay warm and safe.

We Have Snow!

Wow! Do we have snow or what! It is great and I love it, again, that is as long as I don't have to get out and drive in it, lol. Youngest DD went out and shoveled off our back deck so our 2 dogs, Max and Molly can make it out to the yard easier, a Beagle and Rat Terrier kind of get lost in this much snow. DH thought he would go out and run the snow blower in the driveway, did part of the driveway but when he tried to get his Mustang moved he ended up backing it up on top of a snow drift and getting it stuck, lol. I went out to help and he hooked the truck up to the car and I pulled him off of the snow drift. If he gets called to work today I will probably be taking him.

Getting a lot of digitizing done, some test stitching also. Working on a set of 15 Button and Bows ClipArt Designs that I purchased from http://www.clipartopolis.com/

I am digitizing each design in 3 sizes, 2x2, 4x4 and 5x7. I was experimenting with doing a fringe border around the buttons, but decided I didn't like it that much.

Worked on stitching out a lighted compact insert design that I purchased from http://www.embroiderygarden.com/ She has a special going on right now so check it out, great deal! I purchased 5 of the compacts which seem to be a hot item right now. Also the pattern to make the fabric pouch to store it in so it doesn't get scratched up. These are very cute and easy to make! I plan on keeping this one for myself, and the other four will go to family members for x-mas. Of course I had to make one for myself first to see how the designs stitched out ;-)

Wednesday Evening

What a smart baby! Only 17 months old and already reading the paper! Actually my Grandson loves to tear it up, he might stop for a moment to check out the pictures but then it is crinkle time!

I have been really busy the last couple of days. Started up a Yahoo group to share some of my digitized Machine Embroidery Designs and there has been a lot of activity in doing that.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SewitchStitching/

I was almost overwhelmed by the response but it has slowed down now. I wondered if I should have just posted my designs to someone else's group, it is always a hassle belonging to so many groups. I know I have had to go through and leave some of the ones I belonged to. I feel bad when I do that and I try to let the group owner know that it isn't anything personal, just have to cut down on my daily messages. I do have my settings on most groups set to Daily Digest, but I still get a lot of messages. Sometimes it is hard to wade through all the ads just to find the stuff of interest, but the group owners are working on making that easier for their members.

I may in the future just add my designs to someone else's group, with their permission of course, lol. The most popular designs that everyone was interested in were my Fringe Button ones. I have others in the works and am waiting for a shipment of other Hair Accessories that I want to digitize designs for.

Should I continue giving away my designs or sell them? Big Debate going on in my mind. I enjoy sharing but hey we all could use a little money, right?

I did get some digitizing done today in between cleaning house, doing the laundry and fixing the roof. Yes I said fixing the roof. There is a part of the roof where 2 of them come together at the corner of the garage. With all the freezing rain and snow and the gutter running along there, a ice dam built up and pushed back up into an opening in there. Today the temp got up close to 40° so a lot of the snow and ice was melting and I was able to get up there with a tube of roofing cement and pack that messy stuff up in there. It looked as if there had been something there before but it had wore out. I am hoping this will take care of the water leaking into my garage. I am not hoping for more snow and freezing rain though to see!

Everyone stay safe and warm!

Monday

Well it is Monday, thought the kids would be back in school. Nope, ice on everything! First a 2 hour delay that flashed across the TV last night, then again this morning until finally they decided to just cancel school altogether. Kids are happy, me too I don't have to get out and drive in this stuff!

In Memory of my older Brother Jeff, who passed away on April 22, 2007 he was only 46. Gone but not forgotten, there is a hole in our hearts. His pain and suffering has ended and he is now with the Angels and my Grandfather in heaven. We miss you.

I digitized this photo in Embird using Sfumato Stitch, framed it and we displayed it at his Memorial Service.

Smocked Insert/My First Smocked Outfit For DGS

Embroidered Button Ponytail Holders

My lastest playing around in Embird, fringed button ponytail holders. Center embroidery design is from Embroidery Library, fringe was digitized by me.

I need to make the holding stitches wider I think to make it look better. Also need to stitch it out on fabric and use a cut away stabilizer to give it more body.

Christmas designs I digitized for the fabric covered buttons, very happy with the fringe now, these are #60 Buttons.