Defying gravity!

There are days when I'm dangerous and should not touch anything. That's what happened already this morning, and it's only 6 AM. 

I saw a tiny spot that needed touching up on what I did yesterday. So I got things set up and pressed START, forgetting that I needed to check where it was stitching first. Like, how silly to trust everything to line up on its own? 

Now I have some fixing to do, but it can and will be done. I'm going to finish the rest of the stitching and then go back and do the repair. But seriously? I know better! My brain wasn't quite awake, I suppose. 

Remember yesterday, when I said I liked this pattern from Sew Fresh Quilts but couldn't find it? That's because she is still writing the pattern! That makes perfect sense. Now I can go ahead and place my order and get that one when it's published. I think it would make a great sew-along! 

Down on the Farm by Sew Fresh Quilts (in progress)

 

This is how stiff my linen was after using the Stiffy product! It was almost like cardboard, but the stitching is coming out just beautifully! Even the little area that I thought was going to cause trouble because it sort of bubbled up? It's gone! 

My stiff linen

And if you can't find Stiffy, remember that if you are a machine embroiderer or know one, they always have loads of leftover water-soluble bits. Dissolve that in water, and it becomes a paste that can be used to stiffen fabric. Actually, you don't want a paste; you want it to be a bit more liquid than that. I don't have a formula - I would go by look. 

I am using the Husqvarna Viking Mega Turnable Hoop with a stitching area of 450 mm by 450 mm. Let me say that I quickly moved everything off the table in front of the embroidery machine. Given the fabric's stiffness, I didn't want anything in the way.  

I need a lot of room for stitching that stiff fabric.

We don't know where the future of machine embroidery is going, but personally, I would say they have reached the limit on how big to make the hoops. While they will likely attempt to make the machines bigger to accommodate larger hoops, this one is a challenge to find space to hoop and then to stitch out with all your fabric attached. 

However, I will say that having to hoop the fabric ONCE, instead of four or more times, is brilliant! 

Let's see where they go - that decision is probably already in the books, but make the machine smarter. While mine is very smart, I need one that reminds me to check the placement every time! I'm so silly!!! I know better, but I'm over it - the mistake can be fixed. 

But see what I mean about needing space? 

You need a lot of space.

And when you trim the jump stitches on the back, you need a spot to put the hoop. Oh yes - trimming the jump stitches as you go is equally important. I'm very proud of how this looks on the back as well. It's turning out beautifully. YES -- if the back is going to be visible, then it needs to look impeccable. 

You need space to trim the jump stitches.

It was a huge design with 180,983 stitches, and it took all day to complete. I had to trim threads and wind bobbins, which slowed the process down. I left the machine running while I ran errands, and I swear the bobbin ran out the minute I went out the door! 

That's a lot of stitches.

However, it is stunning, minus the one little spot that I touched! I'm only going to give you this as a sneak peek, and I'll share when it's done. And you can see that little bubble in the center, but it went away. That happens often when you are stitching/quilting anything, and you do the outside first and then the inside. See - the more you do, the more you know! 

A close-up of the stitching

I'm also trying to keep the space super clean. By space, I mean Studio B, so when I am finished with something, it gets put away. Trimmed threads in the garbage, supplies put away, etc. It makes it much easier to do things when nothing is in the way. I desperately need to sweep the floor, though. 

The cutting table is mostly clear.

And all that stuff on the right-hand side? That's the stuff I hope to tackle before we leave in one week. Actually, there are still eight days!!! You can do a lot in eight days!

As for my large design, there are two more hoopings to do, but each one is only 45,000 stitches, so it will take some time to position the designs in the hoop. I had to make a couple of slight changes (3-degree rotations) to two of the sections before I was happy this morning. All I have to do now is to float the fabric and place the design. WITH the design placement tools. This time, I won't forget. 

Hey -- it was a simple little fix that I did, but I forgot that the design on the second half of the hoop had been moved ever so slightly. That was my mistake—again—why is it always my mistake? Fix it and move on! No one will know!

Speaking of sweeping the floor, I spotted this this morning. Good grief - how can that pin be leaning like that? OH -- a spider web!!! Despite my little piece I finished the other day, I am NOT afraid of spiders. 

A pin defying gravity!

So while the embroidery machine was working away, I was sewing on the other machine. I was switching between stitches and presser feet, and I totally forgot to change the stitch, and bang - I broke a needle. I'm not in a rush; I just didn't change the stitch when I changed the foot. I haven't done that in a long time. 

Ooops!!!!

See what happened when I tried to keep that second able clear? I moved the seger to the floor - it really should go under the table to be totally out of the way. I took the samples I want to work on when I'm back and piled them up, but with the vibrations from the tables (YES - I need to get those new tables installed), they fell to the floor. ACK!!!!!

My stitch samples later fell to the floor. 

BUT - the good news is that I finished two more pieces yesterday. I wrote out a list of what I want to accomplish, and there were 12 items on it. I finished one more after that list was made, and now there are 11. Can I make it? I doubt it, but I'm going to get done what I can. 

Anyway, this is the first sample I completed yesterday. And yes, except for the binding, it was all done on the embroidery machine. 

My dandelion sample

Does anyone remember that piece I have taken to various classes and showed you? The blob that looked like fluff from a dandelion or the butt of a cat with a long tail? Well, I love dandelions, so I went with that one. I checked online and found an appropriate quote. The stem was taken from another design in the Design Catalog online; I cut off the flower. The background was quilted with the Quilt Block Wizard from the Creativate Embroidery Software, which I LOVE. And the more I use it, the easier it becomes to do anything. 

The tail of the fluff ball was stitched in place. It was when I moved from the stitch I used for that to a straight stitch that I broke the needle! I was too excited about how this piece was turning out! 

But the big news on this piece is the dandelion fluffs. Where to find an embroidery pattern for that? Yes - I could have bought one, but then I couldn't say that it was mine. And I would NOT have learned anything. So I opened up the Creativate Sketch Module and sketched out the little seeds. Then I opened Stitch Editor and repositioned the points on my rough sketch. And VOILA --- Dandelion seeds. 

MY dandelion seeds

Of course, I am jumping up and down. I am learning, and my pieces are all about learning. 

Here is the second piece I finished yesterday. Again, the designs came from the Design Catalog. That is the SVP Worldwide catalog of designs, available online and used with an SVP Wi-Fi-enabled embroidery machine and a paid membership. 

Sample Number two - DONE

The design is stitched out using chenille yarn—yep, all of it — on an embroidery machine. Again, the background is quilted with something I created using the Quilt Block Wizard. 

Detail of the yarn stitching

And if you are with me and I see some chenille yarn for sale, just tell me that I don't need any more! I must have every color under the sun! And then some! Why have one, when you can have lots? 

That is my thing with puzzles. I had to go to the thrift shop yesterday and was looking for a table runner to embroider. I had a premade one at the house, but it was red, and I wanted green. Guess what? I found exactly what I envisioned for $4. How cool is that? But then I also found three puzzles (I was walking), and I brought those home. I need to puzzle faster! 

Remember my Color My World quilt that I finished last month? I also put some machine embroidery on the grain elevator. 

Embroidery on my Color My World quilt

I was digging through those two boxes of personal stuff a couple of weeks ago and found some scrapbooks. Of course I did!! And I found a picture of one of the village's original elevators. We must have been special because we had not one, but TWO. 

One of the elevators from Baljennie

There's a close-up of the writing on one of them. OK -- so I made up what I put on my elevator!! I guess this was the name of the grain company that owned the elevator. And it seems that all of them were different. I must remember to ask Dad about it.

The detail of the writing

OK -- so when the railroad was discontinued, the elevators became useless and were sold off. Some were torn down, while others were moved. If you want to watch this short video on moving them, it's fascinating. Those structures are NINE STORIES tall. A feat to move the darn things. It's kind of sad, and that video is sad because this is a part of our Canadian history and it's gone! It's called PROGRESS. 

Here's a picture I stole from the internet. Oh my--- when you see them like this, you wonder why they didn't tip over. Like the pin, they are defying gravity!!!

Defying gravity!!!!

Speaking to my parents is a challenge. Not the actual speaking, but trying to get in touch with them. Dad is never home, and if he is, they are just having dinner or watching Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune, or they have company! I'm going to have to book an appointment with them!!!!

Has this happened at your Wal-Mart? Our store is a two-level store that carries groceries. But aside from the groceries, the entire store has been reshuffled. All the departments have been moved, and there are huge gaps on the floor like this. 

Wal-Mart is getting a facelift.

Who knows what they are doing and why, but I had a hard time finding the craft section. I can't even remember why I looked. OH -- I was there to get something else, and I always stop by just to browse. 

They must have gotten rid of a lot of stock, because many of the shelves were quite empty. 

Empty shelves at Wal-Mart

I'm sure they are feeling the crunch of online shopping. Just like the small shops in many downtown areas of small towns across the country felt the crunch when Wal-Mart moved in. Again - that's called PROGRESS. I don't feel sorry for them. 

It's going to be a busy day, and I hope that two more samples can get done. I'm cleaning up threads on one, and it will be bound this morning. I need to find the designs for my garment and, hopefully, get the table runner stitched out, then hem it. To hem it, I'll likely have to wash it first, as it's stiff as a board. Then it's going to be flimsy to handle, but I may have to buy some spray starch and lightly starch it before trimming and hemming. I'm making this stuff up as I go. 

Did I mention that the linen I am using was supposed to be for my wedding outfit? I think I mentioned that. But don't worry—if I still want to make an outfit, I have another piece. Yep -- why buy just one piece when you can have two? It is gorgeous linen - well, I love the color. 

There is one thing I want to mention about the design on the table runner. The sample made using those designs was blue thread on white. A very classic look, but I didn't want that look at all. I wanted something softer, so I went with the green background. The next step was: what color to use for the stitching? I had an idea and started with it, but I was going to use two colors. As I got part of it stitched, I decided to go with one color family, and it looks stunning. TRUST YOUR GUT!!!!

I knew I would get mixed up in translating the colors, so I wrote myself a chart, which came in very handy. I need to be documenting all this stuff for my machine embroidery club. I'll have way more than an hour of show-and-tell!!! 

And I'm planning my trip for 2027!!! It's going to be an adventure for sure as I'm taking my aunt, who has never traveled on an Ancestry adventure. Where are we going? This is how you say good morning where we will be: Bore Da! I am not planning on learning any of the language - it's very hard to learn, but I think that English is pretty much a given. 

Getting there might be a challenge as it's in some remote little place on earth! But I'm up for an adventure. And I see there is a somewhat famous mountain peak nearby (thanks to Princess Catherine)! That's a HUGE clue! 

My apologies to people to whom I owe an email. I'm so focused on Studio B that my mind just can't grasp more than one function at a time! I will try to send out some emails. I'm also trying to tackle those weeds in the backyard! 

And on that note, I'm out of here. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Check your fluids!!!!

Progress was made, but not nearly as much as I wanted. I've just come to the conclusion that what I get done is what I get done! I am not going to sweat it, and there is a lot of "new" stuff that I'm working on. By "new," I mean techniques I haven't done in a long time, a new design I'm stitching out, and so on. 

But first, let's discuss this quote that Jackie posted in the comments. 

Drop the weight on your shoulders and put it under your feet to rise to the next challenge.

How cool is that? I couldn't agree more, and it's amazing how much weight we carry on our shoulders, and we don't even know it. Letting go of a UFO or finishing a project can be just that weight that you are carrying around! Let it go!!!!!

It was a tough day physically for me, as I had worked out with Brooke in the morning, and while I felt good, I had lifted a lot of weight. Then shortly afterward, I went to see Misty for a massage. This is not your "relaxing" massage. This is deep-tissue massage, and there were times I swear I saw stars from the pressure she applied to my neck and shoulders. The pain shot right up behind my eyes, and I was in agony. 

Thankfully, I feel fine today, but booking the two back-to-back probably wasn't a great idea! One of them alone is hard enough. 

And what's the deal? Someone took my locker at the gym! I'm definitely a creature of habit, as I've been using the same locker ever since the gym opened. A couple of times, I've had to use a different one in the area, but I've never changed areas. 

My locker was taken!

I still don't know how I am so fortunate to not get headaches from the tight muscles in my neck and shoulders. But knock on wood that my good luck remains. It's just another area that I need to keep stretching. More stretching, more often. 

I had to laugh- well, not really, because it was a wake-up call. But when I was away in June, I hadn't been stretching much. Nor had I gotten down on the floor. When it came time to work out with Brooke when I got back, my body looked at the floor and said, "Are you kidding?" That's how quickly we get out of a routine, and as we get older, it's harder to stay in the groove. Our bodies forget, so I must NOT let that lapse. I must not! Even if it means getting down on the floor ONCE a day and then back up! 

It's important because if you are alone and you fall and you can't get up? Who are you going to call? I mentioned recently that one of the most common jobs for the fire department is to pick up people who have fallen in their homes. 

I really was a slug on a rug for most of the morning and afternoon. I had a nap, and DH caught me being a slug and said, "I don't care what you do, just don't start panicking days before your trip, lamenting about not having enough time!" OK -- so he is right!

This was my view from the sofa in the living room. Of course, the girls had to be with me! I think it was raining and they don't like the rain. 

Mom - we are keeping you company!!!

When I got home from the gym, it was like there was a bunny fest going on next door. THREE rabbits and they didn't care enough to move! Murphy would have been beside herself!

A bunny fest next door

I had to do a bit of cleaning in the pond, as the water level was low. But look how high those lily pad leaves have grown. I spotted a couple of the fish, and they seem to be thriving! No maintenance! 

The lily pads have gone mad!

I didn't get much time in the gazebo, but I managed a few minutes, and, of course, Miss Murphy was right there with me. 

MOM - it's nice in the gazebo

Now let's get onto what I was trying to do all day. I have a very large piece of linen that I washed the other day, and I want to do some machine embroidery on it. It was supposed to be my outfit for the wedding. I don't mind green, but I need a brighter/darker version than what I wore to the wedding. But that's OK - it was the bride's day, not mine, and I was happy to make her happy. 

But here's a message to you all! That linen was pretty limp and needed some starch. I grabbed the only can of starch I had, and of course, the darn nozzle is clogged. I have tried to unclog the nozzles in the past, but it didn't work. So that will go in the hazardous waste. I do need to pack up a bunch of stuff in the garage before winter and drop it off. 

If there was anything in this can, it was empty now, so it went in the garbage. 

A can of fabric stabilizer - empty

Next up, I grabbed a bottle of Stiffy, which is used to stiffen fabrics. Thankfully, I have two of them. I gave it a good shake and found a container to put the liquid in to saturate the fabric. OH MY GOSH --- it came out clumpy, and there was quite a bit of the thick stuff (starch?) in the bottom. So I gooped that out into the container and spent some time breaking it all down. I threw my fabric in the container, but it wasn't enough, so I grabbed the second bottle. 

Two bottles of Stiffy

After the fabric is saturated, you wring it out and let it dry. The rest goes back in the container. I used almost a whole bottle on this piece of linen, but mind you, it's pretty big! And so it dried, and I gave it a bit of an iron this morning. 

My linen drying

It is now in the embroidery hoop, and it's stitching away, though I hear it has stopped and suspect the bobbin is low. This design is going to take hours, and I mean HOURS to stitch out, so that is all that will get done today. I may or may not finish it; it depends on how much more stitching I want to add outside this particular hoop. I suspect there will be three hoopings and each one may take up to 10 hours! 

However, it sure beats doing it by hand!!!

I have two small baskets of liquid products in Studio B. I also found this bottle of fabric softener. I have no idea why it's there - I suspect it was for photo transfers or something. But the bottle was all goopy! I don't use the stuff, and I might just toss it. It also sounded thick! But with a shake, it might come clean. 

A found bottle of fabric softener

So my lesson to you all is that if you have liquid stuff - starches, glue, etc.- make sure that you use them or go through periodically and get rid of what you no longer need or want!!! Those darn nozzles goop up very quickly. 

I had sent pictures of the T-shirts to Dillon and asked which ones he definitely wants on the front and which ones he doesn't care about. 

We went back and forth a couple of times, and these are the rejects. These will likely NOT get used in the quilt at all. And one of them was a duplicate. 

The "reject" T-shirts

It was like a puzzle: he sent me a list of the bands in each pile, and I had to find each band's name on the T-shirts and then move them into three piles!!!

These are the ones that will go on the back. Yep—it's going to be a heavy quilt, but the T-shirts are meaningful to him. He's a very—hmm—not sure how to phrase it —but he cares about stuff! 

The T-shirts for the back

And these ones are the keepers. I gave him two weeks to settle on those T-shirts, and then I will start to do the math to see how they would fit together and try to arrange the colors a bit. I think we have 19 T-shirts on the front and 19 on the back. That works for me. 

The T-shirts for the front of the quilt

So the day wasn't without some work getting done. I prepped the binding and sleeve for the next sample, but I didn't get to it this morning because I was hooping and picking colors for the project currently on the embroidery machine. 

I can bind and tidy up the other projects while this giant one stitches out. 

Last night, I decided to tackle the jigsaw puzzle. Oh my! This one is hard, and for whatever reason, my brain just can't handle the shapes. This is the FIRST time I have shape-sorted! The handles on each piece are quite unique, but that wasn't enough. 

Shape sorting

But I persevered, and I kept those shapes in their respective shape groups until the end. Obviously, it got easier as I progressed, but it still took quite a bit of time to do this. Obviously, NOT a good puzzle for speed puzzling. 

The shapes are still in their groups.

And when I was done, there were three pieces left. There is another small section of orange, so they must belong to that section. 

At last - the top orange section is complete.

Next, I grabbed all those pieces that are orange and green, and I'll work on those tonight. 

Speaking of speed puzzling, I did something bad! I signed up for THREE of the virtual speed puzzling events in the fall. I know—how did that happen? I just thought I would give it a try and see what happens. It's all for fun, so who cares how I do?

When I volunteer to prep those puzzles (wrapping and shipping) at the end of the month, I shall excuse myself from wrapping those three puzzles. 

Here's a story about a winning quilt at Quilt Canada. It was a unique quilt, and the owner should be very proud of it. 

So what did you think of Lorna's patterns? That's Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts. How many did you buy? I have three in my cart and just need to pay for them, but I'm looking for one more, and I didn't see it on her site. Hey—I'm allowed to buy patterns! Plus it's supporting local artists!

Actually, there are two more I want to add, and both of them would make fun sew-alongs!!! Something to keep in mind for next year. 

I found one of them on her Facebook page. What do you think? The theme is very specific and probably not a winner for most of you, but for me, who grew up on a farm? I love it. I sent her a note to see if this one is for purchase. 

Down on the Farm by Sew Fresh Quilts

Speaking of sew-alongs, I MUST get those dates published and emailed out, and posted here on the blog. I've been a bit focused, well, trying to, on machine embroidery, and totally ignoring email. I must do some of that this morning while the embroidery machine is stitching its heart out. While I change bobbins! 

On that note, I'm out of here!!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Progress with only one SNAFU

It was another good day in Studio B. And Brenda, I'm so excited that you are messing around with the Qult Block Wizard! I did NOT accomplish all I wanted. I knew there was going to be a snag somewhere. Things just take longer than planned, but that's OK. However, I had a very humbling moment. I was all excited about one of the samples - this is going to be perfect. And then BAM! It wasn't perfect. I am not sure I will camouflage what happened. I'm going to finish what I did by binding it, but let's just say that it was a humbling moment. 

Remember all those tools that I said were amazing? They are, but only if the operator doesn't go in and try to do something silly. You see, I had everything lined up perfectly, and then I accidentally touched one of the designs and moved it, thinking I was moving everything, but I was only moving one design, not four. Alas, it stitched out but was not lined up!

However, it was another learning moment, and since we learn from our mistakes, I think I've made all I can with those tools. I'm done now!

Anyway, I managed to get all the stitching done using the Embellishment Attachment and used up three sample stitchouts that were hanging around. Despite my error, the one I goofed on is cute. And it's a teaching moment. Yep -- I'm going to take it to Nashville with me. 

I still have two to clean up, one to bind, and one is done. So worst-case scenario, I can clean up those pieces on the move if I have to. But they are stitched. Actually, I think I need about two hours to completely finish the last three samples. 

It's time to move on to another hoop, and I haven't decided which one. 

Here's the sample that I finished yesterday. And YES -- that is entirely done on an embroidery machine, including the fuzzy bits.

My completed sample

I have to laugh when I look at this one. The fuzzy stuff for the sheep is a tad fuzzier than I thought it would be, and his face and one ear are obliterated. But that sort of fits with the quote. I might trim it slightly, but otherwise - it's done. 

This is another sample I was stitching out, and it is the one that went haywire. 

So cute and before the "storm" hit

But when it was done, I went back to the screen to see what had happened, and that's when I discovered what I had done. It's not enough to make a mistake, but figure out WHY that happened, and then you can move on. Get over it! And never do it again!

I love the project system even in sewing mode. Those projected lines are great for sewing diagonal lines, too. Why mark when you don't have to? I am sewing on the PFAFF creative icon 2.

Projection lines in sewing mode

OH MY -- I may have spoken too soon about the colorways of the 70s and how they would never come back. Look what I spotted on IG yesterday. This is from a fabric company introducing a new line. Doesn't that remind you of the fabrics from the 70s? 

Reminds me of colors from the 70s

Instead of completing the items yesterday, I did something else. I lost a bit of steam when I screwed up, but that's OK. It's good to take a break. And making mistakes is hard work! 

This is the latest puzzle I'm working on. This is another great brand (Villager Puzzles), and guess what? They are also Canadian and use only artwork by Canadian women artists! They make a lot of Canadian landscape puzzles, and I've suggested some for the prairies. Hey, the owner was looking for suggestions! I just realized that this company is based in Comox, BC. 

My current puzzle

You can buy from them online or from Puzzles Canada, and there are many other shops where you can find them. This is the company that Cynthia submitted artwork to and won! It was for a puzzle that will be sold exclusively on the BC Ferries. You will also be able to buy it online at the Villager website. I'm not sure when that one will come out.

And this is what it looks like when you open the box. There's a poster inside, which I never use, and the pieces are already in a bag. That is good -- all puzzles should come with the pieces in a bag. It's a zippered top bag so you can reuse it! That's even better. Hey, the company was founded by a woman! 

Inside the box

She appeared on Dragon's Den, and you can watch it here. The quality of the puzzles is amazing. Check them out next time you're in the market for a puzzle. 

Here's my progress so far. That was HARD, and it took almost an hour just to do that small part. I wonder how easy the rest of the puzzle will be? 

A challenge to do the lettering

I also spent some time weeding in the backyard. It's a mess. This is the before picture. 

Before

And here's the after. I only started with a small section, but already it looks much better. It's hard to see because of the sun and shade, but it looks much better - trust me. 

After

And you will NOT believe this, but when I was digging through that sample drawer, look what I found. I thought I only had one of these Dream Big panels, but NO - I have two. Of course, I have two. 

Two Dream Big panels

I have stitched a teal-colored panel, but I want to stitch another one because with my newfound skills and new tools on the embroidery machine, I think I can do a better job than I did the first time. So—that is something I can attempt to make happen this summer. Nothing like trying to get some of this embroidery done. 

At some point, I need to stop and work on quilt UFOs, not just embroidery stuff! 

This is a quilt that a reader sent to me. It's made from a quilt pattern by a Canadian designer. YES --- we have some great Canadian designers, and we need to make sure that we support them.

A pattern by Sew Fresh Quilts

The company is called Sew Fresh Quilts, and the designer is Lorna. Check out her website, as she has some amazing designs. The link for the fox is here. You cannot beat $5 for a very cool pattern. 

OH - I'm running out of time before I meet Brooke. I have a question to ask about Lorna's patterns. Perhaps we need to do one of these as a sew-along, but NOT for this year. But next. The price is definitely right!!! Which one is your favorite? 

And on that note, I'm out of here!

Have a wonderful day, and hopefully it will be filled with joyful moments, even if it requires some tough love and learning! 

Ciao!!!!

It's a great day in Studio B!

Sharon -- you are so right!!! So many of the ideas that we see today as "new" and "modern" are not new or modern at all. So many techniques from years ago have been resurrected, and countless other things. The only thing I would say that is NOT being recreated is the color palette! The harvest gold and avocado green? Although I like those colors. Even the small muted prints of the 70s are back in vogue. WAIT - I stand corrected - even the color palettes are back, maybe not exact, but close! 

Well, I am a happy camper. I was definitely in my happy place yesterday, and it was a day filled with fun, creativity, learning, and everything went as planned or better! I was in Studio B all day with my toys - predominantly the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3- and, more importantly, I had my Creativate Embroidery Software to design what I wanted to make. 

Let's just say I will NEVER give up the Projector on the Epic 3, which is phenomenal for item placement. And there is the Exact Positioning, and so many other amazing tools. I was a smidgen off on one piece of my placements yesterday, but I'm OK with that. I learned something while doing it. The more that I do, the more I learn, and well, we know how that goes. At my house, the learning never stops. 

Then you get cocky and need to push the envelope, and that's what I did yesterday. A slight (maybe about 5 mm) placement issue, but no one is going to know if I don't point it out, which I may or may not - depends on the day! 

There are so many techniques and designs (from our Creativate Design Catalog) that one could make samples for the rest of their years without duplicating anything. That's the beauty of using the software rather than buying purchased designs. I totally get it—it is not for everyone, and that's OK. I'm not into machine embroidery to stitch just for the sake of stitching; I like to stitch what I dream up! I also like to stitch out things just for fun! 

For an upcoming event in two weeks, I need to demo some specific embroidery hoops. The Mega Turnable Hoop, the Large Magnetic Hoop, the Special Techniques Hoop, and the Embellishment Attachment using yarn. OK -- so while I have samples of each, they're sparse. Since this is a product showcase for our dealers globally, I needed to up my game. 

I thought this quote was fitting for yesterday. The unknown and all outcomes are possible. I'm not so sure I entered it with grace, but since I wasn't pressed for time, I think I did pretty well. Yes -- I have 11 days to complete my samples and make a garment. Lots of time, but everything takes more time than we anticipate. However, I made amazing progress yesterday considering how it all transpired. 

The quote of the day

Samples for the Large Magnetic Hoop are done - wait - I want to make one more, but if it gets done, that's a bonus. I am NOT a fan of making samples that corporate or marketing have made. Why would I duplicate someone else's work? However, when a new hoop is released, there are usually one or two designs released with it. I might jazz up one of the designs that came with that hoop. 

And my secret weapon is Quilt Block Wizard in the Creativate Embroidery Software. I thought I pretty much knew the infinite number of designs that could be created, and then yesterday I got curious, and OH MY—the possibilities are beyond infinity! I was jumping up and down with joy at my discovery. And all it required was the curiosity to see what would happen when I made a few extra mouse clicks. 

I mentioned earlier this week that I am trying to dress up my samples. Not all my samples are a mess. Many of them are finished, but there are lots of "technical" ones that will never be finished as we want to see both sides. That means removing the excess stabilizer, trimming to size, and serging the edges. I didn't get to those yesterday as I don't need any of them for the event. 

But I have another drawer of stitchouts that I have never done anything with, and how could I incorporate those into something for this event? So that's where I started. I pulled a bunch of stuff from the drawer and a tub, and I'm working my way through them. 

Samples languishing in a drawer

 Here are three, all undergoing a makeover using the Embellishment Attachment.

Embellishment Attachment designs getting a makeover.

Here is one I tackled using the Quilt Block Wizard. I won't share my secrets, but I'll certainly explain all to my group of machine embroidery people in the fall. The possibilities are endless! And so is my level of excitement. I didn't even have time for a walk yesterday, but since I was using my computer upstairs while the embroidery machine was downstairs, I still got 14,000 steps in. I didn't need a walk outside! 

Amazing quilted textures! 

You can see the projection system on the fabric, and OH MY --- if you have an EPIC 3 and are NOT using that system - shame on you! It is the best thing since sliced bread. And NO - we do not get training on this stuff. We are given a machine and told to run with it! Thank goodness, my curious mind is in overload mode. It has taken me a while to catch on to all the components of the projection and placement systems. There are so many options that can be used alone or together. 

I might have to do another class on Epic 3 stuff in the fall. Right now? It's all about ME!!!!

Using the Projector to place a design

Then I got out my Embellishment Attachment and, using "yarn," I was into creating something so amazing and cute that my head is still spinning at how cute it is. Don't worry - I'll share it with you. It just needs to be tidied up and finished. By finished, I mean the binding on. 

The Embellishment Attachment

There were boxes of thread on every available surface yesterday. I know there are people out there that must use the exact colors that a designer has chosen. I don't think I ever did that. Unless you buy a kit, your fabric won't be the same as theirs, and so why should the thread be the same? I love the opportunity to open a box (they are sorted by color) and grab what I want. I am also NOT a fan of my thread being in a cabinet I have to go to. I love opening the box where I want and just choosing. It's not super neat, but it doesn't have to be. Want a grey? Pick one and get to the embroidery machine!

A box of grey thread

Some of my test samples are simple like this. A round ball of fluff that I stitched several years ago. But I didn't want to throw it out, so what to do with it? There is a long tail of the fluffy stuff, and every time I showed it, everyone said it looked like a dandelion fluff or a cat's bum with a long tail. The issue is that I'm also working with the placement of the design. I can't move it! 

The sample stitchout is getting a makeover.

Well, my creative juices were flowing (no, there was a tsunami going on), and I decided it was time to make something of this. And I was going to quilt around that fluffy thing! I know—that required a lot of "skill" to make that happen. And then I added more stuff to it. I'm almost finished, but not before I had to create some brand new designs in the Sketch Module of the Creative Embroidery Software. And then I had to edit my sketch. Can you tell I'm excited? So far, everything has gone amazingly well, and I'll do a test stitchout of my sample to make sure it is what I want. 

I am not prepared to teach what I'm learning as it's just by trial and error. One day, I will get it all in my head, but it'll be years before I consider myself an expert. 

Once I add that new component, then that sample will be done. I'm thrilled to bits with it!!!!

The day wasn't without a glitch or two. When I loaded one hoop, I realized after basting the items in the hoop that I had forgotten to move the backing out of the way. So I had to pin the layers in place along one side of the hoop. You can see the pins in that one picture of the green in the hoop above. 

As this piece was being stitched, I was at the other sewing machine (my old PFAFF creative icon2, which will soon be replaced by the NEW one), sewing binding on and repairing a couple of small areas that needed extra stitching on something else. 

The embroidery is still being supervised even if I'm not right next to it.

OK -- so everything is going well, and I swear I moved that long tail of yarn out of the way, but as I was sewing, I heard a crunch and a grind and ran to the machine. OH GOD - the tail got caught in the stitching. Of course it did!!!!!

Ooops!!!!

But no worries—everything is good, and you can now see the tail on that blob. 

You know me and quotes and words - I had fun searching the embroidery software for fonts after I found some amazing quotes. This is not rocket science - it's just letting your brain wander, and my head was exploding with ideas. As I started designing one, more came. 

Then it was time to work on the next sample. Actually, this is the first one I did, and I had to start it from scratch. But that looks like a creepy crawler in the hoop!

Stitching out a creepy crawler

When I got my labels out to insert one during the binding process, half of them fell on the floor. I couldn't get them back in the bag, so they went into the drawer loose, and that's OK - that's all there is in that drawer. It's the small one that fits under the table. 

Oops

And I got lucky when putting the binding on - I had one inch leftover. 

One inch left on the binding

So to tally up the day, one sample was made completely from scratch and is finished with binding and hangers. Let's see - that uses a design from the Design Catalog, the Embellishment Attachment (using yarn - chenille, so the spider is nice and fuzzy), and I used a font from the embroidery software, as well as the Quilt Block Wizard. A perfect sample because it uses lots of different things. And it's small. I could have added more space around, but I don't need or want big samples to travel with. And it is super cute!!!! Although maybe it needs two red beads for eyes!

One sample is DONE!

Then there is one sample that just needs to be cleaned up and bound. Another one needs some stitching, but only after I test it on a scrap of fabric. One is designed and ready to stitch - I just need to find some fabric and yarn. And the final one needs some design work, and then I'll stitch that. I MUST finish all of them today, as tomorrow I must move on to another hoop. Eleven days will go by very quickly. 

This is one of my samples, but it won't be coming with me because it doesn't meet the criteria for this event. I had originally bought some artificial moths at the dollar store, and they have disintegrated over time. 

My disintegrated artificial moths

So a couple of years ago, I used the embroidery machine and stitched NEW moths for it. They have been pinned on, and it was time to get them stitched in place. I had stitched them on before I went to Stitcharie, but one of them was stitched too high and was stitched onto the hanging sleeve. Of course it was! So I moved it down a wee bit, and now it's done! Although it could use a proper label on the back instead of a piece of paper. 

Another finished sample!

This is one of my finished samples, and it's coming with me. I had seen one loose piece of yarn and a loose thread every time I got it out, and it was time to fix that. It's all tidied up now. Again, there are multiple techniques on this piece, even though you may not realize it. I will rarely make a sample that works for only one topic. For those of you in my upcoming scrap class this fall, you will likely see this piece! Don't worry -- no sign-up has happened yet!

Another sample

I managed to get a new puzzle laid out the other night (not yesterday - I was too busy, and when I finally stopped, I was exhausted!), and I got the border done, minus a few pieces in the bottom left. It's going to be a challenge to get this one done, but not a big deal. 

The next puzzle

Our upcoming event is in Nashville. Nashville is a cowboy town and also home to Dolly Parton. So think western! I spotted this hat in the thrift store the other day; however, I don't need a hat. I have something special, but I won't share it until the time comes. 

A glitzy cowboy hat

And as I closed up Studio B the other night, I glanced back and WHAT THE HECK??? OH -- One of Dilon's T-shirts is glowing in the dark. 

A glow-in-the-dark T-shirt

I sent him the picture and asked if he knew that. Nope - he didn't realize!!! How funny! Anyway, I haven't heard back from him, but that's OK. Even if he gets back to me, I'm having way too much fun with the embroidery machine at the moment. 

By the way, for those who know me, I am predominantly a quilter. Well, I'm using my embroidery machine to make quilts or wall hangings. I have so many other things to test out that I won't have time to do them all. But that's OK. I have a plan for what I need to take to Nashville, and eleven days should be just fine. There is NO time for lollygagging though! 

However, I'm trying to finish reading a physical book, and I have 100 pages left. I'm not sure if it's the writing in the book, or that I haven't read a physical book in a while, but it's a struggle to read. It's getting better, but so darn depressing. And it's all about a murder in Toronto, during the summer when it's hot. I wonder how it turns out? DH said it was worth the read. I trust him, so I'll keep going. 

Speaking of DH, when I was having dinner, he came into the kitchen and said, "It's hard to be creative all day!" I just laughed because I totally agreed with him. But I asked what he was being creative with. "Words," he said, as he seems to spend a lot of the day writing creative contracts or something - I have no idea, and I don't get involved! 

And on that happy note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!