There is a difference!

Yep - all excited when I got home to start work on my machine embroidery applique project. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I had assembled all the supplies and tools and I was ready to start. I love the fact that I had all the tools - like scissors and they worked like a charm. Have hardly ever used them, but I knew exactly where they were!

The machine embroidery applique is pretty easy. There are step by step instructions in the pattern booklet and the embroidery machine stops and starts were it's supposed to.  It's up to the operator to place the correct piece of fabric, trim the fabric and change the thread. So you do have to know what you're doing - to a certain degree. 

However, I learned something.  There is a difference in those darn pre-wound bobbins.  I have my usual brand that I use and I only buy black and white. But I had a different brand that I had purchased in all different colors and I thought I would use that. 

I started by hooping my stabilizer and pressing "start". The machine went crazy making all kinds of weird noises and I could tell that something was seriously wrong. 

Even though it was just a basting stitch on the stabilizer, I should have gotten a better stitch than what I got. 

Bobbin on the left is TOO BIG

Once I changed bobbins and put the normal bobbins in that I use, the machine was happy as a clam. And so was I!!!!

There are a lot of steps to the beginning of one of these designs. And I learned that I need to touch and HOLD the designs in order for them to pop up on the screen. AHA -  I don't usually work with the embroidery part of the machine so it's like I had to relearn some of the stuff!

Basically, you hoop the stabilizer. Then you hoop the batting. Next up, start placing the background fabrics one by one and trim.  Then the embroidery part which takes longer, but you don't have to be sitting at the sewing machine. 

Background sky is being stitched in place

I did learn from someone (and I sort of knew this from past experiences) to put all the threads I'm going to use in ONE spot.  DO NOT put them back in the thread boxes until the project is complete.  I got ONE block done - there are 25 in all!!!!

The start of the threads I will use

There were three applique pieces in this block  the sky, the ground, and the house.  The rest is strictly embroidery.

Starting to stitch the embroidery

My embroidery machine isn't that fancy and while it tells me the total number of stitches in the design (almost 40,000), I had no idea how long it was going to take to stitch it out.  With all the fussing and trimming and this being my FIRST block EVER!!!  I think it took about 3 hours.  That's not bad. Just depends on how many applique pieces there are!!!

Almost 40,000 stitches!!!!

Once I got to the embroidery part, I was able to fire up the other sewing machine and get some work done.  How cool is that to be using two machines at one time!!!!  

Last bit of embroidery

One block - DONE!!!!!

I notice there are a few jump stitches to trim off and then I get to trim the block to size. I don't think I'll be trimming until I get all the other blocks completed.   The blocks are 8" by 8"  or pretty close to it.  How fun - the big question - can this be done in time for Halloween???

And now for a bit of disappointing news.  You know that I had knee surgery in April.  The knee was healing and I was doing great.  Even went on that crazy bike trip. Well, now that I'm back home, I have such pain - it's almost unbearable.  WAIT - it's not from my bad knee - nope - it's the other knee.  I've no idea what I've done, but let's just say that Lexi is very patient as I hobble around taking her for a walk. Got to make an appointment this morning for X-rays and ultrasound  - my guess - the meniscus tore and it's a bad tear.  This getting old - SUCKS  - I'm way too young to be having this kind of knee issue.  The doctor prescribed pain killers which did NOTHING last night however I'm supposed to take 1/2 hour before I eat.  I ate almost at the same time. Perhaps that why they didn't work. This morning, I'm happy to say that the pain has subsided a LOT.  Oh happy day!!!!  




What I need is one of those hoverboards (which is basically a segway without a handle) or a segway so I can get around at the office without looking like I'm 80!!!!   Wouldn't that be cool to get a segway??













On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!