A good tool is valuable; a great tool makes the job easier. A great tool always saves money in the long run because it saves time and frustration.
I bought my Brother PR 600 in 2004 and have always relied on its workhorse ethic. It has always been ready to tackle any job. In fact recently I was asked to complete an order for a shop that couldn’t complete in time to meet a deadline. The only issue occurred when the customer questioned why some hats were “cleaner and more precisely stitched” than others. The shop owner was quite distressed to find out that his customer preferred the hats that had been stitched on my machine!
The Brother PR1000
My machine has paid for itself a dozen times over. I have never seriously considered a different machine (even though I will confess to looking). New features became available, but I’ve never been seriously tempted to upgrade until now.
The new beauty that has caught my eye is the Brother PR 1000. It isn’t just the beauty of the design, the larger hoops, support table, new software integration features and new accessories that make it attractive. Isn’t that enough? Hooping an item consistently perfect is always a challenge, so I am confident the Innoveye™ camera will save me lots of rehooping time. The new hat hoop embroiders up to 14” wide – ear to ear without rehooping. This feature will also be a big time-saver for me. I can do the cap front and 2 side designs without rehooping!
Link: lets one computer control up to 4 PR 1000 or PR 650 machines. Each machine can be working on a different task with up to 100 designs in queue.
Name drop: names can be typed or imported from a spreadsheet. The software will place them in the proper position in the design and save them all in one quick process. I used to do this task manually and I had created a routine to be efficient – this tool has reduced my design prep time by 90%
Database provides printing a catalog of designs for customer viewing and selection. (This is huge because different design color and font choices may be printed–to be viewed by group members prior to a decision.) It has a special page that can be printed with all the design and item information included for easy filing in your records.
It also includes manual and auto digitizing, photo stitch, impressive resizing capabilities, editing and much more.
Time=Money. Saving time in my work process will create more income for my family. I will be taking a PR 1000 home to join its older “Brother” in my sewing room. I’m looking forward to using the exciting new features.
Stop by one of the Quality Sewing locations and see this beautiful machine in action – it truly is amazing!
One of the newer innovations in home embroidery is cutwork needles. These specialty cutting needles along with specifically digitized designs make it possible to create beautiful cutwork or applique projects on your embroidery machine while your machine does all the fabric cutting. No scissors needed- what a treat!
There are needles that are made for Bernina embroidery machines as well as Pfaff, Viking & Inspira needles. The Pfaff, Viking or Inspira needles can be used in any brand and model of embroidery machine as long as your machines thread breakage sensor can be turned off.
Embroidery design packs have been created to be used with these needles. Pfaff, Viking and OESD offer these design packs. Each of these designs are compatible with all embroidery machines, regardless of brand. The size of the design and the size of your hoop is the only limitation. Pfaff offers a fantastic Embroidery Cutwork Needle Kit, which includes an Inspira Cutwork Needle 4 Pack, a cd with 5 multi-format designs and a multi-purpose needle inserter tool.
Here is what you need to know…
Pfaff, Viking & Inspira Needles are the same as each other and are completely interchangeable. Designs made specifically for these needles will either ask you for “Cutwork Needle#” (on Pfaff Creative Vision and Viking Diamond) or by color on all other machines. They are Color Coded as well as Numbered. Each needle has a cutting blade that is angled in a specific way (the angel is depicted, below, after the color).
Needle 1 is Red: /
Needle 2 is Yellow: -
Needle 3 is Green: \
Needle 4 is Blue: I
Bernina Needles are unique to themselves. Designs made specifically for these needles will tell you which needle position to use and are usually used in order 1, 2 , 3, 4. On machines other than Bernina, refer to the stitching instructions and put in the cutwork needles when requested. There is only one needle, it is attached to a wheel that you dial to switch the angle of the blade (Each blade position is numbered from 1 to 4, the angle is depicted below, after the needle number).
Position 1: I
Postition 2: /
Position 3: -
Position 4: \
Let me know if you have any questions!
PE Design Next is an easy to use, complete software package that includes: Photo Stitch, Auto digitizing, Digitized fonts plus all the True Type fonts on your computer, Easy editing of existing designs, Resizing with recalculation of stitches, Full manual digitizing tools and much more. If you already own PE Design Version 5, 6, 7 or 8, the good news is you just need an PE Design Next upgrade to have all the new features of Next.
All these exciting features come in a new easy to use format. All the tools are quickly available at your fingertips through use of the “ribbon” style that is familiar from other software programs. The important editing windows stay open for easy access – unless you decide to close them for even greater work space. There are 10 full tutorials to make learning easy. An included design library provides 500+ designs and a template library includes 225 easy to use templates.
Brother’s Photo Stitch has always been the best in the industry for doing photos as embroidery. It is very simple to use and creates beautiful results with the click of a mouse. It also provides sophisticated editing tools for those who would like to use them.
The automatic resizing with accurate recalculation of stitches is a great tool that does a superb job even when adjusting
It is easy to “remove overlaps” when stippling around a design so the stitching does not cover your beautiful design
programmable fills or motif stitches. Motif and programmable fill stitches are built-in, but if you want one that is not available in the program it is a simple matter to create it yourself using the integrated program. My personal favorite stitch is the stippling stitch, because my stippling looks perfect when I do it in the embroidery hoop! The stippling can be varied to nearly any size. It is also possible to add a motif stitch spaced throughout the stippling for an exciting new look.
100 digitized Fonts. This includes 5 small text fonts that are digitized to stitch out perfectly at about 1/4”. All regular & true type fonts can be used in making monograms which work nicely with the included monogram decorations. There is even a special program (Font Creator) that will actually “digitize” a true type font the way you would if you were manually digitizing it. With this tool all of the true type can be made to stitch out perfectly. An outline may be added around any font with just one click on the keyboard. The outline can be one of many different types of stitches. The fill of the letter may also be changed to many different styles including motifs, programmable fills or even for use as an appliqué.
Auto-digitizing is a quick way to get a great design. The software digitizes it so you can see how it will look when finished and you still have full editing capabilities to make adjustments as desired. The powerful editing tools can also be used on designs that come from other sources. Just how many times have you thought “Oh I would love that design if …” well you can use the editing tools to make it be exactly the way you want it. Full manual digitizing tools are included in case you want to try your hand at that.
This complete program offers tools for all levels of embroiderers from beginner to advanced commercial digitizing. All the tools are available in one package. Stop by your Quality Sewing location for additional information about this excellent program.
This is an adorable kid’s t-shirt that uses socks as sleeves! It’s a very easy project to create…all you need is a children’s short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of socks for the sleeves and the Anita Goodesign Little Monsters Embroidery Design Pack.
1. The first step is to center and embroider the monster of your choice onto the t-shirt. Each monster has a thick stitched border that holds the applique down. You can either make this stitch white or the color of the shirt. The example shown is white as it makes the monster stand out even more!
1. Embroider the monster design on the shirt
2. The next step is to take the pair of socks and cut the foot part off the sock at the ankle. Pin the cut part of the sock to the shirt sleeve. Make sure the cut end of the sock extends past the top stitch of the sleeve.
2. Adult sized knee socks work well
3. Stitch the sock to the sleeve. Follow the top stitch that was used to stitch the sleeve hem. You can match the thread to the thread already used on the t-shirt.
3. Stitch the sock to the sleeve
4. You can further embellish the shirt with different types of trims. The finished example has a pom-pom trim and decorative ribbon as added detail. You can also glue googly eyes on the monster for even more fun! You can use a onesie in place of the t-shirt and create a unique and adorable baby gift!
Little Monsters Design Pack
The Little Monsters design pack features 12 adorably mischievous designs geared toward the toddler-youth age group. They look great on these unique sock t-shirts as well as backpacks, blankets, jackets, and even quilts!
This project is courtesy of the official Anita Goodesign blog! Check it out for more great project ideas!
Look at this great gift tag project free from Eileen Roche’s blog, perfect for adding a personal touch to all your holiday gift giving this season! I plan on using this design to make gift tags that can also be used as Christmas ornaments. I can’t wait to add beading and fun ribbon for a little sparkle! A simple yet clever project.
You can also enter to win a Brother SE-400, donated by Brother. To enter the machine drawing, submit a picture of your completed gift tag to Eileen Roche’s blog. She has created a giveaway that you can win by “creative participation”- the most creative, eye-catching gift tag and written entry will win. Don’t wait to make yours though, the contest is already underway and ends Tuesday November 23rd, 2010.
The design is in .pes format.
Click here to download the tree design and for detailed information about the contest and how to submit your completed gift tag entry. Plus every entry participant will receive a $5.00 coupon good towards any purchase at www.dzgns.com!
This simple tree design can be used in all sorts of other creative ways as well!
In September Sew Fun we featured embellished Pashmina scarves. In November Sew Fun you will see more samples of embellished Pashminas. There have been questions about how to care for your Pashmina and what the fiber content is. First off, what is Pashmina?
Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh, made from Persian wool. This wool comes from the pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Kashmir and made from fine cashmere fiber. Pashmina shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for thousands of years.
The pashmina goat sheds its winter coat every spring. One goat sheds approximately 3-6 ounces of fiber. To meet the demand, the goats are now commercially reared in the Gobi Desert in Inner and Outer Mongolia. This region has identical harsh weather conditions to those of the Himalayan region to grow this inner wool, but also has acres of grazing ground to produce cashmere economically and commercially. During spring (the molting season) the goats shed this inner wool, which re grows in winter. The inner wool is collected and spun to produce beautiful shawls.
How do you care for your Pashmina while embellishing with embroidery? When choosing an embroidery design for embellishing, a lighter digitized design works well. Choose a water soluble stabilizer and embroider your design. Cut the excess stabilizer around the perimeter of the design to get rid of as much stabilizer as possible. Don’t tear the excess stabilizer away, as the Pashmina isn’t strong enough to allow for this.
Once you have removed the excess stabilizer, immerse the Pashmina in a basin of warm water and soak in a phosphate free detergent for hand washables. I wash all my scarves in this and it works great. Once the stabilizer is removed, rinse and gently wring out excess water and put in the dryer on a medium heat cycle. Promptly remove from dryer and press with a cool iron, using a press cloth to protect from the direct heat of the iron. It’s as easy as that!
Pashminas make fantastic gifts for the fashion forward crowd to use as a shawl or fashion scarf. Now that the airlines charge for blankets, many women use them on the airplane in place of the customary blanket. Great versatility!
I have always loved to sew, and always dreamed of making my daughters wedding dresses…the more ornate the better! When my first two daughters got married, one wanted just a little embroidery and beading, and the second wanted her dress very plain and simple. I made what they wanted, but still wanted to make a challenging dress!
I was so excited when my stepdaughter emailed me a picture of a very ornate, beautiful wedding dress, and asked if I would be able to make it for her. With the help of a friend who is very accomplished at pattern drafting and used to work in a bridal salon, we were able to make this beautiful gown.
I made a trip to Portland to buy the lace for the bottom, and was able to save a substantial amount on the lace… (It was still difficult to cut into at over 50.00 a yard!). I used embroidery designs from My Fair Lady, the Claire bridal collection, to embroider the bodice of the dress. I must admit there were more hours in the dress planning in my head, and some heart palpitations as we cut parts of the dress using NO pattern…
This truly was a joy and a labor of love! She loved the dress, and I don’t think I am too biased, but she was a beautiful bride!
Did you make any wedding dresses this summer? We would love to see them and add them to this post. Email carmen@qualitysewing.com if you have one you would like to share!
“It is important to have the right tool for the job.” That was some great advice I received from my father. A new essential tool in the embroidery industry is the snowman marker.
What is it that makes this little marker the right tool for the job? The snowman marker works with the Brother Quattro Sewing/Embroidery machine. It is a special marker because it works with the Innoveye™ camera to precisely, correctly position the chosen embroidery design in exactly the place it needs to be stitched. WOW! That means no more designs that are just a little crooked, or just a hair off center.
It is a simple matter to place the snowman marker exactly in the desired position on a garment, quilt block, or home dec item. Then hoop the fabric in the embroidery hoop. Install the hoop onto the machine. Select the icon on the screen that exactly matches the snowman marker, then press “scan” on the machine screen. The Innoveye™ camera will be activated and the camera will search for the snowman. The design will be automatically aligned to match the position of the marker. The design may be moved up or down, off center, rotated (even upside down) to make it exactly match the placement of the marker.
This incredible tool assures precisely accurate placement of every design and enables even a beginner will have perfectly placed embroidery. It also makes it possible to use the unbelievable print and stitch technology that is built into the machine.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the magic of the snowman, take a minute and visit one of the Quality Sewing Center locations and ask for a demonstration of this amazing tool. It is the right tool for the job when it comes to perfect placement of embroidery designs.
Are you like me and just love fun toys? I get so excited when there is something fun and new! Embroidery is wonderful and it just gets better all of the time. At this years Pfaff Convention they introduced the Creative Embroidery Cutwork Needle Kit. See video demonstration here.
These specially designed needles and embroidery designs do your cutwork for you! Using the specially created embroidery designs and the cutting needles instead of regular needles, the fabric is cut while it embroiders.
Just above where the eye normally is, the needle is shaped into a knife like wedge that does the cutting for you. The needles are inserted into your machine just like a normal needle. The set comes with 4 needles, each with a different angled tip and 5 special cutwork embroidery designs to get you going. And all at a very affordable price!
Just imagine the all the beautiful things that you will be able to create! All without even picking up a pair of scissors! To see more of the fun new stuff that we saw at convention be sure to attend one of our Annual Tech Parties. You get a free $5 Gift Card to Quality Sewing just for attending!
