New obsession - creative outlet

Finally! I've had a Baby Lock Flare embroidery machine for over a year. I've really only used it to make small quilt labels for clients from the built in stitches. (And maybe only 5 labels over the last year.)

I purchased a couple of projects from Kimberbell that I made up. An in the hoop notebook cover and the Christmas Cheer that had just come out.

I made up the notebook covers. The instructions were easy to follow and it was quick work.  But you have to have the exact size note book, and I wasn't having luck finding them in the store here. I'd like to make more. I'll look online for the notebooks and I'll post pics if/when I get some more made up.

And the Christmas Cheer..... it hasn't been going so well. Because of complications with getting the machine updated when I first got it, I couldn't take the class at the store where I purchased the machine. They should have offered me a make-up class, but I wasn't going to push the issue. It threw a big damper on this project. To be honest, Christmas Cheer is too big of a project for a beginner to jump into. Even as a long time quilter, embroidery machine stitching is an entirely different category of stitching!! There is definitely a learning curve to be expected.

Recently, I had the honor of awarding a Quilt of Valor to a veteran who served in the United States Navy 1956 - 1960. The U.S. Sew of Carrollton QoV group has, in the past, ordered quilt labels from Spoonflower. I have either misplaced the last few we had or we are completely out. However, this gave me the opportunity to embroider a label.

I had to get trademark permission through Quilt of Valor to use the QoV label. It's a form on the QoVf.org website. Simply fax it or mail it to them. Then they emailed the digitized embroidery file that I needed for my machine. 

I purchased a lettering font from JuJu designs. And then used the free version of Embrilliance, 

a digitizing program. I was able to get letters much smaller than the built in fonts on the machine. You can see on my test cloth. I didn't bother with trimming threads.

left side shows the built in fonts. The top right is the .25 lettering from JuJu Designs with some resizing in Embrilliance.

JuJu Designs was having a sale. I could either buy the one font file for $9.-- or I could get 8 files for $12!! I mean, two files would be $18. What better deal than buy 2, get 4 free?!!

I ordered 2 fonts, a witch's boots and hat applique pattern,  a sunflower embroidery, 2 quilting in the hoop designs, chicken sayings (maybe for kitchen towels), and free standing lace crosses. 

I think free standing lace is a success. I really enjoyed the magic of the water soluble stabilizer melting away to reveal the final lace.  Also, part of the fun was fitting as many pieces into a single hooping as I can. Stabilizer is necessary and it is pricey.

 For free standing lace, two layers of stabilizer is needed, I intend to use every inch of it that I can!!

The little bitty ornaments are from the Christmas Cheer project. I squeezed them into the corners. And that's when realized that I am a bit limited on thread colors at this point.

For free standing lace, it's better to have matching thread for the bobbin and the top threads.

that wasn't happening with my thread stash. Plus, I ran out of white bobbin thread!

This part hurts my heart a bit. I am a believer in supporting our local family owned shops. I am a feel-it-in-my-hand kind of shopper as well. I purchased 6 spools (matching each top 1500 yds with 1 bobbin) for about $50. The spools are good sized and are going to last for a lot of projects. But that's only 3 colors. I can't afford to purchase many this way.

And so I hit Amazon. It can't be helped! I can get a 40 color box in bobbin thread and a 63(!) color box in top thread for about $43 each! I mean.... just look at all these colors!!! The spools are only half the size of the ones above, but so many more colors! I can't feel a difference in quality. They seem to stitch up the same.

 

Ok, Now that I have thread... I had intended to make more crosses in many colors. However, I want to see what else this machine can do, right? I was discussing with my Heartbeat over dinner. Telling him how limited I feel. I have to purchase patterns and can only make what is in the pattern. There is freedom to borrow elements from a pattern and stitch it on a different item. But if I want something that is a 2" circle size, I have to search the different designers to find something I might like. It's a hit and miss process, really. and more time consuming than I can do.

The machine dealer has digitizing programs... $300+. I don't even know if it's something I'd continue working with to justify getting one of these.

Well, he did some research while I was at work. What he found was Inkscape/Ink Stitch. And it's FREE!!  In just a few minutes he even designed something I could stitch up. That really hooked me! 

Now I'm learning how to digitize my own ideas!

I have a long way to go. It takes time. I'm not so familiar with computers and programs anymore. I have to watch video tutorials on slow and repeat. And of course,  I tried jumping into advanced patterns first.  Two quilt blocks so far. The one with the star is fairly simple applique with raw edges and quilting. The block under the needle is a curved pieced in the hoop applique.  I was trying to get the curvy edges to be covered with a satin stitch. My file didn't do it, so next is to figure out what/where I missed a command.

This is really amazing. I've been needing creative freedom. I feel almost unlimited. (now I'm limited by the size of my hoop. Largest stitching space i have is  6.25" x 10.25". But there's still plenty of room to grow in this area!)

Thank you for coming by and reading what I'm stitching up. I wish you happy stitching too, if that's what you do. I wish you happy creating if it's something else that you enjoy! See you soon!!