New project using IEC

Designs in Machine Embroidery have a free trial digital edition of their Summer Special  issue. You can find the download details here. It is a file of about 70mb in size to download.

I am working on a new little project using the Martha Pullen IEC designs. The designs I am using are bonus ones released this month. They come as part of your membership for the year. This time it is a padded covered wooden coat hanger. This is my first attempt and prototype. It is just a matter now of making another couple in some other colour ways to get the pattern exactly correct and then I will write up the instructions and send them out to people in my group who are receiving them. These hanger covers are just perfect to use all of those trimmings of bating from your quilt. This coat hanger used all the rimmings from the owl quilt I have just finished.

Also further to my post about there being an update for  Embird apparently there has been another hot on the heels of the one a couple of days ago. I would wait for a while before updating. 

Hints and Tips 9 - Applique and Pull Compensation with Embird

One of the most valuable features of using Embird is the Pull Compensation feature. Pull compensation is the feature that allows for stitches to cover a certain area taking into account the fabric pulling in etc.

Pull compensation is most valuable when stitching out a digitized applique design. How many times have we finished stitching out an applique design only to see it pull away when finished.

While a design may look fine on your computer it may not always sew out as you thought it would, especially the satin stitch around an applique. Increasing the Pull Compensation tells the program to spread your stitching out more when it is sewing.

I am going to use a  free retired set from Bunnycup designs called Just Ducky so that you can download it and have a play like I am.

 

Open your design in Editor and then select it by clicking on it

Go to Edit-Pull compensation and choose a new setting. It is right down the bottom of the column so you might have to click on the arrow for it to come up. (Also use SHIFT-CTRL-N)

A default setting of 0.4 will come up but generally I use about 0.9

 

Click OK. 

This will increase the overall size of your design by a small amount.

You can check

Just be aware that the if you change the Pull Compensation it will stay on that value until you exit Embird for the session you are in.

Don't forget you can download this in print friendly pdf.

Owl Quilt Finished

The new Sewing themed ABC has started over at the Bernina Blog on Wednesdays. You will find the red link  Freebie-Naeh-ABC-A half way down the page.

 

I have finished stitching out a pillowcase for the two year old  son of one of my former students.

 

 

I have finished writing instructions for the owl quilt using the Owl tree embroidery designs from the The Quiltery and will be sending those instructions out to those who have signed up to receive them later on tonight.

The Quiltery Owl Quilt

 

 

 

Block 18 in our Crazy Patch BOM also went out to those participating over the weekend.

Crazy Quilt Block 18

Freebie Roundup

It is another cold, wet and miserable day here today but we do need the rain. This weather makes me want to sit and curl up under my heated throw blanket.

 

For those who use Embird there is a new release update today. If you have the 2013 version there is no additional charge.Don't forget to choose either 32 bit or 64 bit according to your computer type.

 

I have a few freebies in our freebie roundup. There is a new Sewing themed ABC starting over at the Bernina Blog on Wednesdays starting this Wednesday so be sure to go and have a look. I will remind you all again next week.  

 First up it is Week 5 of the San Francisco Stitch Co Yahoo group Spell Binder mystery. Make sure you go to the group and sign up if you wish to do this mystery project. Each instalment is only available for a week and if you miss one you can purchase it from their website for $1.49 . Looks like it is the London Bridge. I am still trying to decide what to do with these designs.

 

 

 

Urban Threads have a lovely Mother design, perhaps a good one to keep in mind for Mother's Day next year. It is free until May 19th.

 

 

Ageless Embroidery have a new font in  progress. It is an applique font so that you can put an applique in the circle before embroidering the initial.

Embromix have a useful 6x4 geometric design. It could be used as a pocket for a bag etc. While there go to their freebie page and download some of their other free designs.

Linda Rae designs have a useful redwork rose circle over at Oregon Patchworks. You could even use Embird to make a larger design. It is not a new one but I thought you might like it.

 

 

 





 

Our Lovely Autumn Garden

I love autumn and the beautiful colours in our garden, especially the mystical toadstools. I shared some pics of those last year but a couple so far from this year are even more breathtaking.

New Video

After my dummy spit in my last post I have had so many messages of support it has been overwhelming. I want to thank those who sent me such lovely messages and posted supportive comments. I suppose I was a bit under the weather as I have a cold and feeling miserable and sorry for myself. I hope that I have sent emails to those people thanking them but if I have missed you I am sorry. Please know that I read every word of each one.

 

We had a lovely lunch with my Mum for  Mother's Day and my daughter remembered to phone without being reminded by someone else.  

 

 

After many requests I have done a video tutorial on resizing in Embird and also how to take stitches out of designs by recalculating density etc. It  may not be textbook perfect but you may find aspects of it useful. I am sorry about the background noise but I used my laptop for this as I wanted to be able to get up fairly close to the numbers etc. so that people viewing could read them.

 

 

Trying Again with video

I have tried again with another video and uploaded it to You Tube . I hope the sound  is OK. I should not have got out of bed this morning. The video sound took us about 5 hours to try and sort out, I broke a machine needle and then tipped about 3 teaspoons of pepper on to my lunch.