Replies

1. 
   Gloriasews | Sep 23, 2007 01:06am | #1

   Great job!  You've been a busy lady!

   Gloria

2. 
   Crazy K | Sep 23, 2007 02:54am | #2

   Oh my.........those are beautiful!  Thanks for sharing the pix.  It's so nice to see what others are doing. 

    

3. 
   VKStitcher | Sep 24, 2007 07:07pm | #3

   What a special talent/gift you have.  These are absolutely wonderful.  I'm sure you'll sell lots of your beautiful things at Ladies Night Out.

   What machine/hoop did you use for the large angel?  I'm just getting into machine embroidery, and have always wondered how to do such a large design.  My largest hoop is only 5 x 7.

1. 
   dressed2atee | Sep 25, 2007 12:58am | #4

   I have the Ellegante 2 which has a 12x7 hoop!

1. 
   VKStitcher | Sep 25, 2007 03:39pm | #6

   That's a nice machine.  My Janome has the ability to stitch larger designs with a "Giga Hoop", but I haven't needed to do that yet.  From what I understand, the design is split, and the hoop is turned to stitch the other half.  I worry that the two halves won't quite match up...

   Thanks for the information.  I always love to see pictures of your work.

    

1. 
   dressed2atee | Sep 25, 2007 03:52pm | #7

   Thanks so much.  My Pfaff 2124 does large designs like that too, it's a pain trying to line them up. 

2. 
   maggiecoops | Sep 27, 2007 03:00pm | #13

   Hi Vicki, I own and have used the Gigahoop. The hoop is designed mainly to combine two 5 x 7 designs , it can be used for splitting but you really do need to understand alignment lines to use it that way. It's great for combining small designs to make a larger embroidery. it saves each sewing field separately and turns one sewing field on it's head.

   If you have an editor that allows you to split large designs, you need to bear in mind the machine will see one half upside down. Not a problem if you know what to expect. The easiest way to use it for split designs is to use the no hoop method for the fabric and only hoop the stabilizer then use the jogs keys to get your needle aligned for the second part of the stitch out. Fiddly but works.

   The Janome software can't split designs but programmes like Buzz edit or my preference, Emird will. There are some purchasable lesson sites on the web for both.

   I like the large jacket back designs which take several hoopings on the Janome, and after doing a few, got myself an industrial single head 12 needle machine. Now I can embroider designs up to 22" x 15", no splitting, no aligning and best of all, no rethreading each time a colour change comes up. Still use my Janome 10000 v3 though as it's a lovely machine. I also use the Janome digitizing software as it's one of the easiest to learn that I've come across. I use Embird studio, Generations, and Huqvarna, though my Hus software is very old now and only operates on windows 95 or 98.

1. 
   VKStitcher | Sep 27, 2007 04:46pm | #14

   Hi Maggie,

   I have had my machine (Janome 300e) for a little over a year, so I'm still learning!  So far, I haven't done anything larger than my 5x7 hoop can handle.  I've combined designs with the Janome software, but they still fit within that hoop.

   However, using the Janome Customizer software is frustrating for me.  I'm not sure if it's due to limitations of the software, or limitations of the user!  :-)  I have heard a lot of positive comments about Embird, and plan to download the demo and check it out.  From what I've seen, it is much more powerful and has lots more features.  As for digitizing, that's way beyond my abilties!  I'd love to have the time to learn, but that will have to wait until I retire.

   I have seen some amazing jacket-back designs, and I would think that an industrial machine would be the way to go.  I feel faint just thinking about having to re-hoop and re-align!  Like I said, I'm still a beginner, but I'm having fun, and I learn something new all the time.  Thanks for sharing all this information with me. 

2. 
   maggiecoops | Sep 27, 2007 06:49pm | #15

   Vicki, Embird manager and editor is a wonderful program. The iconizer is great (it's an additional cost but so useful)  Customiser is limited, it's a very limited auto Digi program and not that straight forward  to use.  One of the reasons I bought the Janome digitising software was because I didn't like Auto generated embroidery designs. Too many jumps, too much cleaning up after or during stitching and nothing seemed to stitch logically. I found out why after I started digitising.

   The Embird suite takes a bit of learning but is well worth the effort, the editor opens up so many possibilities you'll be amazed.  Splitting designs and using elements from larger ones is so quick. I've attached a PDF doc I wrote for my Yahoo group. It's a bit jumbly but does show you what I mean. I've done one on manager which if you want let me know.

3. 
   maggiecoops | Sep 27, 2007 06:53pm | #16

   well I thought I had attached a file but can't see it, that's a wee bit annoying. so I'm off to hunt out how to find attachments and open them.

4. 
   VKStitcher | Sep 27, 2007 09:53pm | #17

   Being able to take parts of designs and recombine them into something new is intriguing, and the Iconizer will help tremendously in organizing my embroidery files.  Don't worry if you can't find the PDF file.  It will be a while before I get a chance to download the Embird demo--I have a few more projects to check off the list so that I can devote some time to playing around with it.  I have so many things that I want to do, but not nearly enough time to play!  :-)

4. 
   GailAnn | Sep 25, 2007 09:35am | #5

   Those are wonderful!

5. 
   rodezzy | Sep 26, 2007 05:55pm | #8

   Absolutely more than beautiful.  What a lucky church to have you to custom make items for them.  Great work.

1. 
   dressed2atee | Sep 26, 2007 07:11pm | #9

   Oh thank you so very much!

1. 
   solosmocker | Sep 26, 2007 09:01pm | #10

   I can just see the admirers at the services now. These are wonderful, Tee. Can you see me drooling over your machines?solo

1. 
   dressed2atee | Sep 26, 2007 10:06pm | #11

   Praise from you always make me beam, your work is so beautiful! 

   Thanks

1. 
   solosmocker | Sep 27, 2007 01:08am | #12

   (Blush)solo

6. 
   dionna | Sep 28, 2007 05:15pm | #18

   hello these are wonderfull now looking at your emdroidery now I'm looking for a machine but not to expensive at first I'm looking at the brother at walmart to start with I loooooooooooooooooove your work keep up the good work and I know you will sell all of them and have to make more. 

1. 
   dressed2atee | Sep 30, 2007 05:34am | #19

   Hi there, thanks so much.  I did the same thing and then I was disappointed because I was so limited.  My advice would be to get the most expensive machine with largest hoops that you can afford.  You won't be sorry.

   Happy sewing!

1. 
   dionna | Oct 05, 2007 07:46pm | #23

   Thank you for the info I will look at some other machines but it will have to be put on hold for now I'm in the process of moving

2. 
   craftyjudy01 | Oct 02, 2007 01:33am | #20

   Yes, I agree--I have a Brother PE150 that I purchased at Walmart when I worked in Fabrics there and have really enjoyed it--good machine - no problems - but you will want larger than 4x4 designs - trust me --  especially when you see the larger ones on Embroidery Library or any of the sites that have designs---that's the one thing that will drive you batty--wishing you had the capacity for larger designs.  I just purchased the Babylock Ellegante--I'm retired --  and it will be my last machine--haven't even begun to work on it yet but that's my retirement present to myself - I've already clued the kids into not planning on all that money they think they're gonna get (TeeHee)!!!!  You can get a larger hoop for the Walmart Brother- think its about 4. something by 6 - still won't do those 5x7 designs- think hard!!!!!

1. 
   maggiecoops | Oct 03, 2007 04:16pm | #21

   I too bought a Brother but the 200, the 150 was released later. It was great at first, but I soon longed for a bigger sewing field. I'd bought it after the dealer had assured me that it was soooo easy to embroider huge designs with it. It was a few years before I could upgrade to a larger sewing field , I bought a Janome 10000. Since then I've added 2 single head industrials , one of them has a 22" x 15" field. Such freedom.  If they come out with a bigger sewing field I'm going to have to blindfold myself as I've run out of room. When I bought my PE200, there werent many options, but now, well I'd choose one with an option of stitching, small, medium and large designs and live on bread and water for a while.

1. 
   GailAnn | Oct 03, 2007 07:23pm | #22

   My cousin's wife never cuts back on Luxuries when budgeting......Says cutting back on necessities is the only way to save money!     .....She says she will cut back on toothpaste first.  Such a funny lady!  Gail

2. 
   dionna | Oct 05, 2007 07:49pm | #24

    

   Thank you for the info.