You know what I mean!
You hear that your neighbor's daughter is 3 months pregnant. You have been good friends for years. That means your friend is excited and you are
a little delighted yourself. You even
like her new husband, therefore, a nice gift is in order.
Let's start by saying, if I don't have to do the work - - I
am not going to do it. So, with my
special project in mind, I began to search the Internet for something clever
and inexpensive - but it had to appear expensive.
Here at AnnTheGran, I found this pillowcase that I am really pleased with, it
meets my criteria and will be a great present for the baby. I know Susan from AllAboutBanks https://www.annthegran.com/Themes/All/Machine-Embroidery/Blanks.aspx and I can verify that she is very choosy about what she selects for selling. From the beginning, she knew having quality was the key to success. We already know about price must be commensurate with the value you get. And this one is VALUE! For under $25, the pillow insert is INCLUDED.
Here is what the Susan is saying:
Pillow area measures 12" x 16" and is made of beautiful white linen/cotton fabric. The smocking is already completed and is detailed with mock bullion roses in your choice of either Rosy Pink or Periwinkle Blue.
How do you hoop it?
The bottom seam will need to be opened so it can then lay flat in your hoop. When finished with the embroidery, just straight stitch the seam up again. It's just that simple!
I am going to recommend using my favorite stabilizer,
Badgemaster. You know I LOVE IT, and in this case, I would spray a small amount of adhesive on the opened pillowcase so the stabilizer will stick. Then, remove as much of Badgemaster as possible. When the pillowcase is washed - and it will be sooner or later - the remainder will be removed.
I found a couple of very nice designs that will be great for this project.
https://www.annthegran.com/prd/Designs/Ann-The-Gran/Babies-Saying/1/ATG6156_Baby2.aspx (FREE)
https://www.annthegran.com/prd/Designs/Grand-Slam-Designs/Im-Cute--/1/BABY199.aspx ($7 or $5.95 for club members)
I do like to remind my readers about some of my blogs that have been very popular and helpful for today's embroiderers. As I have read through many of them, I often find that I have forgotten a tip or two, how embarrassing is that? This one, about creating corners, can be used with many designs that have a satin border. https://bit.ly/nail-a-corner I think you will find it to be interesting and very informative.
Most people understand that what we tell our brain is significant in our lives. For instance, if you wanted to quit smoking, saying "I can't quit" is counter-productive. Tell your brain what you want, and it will do as requested. Here is a Brain Hack that I tried and I found it to be very well worth my time - it works on a messy spot like MY desk.
First, look at the desk and take it in visually. It is in terrible disorder. Then, close your eyes and visualize that desk as clean and organized. Make sure you need to feel good about what you are visualizing. Feel relaxed about the desk. Feel contented. Finally, hold that feeling, and the messy desk image, in your mind. Let it wash over you.
This will kick-start your brain's planning system. When comparing the two images, you are automatically going to see places for things to go, and what to do with them. This exercise takes less than a minute, but can save you a lot of frustration.
Give that one a try, I am so blown away by how it changed how I see messy areas NOW! Instead of seeing mess, I now see things that can be put away. Changing your viewpoint of the world changes who we are.