For any true embroidery fan, there does come a time when they start to salivate over the new feature [More]

Take your applique to the next level by making it totally reversible. It is really easy to do with m [More]

Football season has begun and you know what that means!  A lot of us will be glued in front of our HD TV screens watching and cheering on our favorite football teams and Fantasy players.  Sipping on an ice cold beer can really enhance the viewing pleasure though while your favorite team an... [More]

Now, here is a fun idea, complete with designs to make it, that would make a great stocking stuffer or busy bag learning toy for any preschooler on your list.  My daughter was looking for ideas one day and came across one of these cute little guys that had been made with colored felt squares.&n... [More]

  Some of us really go out with decorating for the holidays.  Some homes look like a profe [More]

Make this from this    and this! It is almost back-to-school time and this embroidered notebook cover is a quick and easy project using a standard 50-cent composition book. It takes about a half-yard of fabric, or two fat quarters, and a few scraps for the applique. Best of all, you c... [More]

              These casserole carriers are simple to make and are perfect for upcoming pot luck gatherings.  You can make them different by using an assortment of fabrics (maybe from your “stash”) and embroidery designs. Materials: 2 pieces o... [More]

      There are differences in tear-away stabilizer besides their weight. I find that most embroiderers are very familiar with "firm" or "crisp" tear-away. But a wonderfully supportive tear-away is "soft" tear-away. Crisp or firm tear-away is made fr... [More]

Cutwork is so very elegant, and it looks much more difficult than it really is. This project creates a holiday napkin or a gift basket liner or dinner roll cover. The poinsettia is part of the Christmas Cutwork Encore embroidery collection by Dakota Collectibles and it is available from Ann the... [More]

Well, if we had an expert to follow us around all day, that would be both interesting and bothersome [More]

Our girls love to read.  So much that our daughter is making a special reading nook out of a closet in her schoolroom area.  The seven year old, who always wants to add her thoughts to a project brought me a picture.  The pillow had these different,  flapped edges and she asked i... [More]

It is sweltering outside with thoughts of Christmas not readily coming to mind.  This summer ha [More]

Raise your hand if you would like to move your skills to the next level in embroidery!    [More]

Christmas in July had to be invented just for me because I need all the time I can get when it comes [More]

We’ve just passed the halfway mark of the year, so it is time to get a jump start on your holiday projects. Whether you like to create to give or make things to decorate your home, this Christmas Tray is sure to please. Featuring the Baby Lock Enterprise 10-needle embroidery machine, our ... [More]

Hooping and embroidering garments that don't open down the front, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, can be challenging. Even when you get them hooped, it can be hard to get them on and off the machine. Watch this video for tips on how to do this more easily and take at least half the work ... [More]

We all look forward to this time of year, children are laughing around the pool, adults are snoozing [More]

Wedding season is upon us and this project is very easy to make as a wedding shower or reception fav [More]

Following are the instructions for embroidering these cuties!  You'll need the following: Embroiderable Cubbie of your choice Temporary Adhesive Spray Water Soluble Stablizer Medium Weight Tearaway Stabilizer       CHECK OUT ALL CUTE CUBBIES AVAILABLE HERE

My friend received one of the new smaller Kindles for Mother's Day.  She loves crafty things bu [More]

One of the most important groups of people I embroder for are my grandchildren.  Who is more im [More]

If you think that you can't embroider items that you can't get into a hoop, or hold with self-adhesive stabilizer, think again. There's another method that will let you hold big, bulky items under the embroidery needle. I embroidered this tote bag on my single-needle home embroide... [More]

As a Quilter and Sewer I know how important it is to find products that make my projects better and easier without blowing my budget or potentially damaging my work by using something complicated or harsh on fabrics.  It is a balancing act when shopping for supplies, tools, and accessories ... [More]

We are truly blessed to live in a free land. The Fourth of July is fast approaching and I designed t [More]

By Eileen Roche We received such a positive response from my recent blog: 12 Household Tools for the Machine Embroiderer that I decided to revisit this subject. JoAnn Connolly of Garden of Daisies Embroidery thinks craft foam and a cardboard carton are great reusable items ... [More]

I have never thought of myself as a collector of any sort.  I never collected stamps or coins ( [More]

My daughters and I love to take pictures.   With digital cameras  we take lots and lots.  However with three little ones almost always in tow one big problem I now encounter is keeping  track of the lens cover.  And Andrea is always looking for hers, digging i... [More]

Beautiful embroidery goes hand in hand with beautiful linen, and this is the perfect time of year to find antique linens at flea markets, estate sales, and yard sales. There’s nothing like the feel of antique linen. It could be that it’s pure nostalgia. More likely, it is because it is ... [More]

By Eileen Roche We are excited to have Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery share this content with you, which was originally posted on Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog Digital Camera– best design tool in the house (besides pencil and paper). I use a digital ca... [More]

We all know that a stash generally refers to a lot of fabric and notions that we buy but never get a [More]

This blog could be considered as an Anniversary Blog, since it has been a year and seven days since I posted my very first Blog.  I didn’t think it would last this long.  But thanks to all of you and your faithfulness, I’m still here.  Also, I’d like to give a lot of... [More]

As it happens I have 2 daughter in laws who are quite entrepreneurial!  This week Kendal was invited to bring her Pampered Chef product to an event that had 50 attendees who also got to look at other wares that included aprons.  As it happens a local gal has begun a business making aprons,... [More]

AnnTheGran has placed these threads on sale!!  Check it out at Madeira. Dotted swiss was very p [More]

The subject matter this time is probably one of the “testiest” that I have approached.  We are nearing the end of making a quilt from start to finish.  Adding the bind is the best part, right up to stitching down the binding on the back.  The photos I am using were ma... [More]

If you are like me, you subscribe to more than one embroidery and quilting magazine and scour them all front to back when you finally get the chance. Sometimes I'm inspired by the projects in the magazines but many times I'm overwhelmed. And any time that I sit down to sew I'm likely... [More]

Here in San Diego, the summers are very mild.  There is little or modest humidity (30% would be [More]

I travel a lot and after a while people-watching gets old so I turn to reading.  I have been in [More]

Last time we met here, I left you with two photos that I said I would Identify when I came back from my little sojourn from the BLOG.  Here’s some answers for you.  Several months ago, my granddaughter told me that she planned to make her prom dress.  Since she was a senior... [More]

Computer repair can be costly, I don't just mean out of pocket cash .. but, cash that doesn't reach your pocket because your computer issues are halting business.  As you can probably tell, I have been MIA for the last 2-3 weeks.  Blame the computer .. I spent hours of my time tryi... [More]

Among the beautiful and creative hand embroidery work is a pattern called Hardanger.  When look [More]

Did you know that Flag Day is this Sunday?  It is nice to take a moment and remember how gratef [More]

Some people are surprised by our African tea cup designs... Why tea cups? What do tea cups and teapots have to do with Africa? Good question. What many people do not know is that South Africa used to be a British colony. For many years the British ruled South Africa and as a result many of the Briti... [More]

Every month is Start Your Own Business these days, but Brother has gotten serious about this concept.  Infact if you go to our website you can see a great financial opportunity that we have for you all.  You can actually save lots of money if you buy a PR-620 NOW!  Whether you are an ... [More]

Inspirational PlaceMy family is very fortunate that our home has been blessed with a beautiful garden in spite of having nary a green thumb in sight. When my wife and I first saw this property two-and-a-half years ago, it looked like something out of a magazine - the inside was pristine and the outs... [More]

You may remember that one of my earliest blogs discussed “Things I Wish I Knew When I Began Machine [More]

Did you hear me laughing this morning? I was reading an email from Quilter's World magazine and they were recommending that you re-purpose a wedding dress into a christening gown.  Not a bad idea, but for me that would never have worked because I had a mini-length wedding dress! I rem... [More]

You may remember my January 17 post "What is all this stuff and how did it get into my house?" Well, the situation has worsened. There is now 3 people's stuff in a house that was already overstuffed with 2 people's stuff. How in the world can this have happened? I was just beginnin... [More]

I just had one of those embroiderer and 'can't make up her mind' customer interactions. The antagonist of the story, played by the customer, is a great water color painter -- if you don't believe her, just ask her -- and, she brings in 3 water color paintings.  Well,... [More]

First, I must announce the new site that has been 18 months in the designing, redesigning and making [More]

Much to my delight, this is my first year anniversary.  Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you! [More]

Although I haven't posted in my blog for more than 10 weeks, you all have always been close to me in my thoughts and I've felt your warm collective hug. With the help of your prayers, warm thoughts, words of condolence and encouragement I've been able to somehow get through the dark days... [More]

Yes, friends of Ann The Gran, Quilting and Machine Embroidery are great partners.  They can be used in ways other than making a quilt with machine embroidered blocks.  The two following photos are the first of a number of photos what will appear on LaRueSews-Quilts in the not too distant f... [More]

Sorry for taking the week off .. I really like to prep for Mother's Day .. after all, my Mom is THE Queen and I really like to dedicate the whole weekend to her .. cooking, cleaning, taking her shopping and and out to a nice dinner and maybe a movie (though there isn't much at the movies her... [More]

Celebrity GossipThe prevailing wisdom of our celebritized culture seems to tell us that, when everyone has an opinion about you, you know you've done something right. Facebook is a celebrity, a big star. It's a cultural phenomenon. Everyone has an opinion on Facebook. And just as the tabloid... [More]

May is my favorite month.  While I come from a small family, there are only 24 of us, but for s [More]

“Meesy, why don’t Grandma and Gigi have pictures of us at their houses like you do?” my eldest grand [More]

Spring has sprung in New Jersey.  Everyone is out and about walking and enjoying the beautiful trees as they bloom. That is here in New Jersey, apparently Mother Nature has a few things confused and my grandchildren in Colorado are still wearing their snow boots. Don’t forget though that ... [More]

We are nearing the time when you will be getting your quilt ready to quilt.  That means that you have to make some choices about batting. First of all, just what is batting.  Batting is the middle layer of the quilt that provides warmth and comfort that we all know as a quilt.  In wa... [More]

Q:  You hear stories of beautiful embroidery designs created from sketches on a bar napkin.  Is that true?A:  Though I may have had gotten ideas from sketches, the better the art, the better the embroidered design will be. Your software undoubtedly can import a wide array of art.&nbs... [More]

Q:  I heard that online businesses were a fad and that in time physical storefronts will emerge on top again.A:  Ask your local travel agent what they think of it being a fad !! Online stores are more popular than ever before, as a matter of fact, I was working on a deal with a large fran... [More]