Good Night! SleepTight!  Now that is something we all hope to do each night.  Whenever we don’t get enough sleep, there is usually something we can do about getting more and sounder sleep so we can stay in dream land longer each night.  Some people prefer to have it totally da... [More]

Many of us who are embroidery enthusiasts love to create wonderful projects for those who we love.&n [More]

At our house we always seem to be slightly behind and end up cramming to get our father's day gifts done the night before that special day.  Sometimes they don't go as planned and we spend a frustrating time figuring out what to do.  This year we decided to change this (maybe the r... [More]

Did you ever wonder how embroidery was done before computers? During the 1960s automated embroidery [More]

This is one of those words that looks familiar but we are never quite sure if we know it or not! How [More]

Would you like to win $500 Cash? YOU are invited to enter your completed African Folklore Embroidery in the upcoming challenge. Entry forms are on online at www.aflembroidery.com. THE GRAND PRIZE is $500 cash, 2nd prize $50 and 3rd prize $25.00. All entrants will receive certificate of part... [More]

Good Night! SleepTight!  Now that is something we all hope to do each night.  Whenever we [More]

I will start off by confessing that this project was definitely not my brainchild.  In fact, it [More]

  Fear No Pashmina! One of my favorite newer stabilizers is the self-adhesive wash-away mesh type. This stabilizer can be pricey, but it stands alone when you need the unique advantages offered by this highly evolved specialty product.The item being embroidered must be compatible with wate... [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alph [More]

I am constantly seeking something unusual for my bridal shop.  I enjoy bringing something reall [More]

Remember as a young child and one of your parents, or grandparents, would cuddle up next to you and read you a story before bedtime.  You would listen to your favorite story until your eyes slowly closed and you drifted into fairy-tale dreams.  Now that you have grown up and have children ... [More]

A friend gave me some leftover 5" squares of minky fabric the other day.  There were not enough to make a quilt so I pondered what to do with them.  In the meantime someone stepped on the clip that held the baby's pacifier so it didn't get lost.  She really only gets it w... [More]

I am so delighted to say that I belong to a group of enthusiastic embroiderers who meet once every m [More]

 JUNK IN MY TRUNK and the African Folklore Embroidery Elephants One of my favorite animals to observe while on safari is the elephants. I love watching the baby elephant walk in between his mom and dad and seeing how protective the moms are toward their babies. The elephant is the largest... [More]

I know that I have told you about all the babies that are on their way.  And their mother's are now doing the decorating.  Many of our daughter's friends have seen her baby's room and when she asked them what they would like as a shower gift several requested the fram... [More]

As exciting as standard embroidery is, you'll reach a creative crescendo when you add other elements. When you incorporate everyday elements with even the simplest embroidery, the result is almost always a pleasing surprise. In this example, "The Busy Bride" from the Circle of Life des... [More]

"What will the Easter bunny bring for the baby?" our grandaughter asked.  Now, this is the same [More]

It seems that we all need more time these days, I sure know I do.  Don’t you just wish that som [More]

This great project idea came from one of my officemates, Kimberly.  She stumbled on this great [More]

What the heck is Steampunk?  Well, its called steampunk because it is a mix of steam powered era style and futuristic style, sort of as if the future happened in the past (if that makes any sense). Its punk because its a bit of that style thrown in. So really you can call anything that loo... [More]

  Everyday I see new ideas every where I turn.  If it is not a new thread, it is a new mac [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alph [More]

Here is how I recover almost designs that have hopped out of the hoop. 1. Walk away for a moment. Calm down and begin to work on getting it fixed. 2. Find some running stitches that are on a curve or angle. If you don't see any, you may need to remove some stitches covering them. For... [More]

If you frequent the Forums here at AnnTheGran or any other site, you will often see users asking whi [More]

Starbird Inc. has been dedicated to the embroidery industry for the past 25 years.  Our talented and educated staff has many combined years of embroidery digitizing experience.  Along with custom digitizing we also do stock designs which are all professionally digitized at our headquarters... [More]

 Teaching an African Folklore Embroidery class is one of my favorite things to do. In the last few weeks, I have taught workshops at quilt guilds in Washington, Visalia, Long Beach and Covina. I have had all types of people in my classes, from people who have been quilting for many years, but n... [More]

Without thread, embroidery is just a piece of fabric. . .  The thread can make a great design m [More]

Wristlets are great if you have lots of other stuff to haul around (like kids and diaper bags and laptops...) and don't want the extra weight of a purse.  But after a hard winter the ones we have been using look pretty bad so I decided to surprise the girls with new ones this week.  I ... [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alph [More]

Moms and dads are jumping up and down. Neighbors are throwing parties. Kids are getting new supplies [More]

Following the Christmas season of making, January is typically when we try to get our sewing rooms b [More]

Kintsugi [More]

When summer hits Phoenix, it hits hard. . . We have been having an 'intense heat warning.' I don't k [More]

The Avid Embroiderer Presents - Creating a Healthier Environment and a Freebie with as much joy as you can handle. [More]

I am in a decorating mood and saw a 3D picture on a wall in a magazine. The photo was of a plain pie [More]

I consider my stash of designs collection in the same loving manner as a coin, stamp or even vintage [More]

Looking for a project for my blog, I saw so many torn jeans that I thought, I don’t wear them, but t [More]

You and I know that embroidery can be so many things, an heirloom (don’t forget to put your name and [More]

I remember, years ago, I was told something like – If you think of something, a red convertible, for [More]

While searching the Internet for interesting (?) subjects for my blog, I came upon one that seemed v [More]

The Christmas tree has been put away(finally), the lights rolled up, the wreaths wrapped and hung in [More]

I do subscribe to HGTV's Magazine. I really love the whole magazine, especially the "High/Low List" [More]

I was reading just the other day about Baby's Firsts. It was noted that Baby Books will have to be a [More]

In my opinion, women who are no longer a size 8 tend to wear baggy clothing. https://www.swakdesigns [More]

We love to give and receive baked goods any time of the year.  They are so appreciated at a tim [More]

A while back I shared some projects we were working on for my granddaughters’ bedroom.  Well, a [More]

I have recently discovered the actual world's second oldest profession. The world needs many things [More]

I’ll bet you can think of a million different uses for these darling little baskets and, since they [More]

Halloween costumes are always fun to make.  We have girls so we have made a lot of princess and [More]

Tension is a word that has a very bad PR agency. The mere word gets blood pressure to rise and grow [More]

I have been embroidering for more than 15 years.  I was generally self-taught and I started wit [More]

I have a "Love" "Hate" relationship with some of my sweaters. I love my "creamy orange," light-weigh [More]

This time of year, we all do more metallic thread designs and here are some tips for you to have bet [More]

Happy September everyone.  Today I have a quick project and set of free fall leaf designs to ki [More]

We are still (or maybe I should say again) working on the girl’s bedroom makeover from last spring.& [More]

My granddaughters are tremendously excited about attending a week long camp program at our local zoo [More]

I am not much of a decorator. I love to see what others have done but for myself, I would buy 10 ite [More]

Last week my laptop began making very strange noises.  It is a few years old so I decided to re [More]

I have discussed the computer industry before and I want to point out something that has been a thor [More]