Before there was Facebook and Twitter, there was "Yonders My Best Friend" and I loved it.  I do [More]

Back to school.  Everyone is saying it - it is posted in every store and website that we visit. [More]

     I have added a third design for the Please Tie Me page of my baby activitybook.  Someone emailed to ask whether it would be okay for her to stitcheyelets instead of setting metal eyelets in the shoe quarter.  I thought it wouldbe easier to embroider the eyelets as ... [More]

We are excited to have Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery share this co [More]

If you are attending a wedding any time soon, chances are this scripture will be included. And now a [More]

  It is just about that time of year when Mom's and Dad's are just a little happier and kids ar [More]

Dear Readers, Create this adorable hand puppet for the young kids in your life. See below for project instructions on how to make this "In the Hoop" applique hand puppet. Materials: 1 Kids Hand Puppet Embroidery Design 2 pieces of Tear Away Backing Spray Adhe... [More]

Embroider a holiday design on a piece of wool felt and you create an ornament. Trim it with an AccuQ [More]

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 : 1. Print a template(s) of your embroidery design so you can plan the embroidery layout. Place it on the ... [More]

We are preparing for VBS this week.  My daughter volunteered to co-ordinate the craft room and [More]

WOW!  "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was one charming, romantic and fun film.  I remember seeing [More]

The blog below was originally published in November 2011. The Merry and Bright bundle is currently on special right now and can be found here. The new Merry and Bright collection from Amazing Designs incorporates blinking lights with embroidery for an adorable holiday accent unlike anythi... [More]

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?  With silver bells and cockle shells & pretty 3D Flowers all in a row? Isn’t that how the nursery rhyme goes?  It does here at Starbird Stock Designs.  We can’t always rely on the weather here in Minnesota to grow... [More]

It's easy to create unique freestanding ornaments using applique designs. Much like freestanding lace is constructed on water-soluble stabilizer, freestanding applique is made stable from the applique base. With satin stitching all around, they can stand alone. Thi... [More]

What did I just say???  Get your nails done???  Well ladies and gentlemen, yes, get your n [More]

  Click here to download this article as a PDF for future reference. Many of you wrote that buttonholes are a struggle when it comes to sewing. I agree! One of the worst parts about adding a buttonhole is it’s just about the last thing you do when making a garment. I begin to swe... [More]

Ever wonder what to do with all of those test stitchouts? Bonnie Welsh from SewInspiredbyBonnie.com has put hers to some of the most uniquely versatile uses I've ever seen and, fortunately, has given me permission to share them with you. I just adore this tote bag. It uses mylar in the de... [More]

I originally created this project for my daughter, a cosmetologist, so that she could take her curling irons and flat iron home before they were cool enough to handle. Then, I decided it would be perfect for transporting mini irons when traveling or taking classes.It is very simple, particularl... [More]

Lucy's birthday party is coming up in a couple of days.  She wants an apron, and those things you wear on your hands (oven mitts).  My daughter said it should be bright and colorful and wanted to make it herself but there just isn't much time and I was busy getting ready for a rath... [More]

When I started this blog in 2008, I found a story about embroidery machines.  It stated that th [More]

  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 : Last week, I wrote about fishing, I mean teaching, in Bend, OR and while I was there, I introduced my... [More]

When I first started embroidering, one tip I often read was to keep a record of details as they relate to embroidery design stitch outs. I thought this was supposed to be fun. A lab manual; what's the use? You just press a button and stitch, right? I didn't see the importance then, but ha... [More]

     My brother rides a trike.  (No, it is not a tricycle like we had whenwe were young.  He rides one of these, an elliptical exercise machine.  Hesays that it's a lot more fun for him than a stationery machine in his basementwould be.)  I bet you are won... [More]

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 : We discussed five tips for expanding your embroidery expertise. One tip – Don’t Think Project &ndas... [More]

Sometimes, there is absolutely no hope for dressing guys - forget about taking them out in public! & [More]

Here's something I didn't know. Quality needles are made to break. Really. Klassé needles, an indus [More]

Blog.  When I first saw this word I though it peculiar.  That was a long time ago and there are words and abbreviations now being used that are much more peculiar. So, I decided to read a “blog” (pre-ATG).  So long and boring I cannot even remember the subject!  ... [More]

When you first start to work with embroidery, you are going to find so many great items that it will [More]

My best friend's daughter is getting married.  And I was going to give a shower at my home in April.  The colors were ivory and pale gold with touches of red.  It was the nearing the end of March and although there was still plenty of time I had been thinking about how to dec... [More]

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 : Looking for a last minute personalized gift for your man? Want to get your guy to wear embroidered duds? Thin... [More]

Computers in your Clothes? A Wearable Electronics Milestone Photo Courtesy of Jo McCulty, Oh [More]

Pat shares a personal story about her grandson, and highlights awareness designs. [More]

I do like to create something unexpected when I embroider.  Some times that includes using a te [More]

This time of the year - where on earth did summer go?? - the kids are off to school and the temperat [More]

If you need to go out this afternoon for some stabilizer or thread, this is a caution just for you.& [More]

The Avid Embroiderer Presents - Build a Better Mouse Trap - Do You Catch A Better Mouse? [More]

The Avid Embroiderer Presents: Nailed It!!! [More]

These things are just a little information for your project.  I know that, although I have been [More]

I know it is really nice to see how to do some of the coolest projects, but I often have trouble fin [More]

As embroiderers, we have a lot to consider when deciding on a project.  This is how I try to vi [More]

After asking several digitizers the all important question - "tell your readers that it takes a [More]

When I first heard the term "Portable Loyalty" I thought that it did not refer to me. I am a loyal c [More]

Occasionally you may be working with a dense or very sheer fabric and experience what is called hoop [More]

One of my favorite authors was Shel Silverstein; he was truly one of a kind.  In addition to ma [More]

Over time, I have enjoyed doing my embroidery a great deal.  Even when I was frustrated in the [More]

It is time for perfect brides to be walking down a perfect isle, in a perfect gown, with a perfect m [More]

A biscornu is an elegant, eight sided ‘pincushion' whose origins have been lost over the centuries.& [More]

Hi there, EveryBuddy.  This Blog is a milestone.  Ya know, sometimes when you count things, (anything noteworthy) the numbers that end in Zero are important.  That goes especially in Birthdays, like 20, 40, etc.  Some of ‘em, are BIG ones.  Well, my friends, this Blo... [More]

I can remember my mother mending piles of clothes.  She mended the mends, and she even darned t [More]

It’s Chilly here in Alabama today.  That is to say, rainy 70 degrees feels cold compared with 90+ degrees.  This has been a frustrating day.  I have a little project that I wanted to talk about this time.  However, I’ve lost the special ruler I need for the project.&n... [More]

Hi Everyone.  It’s been a few weeks since I met you here at LaRueSews-Quilts.  I’ve taken a little time off to re-group, rest and plan.  Now as you asked, it’s time to announce the LaRueSews Block of the Month.  I will go along with the government and provide an... [More]

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

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]

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]

On this sunny, beautiful,  but cold day in Alabama, here’s wishing you a March that goes out like a Lamb.  Since much of the USA saw a snowy and cold first day of March, It must have come in like a Lion, so it should go out like a Lamb.  To all of you in the southern hemisphere,... [More]

In beginning this blog, I realized that I need to back track and talk about something I left out some time ago. You really need to straighten the fabric before you begin any project.  That doesn’t include quilting alone.  It includes any kind of sewing.  Because of the nature of... [More]

I have been thinking about doing embroidery on lingerie for some time now.  I might be doing so [More]

  Special Offer - To get free shipping and handling on Pre-Design Studio, the software mentioned in this post, click here. Wow, my first blog at AnnTheGran.com This week I will try to solve a problem that will be familiar to many of you - well, at least I hope that I'm not the... [More]

As I start this out today, there are so many things Zinging around in my head, it’s hard to tell which way this edition of LaRueSews will go. I’ve heard writers say that sometimes they start out with just an idea and then just let it roll. I think I’ll tell you a bit about the qui... [More]