Machine embroidery advances are being driven by the same things that drive the computer industry - H [More]

Most Help Desk people will remind you to do certain steps, depending on your computer, to help speed up your PC.  Vista does the Defrag and Check Disk in the background, so you can do those if you like, but it is not likely to make any difference in start-up speed. It is a fact that getting ri... [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alphabets andindividual designs can be found on my Stock Design Page.  My designs are also available inpacks, as described in this blog.  Those can be found here.  For designs and packs ava... [More]

Our family has been invited to several Halloween gatherings this year.  The first is this weekend - a whole week before the 31st!  This is Friday and the girls costumes are not quite finished.  But the girls are very excited about dressing up for  these events.  One dec... [More]

Christmas season always brings requests for embroidering names on stockings. This may make you wish that you could crawl into a cave and hibernate with the bears until Spring! Yet stockings can be conquered and in doing so, you bring happiness and create heirlooms. For this reason, I have always tri... [More]

Ever since I recognized that my retirement was going to be upon me quickly (about 10 years ago), I w [More]

You can never have too many bags.  We use bags for everything from storing tiny toys to carrying our groceries in "green" bags.  But last week my daughter decided she needed a huge bag. She teaches science two days a week at a local Christian school.  But since she shares th... [More]

If you have not yet tried Skype, you are missing one of the finest features the Internet has to offer. Most people know that you can call users worldwide if they have the correct equipment for free.  But did you know that: You can send files Send Instant Messages (IM) Create a conference... [More]

My love for embroidery is going on 10 years.  I cannot believe it, how time flies when you are [More]

And The Winner is………   Over twenty thousand people viewed the African Folklore Embroidery entries at the International Quilt Show in Long Beach.  As many of my readers know I travel around the country lecturing and teaching African Folklore Embroidery. I am always a... [More]

Halloween is just around the corner and with so many costumes to make this year I decided two things: 1) They need to be fairly simple, and 2) I need to start earlier than I have in the past.  The two older girls each have a definite ideas of what they want to be.  But what ... [More]

We are all trying to be more ‘green' these days, but some things may remain in your home that you are uncertain about.  Green means more environmentally safe, but I use some items that I really cannot do without.   I want to know exactly what is in those products.  It m... [More]

Embroidery is always trying to do new and different things.  My mother's embroidery was limited [More]

It’s great to find a new embroidery effect, and it’s even better when it’s as easy as the silk flower technique. Jackie Woods of www.greatnotions.com introduced me to the concept, and I found it absolutely stunning.   Jackie u... [More]

One of our granddaughters loves Frosty the Snowman.  We sing the song daily - even when it is 100+ degrees here.  We read the book almost as often.  So I decided to create a Frosty sweatshirt for her even though winter isn't here yet.  When I asked her what color sweatshirt s... [More]

We all get excited over a new piece of equipment, either for our computer or for our embroidery.&nbs [More]

I really enjoyed locking myself into my sewing room and creating these Halloween projects.  I think the color combinations of Halloween must be very pleasing to me, so I tend to collect lots of designs and fabrics for that holiday.  It was easy to dip into my stash of designs and work up a... [More]

[View:/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/avid-embroiderer.Back+2+School+2010/A-Haunted-Moon.zip]It may be true that in the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.  However, it is autumn that has a parental dance called, Thank Goodness... [More]

 Bag from www.embroiderthis.com Have you ever tried to embroider something and thought you would have to crawl inside it to hoop it?  Well, sometimes that is exactly what we have to do! Many items that have small openings are challlenging, but they can indeed be embroidered with a l... [More]

I went to have lunch with my granddaughter this week.  It was fun but one thing that amazed me was how many lunch boxes looked just alike.  And they were all jumbled together in huge tubs so it took the kids some time to find the one that belonged to them.  So, this week we made In-th... [More]

It seems like it was very recent when we were learning computers, the Internet and cell phones.  I am on my sixth computer and I cannot remember how many cell phones I have had.  Change is inevitable; stand still and you will be run over.  Sky Drive, a program by Microsoft, is one o... [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alphabets canbe found on my Stock Design Page.  My designs are also available in packs, as described inthis blog.  Those can be found here.  For designs and packs available in multiple size... [More]

I have used thinner threads for certain types of embroidery.  For instance, some monograms can [More]

Kids love to display their art on the fridge.  Adults too seem to stick up lists, reminders and notices where they can be easily accessed..  So, many marketers send information to us printed on these soft magnets in hopes that we will put them in this often viewed place in our homes.  ... [More]

If you have been online more than 1 week, you probably have a lot of "Favorites" or "Bookmarks" that you have accumulated.  I am a collector of links.  If I think I may be interested in something, but don't have the time at the moment and I create a Favorite. Beca... [More]

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

The girls are growing fast.  They love their baby towels with the hoods but are outgrowing them now.  When they complained about being cold after their bath the other night mom and I decided to make them larger "big girl" hooded towels for Christmas.  Then we remembered that... [More]

Drawing and designing is usually limited to those who have talent, I am not included in that group.  However, I did find a method of creating interesting designs that is fun and amusing for me.  I hope you like it too. Livebrush, is a fun way to create some interesting effects.  If y... [More]

First things first- our little girl is finally here!  There is a picture of our beautiful grand [More]

It was such an honor being invited by the South African consulate to exhibit my art-quilt, BEADED AFRICAN VILLAGE, for the hosting of the final game of the world cup soccer.  I got to meet and spent time with the delightful Vice Consul general as well as other African consulate members who were... [More]

I have been a fan of Http://www.annthegran.com/Product.aspx?t=1&i=7828  Badgemaster for abo [More]

I remember when I started machine embroidery. I had no access to assistance, I bought my machine via [More]

Color palettes are a brilliant way to get design inspiration. All of us struggle with choosing emb [More]

Since I have been having difficulty finding my supplies locally, in the Phoenix Metro Area, I have b [More]

Do you worry about bumping your USB while it is plugged in? A broken port means no designs can be lo [More]

You can use spray starch or Best Press to stiffen your fabric and freestanding lace but why not make [More]

vygbhunijmok, [More]

It’s National Quilting Month and this hoop is perfect for quilting with your embroidery machine! As [More]

Years ago there was a comedy called "The Mouse That Roared." It comically showed what might happen i [More]

Do you stress over not having the exact thread brand or color that a design calls for? Digitizers ut [More]

Some ideas stand the test of time. These are tips that make your day-to-day and embroidery a little [More]

I have thought about this idea for a long time. In looking at my draft blog ideas, the first time I [More]

When cataloging and arranging your embroidery files, you may be tempted to delete the other formats [More]

As makers, Christmas is typically an embroidery, sewing, and baking marathon. If your sewing room lo [More]

This method of creating 3D types of designs is simple and easy to do. I like that right away! [More]

Holidays are always great fun for everyone (except Mom). This holiday is hopefully going to be [More]

Is it copyright or free? or something else?Note: This information should not be considered legal adv [More]

fff [More]

A couple of tips from my own observations -When you live alone, and you can't find something, you ha [More]

One of the most popular features of Embrilliance among machine embroiderers is the incredibly useful [More]

Ever wonder why there are so many different weights of thread? They each have their own particular u [More]

There are a few things that may not be obvious when buying your first or next embroidery machine.&nb [More]

Sometimes you need to embroider something that won't fit accurately in a hoop. For instance, you wan [More]

What makes Independence Day Designs even better? A 70% off sale and King Star metallic! Don’t let m [More]

There are always room for a few little tips and/or tricks to make your project a step up from averag [More]

Tide-Your-Guide-to-Decoding-Laundry-Symbols.pdf (1.1MB) [More]

This little trick will help keep your projects hooped securely and it won’t break the bank! The se [More]

I have often heard (and wondered myself) why doesn't this expensive machine communicate and give me [More]

A few years ago, there was a fad of melting crayons and creating some pretty terrific artwork. I per [More]

I was just watching a video from a very well-known embroidery expert, Ok it is Lindee Goodall.  [More]