No need for an expensive trip to the frame shop. Use a simple canvas board to display your embroidery stitchouts. Most embroiderers know that a test stitchout is required. That's how we are sure that all of our settings are correct, that the thread colors work well, that our stabilzer is the ri... [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.   Here’s the windup on my new bag. After embroidering the corner accents and grommet designs on both ... [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.  By Sherry McCary Even though I have thousands of embroidery designs, there are several that are so vers... [More]

I was thinking the other day about all the great designs that are available BUT, when I need somethi [More]

Listed below is the design used in this project Enjoy Wine Tote CD110811FI [More]

Not long ago, Ann the Gran featured the Calligraphy Project Designer special and I knew I had to try it out. Elegant fonts, scrollwork, and plenty of elegant accents... I LOVE it! I was really surprised at all of the features, especially for the cost. It is a mini customizing program with capa... [More]

I got a little Soccer fever and if you did not, I am here to tell you that the USA lost but can hold [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. I was very excited when Eileen gave me the opportunity to write this month’s Monogram of the Month featu... [More]

Next to Angelina fiber, glitter flex vinyl is becoming my new favorite applique embellishment. Bonnie Welsh from Sew Inspired by Bonnie introduced me to this new product and I can see so many uses for it. She did extensive testing with several similar products and chose Glitter Flex Ultra and Glitte... [More]

  Materials: • 3D Planter Decor design • Fabric for Applique (we used broadcl [More]

I have been doing bridal work for almost 13 years.  Sometimes it is frustrating, interestingly, [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. The entire community used to come together whenever the needle plate on an embroidery machine needed to be remov... [More]

The shabby chic appeal of rag quilts is gaining in popularity. Their strong, but soft-worn comfort m [More]

  Wow, the pool opens this Saturday and the kids can hardly wait.  We had a couple of rain [More]

Much about creating, whether it is sewing, quilting, embroidery, or any other artistic form, depends on having the ability to visualize the project in your head. I don't know about you, but it is getting harder and harder for me to do that every day. Sometimes, it is easy to bypass a pa... [More]

     Well, I'm back to embroidering for children again.  My newest thing is jigsaw puzzles.I embroider a picture on a piece of felt, then add another piece of felt under the stabilizerbefore stitching the outlines of puzzle pieces.  Then I use special cut work needl... [More]

In my last blog, I did a foam and embossed design in Turquoise and mint green.  The photo does [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:   I have a love-hate relationship with fusible web. I like to add it to the wrong side of applique fabric... [More]

I am a big fan of Joan Rivers - NOT for her use of foul language - but for her sense of taste and st [More]

  Because they resemble hand quilting, redwork embroidery designs work great as a quilting motif. Finding the correct amount of contrast (or not) is the key to an embroidery project that pops. Using a fabric sample called Elm Creek Quilts: Sarah's Collection by Red Rooster, I want to sh... [More]

Materials: •1 pkg. of blanket binding o 10 pieces of 14 x12 inch of white twill or canvas (size will vary due to your hoop size) o Black & white thread o Fabric chalk or marker o Straight pins o Scissors o Ruler o Washa... [More]

Hardanger is a type of stitching that uses the canvas itself as part of the design. The open weave a [More]

You may have had a friend or client ask you to stitch their company or school colors on apparel using PMS colors. Typically, the mere mention of PMS strikes fear in the hearts of many. Here, PMS refers to Pantone Matching System and how it helps with color consistency in embroidery thread. Panto... [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:   I’ll let you in on a little-known secret – I hate to remove the hoop during the embroidery pr... [More]

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

  I get lots of questions about embroidering onesies. I see lots of embroiderers floating them on self-adhesive stabilizers, but most projects will have better results if the onesie is hooped in a hoop with cut-away stabilizer. Watch this video to see how I like to hoop onesies. I demonst... [More]

Here is something no embroiderer should be without: basting stitches. Especially when they are FREE. Overall, basting files place a running stitch around the outside of the design area, temporarily securing the hooped fabric and stabilizer together. Some machines even have a basting feature bu... [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:    Our friends at Baby Lock have excellent advice for achieving beautiful embroidery on any machine... [More]

     A few years ago I made for myself a messenger bag style purse, with one of [More]

Since I seem to spend a lot of time at the repair shop with my machines, I thought I would talk abo [More]

Hello Hello fellow  AnntheGran Embroiderers & New Orlando Circle of Friends!!!! :):):), Who Am I?  For those of you who attended the VERY SPECIAL 1st annual AnntheGran's convention in Orlando in April, you may remember me...it was pretty hard to miss my loud scream and waving arm... [More]

Okay, that would be me, but now that I've got your attention I want to first address a couple of questions that were posted in the comments from last week's post. I thought I'd answer them here, rather than there, because the answers might be of interest to many of you. For LolliConn, w... [More]

Every now and then I'll receive an angry email that goes something like this: "I used one of the free designs from your site and it sewed out terribly and ruined my brand new silk blouse. Don't you sew out those free designs before you put them on your site?"Well the truth is that ... [More]

Challenges & Lessons: So, I looked at the Laughing Cow box for a week. I picked it up. I measured it. I didn't want to do something with the box just for the sake of doing something with it. Now, this box is fairly flimsy. And shallow. Then I looked around for something that would fit in the... [More]

Let's Play Tags - I'm It!  My kids still play Tag, even though the oldest one becomes a teenager this month (), so I'm going to assume that, like me, you are not too old to play a variation of this age-old game. The game I want to play with you is called Tags, with an 's&#... [More]

I've read all the forum posts from folks saying how much they enjoyed our (first annual??) Community Circle. Thank you so much for posting. I want to add, though, that no one had a better time than I did. I arrived home invigorated and ready to get back up to my elbows in embroidery.  Tote... [More]

Hi, everyone!  Well, I think I've recovered from our fabulous Community Circle! I want to thank everyone who attended as well as Diane and Pardeep for keeping things running smoothly and, of course, Greg, for overseeing everything. Thanks also to Eileen Roche for her terrific classes,... [More]

Greetings, friends! Once again, I have been truly humbled by the sheer numbers of you who took time to consider and respond to my last post. I received hundreds of e-mails from well-wishers as far away as South Africa, Korea and Australia, all with essentially the same message: we wish we could joi... [More]

Every grandmother counts it a blessing when another child comes into her life.  Each set of tiny hands and feet hold a special place in her heart forever.  When the newest addition made his appearance to the Jenkins family it was just what Leanne needed to inspire her to expand her embroid... [More]

(If the text is cut off on the right side of the screen, please click on the post title above to view a corrected version)  Where's Your Shoebox? Whoever you are, wherever you are, the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your life, you've taken some pictures, and there... [More]

Hi, everyone, The gang here is taking a little break for Easter and using the time to polish off some final preparations for my Community Circle event in Orlando, so I thought I'd just put together a brief note to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking -- well, moving my le... [More]

Thanks for your Feedback I'm really pleased that all of you really took to heart my request in my last letter to get involved with commenting on the new site. We had the most comments and participation we've had since I started blogging. Your feedback really does encourage me and my guests ... [More]

Who do You Trust for Information?  Where do you go when you need to know whether something is true or not? Is there a person you ask, or a place you go? Think about it -- everyone needs to have somewhere, something, or someone to help establish what is fact and what is fict... [More]

Who’s Deegee, you may ask?  Well, for those of you who don't know me, please permit me to introduce myself. I live in Southern Texas, I’m married, mom to 4 wonderful adult children and “Nanee” to 3 beautiful granddaughters and 1 very special little grandson.  And I’m like so many... [More]

I created this blouse border design by lining up various different shoes from my Fancy Footwork collection. To make the shoes fit together as a cohesive group it was necessary to reverse and rotate most of the designs until they created the right flow. Click here for a larger view of the screenshot ... [More]

This t-shirt design, perfect for Friday night's poker game, was created by combining the cards and chips from my "It's A Boy's Life" collection. I then simply added the lettering "Texas Hold'em" using the Fairbanks block, which is a standard font included with Com... [More]

Three designs make up this paisley stripe around the entire T-shirt when made from combining designs from my Paisley Passion collection. These surprisingly versatile designs can be combined to create an unending number of designs from tiny to all-over designs. Click here for a larger view of the scr... [More]

Like many of us, Barbara Schleter has more than one passion.  Here she has combined her long time love of Shetland Sheepdogs with her more recent passion for embroidery.   Barbara has done a great job of sharing her thoughts on creating personalized gifts for those who are special to ... [More]

The Magic Bookshelf Imagine that you sit down at your machine one day to make something for someone, and you realize that there is a part of your project that you aren't sure how to complete. Imagine if you could then point your hands toward any bookshelf in your house and summon it to float th... [More]

The Chanel inspired jewelry design on this black t-shirt was created from the chains, pearls, and heart charm from my "Beads, Baubles and Bling" collection. This fun collection allows you to create necklaces, bracelets, pins and rings from a large variety of gems, charms and chains. C... [More]

So Much To Share!  I have so much to share with you this week that I hardly know where to begin. Like many of you (but not all of you ), I love our new site, especially the way it lets people in our community talk to each other. Free designs are great, and I know that's why many of yo... [More]

Quilts, whether large or small, can brighten the spirit and bring a bit of joy to those who need it in almost any situation.  Made with love and detailed with words of comfort, Susan Osborn shows us how a simple but heartfelt project can help make the days a little better for others.&... [More]

Keeping up with traditions can be a challenge when you are as far away from your family as Debbie  Martin is.  But she obviously spends a lot of time and energy to share her love with family as shown in the wedding quilt as well as others who will appreciate the warmth of a handmade gift -... [More]

It's the gathering of the year and even if this is the first time you have joined me I know you'll be re-energized and ready to go after two full days with Eileen Roche and me. We'll share our best techniques and insider tips for expressing yourself through embroidery. For all the detai... [More]

Welcome to the AnnTheGran Community! Many people know AnnTheGran.com for free embroidery designs, and that's great, but now the site offers so much more. If you've just been using my site to get free designs, you've been missing out! Answers to All Your Questions If you have a questio... [More]

We had so many requests for Diane’s hot cup wraps from an earlier promotion that we decided we shoul [More]

OK, gals, mark your calendars today – April 3rd and 4th – less than 9 weeks away. It’s time to get together and re-energize our passion for embroidery at the first annual AnnTheGran Community Circle retreat. I love sunny Orlando and we’ll spend two whole days exploring innovative techniques, inspira... [More]

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who sent in feedback about my Community Circle event in April. It was a deluge! So many people responded that we needed to step back and re-plan the event to make it bigger. We're almost there; I'll be announcing all the details, along with r... [More]

Let's face it, gals, it's been far too long sinced I've rubbed elbows and shared stories with most of you. So, I've resolved this year to put myself back into circulation, at least a bit and, unlike most of my New Year's resolutions, this is one I intend to keep!To celebrate the ... [More]

For Diane Brown, embroidery started as a hobby to get away from all the stress of her job as a bank compliance officer. It didn’t take long, however, for her obsession to blossom into a new career. For a number of years she has been working behind the scenes in the development of software and embroi... [More]