Just in time for holiday fun, here are a few tips for getting some really great shots.  Let's start out with some basics: Start with a camera.  OK, that sounds a little sarcastic, but the fact is that the auxiliary phones, ipods, etc., just don't have a great deal of real depth ... [More]

I've been looking through Spring catalogs from some of our suppliers and I'm seeing lots and lots of damask patterns and designs.  It inspired me to think ahead to next year because I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of it too!  It may be a little late to get something done for... [More]

Hello fellow embroiderers, design seekers and stash collectors! 'Leaping In' begins with a non-PC topic. No, I'm not being Politically in-Correct right out of the gate here at ATG. I'm talking about Mac computers and the lack of embroidery support for them. That other 'PC' ... [More]

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

AAAHHHH!  Christmas Time-It’s a wonderful time of year when we all rush around, from one party to another.  Rushing the kids to their parties, and activities, while planning for the cookies we will bake when we get enough time.  We spend hours, thinking, planning scheming for th... [More]

  These tips can be used for Windows XP and Vista - Operating systems vary, if in doubt, check with your provider and/or technical support.   Many people are confused between optical and digital zoom.  If you are thinking of buying a new camera for yourself or someone else, you c... [More]

By now everyone knows that at our house we have been slowly going green.  It not only helps the [More]

Hey Everyone!  It's that time of the year again---time to start coming up with some quick and easy gifts for folks on our list.   I try to make the most of every single minute I have in the sewing room because I just don't get as much time in there as I want.  But I do wa... [More]

  These tips can be used for Windows XP and Vista - Operating systems vary, if in doubt, check with your provider and/or technical support.   Years ago, I remember reading one of my favorite PC guru's newsletters and it said something like - This new PC has 10 MB of storage, you w... [More]

I have to tell you a story of love at first sight.  I have to tell you the story of Keiko.  She is one of the newest members of the family (kind of).  We have two dogs at our house - a sixteen year old Pomeranian mix and an almost two year old Papillon.  So do we need anothe... [More]

This has been a busy month. We recently went to Nashville again to sign a contract on a Motor Home that we saw last month. It’s like new, though used, and really beautiful. We will get it the first week of December.   Also, my sewing machine has been back to the factory, or wherever dis... [More]

Hello everyone.  Had some spare time in my new married life and wanted to touch base with this great community!! I have been emailing my customer base about needles and thread and how my experience may help those that are either new, or, just have never given these two important tools much tho... [More]

In today's office environment  the more popular method of communication is email but when my phone rings I can almost guarantee that I will be hearing from someone who is completely enthralled by sewing and wants to tell more people about what is happening in the world of sewing in the... [More]

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to actually see the top of your desk through all those bills, notes, orders ...... and the list goes on.  I know that feeling of "where did I just put that!"  I know it's within arms reach because it was just in my hand and I haven... [More]

I used to be a really nervous flyer, every bump, thump, or noise would startle me. Reading just would not relax me and chatting to the passenger next to me would not succeed in calming me. Things began changing for me once I started bringing my African Folklore Embroidery kit on board the air... [More]

These tips can be used for Windows XP and Vista - Operating systems vary, if in doubt, check with your provider and/or technical support.   Among the things that are really great about a computer, being available and handy are just two of the important issues.  When I sent to school, w... [More]

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

Each time she visits my granddaughter asks if we can get the manger set out early this year.  It is very old and worn but she loves to play with it, taking the figures on the trip to Bethlehem.  We make a tradition of getting the house ready for the Christmas holidays the weekend after Tha... [More]

  Hello everyone.,   I am sorry we missed many of you at this weeks webinar for "What Constitutes Good Embroidery and Digitizing".  There was a technical error with the link posted.  We are excited to say the webinar is rescheduled:   Host:  Scott Phillip... [More]

People who know me know that I love to ask questions that generally lead to "six degrees of separation." Asking those questions usually leads to a discussion of sewing, and you know how much I love that.  Recently I was asked to attend St. Louis Fashion week.  Shouldn't need ... [More]

Hi there EveryBuddy.  Three weeks has come and gone, again. Blogging time is here.  I hope that all of you have been diligently making the last block I gave you in LaRueSews BOM.  This time it will be a quick one, both BLOG and block.  I have been out of town for a few days.&nb... [More]

  These tips can be used for Windows XP and Vista - Operating systems vary, if in doubt, check with your provider and/or technical support. The following tip is my absolutely favorite tip that I ever found.  I hope you will like it too. If there is something that aggravates about tele... [More]

  This week I finished putting up my Halloween decorations.  I made a few new ones this year, since my old ones were simply falling apart.  Instead of the scarecrow on the front door I made a wall hanging that is interchangeable for each holiday.  But that is a project I will sh... [More]

In today's market the true professional digitizer who knows how to create crisp small letters, make your sewing machine sing through a 200k stitch design without a thread break and create some of the best looking embroidery you will see on material are becoming extinct.  Those who are becom... [More]

Fall is my favorite season. I love how the weather changes from brutally hot to just perfect! I love being cozy and taking out my current stitching project, curling up on a chair beside the fire and watching how my African Folklore Embroidery design takes on a life of its own. My parents are current... [More]

  The following tips can be used for both Windows XP and Vista. When you think about the amount of money you are spending on your PC and related items, it might make you feel like you have spent more than the benefits warrant.  With a PC, buying the initial equipment is just the start.&n... [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]

OK, I admit it.  I despise making jack-O-lanterns.  The carving is OK but in my mind cleaning out the pumpkin guts has never been fun.  Yuck-O!  And because it gets so cold here before Halloween these hollowed out orange decorations many times look like little old men by Trick or... [More]

The following tips can be used for both Windows XP and Vista. Speed Testing Your PC If you are among the more progressive computer users, you may just be using ‘wireless' computing.  There are so many advantages to that networking, not the least of which is the fact that many peop... [More]

Well since the last time I wrote I have celebrated my birthday in style and had a nice vacation to boot!  My husband worked so hard to give a me a "Surprise Birthday" party and he really succeeded.  It was a surprise party with a beach theme at a seashore restaurant.  One of... [More]