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 recently discussing color schemes with my associate Sherry.  Sherry was working on a quilt using our newest collection, Stipple Fab Flowers & Medallions.  That’s when I caught the sewing bug.

Denise:  “Oooh!  If I were to stitch the blocks… I think I’d make one that was black, white and pink!”

A few minutes later I was off to the fabric store which is just a few blocks from our office.  (A store that close sure is handy!)

Although I tried to remain steadfast with my color scheme, at the last minute I switched to orange, black and white.  Not colors I’m normally drawn to but I liked the fresh, clean look!

Denise’s Tip 1:  Embrace Variety!

Have an open mind when you go shopping!  Embrace color schemes you might not ordinarily be drawn to.  Not all the projects you stitch have to be the same color scheme.  Look for seasonal trends in magazines, Pinterest or other online resources.

The next step was choosing which blocks to use from Stipple Fab Flowers & Medallions.  I’m a huge fan of routine.  So it’s logical that I’d select one or two blocks to stitch over and over again.  Maybe I’ll introduce variations among the one or two blocks I choose.

The Stipple Fab Flowers & Medallions designs are organized by folder:  Small, Medium and Large.  I opted to use the small blocks—so I chose the 7 Half-Block Dots_Small design.

At the Computer

The 7 Half-Block Dots_Small design is versatile.  Each appliqued dot can be a different color—or get creative by alternating colors.

I chose to make all the applique designs one color.  To streamline this process I opened the design in software and changed all the appliqued dots to a single color.  The end result was a single design with two thread color changes:  color 1:  the stipple and color 2:  the appliqued dots.

Following the instructions included with the Stipple Fab Flowers & Medallions, I cut the fleece batting, top and bottom fabric into long strips and combined the layers to make a quilt sandwich.  Then I hooped the quilt sandwich using Monster Snap-Hoop.  Have you ever used Snap-Hoop or its recent companion Monster Snap-Hoop?  These hoops changed the way I approach embroidery!  Now I actually want to stitch and I stitch with confidence!  The hoops have a top and bottom frame making hooping fool-proof.  Just lay your fabric on the bottom frame, then put the magnetic top frame on top of the fabric.

Since hooping is so easy with Monster Snap-Hoop, I decided to go crazy.  After finishing a few blocks I flipped my fabric sandwich to change the background color for my blocks.  Some blocks will have a black background while others will have white. Yes, that’s my idea of going crazy!

Denise’s Tip 2:  The Assembly Line Technique

The blocks are so quick and easy to stitch I got a bit carried away.  At last count I’m up to 25 blocks.  If I stopped to trim the blocks after each one finished I wouldn’t get as many complete in the same amount of time.  I like to see fast, easy results.

So for efficiency I decided to focus on embroidering all the blocks without cutting or trimming.  I piled all my blocks together in a stack and admired them at the end of each day.  Then when I had some downtime one evening, I sat down at the table and trimmed away all the applique fabric.  I found the process very relaxing.

Once the applique was cut away I trimmed all the quilt blocks down to size.  Try to look for ways to create this assembly line technique.

Denise’s Fave Feature:  I love the Stipple collections because trimming the quilt blocks down to size is EASY!  Just cut ½” away from the stippling.  There’s no complicated measuring or squaring up of fabrics.  I love flawless, precise results that don’t require a lot of thought or skill!

Now to decide which blocks to introduce to the mix next.  I’m thinking it’s time to stitch some flower blocks….

Read Part 2 next time.

Thanks for reading!

Reprinted with permission from Eileen's Blog.

Many embroiderers enjoy reading magazines on line. The latest thing is to put them there for your convenience and a great price - free. 

Why would anyone want to actually purchase a magazine if you get them for free?

That question is gnawing at publishers all over the world. Is the printed word going out of style? Is the editorial going to be written on an Internet site that will get buried under millions of other sites? Where will we be getting our information? Depending on your age, I think the answer is ambiguous but with a certain amount of foresight, it is one that can be a treasure for years to come.

For me, I had given up my Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine last year. I cannot tell you how much I missed getting it in the mail. Mingled in the with bills and grocery fliers (which are becoming more numerous all the time), it was something that I looked forward to with great excitement.

For the past month, I have been observing the time in which I could have been enjoying my magazine in paper format. It came to nearly 40 hours! There were:

• 5 hours in my doctor's office, 3 separate visits - Boring!!!
• 8 hours in the hospital for minor surgery - Where do they get these magazines from???
• 3 hours during which my PC was being worked on via an Internet connection - I cleaned my desk, three drawers and wrote a grocery list but was still - Bored!
• 2 hours waiting for a mechanic when my car would not start at my granddaughter's school - I never knew my alarm system had a 'kill' switch - Boring!!
• 3 hours at the Post Office - my business keeps me going there for various reasons and that is a real yawner!!
• 1 hour waiting for my hair coloring (oops, make that my hair-do) to do its magic.
• 15 hours relaxing at bedtime - I enjoy reading to wind down from the day.

Other things that I do and often wish I had something to read -

• Airplane travel
• TTN - Terrible TV Night (frequent issue)
• Relaxing by the pool or patio
• Ahem. . . attending to personal things in the bathroom

Well, you get the picture. I really would hate to see the magazine/newspapers stop printing.

Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery has been kind enough to give this crown frame for monograms to all my readers. 

What I like about Eileen and her sister, Maria Zinno, is that they are NOT corporate people just working for increased profits. They actually get their needles and threads out and come up with great products, ideas and designs. What is better than a real embroiderer creating items like the Thread Pilot and 30 Favorite Embroidery Tips and Techniques- Special promo running this week- Free Shipping and Free Target Ruler with Purchase!  I still use Nancy Zieman's Machine Embroidery with confidence and it is dogeared with nuggets of inspiration and Motivating Memos. I have been embroidering for nearly 11 years, and basic techniques may evolve, but many never change over the years. 

I mark up items of particular interest to me.

I like to keep the special notices by the author. As a writer myself, I have some things in particular that I would like to have the reader remember.  

I find that visuals are extremely important for me, and I usually try to do many photos for my readers too. 

I not only have periodicals, but books as well. I use them for reference frequently.

This is for professional embroiderers but even if you just love your hobby, there is always lots to learn from this free magazine.  

And, my personal favorite magazine  - Designs in Machine Embroidery!

Here is where you can subscribe to Designs in Machine Embroidery. For USA subscribers, you will note that you can also get 148 designs for free!  A two year subscription is less than $60, and as you scroll down the page and select the last option, the same price includes the extra designs.

I reread my books and magazines because there is so much good information. I hope you review my blogs from time to time as well. If  you have not recently (within the last month) checked your machine tension, you are overdue to take care of that task. Find the tension testing files in my Needle Blog.