The Avid Embroiderer Presents - Tips for Doing A Design Multiple Times and a Halloween Freebie

I was doing hankies for a Bride who wanted multiple hankies with the exact same wording and embellishment on a dozen hankies. There were some things that I learned from this project. (Then again, I learn from nearly every project I do!)

Here are those tips and some miscellaneous tips as well:
  • Take a really good look at your 'motif/design/embellishment' to be sure it meets your vision. For instance, if you are doing a formal look, be sure your design is not casual.
    • Make the "Discovery Sew" on the same fabric if at all possible. The "Discovery" will give you the possible errors that could happen.
    • One issue is that you need to check the digitizing to see that it is in keeping with your look. There are many designs out there that use simple/basic stitches on a bird's wing when it needs to be slanted in the wing's natural flow. Freebies are notorious for this, but I work hard at giving you something that you will be pleased to work with.  If you are doing a 'cartoon car' that has a simple look, simple stitches will work just fine, but it is not OK for linens on an elegant table.
    • Make sure you have details that are going to hold up to multiple uses and washings.
  • Layout all of your pieces to be embroidered. That may not be a problem with napkins, but there could be surprises there as well. A single piece could be flawed or need to be spot cleaned. Don't take it for granted that you have a perfect set!
    • If you need some for men and some for women, be sure to layout the correct number (I just did an extra lady's hankie on this order.)
    • If it is for kids, check for 'special requirements' for a tote for instance. Doing it right the first time is better than doing it over.
  • Review your thread for quantity as well as quality. Old thread can be a problem.  If you have an 'easy to find' thread and feel you can pick up another spool anytime, be aware that dye lots can vary, so the same thread from a different dye lot can be a problem too. Murphy's Law - If it can go wrong, it will.
  • Make a template for hooping. When you have 3 or more like items, one of them being out of line will be recognizable, sometimes to even the most casual observer.
  • Take a good look at your project before you remove it from the hoop. That goes for all your work, just a brief look can fix a very small issue. If you have removed it from the hoop and discover a small, repairable glitch, don't forget to check out my blog on rehooping.

   

   



It really just boils down to that old adage - Plan your Work then Work your Plan. Some things never change, computers or not.

I was out of black prewound bobbins and needed to wind my own. As the bobbin was spinning merrily along, the top flew off like a UFO, I think it was headed for Texas. . . The result was this very attractive loops of black thread. I am still trying to think of how to make use of this hairy jumble. After all, Halloween is right around the corner.

 

Later, my needle needed to be changed, my blog on needle tips was one of my very first blogs in 2008. I read over it and it still is valid AND it has the tension test for your machine. When was the last time you did a tension test??  I was using my oval screwdriver and wanted to share this with you. Because this driver is easy to lose, I have attached a metal clip to it so that I can find it easily. 


 

A Freebie with a message if you need to put a Spell on someone - - -

Come in for a Spell.zip (157KB)  



The Publishing date for this blog was October 7, 2016. It was one year ago on that day in 2015 that I had medical issues that were death's wake-up call for me. Remember to say "I love you" those who mean so much to you. You don't know what the future will bring. 

I love all of my readers, specially hugs those who remembered me when I was recooperating.

Comments (2) -

Great tip! May I ask which kind of stabilizers do you use for hankies? Are the hankies the generic ones for the store?, thanks!!

Thank you for asking!

The stabilizer I use is Floriani's Heat Away. I stopped using BadgeMaster because it added a step to the process, washing and awaiting drying of the hankies. You can see my blog on that here: community.annthegran.com/.../the-avid-embroiderer-presents-a-stabilizer-tip-and-a-freebie-of1  

I still LOVE my BadgeMaster for other things and if I had a delicate (antique for instance) hankie, I would use the BadgeMaster and gently soak that type of hankie.

I was getting my hankies from a wholesale vendor but found them at Kohls at 9 each for $12. That is just about the same as wholesale, and often on sale,  and easily picked up rather than wait for my mail order.  

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer

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