It's just a number on a calendar, but the new year usually brings with it a desire to regroup and reorganize. Tired of looking for designs you know you have but can't locate? It just isn't any fun anymore. With the sheer number of embroidery designs amassed, the task of organizing them... [More]

Sometime last year I wrote about using a small tabletopper as an easy, casual cover for sewing machi [More]

The first day of winter has officially arrived on the calendar even though it doesn’t look like it o [More]

Have you ever wondered whether it matters if you first trim the top or the bottom of your machine embroidery work? It’s best to trim the top first, so that when you trim the back, you can gently pull on the bobbin tails to secure the trimmed thread end inside the fabric for a neater appearanc... [More]

With that title line, I am thinking that there are hundreds and hundreds of things they won't tell y [More]

Finished!  And with a little time to spare. We decided to just button down the sides instead of sewing them.  It will make removing it from the table and folding it up for storage a little easier.  Kate got to see it during the final fitting since she is doesn't talk much and is t... [More]

Perhaps one of the greatest attributes of machine embroidery is its versatility. Embroidery can easily stand alone or, when combined with pieced blocks, become a personalized second-dimension embellishment.   The Blocks I fussy-cut four 6.25-inch blocks from a striped fabric (I used Jackie... [More]

OK.  It is the Thursday before Christmas!  A few weeks ago my daughter showed me a picture of a playhouse made from felt.  It fit over a card table.  Very cute and felt is easy to work with. So I planned one for the girls for Christmas.  When I showed my drawings with the me... [More]

  Snowman Sweatshirt Jacket     Being a cold natured person, I love making jackets out of sweatshirts.  They are warm and comfortable. This is one that would be perfect for the child in your life. (Adults would love it also.)   To make the jacket, you will need: Sw... [More]

If there is anything that all embroiderers have in common, it must be pride of workmanship.  No [More]

A couple of weeks ago, when we were out and about, my oldest granddaughter saw some college girls sp [More]

After asking several digitizers the all important question - "tell your readers that it takes a [More]

Handmade cards show extra appreciation. This one says, "Thanks for Being an Angel," and include [More]

Working with Metallic Thread At this time of year, we seem to have more need to use metallic thread than any other time. If you find that you struggle with this thread type, try some of these solutions. When shopping for metallic thread, buy the largest spool you can afford. The larger the spool di... [More]

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You either have a kid who hates bath time or loves it.  Why not try to make your kid’s time in the bath a little more fun?  How about sewing them a personalized animal towel/bathrobe that is all their own?  Have a look at the Critter Kids Bathrobe Design Pack to make a special t... [More]

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Stumped as to what to get your favorite quilter, embroiderer, or craftsperson? Hate the idea of Black Friday chaos? Shop from the convenience and comfort of home, 24 hours a day, any day of the week, on AnntheGran.com. Here are some suggestions. (If fri... [More]

I think its time to start some of the projects I want to do for the holidays.  I usually wait too long to actually accomplish them as things get very busy as December draws near. Dakota Collectibles has a new “Merry Christmas Ornaments” collection that combines free standing lace a... [More]

          Do you ever embroider small lettering that seems to disappear completely in to the fabric? Sometimes it seems that there is more thread on the underside of the material than on the top! There are some simple things you can do to make sure that your small lett... [More]

So here's the thing---I didn't get any sewing done in the last couple of weeks.  I was getting ready for and attending the Houston Quilt Festival for the last two weeks, and this week I was playing catch up the whole time.  So when faced with a little deadline for this blog, I... [More]

While I live in La Mesa California (adjoins San Diego) now, I lived in Phoenix for many years. I am [More]

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

The new Merry and Bright collection from Amazing Designs incorporates blinking lights with embroidery for an adorable holiday accent unlike anything I've ever seen.   Ten eyelets are embroidered within 14 different designs. Eyelets are then cut out for placement of 10 LED Fabric... [More]

Nothing like needing something at the last minute to make your heart race a little, right?  A f [More]

Christmas is just around the corner and gift cards are the perfect one-size-fits-all. Who couldn't u [More]

I am sure that a lot of you have been touched in some way by *** cancer.  Whether it being Yourself, or your Sister, or your Mother, or your Friend.    While we wait and hope for a cure, there can be many ways to keep our hands busy & our hearts tender.  The Cancer Scrapb... [More]

I kept thinking about my last project that failed.  I am always excited about presenting projec [More]

Applique is usually reserved for embellishing clothing or quilted items. Unfortunately, that doesn't allow for much face time. Holiday applique is especially vulnerable to a short shelf life. But by it's very nature, applique is perfect for holiday decorating where it can be v... [More]

There are many kinds of bobbins available to us for embroidery, but and there is no single answer to the best bobbin type for every embroiderer or every machine. There are metal, plastic  disposable, plastic reusable,  cardboard and sideless. Bobbins also come in colors. Colo... [More]

Our baby girl just loves shoes, anyone's shoes will do.  She brings them to be put on and clomps around, falling about every other step.  She carries them around hugging them like they were baby dolls, pushes them in her stroller and throws them in the trash (then wants them ... [More]

Hi Everyone!  Sometimes I'll see a design and instantly 8 projects spring to mind that I w [More]

I love a product that shows ingenuity and innovation.  Consider the humble (grin) computer.&nb [More]

I just got back from the Atlantic City Trade show and I noticed some very interesting trends.  Diversification is moving ahead full force.  Companies that only offered 1 decorating type have now branched out into many different areas.  After all, you can only sell the same embellishme... [More]

Most of you know that one of my goals in 2009 was to use up as much of my fabric stash as possible a [More]

It is my belief that any art form, such as embroidery is difficult to pin down as to who, when and w [More]

Girls, girls and more girls.  Although I have five brothers we have not followed that tradition.  We have two girls, two granddaughters and now another on the way.  Personally, I think this is great!  After growing up with all those little brothers I have always loved little girl... [More]

It’s time again for LaRueSews to tell all of you a bit more about Quilting.  For the past few months, we have been doing a Block of the Month.  This time, it will be little more challenging.  The block will be the Arrowhead block, but we’ll get to that in a bit. Right now... [More]

This information may help you if you are using IE 7 or IE 8 The following tips can be used for both Windows XP and Vista.Operating systems vary, if in doubt, check with your provider and/or technical support. I don't know anyone who thinks that their Internet connection is as fast as they wou... [More]

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

If you open any decorating magazine, regardless of age, you are going to find some awesome ideas for [More]

Last year, my age-old hot water bottle gave out with a fatal leak. All my life I have used a hot wat [More]

While I love teaching the techniques to complete a African Folklore Embroidery, I get even more pleasure in seeing how each person takes their design to a whole new creative level. Chain stitch is the dominant stitch, and any color can be used to stitch on the pre-drawn black fabric, however wh... [More]

One of the most interesting, IMHO, studies of the human condition is body language.   Posed or casual, many of us can see the indications that are coming from the way a body presents or does not present itself. Taking that one step further, if we really look at photographs, we can often o... [More]

Leaping In with a Mac part 2 It turns out that a lot of you here at AnnTheGran are Mac users or, dare I say, “Mac curious?” You have seen the ads and heard the talk, but your embroidery stuff runs on Windows, and the kid down the street (nephew, son in law) can keep your system running.... [More]

Our daughter's car broke down in the snow this week.  Michael was not available so she called m [More]

A biscornu is an elegant, eight sided ‘pincushion' whose origins have been lost over the centuries.& [More]

Hello everybody, welcome back to Scott's Corner.   I recently had a conversation with one of my customers regarding a big customer of his that was very demanding.  This customer had great volume but a low profit margin.  My customer was considering telling the customer that h... [More]

 Anyone who reads the supermarket tabloids has been seeing all kinds of advice about the easy way to lose weight. I and a group of friends decided to follow one of the more popular diets.  We formed teams, printed out the diet plan, communicated every day and were positive that we would lo... [More]

With the new digital cameras on the market, photo taking can and does take on a new reality.  You can take 100 photos and discard 99 of them without the expense of processing.  That is only one of the benefits.  There are so many features, most of them universal, they are too numerous... [More]

Hi there, EveryBuddy.  This Blog is a milestone.  Ya know, sometimes when you count things, (anything noteworthy) the numbers that end in Zero are important.  That goes especially in Birthdays, like 20, 40, etc.  Some of ‘em, are BIG ones.  Well, my friends, this Blo... [More]

I was so excited by the number and diversity of entries and the positive response from over 20,000 people that viewed the African Folklore Embroidery Exhibition at the Road to California Quilt Show. While the rules of African Folklore Embroidery are simple,  (‘Whatever color you choose to... [More]

--> It’s time for some fun. I was recently asked about doing a Facebook application. You know, Facebook, one of the social sites on the internet. Where people who haven’t seen each other can chit chat and generally make a nuisance of themselves. It’s a good way to keep ... [More]

I can remember my mother mending piles of clothes.  She mended the mends, and she even darned t [More]

Getting the right design into your machine is a most important part of enjoying your embroidery experience.  I have been using an embroidery machine for so long that lots of things have become second nature and I just do them without thinking.  Like viewing designs using the Brother PED-Ba... [More]

It sure has been a busy month....On December 10, I took the plunge and had toe surgery....I had two hammertoes that required a bit of slicing and dicing.  That meant I hobbled around with "the big boot" for a few weeks and then I got to don the "little boot." I had to chuckl... [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.   Perhaps the term Rogue Security Software is new to you, it is a form of computer malware that deceives or misleads users into paying for the fake or si... [More]

  I have been dog sitting a five month old puppy for the last 2 weeks.  Sage is pretty good, but she is definitely all puppy.  And Big! Ok, I admit I am used to small dogs - Papillons, which are usually 7-10 pounds.  So, when this pretty Brittany Spaniel jumped in my lap right b... [More]

Hello everyone,   I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and had a wonderful bringing in of the New Year. I am looking forward to all the information we have to share with you in 2010.  It is going to be an exciting year.  We will be looking at Microsoft Outlook more closely and expl... [More]

Just to clarify, the rumors that I fell off the face of the Earth are patently false. While it’s true that I was skipping about all over the face of the Earth, at no time did I actually tumble into the stratosphere. So, where have I been? First I went up to Kentucky for two weeks with my daugh... [More]

My quilt guild, called Memory Makers Guild was just a little over the top today.  The guild is a small group, but what it lacks in numbers, it makes up for in talent.  I’ve known most of these ladies for at least a year, and some of them, as much as three years.  We have grown c... [More]