Before there was Facebook and Twitter, there was "Yonders My Best Friend" and I loved it.  I do [More]

Back to school.  Everyone is saying it - it is posted in every store and website that we visit. [More]

     I have added a third design for the Please Tie Me page of my baby activitybook.  Someone emailed to ask whether it would be okay for her to stitcheyelets instead of setting metal eyelets in the shoe quarter.  I thought it wouldbe easier to embroider the eyelets as ... [More]

We are excited to have Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery share this co [More]

If you are attending a wedding any time soon, chances are this scripture will be included. And now a [More]

  It is just about that time of year when Mom's and Dad's are just a little happier and kids ar [More]

Dear Readers, Create this adorable hand puppet for the young kids in your life. See below for project instructions on how to make this "In the Hoop" applique hand puppet. Materials: 1 Kids Hand Puppet Embroidery Design 2 pieces of Tear Away Backing Spray Adhe... [More]

Embroider a holiday design on a piece of wool felt and you create an ornament. Trim it with an AccuQ [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 : 1. Print a template(s) of your embroidery design so you can plan the embroidery layout. Place it on the ... [More]

We are preparing for VBS this week.  My daughter volunteered to co-ordinate the craft room and [More]

WOW!  "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was one charming, romantic and fun film.  I remember seeing [More]

The blog below was originally published in November 2011. The Merry and Bright bundle is currently on special right now and can be found here. The new Merry and Bright collection from Amazing Designs incorporates blinking lights with embroidery for an adorable holiday accent unlike anythi... [More]

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?  With silver bells and cockle shells & pretty 3D Flowers all in a row? Isn’t that how the nursery rhyme goes?  It does here at Starbird Stock Designs.  We can’t always rely on the weather here in Minnesota to grow... [More]

It's easy to create unique freestanding ornaments using applique designs. Much like freestanding lace is constructed on water-soluble stabilizer, freestanding applique is made stable from the applique base. With satin stitching all around, they can stand alone. Thi... [More]

What did I just say???  Get your nails done???  Well ladies and gentlemen, yes, get your n [More]

  Click here to download this article as a PDF for future reference. Many of you wrote that buttonholes are a struggle when it comes to sewing. I agree! One of the worst parts about adding a buttonhole is it’s just about the last thing you do when making a garment. I begin to swe... [More]

Ever wonder what to do with all of those test stitchouts? Bonnie Welsh from SewInspiredbyBonnie.com has put hers to some of the most uniquely versatile uses I've ever seen and, fortunately, has given me permission to share them with you. I just adore this tote bag. It uses mylar in the de... [More]

I originally created this project for my daughter, a cosmetologist, so that she could take her curling irons and flat iron home before they were cool enough to handle. Then, I decided it would be perfect for transporting mini irons when traveling or taking classes.It is very simple, particularl... [More]

Lucy's birthday party is coming up in a couple of days.  She wants an apron, and those things you wear on your hands (oven mitts).  My daughter said it should be bright and colorful and wanted to make it herself but there just isn't much time and I was busy getting ready for a rath... [More]

When I started this blog in 2008, I found a story about embroidery machines.  It stated that th [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 : Last week, I wrote about fishing, I mean teaching, in Bend, OR and while I was there, I introduced my... [More]

When I first started embroidering, one tip I often read was to keep a record of details as they relate to embroidery design stitch outs. I thought this was supposed to be fun. A lab manual; what's the use? You just press a button and stitch, right? I didn't see the importance then, but ha... [More]

     My brother rides a trike.  (No, it is not a tricycle like we had whenwe were young.  He rides one of these, an elliptical exercise machine.  Hesays that it's a lot more fun for him than a stationery machine in his basementwould be.)  I bet you are won... [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 : We discussed five tips for expanding your embroidery expertise. One tip – Don’t Think Project &ndas... [More]

Sometimes, there is absolutely no hope for dressing guys - forget about taking them out in public! & [More]

Here's something I didn't know. Quality needles are made to break. Really. Klassé needles, an indus [More]

Blog.  When I first saw this word I though it peculiar.  That was a long time ago and there are words and abbreviations now being used that are much more peculiar. So, I decided to read a “blog” (pre-ATG).  So long and boring I cannot even remember the subject!  ... [More]

When you first start to work with embroidery, you are going to find so many great items that it will [More]

My best friend's daughter is getting married.  And I was going to give a shower at my home in April.  The colors were ivory and pale gold with touches of red.  It was the nearing the end of March and although there was still plenty of time I had been thinking about how to dec... [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 : Looking for a last minute personalized gift for your man? Want to get your guy to wear embroidered duds? Thin... [More]

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]