Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. Eskimo proverb

Our HoMe

Pennys, Towels, & Rolling pin Covers..I do custom work..made to order :>)

I don't have an attitude,
I have a personality you can't handle.

Friday, August 29, 2008

LooK What CaMe in The MaiL.....juSt foR mE.....

My package arrived from Beth of Raggedy Angels today...I asked her she would like to trade some embroidered towels for these cute pumpkins and she agreed...and the little stinker snuck in some of her yummy room sprays..This is apple butter scented and smells for flippin good and so do the pumpkins..this definitely makes me want to decorate...so I am with these right now...Thanks again Beth for the wonderful goodies...my friends from church when the package arrived and they loved em!..love the plaid on the one pumpkin and love the arched kitty on the other...Take care..have a safe and wonderful Labor day weekend!!!

16 comments:

  1. I am so happy you like everything,I am going to look at pg. 58 now! Have a woderful weekend!
    Beth

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  2. Gina,
    Looks like you got some really great goodies!
    I wanted to let you know that I just did a post on some Halloween mini ornie pillows that I put embroidery on if you want to go check them out.
    Have a great weekend.
    Cindy

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  3. Gina,
    How exciting, maybe getting a new machine! I hope that I can be helpful in answering your questions.
    Do I make profit or break even? My Designer 1 is 8 years old, paid $5600. When I purchased it I was doing about 6 to 8 craft shows a year, plus doing embroidery for our middle school and high school's spirit shops. I had 12 months same as cash and was able to pay my machine off in that time period.
    I've been doing embroidery for 13 years, making things for my shows, schools & small business, and special orders. I've made profit for most of those years.
    I stopped doing the schools and some of the small businesses about 5 years ago because they where taking up all my time and I felt that I was losing the creative side of me. So of course, the profits have not been as much since then, but I've still made money.
    And the last few years, I've only been doing 4 craft shows a year and taking speical orders. Last year was my worst year ever. Craft show sales were down and I did not get any special orders.(NOT ONE!! and it sort of worried me.) I just barely broke even. I was so upset at the end of last year that I almost quit altogether. However this year has been much better so far. I have gotten alot of special orders, sold some stuff on eBay, and as for crafts shows, I'll have to see what happens in about 5 weeks when my show season starts!
    I really couldn't of given it all up, I think it's just in my blood to be creative! Soo....Most years I have made a profit, but some I've broke even.
    It seemed that once word got out that I had a embroidery machine, people started asking if I could put embroidery on this or that and the special orders just started coming to me.
    On the warranty, is that 1 year on parts and labors on anything that goes wrong? I just looked at my warrany and it was 5 years on any part or labor, then 20 years for any part that is defective(except motor or electrical parts) but charging for the labor. I think alot of used machines do have the 1 year parts and labor covering everything but I thought that you still got the 20 years after that on any defective parts, but paid for the labor cost. You might want to check on that.
    Can't wait to hear if you get the new machine or not. Let me know.
    Cindy

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  4. Very nice Gina.
    Love the plaid she used.
    Blessings,Pea

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  5. Hi Gina,
    It's me again. I forgot to tell you the size of my little pillows. They do vary in size. What I do is: embroidery a design in my 4x4 hoop, then I take a ruler and measure & mark 1 inch around on all 4 sides from the edges of the design. It will either make your pillows into a square or rectangle. I then cut it out and also cut another piece of a cute halloween/fall fabric the same size for the back of the pillow. The finished size of your pillow depends on what size of embroidery design you've stitched out. Most of them are around 4x4 inches or 3x4 inches finished pillow size. A few of them that I've made have been smaller. I have done a few bigger ones by using designs that go in my 6.75x4 hoop.
    Oh, for our anniversary we are going to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I love cheesecake, it is my favorite! The only problem with going there is that they have 30 some kinds of cheesecake!! How is a girl to decide on which one to try? GET ONE OF EACH!!!(hee-hee)
    Cindy

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  6. Do I hoop all my designs? No, not always.
    For Example: the denim pockets that are going on my totebags..These are pockets that have been cut off of old jeans and they are too small to go into my 4x4 hoop. So I hoop a piece of Stick-On Stabilizer(they carry this at my Husqvarna Viking dealer's store) and then place the pocket on top of that. When I first started using it, I was still afraid it might move when I was embroidery and I pin it, but I don't pin anymore now that I've use the product alot. This stuff is great when you want to put embroidery on collars or cuffs.
    On stretchy fabrics, I put an iron-on stabilizer on the inside of the garment, then go ahead and hoop it as it keeps the fabric from stretching.
    I have had some troubles with some fancy fabrics that want to slip after I have hooped them, and I do put pins on the outer edges near the hoop to help it from moving. My biggest hoop came with clips to help with this problem but you have to be careful because they will put marks on some fabrics. I like pins better as you get no marks with them.
    I'm sure that everyone has different things that work best for them. I puchased a book at my sewing store years ago that had helpful hints for placement on different kinds of items and on hooping. It was called "A Guide to Professional Ebmroidery" Also check out embroiderylibraryprojects.com, they have "Stitcher Tips" on hoops & stabilizers and placements. I went there to see what the placement was on neckties when did some for Father Day gifts one year.
    Hope this is helpful to you. I'm just a click away if you need me.
    Cindy

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  7. Gina,
    I'm not sure what kind of software program you have, but are you able to convert designs? The reason I was asking is because I have gotten alot of free designs from annthegran.com but they are in pes format and need to be converted to our format.(hus,vip,vp3) I'm pretty sure that some of them are the 6.75x4 designs. And I love getting free designs!!
    Also the mid-size hoop has come in handy when I've done special orders where you have a design with lettering above and/or below it and the customer wants it alittle bigger than the standard 4x4 size.
    I'm so gald that I've met someone as crazy about embroidery as me. If you ever need to call me so that we help each other out, let me know and I'll email you my phone number.
    Cindy

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  8. Gina,
    Sorry it has taken me alittle bit to find out where I got them. I have so many designs that sometimes it is hard for me to remember where they all came from. The broom & witch hat design is from embroiderydesigns.com. When you get to their site just click on free designs and look under Holiday/Halloween designs. You can get 3 free designs per week with no purchase. I've gotten alot of free and purchased ones from them and they stitch out really nice.

    The primitive folk-art Halloween designs came in a set with several designs that I purchased 2 years ago from the sewing store that I use to work at 15 year ago. I did purchase another set of Americania designs by the same company on-line last year. Give me alittle bit and I will get back to you with more info. I'll go down to my work area and see if I can locate the case that they came in with the design name and who they are by. I'll get back with you shortly.
    Cindy

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  9. Gina,
    The Halloween folk-art design set is titled "Spooky Ookey Halloween" by Inspira and the other folk-art set I have is titled "Americana". Inspira designs are done by VSM Sewing, Inc. which is the Husqvarna Viking Compamy.
    I don't know if you know it or not but they also own Pfaff and Singer now. I got the Halloween designs from my Pfaff dealer (Yeap, I use to sale Pfaff sewing machines at the quilt shop I worked at.) And the Americana designs I purchased from a Viking sewing store on-line because my local store had sold out.
    I purchased my H/V embroidery machine after I quit working at the quilt shop, but they still called me a trader. But they love me again for getting my new Pfaff sewing machine!! It doesn't really matter anymore because it is all own by the same company now anyways.
    You might want to check with either dealer in your area to see if these design sets are still available. I tried looking on-line for them but didn't have any luck.
    It's been fun chatting back and forth with you all day. My hubby had to go in to work to finish up some things since he is taking off all next week and it has just been me & the furry little doggies.
    Take care,
    Cindy

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  10. You can't hate me too much cause I did tell you about the free ones!! So there!!!(hee-hee)I have purchased all my Tatter Threads designs from that site when they have been on sale. I didn't realize that they were on sale now, so I'll go check it out. Will you like me again if I spend money? LOL..
    Yes, I have software for just about everything. It helps when your husband does computers for a living. He has been a big help to me since I got my first embroidery machine years ago because I sure didn't know anything about software programs on computers. All I ever did was email and go to crafty web-sites back then.
    Well, I better go spend money now, like I need any new designs! OK, I DO!!!

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  11. Gina, I just realize that I forgot to answer your question about resizing. I resize all the time to fit things up a hoop or down a hoop size. It is easy with the software program. My best friend has the Rose embroidery machine and I resize 5x7 designs for her so that they will fit her 4x6.75 or her 4x4 hoop. I've combine designs and edited designs for her also. It's much easier with the new software than it use to be.
    Talk at ya later,
    Cindy

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  12. Gina,
    You and Kimmy sound alot alike Linda and I. We have so much fun getting into sewing trouble together and helping each other spend money. Just think how much fun the 4 of us could have together!!
    I'm not sure what program that Tattered Threads uses, but on mine resizing is easy. I put the design up on the screen in my embroidery program, go to edit, click how much I want it to go down and/or up in size, and hit the apply button, refresh embroidery button and it refigures the stitches. Then I name the new sized design and save it. DONE, it is that easy!

    I've had some sort of embroidery software since I got my first machine and when you go up to the next version, you get a discount. I recently got the 4D Extra, it cost $800 but I got off that price a $213 discount for upgrading from my 3D version. On the 4D Extra, you can do some editing, resizing, converting designs, digitizing, do lettering and more. Sometime when you go back to your sewing store, have them demo it for you.
    Would it be alright if I emailed you about the cost for resizing your designs and about the designs on CD's? If it is ok, is it the address at hotmail.com that shows up in my email when it tells me that you left a message on my blog?
    Hope to hear back from you soon, but in the meantime, I'm going to get a bath and put on pj's.
    Cindy

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  13. Gina,
    I'm back!
    What size is the design that you want to get? And are you wanting it taken down to fit your 4x4 hoop? I've resized 5x7's down to 4x4 and 6.75x4, but have not taken any designs for the big hoop(9.6x6)down to 4x4 but have taken them to 5x7. Sometimes if you take a really large design and try to take it down to 4x4, it comes out smashed together. I always test stitch them after I resize them to make sure they are ok. So if it isn't a really large design, then I should be able to do it with no problem!
    Cindy

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  14. Gina,
    I had emailed you and it didn't go through but I just resent it and you should get it shortly.
    Cindy

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  15. Gina,
    Hope you got my emails and I hope that I answered all you questions. I heading up to bed now and I will catch up with you tomorrow as I'll check my email first thing.
    Hope you dream of very cute primitive embroidery designs!! LOL...
    Cindy

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