Machine Embroidery Valentine Card

I belong to a group in which there are new digitizers {like myself}.  Sometimes people in the group will offer their designs for free.  It is a great way for digitizers to learn and test and get feedback.  You can see in this design that the filled part of the red heart does not match up with the outline around the heart.  It is a learning process and this girl or guy who designed it is off to a great start but it just needs a bit of tweaking.  I'm learning there are a lot of things to consider when creating a design and it all takes practice.  Even though this isn't a perfect design, I'm still in awe because I'm not at that level yet.  I'm learning though and I'm thankful to all who share because each time I learn something new.

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm doing the digitizing challenges over at You Can Digitize and this month the challenge is on doing redwork.  Here are a couple of practice teapots that I digitized!  Yes, I'm doing the happy dance because I did these teapots from scratch.  I'm going to work on them some more today.  The above were stitched on some junk scraps of stabilizer. 

Here is my finished teapot stitched out on white cotton.  I'm ready to submit it for the challenge.  I added a bit of steam and I changed the flowers just a bit in the center to me more to my liking.   BTW...everyone in the challenge did this teapot.

 

Every day I learn more and more about my Generations software and practice makes perfect or at least close to perfect.

Happy Embroidering,

Nancy

Machine Embroidery Valentine's Day Cards

Dear Friends,

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and I've been having a ball stitching up these Valentine cards for the loved ones in my life.  I can't get over how  well the small heart fit perfectly on the flap of the envelope!  Just makes me smile.  I know I would love to receive a card like this in the mail.

These designs are from  Michelle at Needle Little Embroidery.  I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

To get the heart centered on the flap, on this particular design, the outline of the heart stitches first.  (That is one of the nice things about Michelle's designs.  This helps prevent puckering if you are stitching on fabric by doing the outline first.)  So I hooped my stabilizer and stitched the heart on just the stabilizer.  Then I held the stabilizer up to the window and placed the envelope flap right where I wanted it.  I used the light shining through the window to guide my placement.  Then I used just a small bit of masking tape to tape the envelope in place to the stabilizer.  I backed up my stitching and stitched the outline again along with the rest of the design on the envelope.

The design above is stitched on cardstock but honestly I wouldn't recommend it.  I was just lucky here.  The satin stitches were beginning to tear and I put everything carefully in place for the picture.  Just too many needle punches through paper to do satin stitches.

 

 

Much love to all of you and I want to thank each of you who leave comments or send me an e-mail.  So glad to have you reading.  Sending you a {{{hug}}}
Nancy

Machine Embroidery Be Mine Valentine's Day Cup Cozy

 

Dear Friends,
Happy Valentine's Day! I made a sweet cup cozy to help keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. I stitched the design on pre-quilted red fabric and added the heart print binding.

Fabric came from JoAnns Fabrics. The sweet Be Mine design comes from Michelle at Needle Little Embroidery.

This is so pretty on the table and makes me smile as I drink from my special cup.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone,
Nancy
disclaimer: I received this design for free. The opinions of the designs and Needle Little Embroidery are my own.

Machine Embroidery Valentine's Day T-Shirts

Good Morning Friends!

The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day but it it is COLD!  I hope the weather is decent where you are.

 

Valentine's Day is approaching quickly.  I chose this design to stitch for my girls on t-shirts to give to them along with a little chocolate.

 

The design is from Designs By Sick.  I used mylar behind the hearts for that extra Valentine sparkle.  The t-shirts were only $3.96 from Walmart.  They are full length t-shirts.  I just have them folded up in the picture.  I want my sweet girls to know that I will ALWAYS love them 4 ever!

Hugs and Blessings to you dear readers.  Just you being here and reading is a Valentine's day gift from you to me.
Nancy

Creative Machine Embroidery - Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

Dear Friends,
I was so happy when Michelle from Needle Little Embroidery contacted me about stitching some of her designs into finished projects!  I've been wanting to stitch designs from more designers as I'm wanting to learn the art of digitizing myself.  She started out by sending me these two lovely embroidery designs for Valentine's day.

Heart of Love is shown above.  It is done in all white thread stitched on a polyester organza.  I've been using one of my favorite items, mylar, to add a little more shine to it. 

Above you can see the Heart of Love stitched in three colors of pink.

Here the Amore' Heart is stitched in three colors of peach with the silver mylar.  The mylar was floated on top.  When the heart finished stitching out I stopped the machine and tore away the excess mylar from both the outside as well as the inside of the heart.  Then I finished stitching the design.

And Amore' Heart in all white, no mylar.

Of the four I did, the Heart of Love stitched in all white with the silver mylar is my favorite.  Our daughter Katie is getting married this summer and we plan to use these sweet bags in her wedding or reception.  They are beautiful.

I have to say just a couple more things.  Michelle at Needle Little Embroidery http://needlelittleembroidery.com/ is the nicest lady to work with.  Also, I am thrilled that she has included a basting stitch for these designs.  I can't tell you how many times I've wished for that on other designs.  It just holds everything perfectly in place with no shifting.  If you don't want the basting stitch, just advance to the next thread color and bypass it.

Blessings to you all,
Nancy

disclaimer:  I received these designs for free.  The opinions of the designs and Needle Little Embroidery are my own.