March 2015 Free Embroidery Library Designs

Check out the newest FREE embroidery designs from Embroidery Library for the month of March 2015. After that there will be a price. I love the great designs from Embroidery Library. These two both come in 2 different sizes. For free designs I always download all sizes of a design since you never know when someone is going to give you a Janome 12000 or 15000! Generally though, when Embroidery Library only publishes two sizes they will fit into a size 5" x 7" hoop as well as a 4" x 4" hoop. I don't like how some designers forget that some still are happily embroidering away with machines that can only take these two sizes.



Embroidery Library currently has a sale going on and I'm picking up a couple of designs that I really like including the Sweet Pea Design Pack. It has several variations including two sizes of border designs and sizes of corner designs. I love sweet peas and these are just too pretty. Do I know what I will be using them for? Nope. I will think of something eventually though in the next 500-1000 years I will need to stay alive to complete all my intended projects!

In Memorium: Koos Van Den Akker

 

Vogue 1301

 

 



 

 

Vogue 1377

Koos Van Den Akker a well known designer died February 4, 2015. While many of his designs were rather strange and different, some just grabbed you. Want to learn more about his life? You can visit his Wikipedia entry here. He also designed a series of sewing patterns for Vogue. We have a lot of his most current Vogue Sewing patterns available in our store at this point, except for one that I really loved that I have tucked away for me to try someday). Unless he had a pattern or two in the process of being published at Vogue, there will be no more of his patterns available to us so if you have been looking for one, this is probably a good time to grab one. Pictured are just a few of his Vogue pattern designs that we currently have in stock. Most in two size ranges at this point.

 

Vogue 1277

Kaleidoscope Stitching for Hand Embroidery

I have always liked the images that Kaleidoscope made when looking through the tube. I especially have liked the special effects that quilters can make with the Kaleidoscope blocks. I'm not sure why I have never made a Kaleidoscope quilt. But then after my last Remicade IV day I popped into my local Barnes & Noble for my 'treat' and saw and looked through the different craft magazines to see which ones would come home with me while I rested for the rest of the day. My Remicade day takes the starch out of me. Anyhow I picked up the current copy of Stitch magazine, Issue 91 Oct.-Nov. and saw this stitch in it and had to have the magazine!

I used a variegated embroidery floss to make the design. For those with eagle eyes, yes I did make a couple boo-boos. Ever since I got bi-focals I have had a few problems with counting spaces on Aida cloth. I love how the design comes out. The article showed the many different ways that you can change the whole look of the stitch by just your use of floss colors and whether you use variegated floss or not.

This is one thing I do like about this magazine is the clear instructions and diagrams, plus samples to help you learn how to make the different stitches. It also has projects to make, and different techniques to get your stitching repertoire increased. I have finally broken down and gotten a subscription by way of Amazon. There are two different Stitch magazines being published that I know of with the name Stitch. This one comes form the UK the other has sewing, quilting, stitching projects from Interweave. I wouldn't mind have a subscription of that one either. It is very hard to find a magazine that focuses on other types of embroidery other than counted cross stitch, so I have been happy to pick it up when I can. Depending on how my hands feel, I can't do a lot of hand embroidery or quilt piecing for that matter, but it is nice to get new ideas to try.

DIY Costumes

Through the kindness of another seller, I was able to get a lot of new costume patterns. Not only can they be used for Halloween, many would be good for school plays or even dress up for little girls. I remember years ago making a cape for my son Ron, and how he wore it all the time. I always tried to make costumes so that they could be worn to play in, such as a sheriffs vest with a star embroidered on it.

I'd love for you to drop in and see our fine selection of costumes and if costumes aren't what you are looking for, we have plenty of other types of sewing patterns. At today's count, we have over 8100 sewing patterns that are uncut and unused!

February's FREE Machine Embroidery Designs from Embroidery Library

Yet again Embroidery Library gives us some lovely machine embroidery designs in two sizes each for this February 2015. While a few companies will give very small simple designs to show their digitizing capability, Embroidery Library gives out full-fledged gorgeous designs to try and use and this month's are beautiful. I appreciate all the companies that make these wonderful designs and give out samples to try. I know with Embroidery Library, it sure works for marketing, since every time I don't have a design I need, I go to Embroidery Library first to buy what I need if they have it.

Do you ever fill overwhelmed with emails some companies send you? I sure do. I had signed up for a company that in the beginning only sent an email every month or two and then it became weekly and then daily! Sorry, but that is way too much and I had to unsubscribe. I've been running into the same problem with Craftsy. While I like their intention and they do have good classes, they also seem to be paying McCall's, Vogue and Threads Magazine to send out their emails as well, so almost daily I get 4 identical emails, day after day, all promoting a particular Craftsy class. Thanks but no thanks. I didn't sign up to get Craftsy emails from Threads or the pattern companies. So these companies that sent me specific, targeted email that I did want to see, are now bombarding my email on a daily basis as well. Tried to write to one of the companies and got the classic pass the buck response. Don't these companies know or understand how they are turning off their paying customers by doing this? I think I currently have around 100 unopened emails since I just haven't had time yet to get rid of the clutter.  Anyone know how to get companies from sending emails that I'm not interested in and that aren't the actual companies, to cease??? Okay, I'm done venting. Happy Stitching.

More Organizing My Sewing Room

Almost two years ago I set myself a goal of organizing my sewing room. Unfortunately it is taking much longer than anticipated due to my lack of physical energy, but every little bit helps. I have been enjoying getting different Binders, Dividers and other office supplies to try and review on the Amazon Vine program as I am slowly but surely trying to get all the paper and other items in my sewing room organized. One of the things that are hard to keep organized is the many different acrylic templates and rulers and their instructions used in quilting. For me they and their instructions were all tossed in the same drawer that I not only had to find the correct template but the instructions to be sure I am using it and measuring correctly. It is amazing how something that looks so simple needs to be used carefully so an entire quilt block comes out okay. So that is what I was working on this time. I had some 3 hole punched plastic sheet protectors that I put my rulers in and on the actual divider with the very nice big pocket I tucked the instructions for each of rulers that were in that section. Five dividers was exactly right for this project. The sheet protectors that I used were not real heavy duty, so I didn't stuff them full. just one or two templates/rulers was sufficient.

There were divider tabs that could be run through your printer with instructions on how to set them up at the Avery website, but for 5 dividers I decided it was much easier and quicker to write what I needed on each tab an slip them in. Some tabs were rather a tight fit, but I would rather have that than divider tabs that are too loose and the tabs would then fall out. For someone that is putting together a lot of notebooks with the dividers, I can see them setting up a template in the computer and then printing it out and they would be much more professional looking. As it is, I am happy that I now will no longer have to rummage around looking for the correct ruler and instructions. Ever minute spared looking for something is a minute more to do what I really like.

Compared to what was available back in the stone age when I went to school, it is nice that people can have a choice in exactly what they need in dividers, binders, tabs, etc. so that their notebooks meets their needs exactly and Avery works hard to give you those choices.

 

 

Curvy Sewing Collective

For all you curvy gals out there, myself included, a website devoted to the curvy woman that sews her own garments. So great to see examples of how particular patterns fit and see many take offs from some of these ladies favorite 'Tried-And-True' (TNT) patterns. I'm sure we all have one. I have a top that I love to make that I think I've made in at least 6 if not more variations. Also this site will give you even more inspiration to sew patterns that you haven't been sure about. Truthfully I was surprised at how well some dresses like a shirtwaist dress could look on some of these women. I have avoided anything with a definite waistline for years, maybe I will get brave enough to try one since dresses with waist are my favorite kind, but I can no longer do zippers up the back so will probably have to stick to front buttons or other kind of front closure.

Visit The Curvy Sewing Collective for Plus-Size Sewers and see all the great info and chances to participate in monthly sewing photo ops.  While we may not carry all the patterns that are posted on that blog, we do carry a large selection of plus-size pattern styles at Moonwishes Sewing and Crafts.  We would love to have you visit and make us your pattern stop. When sourcing patterns for our store, plus size patterns are always the first thing we buy, any other size comes in after that.

Here is a link to a great Threads article for a Fashion Sketching Tool Kit.


Threads is one of my favorite sewing magazines. I have learned so much by reading it - every issue no less!

Great Little Sewing Light

I have the privilege of being on Amazon's Vine Review Program (sorry you can't ask to be in this program). Besides lots of books that I get to read and review, I also get all sorts of items to use and review. This little light I just got to review. It can clamp onto an embroidery hoop if you need extra light for part of a design. With the arthritis in my hands, I can't continually hold onto my embroidery hoop with even this little bit of extra weight added on. But if you are in a tiny very technical spot, and need extra good lighting this little light will do the job. I have also checked, and if I clamp it onto the accessory table that came with my Janome 7700, and then point the light to any unsewing I have to do. Don't you just hate unsewing? I know I do and with this little light I'll be able to see those stitches that are hard to focus on with bifocals.


 

Embroidery Library December 2014 Free Designs

Embroidery Library December 2014 Free Designs have now been posted and if you haven't picked up the November ones, they are still available through November 2014. December's designs are lovely ones that you can use for Christmas projects. One is a Christmas Deer called Prance and the other two are Poinsettia designs within a circle or diamond border. All three designs come in 2 sizes each so you get a total of 6 free designs. Be sure to pick them up while you can.

Spring Floral Monogram Embroidery Designs

With the snow we already got--in less that a week!!--and so many machine embroidery sites promoting lots of Christmas designs currently, it was such a nice surprise to see this Spring Floral Monogram - ABC available for FREE at Hatched in Africa. Now the hard part, remembering to check the site on Tuesdays and Fridays until the set is complete. The whole set will be free as long as you pick it up within the three days after being posted.

Artful Machine Embroidery: A Visual Guide to Creating Clothing You'll Love to Wear

I just saw this book on a embroidery design site. I'm not sure how this book got past me as it was published in 2012. It looks like a terrific book to help you learn some principles and design settings for using machine embroidery designs to make your garments just that much better. The book is Artful Machine Embroidery: A Visual Guide to Creating Clothing You'll Love to Wear by Bobbi Bullard. The book is 227 pages with ISBN 13 - 978-1607055822 and is a softcover. It also come with a bonus CD with 20 machine embroidery designs. I always love getting some of the designs that are used in a book so that I can recreate the look. 

Back when I had my first sewing-embroidery machine, the Janome 8000, you could only buy designs from Janome and they cost almost $100 for 8-9 designs, all smaller than 4" x 4". Since Janome was the first out with a sewing-embroidery machine combo for home sewers, no wonder new designs were so expensive and would entail a wait of anywhere up to around 6 months before the next Memory Card would come out! We are so fortunate now that we have an abundance of machine embroidery designs and no waiting or extraordinary high expense to purchase them! I have probably several thousands designs that I got for free from the different companies so that you can test their designs before purchase. Way back in the early 1990's I would never have conceived of being able to get designs for free! I post many of the ones that I find on a Pinterest page and just in the last two years since I started Pinning I have over 400 free designs posted!

 

The Janome 12000 is my current dream machine!
 


Don't have a ton of money for a dream machine (which is why it is a dream machine!) The Janome 350 is a nice stand alone embroidery machine that can be used to embroider while you sew on your regular sewing machine.
 

November Free Machine Embroidery Designs from Embroidery Library

I don't think anyone can read this blog for long without realizing that my favorite machine embroidery company is Embroidery Library. The are generous with freebies and sales and their designs sew out so well. Over the years they have added extra features which has really helped including being able to run off a color chart of Thread Exchanges depending on which threads you use or have. I have a mixture of Robison-Anton, Sulky, Coats & Clark and Janome threads. However they don't have Janome threads, but they are hard to find anyhow except at a Janome dealer. So for each design you print out you can choose to print out several thread companies on one sheet of paper so you can see which colors you actually have that you can use and what you might want to buy or substitute. You can also print out a sheet with all the design info such as the size of the design, number of stitches, etc.

Here is one of the November 2014 Freebies from the Autumn Birds Department.

 

 

The next design is a Suzani Fall Flower Trio in one large design or for those with a smaller hooping capability two smaller designs that can be joined to make the larger one. You can see more Suzani designs in the Suzani Department.

 

 

These are only available for this month, November 2014, so be sure to get them soon!







Machine Savvy: Tips for Creative Sewing

I just discovered a Craftsy class last night that I hadn't seen before. It is called Machine Savvy: Tips for Creative Sewing . The teacher is Linda McGehee. She uses Janome sewing machines for what she is sewing and teaching. Best of all the mini class is FREE! I love finding instructions for doing things based on the brand of sewing machine that I have, although I don't see Janome projects very often except on their website http://janome.com/ so I am extra excited about this class! Most of the projects for this class provides a foundation for making bags of all sorts and who doesn't need another bag?

If you have a Janome sewing machine, or any machine for that matter (although you may have 'transpose' some of the instruction to fit with your machine) this should be a great class to learn some of the techniques to take your sewing and crafting to the next level!

Here is a book that might be of help to you as you do the projects in the class and then want to finish the samples into bags. This book isn't written specifically to go with the class, but should provide some good guidance in making your bags.

My Birthday Present from Embroidery Library

One of the great things about Embroidery Library is all the terrific Freebies they give out during the course of the year. Even better is the birthday present of credit they give you in your birthday month. So I want to share with you what I have picked out for my present(s). I could have chosen one design pack with my credit or get as many packs as I wanted half off and I chose the half off deal as there are a couple of ideas swimming around in my head of things I would like to make with these two sets. And I had enough money in my PayPal account to pay what was left owing.

 

How to Sew Hexagons By Machine for Grandmother's Flower Garden

An interesting video to help you know the best tips for sewing hexagons by machine.

Sewing Tutorials

One of the great things about the internet is how you can bring learning to your home whether in the middle of a city or living out in the country, you can access the same educational opportunities. When it comes to sewing some of us learning from watching mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or home ec teachers. But for those of us that never got a good grounding in the basics or have machines that are so advanced from what we learned on, we need more instruction.

One of my favorite sites for learning is the Bernina Sewing Machine site. Do I have a Bernina? NO, but that doesn't mean that I can't learn. Many sewing machines have the same type of presser feet and decorative stitches, so with some simple transposing you can follow along with the written lesson, the videos or webinars that they present. You can also download e-books with different skills. I always love the ones about combining stitches to get the look of a larger design. They call this stitch recipes or other places call them stitch stacking. Whatever you call it, be sure to use this technique whenever possible. On different forums, I have heard that some sewists have machines with over 200 stitches, but only use the straight stitch for quilting or sewing straight lines. Break out of your box and learn a new skill! Only have a machine that does straight stitches? Perhaps the time is ripe to get an advanced machines so you can see all the many ways you can use your sewing machine.

Doll Houses

 

I don't know what it is about doll houses and their furniture that catches my eye, I only know that they do. Since I have no need of yet another hobby, I tend to put these items up for sale at my store Moonwishes Sewing and Crafts. I noticed this one the other day and had to get so it could go to a good home. Specifically one where there is a little girl that loves her Barbies and would rather help make some doll house furniture that is pretty and comfortable with her mom or grandmother than use molded plastic furniture. This pattern booklet uses no sew techniques, in other words uses glue, etc. to hold pieces together. It is geared for children seven and up although I think they would need an adults help. You can find this pattern booklet with all patterns intact here.  We also have a nice selection of doll clothes, stuffed animal patterns etc. here for those who want to get busy on their Holiday sewing.



Fall 2014 Color Trends Abandon Typical Palette - Threads

Fall 2014 Color Trends Abandon Typical Palette - Threads



Finally some colors that I like!

Janome MC12000 Horizon Demo

A nice video about my "Dream Machine", the Janome 12000 which I will probably never get, nor do I need, but boy would I like to have one at my house for awhile!