Learning Curve

Remember that new hoop I bought for my embroidery machine?  Well I finally got around to testing it out the other day, and I learned a thing or two (or three) in the process.

 

#1. Just because a hoop has three connection points that does not mean it is equal to three of your machines regular hoops.

 

#2. When making an embroidery design, it is important to remember the size of the hoop (the real size, not the size you think it is - see #1). 

 

#3. When trying to center text, the width of the letters matters more than the number of letters.

 

Glad this was just a cheap tee from Walmart and that I was just playing.  I'm trying to figure out if I should put something (palm tree? nautical coordinates?) on the left to try and balance it, but I don't know if it will help or if it will still look off center.  Hello new bum around the house tee.

Boredom Buster Bags (I hope!)

Oh, I have been quiet lately!  I didn't mean to be, sewing and crafting have just taken a back seat the last few weeks while final wedding preparations are underway- 5 days and counting!!  I did do a little sewing today though, so I thought I would share the gifts I am giving my two little cousins who are my flower girls. 

Many thanks to planetapplique.com for the adorable appliques!  This alphabet set was on sale for $8, however when I logged on Sunday to purchase it they were running a special and if you spent $5 you received this alphabet as a free gift- what perfect timing!

The files stitched up beautifully...

and I LOVE the little hemstitch around the flower. 

On the back I stitched "Flower Girl" and the date, just for a nod to the occasion.

I was having trouble figuring out what to give the girls and finally decided to choose a few things to help them stay busy over the weekend in the hotel or even at the reception.  I found a Disney Princess wedding paper doll set so they each got that, along with a Color Wonder coloring book (so they can't get anything on the borrowed tablecloths :) with sparkle pages, and travel tanagrams (because I had them when I was little and loved them).  Hope the girls enjoy their presents.

Nauti Tees

I found a great website the other day full of embroidery designs- and when I created an account they immediately sent me a 50% coupon!  I purchased a few designs (ok, maybe a few more than a few :) and two cheap mens tees from Walmart and transformed them into these cute beachy tees!  Perfect for this Florida Belle.

 

 

First up to transition the tees from cheap to chic- a little nautical monogram.  Yes, that is right, monogram- those nautical flags spell out AJG!  (I can't take credit for this brilliant idea- I saw it on a friends Etsy site, Sweet Tea Monograms). 

 

Also it is important to note here, do not trust everything you see on Pinterest!  It is a little hard to tell in the photo but on the white tee the first flag and the middle stripe in the second flag did not stitch up very well.  There are skipped stitches and I was so bummed.  I had seen a pin that suggested putting wax paper between a tee and the needle of the machine- supposedly it prevents the fabric from bunching, but it turns out a good sew on stabilizer does the same thing and keeps the stitches much nicer.  Once I pulled the paper away I got much better results.

 

 

 

 

Here is a shot of the front of the navy tee (with the backwards monogram thanks to my mirror :)

And a little something to really cute-sy up the tees - tiny little embroideries on the back!

 

 

And the back, with my messy hair and all. Yeah, can't believe I am posting this pic either. Also, have you ever tried to take a photo of your own back? Not easy to do.

 

I LOVE the way these tees turned out.  They are perfect to run around town in - comfy and cute, an unbeatable combination in my book.  I also like the way the designs stitched up (without the wax paper :) - you never can be too sure when you order online. 

 

And to the lady at the Singer shop in Dallas who told me it was "impossible" to embroider a dense design onto a tee without puckering like crazy - HA!  I did it! Score one for Brother machines over Singer!  Or at least, score one for good stabilizer and a girl smart enough to use it :)



In the Words of Reese Witherspoon...

"if it's not moving, monogram it!"

As a good southern girl, I LOVE a monogram!  Even my gym shorts are monogrammed.  My fiancée does not have a middle name and has already been informed that our future children will have middle names- specifically because their names will need to be monogrammable :)

I had some knit fabric laying around from a previous (and failed) tshirt sewing jaunt, so I salvaged what I could to make a casual little infinity scarf. In order to make it a little more interesting though, I stuck it under my embroidery machine first to add those three little letters that instantly make everything better- AJG.

 

 

I have monogrammed a few knits and I get a little better each time, but still no where near perfect.  The fabric always ends up stretching and when I take the stabailizer off the monogram is wavy because the knit is stretched.  Any tips?  I tried a sticky back stabalizer this time and did not hoop the fabric and it definately helped, but I know it can be improved on.  I would love any feedback you may have!