No fool like an old fool! What have I done?
Remember how I said taking on embroidery jobs stresses me out???Well, the owners of my home centre tenpin bowl have just purchased their 4th centre and asked me if I could add the name of it to their existing (embroidered) hand towels.
SURE! says I.
NO PROBLEM, says I.
REALLY?
Check it out......
The word Windsor, as you will see, is only 3.17cm (1.25 inches) long and the capital W is only .04 x .63cm (.18 x .25") making the satin stitches less than .08 mm (.003") wide and the smallest stitch my machines will recognise.
The satin stitches are actually narrower than the width of the 75/11 needle.
So after a week of tweaking text/letters, stitchouts, tweaking some more, I am finally happy with my digitising and take it back to show the owner.
She was thrilled to bits with my efforts, especially compared to the original embroidery done by a local business, which she said she wasn't at all happy with.
So, being the stoopid person that I am, I quoted only $1.50 per towel as I figured the towels probably already cost her $4 - $5 each plus she would have paid a few dollars more for the original embroidery, and they only sell for $8.00.
Then she drops the bombshell
She has over 400 to be done!!!!!
So in one, (really trying), week, I only managed to do 40 and she is rapped!
Only 360 (or so) to go.
But seeing the big picture.... it is worth $600 to me :-)
And next time she wants more towels done she has said she will get me to embroider the whole design, that will certainly be easier than lining up one word with some very crooked existing text.
I must admit I am shocked at the "professional" embroidery job, not one has been trimmed properly, most of them still have tearaway film left on them, they are nearly all crooked and, if held up to the light, you can see holes in the towels made by the needle.
I know mine aren't perfect, but each one takes me about 18 minutes to hoop and align so I know I am doing the very best job I can do.
Thanks so much for looking and reading my novel. LOL!
[2]
122864What a job you've taken on - I wouldn't have the patience for 400 towels - lol. You are a wonder woman. And they look good too.
6122Make that 2 hugs to match Raelene's. Wow what a job, still $600 is nothing to turn your nose up . Look at it this way .... you can afford to come visit :) xxx
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Hmmmm?
There's a nice thought, pity my sewing room needs so much doing to it to make it workable. :-(
sorrrrrrry
xxxxxxx
42046
76409I give you a hug for being so persevering. Great job!
1 comment
86901Meg, what a mammoth task, your added touch is perfect. No wonder that they want you to do the job now. Pace your self and take time out for a rest in-between you will get through this. Amazing what some professionals standard are , and I bet that a lot of $$$ was paid originally. Sandra.
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Sandra. I keep telling myself I have nothing better to do so I may as well be earning a quid.
At least I know I will do my very best for the centre and definitely better than than the original embroidery.
I've been bowling there since 1984 and I have a strong loyalty my home centre so it upset me to see the shoddy work they had been lumbered with.
hugs, Meg
24331Congratulation on a job well done. Lettering great and lining it up to previous design awesome.
As others have said just work until you need break. Relax and look at it in pieces not a whole.
Thanks for sharing your adventure in to 'did I just do that?'
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks worthy. Yes I sometimes surprise myself, especially when my mouth speaks out before I have a chance to stop it. LOL!!!
6757You have done a wonderful job with this difficult task.... and 400 of them! Oh my!
1 comment
9754You have done an absolutely fantastic job - as you say only 360 to go.
Just pace yourself and imagine how thrilled you will be when you have finished. Hugs Sarah
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Sarah. Yes I set myself a daily amount and as I get quicker and do more it's a real bonus. 350 to go now. :-)
hugs, Meg
255049Great job and I know how much this would have stretched your limits! I can't believe the previous digitising Meg. Getting to line Windsor up with the rest of the writing is fabulous. Hope your hands don't get too sore from all that work. Keep cool - today's temperature and on the weekend are going to be scorchers!!!!! Love Chris
2 comments
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Chris, I just keep thinking about having walls and a ceiling in my craft room, $600 will pay for most of the timber framework. :-) SHEESH! I should've charged more! LOL!
My hands ARE sore as I'm hooping the towels with no stabiliser, aligning the text in the machine, then removing the hoop to pin WSS on top before stitching out.
I did 10 today, in two hours, which is a huge improvement on my first 6 towels which took me three hours. :-)
The pool outside is getting harder to resist though. LOL!
by dennis999
11 Feb 2017
See my note below regarding those hands of yours. That pool sounds inviting although it wouldn't do here at present where I am freezing in the outdoor temperatures. You are certainly making good progress Meganne and you will have those walls and ceiling in no time. Keep up the good work.
234494My Granddaughter when she spilled a glass of milk said to me Oh Well Grammie we all make mistakes right???LOL
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Yes I can relate to that, Carolyn. I feel like the stunned rabbit caught in the glare of the headlights! LOL!!!
360641Well Meganne, I have read your novel and can only say what a fantastic job you have made with your digitizing. It is no wonder that you have been asked to take on the contract.
2 comments
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Aw Thank you Dennis, I do love to digitise but nothing I do is ever good enough for me. :-)
I'm not so keen on the embroidery side of things as the machines never REALLY reproduce what I see on my computer screen. LOL!!!
Do you think I could be?
Is it possible?
Am I one of those horrible perfectionists???
:-) LOL!
Hugs, Meg
by dennis999
11 Feb 2017
You must be the perfectionist and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish you well as you work through the contract. Take your time and mind that you keep those hands and fingers nicely supple (I think the use of hand cream is what I am trying to say). Above all, take care of yourself and don't overdo things.
11929I almost fainted when I read about how many you have yet to do! Doing commissioned work really stressed me out so much that I stopped doing it. But, I am proud of you to put the stress aside and create a fabulous towel for her! I love the little bowling person in the center of the ball and what looks like three little bowling pins. Nice work!
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
LOL!!! So did I!!!
These didn't stress me anywhere near as much as doing the shirts for my Godson did, I guess doing them really well meant so much more to me. :-)
I didn't do the rest of the design, just the word, 'Windsor', but I will be digitising that in the future I suspect. hugs, Meg
33641Well great work done...Hang in there..Just so Beautiful
1 comment
66019Yikes...all I can say is better you than me...great job adding Windsor to the existing embroidery...
1 comment
318426Wow, Meg, am so proud of you for doing this.....don't let it be stressful, just do as many as you can in a day and stop when tired.......when I get a big order I look at the bottom line like you are.......$600 is a nice gig! Great digitizing!!
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Vicki. Embroidery doesn't really pay very well, but it's more than just the money isn't it.
The first day it took me 3 hours to do just SIX towels and I wasn't all that happy with the results, so I tweaked each of the letters, stitch by stitch, until I reduced the density and altered the start/stop points. This reduced the amount of trimming and made the letters nicer looking and I am much happier with them. Today I did 10 towels in 2 hours so I'm REALLY pleased with that.
We're experiencing the hottest summer on record at the moment, 41*C (106*F) today so doing ANY embroidery in this heat is a real win. :-)
261163My hat off to you. You did well digitizing. The thought of doing the same thing 400 times,,,,,Yikes.
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Angie, yes it is daunting but I'm thinking in lots of 10 so it doesn't seem quite so bad. cheers, M
109774Wow you have done an amazing job lining that up and digitizing it too. And for such a small amount. No wonder she is thrilled. Seeing the big picture though I can see why you did it. You should be proud
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Sewmum1. Yes I was thinking of the total amount not the work involved getting there. LOL!
13243You have done a great job and the rest will go by quicker than you think. You will be doing it in your sleep before it's over. It is amazing how professionals don't clean up the back of their work. I am like you, I would never give or sell something with the back left messy. There are professionals and then there are PROFESSIONALS, and you see who she wants to have do the rest.
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks connerj.
Yes they're disgracefully messy and it's taking all my resolve to NOT tidy them all, but it's all extra time and I'm not being paid to do that, so I bite my lip, neaten my threads and call time! :-)
7166Oh my! Lining up Windsor on all those towels. That would be a nightmare for me. Your digitizing puts the rest of it to shame. This will teach us all to think and ponder over things longer before saying " I will". A pedestal I already had you upon, this adds a halo to your head. Love you!/Lillian
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Oh Lillian you'll give me a big head! LOL!!!
But thank you dear friend.
I'm glad you're back and feeling better.
Love you too dear friend. xxxxxx
145791The end amount sounds great, but having to do 400 to get it - that's horrific. But you are doing a great job with the design!
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Martine, I should have quoted more but that's what happens when we undervalue ourselves, isn't it.
She said she would have paid more too. Grrrrrrr!
145302I'm weak at the knees at the very thought! Nice job though.
1 comment
140717Oh my!
The end pay sounds so much better than the per item pay for you, but not when you think how many you have to do to get it!!!! Then no compensate for your design figuring. Sounded like a headache coming on to me, Oh well, you'll trudge though and your Windsor DOES look so much better than the 'other professional'!!! Good luck, only 9 more days!-lol-Toogie
1 comment
by meganne
10 Feb 2017
Thanks Toogie, yes I could have quoted more but If you calculate on $1 per 1,000 stitches, then each one is only worth 65 cents. Seems ridiculous we charge so little doesn't it. I managed to do 10 today so it's more like 36 more days to go, but I am getting quicker.....
109779