Hi I'm Robin from Colorado. I'm Hightechgrammy's good friend. She has gotten me into quilting. I have a new brother's machine and am clueless about so many things! I'm okey with the quilting but need help with machine embroidering. What should I try first? Remember, I'm clueless and a newby. Thanks!

Hi Robin,
When I started I washed up a metre of Calico and used it to do 4x4 squares of different designs. Further down the track I joined them together and made a quilt for grand daughter so nothing was wasted.
The one thing that I got the biggest thrill from was making a zipper purse on the machine.
Just relax and enjoy yourself it is far easier than learning to drive a car.
Welcome to Cute from Brisbane Australia

Hi Robin, I am Laura from Michigan. We were all newbies at one time to embroidery so we know you'll do just fine. I started out on a Brother with a 4x4 hoop - I thought it was a good way to start to see if I would remained interested. My advice is just jump in and try things. At first I did monograms on things I could get a hold of at home. That was fun. Grab a Kitchen towel - pick out a 4x4 design, put in some cut-away stabilizer (non-tearing) in your hoop and embroider on it. Be sure to post your designs in Projects here!! Welcome to Cute and say Hello to Jan for me! Hugs, Laura

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by hightechgrammy 20 Jan 2021

HI Laura, Thanks for telling me Hi! Robin learns really quickly and she's brave enough to try new things. I think she'll get started and there won't be any stopping her. Hugs, Jan

by RobinRedBreast 21 Jan 2021

Thanks for the tips! I am just a bit nervous about it but once I figure out how to get my design to my machine I’ll get braver. My thumb nailer says I only have a demo. I purchased it in November 29th. I’ve got a message sent. This gives me a little more time to get brave!

Hey,Robin, welcome! Look on FB as there are a ton of educators offering lessons, tips, etc. and most are free. I won't post names since I don't know if it is allowed here. But, since this pandemic hit most of them haven't been able to travel and they have graciously offered to help the sewing community. Even if you don't have the particular machine they are using you can still learn from them. There is literally video/classes every day. The Babylock and Brother are so much alike, the info is very interchangeable. Good luck! Wish I could give you some sites, but, I don't want to make a mistake in case it isn't allowed here. Millie

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by RobinRedBreast 21 Jan 2021

Thank you. I’ll check and see what I can find.

Welcome to the wonderful group of Cute! So much great advice has been given. Stick with it, show us your projects and ask as many questions as you need answers to.

Start with something small or low stitch count - like under 10,000 stitches, so you can experience a fairly quick and happy success. Start with a simple fabric without stretch or much thickness, such as cotton. Maybe just try out some letters if you have any built into your machine, or a design that is built into your machine. My sewing store gave me 10 spools of thread with the purchase of my machine and thread is expensive! I started with white, black, flesh, baby pink, baby blue, Christmas red, a leaf green and three more, and I stitched quite a while with those 10 color choices.

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by graceandham 20 Jan 2021

Oops! Welcome to Cute!

by RobinRedBreast 21 Jan 2021

After I finish my brother’s birthday table runner, I’ll see what I have in my machine. I know I have Disney because it was included. Jan says I need to post the table runner even if there isn’t any embroidery!

Hi Robin, welcome to Cute! I know you should like it here, everyone is so helpful and Cute Emb has nice designs, too. I remember when I first got my machine. I knew nothing about how to hoop or emb and no one to help me. I hadn't found any emb sites yet. My machine has no instuctions how to emb, just the book for sewing and the charts for the built in designs & color stitches. My machine sat 2 or 3 days in the box, then the woman I worked with came over. She persuaded me to open the box and try to emb something, even though she knew as little as me. The first thing we stitched was a rose. An all green rose! I didn't have but a few thread colors-lol-To say, 'I've come a long way baby' is an understatement-lol-There are a lot who emb better and more than me, but I have learned a lot, mostly from this site. You will, too. I am on my second Brother, a SE425 4x4 and a used BrotherPE750D 5x7. I hope you love it as much as we all do. You are now officially a Cutie with a garden of flowers growing. (see the numbers changing, on the left, under your avatar box, where your photo goes?) Have fun!-Toogie

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by RobinRedBreast 21 Jan 2021

Thank you for the encouragement! I do feel pretty clueless about the embroidery part. I love working with puzzles, so the quilting seems to be going alright. Once I figure out the embroidery, I’ll try to get more creative! I told Jan I need another lesson or 10! May have to pack my machine up and drive the 2 1/2-3 hours to visit with her!

Welcome Robin from Colorado.
You are already on the right track by coming here. I have learned everything I know through this site. Just alone reading through the posts is a wealth of information. Often links let me to places where more info was available. A question always was answered often with different solutions all being super helpful. Remember NO question is too silly or dumb. Also check out YouTube. Today there is a so much more available then when I started umpteen years ago. Think of every mistake that happens as a learning experience and be amazed at what your machine can do. Have fun.
Angie from California

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by RobinRedBreast 21 Jan 2021

Thank you. I have gotten such great encouragement from all of you. What a wonderful friendly group!

hello Robin, welcome here at Cute, You will love it here !!!!
I have a brother machine myself, and I also started with embroidering on simple things like tea towels for myself. Later on when that went well I did some designs on little pillows for the couch, Just give it a try, and you will notice you will get a lovely result. And soon you will do other projects too. Enjoy the machine and the projects you are able to make. When you look in projects you will get many ideas about what to do.
Hope you will come here with joy. Greetings ,Gerry

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thank you! Did you make the picture? I’m enjoying quilting but haven’t gotten to fancy. I love puzzles and quilting is like putting a puzzle together. For me at least it is. I’ll get brave and try some embroidery!

Welcome! Ask lots of questions. I would try a small design first on cotton woven. Maybe your initial on a tea towel. Preshrink fabric first. Even simpler do it on felt just to learn how things work and felt is cheap.

A very big welcome to the Cute family. To start with, just enjoy learning to hoop and about stabilizers and enjoy watching the design stitch out. You don't have to try to do big complex designs. Just get to know you machine, stabilizers and threads and have fun. And cyber hugs for you.

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thank you. I only have the 4x4 hoop so I won’t be getting to big! That will keep me in control! Stabilizers could be tricky! Jan has given me a lesson or two and a sample pack of stabilizers. Thanks for the advice.

Hi Robin from Colorado. Welcome to Cute. You are very lucky to have a friend who is so competent at machine embroidery. Its a great way of spending time but can also be quite frustrating at times too. What machine do you have? I love mops way of starting machine embroidery by embroidering on all her tea towels. I belong to another group which appears to have a large number of people who have just bought a machine and are wondering why they are having problems when trying out very complicated ideas. Take your time and above all have fun and we look forwards to seeing what you create under the projects tab. Finally there is lots of advice under the Q&A tab here on how Cute works. From a very wet and flooded bit of the UK

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

I am lucky to have Jan as a friend. We taught together in Grand Lake. I had the privilege of teaching Ben when he was in first grade, that should tell you how long we’ve been friends! My brothers was on sale. It says Innov•is on the top and it’s has NS1750D. It is a 4” hoop embroidery & sewing. Once again I’m clueless. My first machine is a singer that I got for my birthday 1969. They are just a tad bit different!

by crafter2243 20 Jan 2021

"They are just a tad bit different!" 😊😊 That made me smile

Hi Robin and big welcome to our Cute Community! You are at the beginning of a very exciting journey! I agree with all the Cutie comments below....and I know Jan will be a wonderful teacher. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have...we are all here to help each other and support each other. So looking forward to seeing your creations posted in Projects... I am in California and love this great family here on Cute... So happy to have you join us...

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thank you for the friendly welcome. I’ll have to check out the project tab.

Hi Robin, lovely to meet you. I've known Jan for years from being on here and I'm from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
I've got a Brother machine and I agree with everyone else have a go at the stitches etc. on your machine. Try simple things first and once you've got those down pat, have a go at anything. I love FSL (free standing lace) and Applique. Jan and everyone on here will help you with anything you need to know.
Our Toogie is a prolific patchworker and is always making Quilts of Valor, check out her PROJECTS.
You will need to know about stabilisers too. Anyway, just ask and there is always someone on here 24/7 as we're from all parts of the world. As I said I'm Australian and it's nearly 11.30 Wednesday evening as I reply to your post from nearly 7 hours ago! Love Chris

To have a look at people's projects, click on their avatar e.g. mine is pennifold - you already know Jan's. If you click on the little green flower at the side of the post it changes to orange, that way you are giving that person a flower and it also helps you to know which post you have read.

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thank you for the advice! Love the picture! Did you create that? I’ve done one quilt for my son’s dog and am almost finished with one for my other son’s dog. I’m trying to do a table runner for my brother’s birthday. He loves roosters. This one has been more of a challenge then I thought. I drew it out but sewing it and drawing it out were so different! I started over. So much to learn!

by pennifold 21 Jan 2021

Hi Robin, no I didn't do the picture. I put it up for all new members. I love Roosters too and I know you'll do a great job on the runner. You'll learn lots with us all here. Love Chris

Welcome to Cute.
I started in 1992 with a Brother. It did not have inbuilt designs at the time but came with two embroidery cards, one with 6 fonts, one with embroidery designs. I started to embroider monograms on towels, not the easiest material to start with. Then I put my MNR on every teatowel I had and that was a far better idea. Did not matter if it went a bit wrong and I learned a lot about hooping and stabilisers.
Good luck, and enjoy the process, the progress and the results!

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

I think I’ll put the towels on hold for now if they aren’t easy to work on. I’ve got one quilt finished and three other projects started. A birthday and a baby have put my second quilt on hold.

Hi Robyn welcome to cute. I agree with rescuer start with you inbuilt designs to get to know your machine well, then start with something simple maybe for quilt blocks. You will find a wealth of information here along with free designs offered from many site.

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thanks. I’ve got Disney designs built in and some others but not sure what. Yes, I need to learn my machine!

Start with a design that comes with the embroidery machine. They are excellent, tested (with your machine), designs. Pick a fabric and a design. You might want help with using the correct stabilizer for the design and fabric you select.
Welcome to Cut

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by RobinRedBreast 20 Jan 2021

Thank you. The stabilizers do have me on the scared side!

Hey Robin!! I'm so glad you joined Cuties! You will love this group of wonderful people! You are just staring a wonderful, sometimes exasperating, adventure! Hey everybody, Robin was Ben's first grade teacher! She's the teacher who told me Ben could learn to spell!
Hugs, Jan

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by rescuer 20 Jan 2021

I love teachers that believe in their students!