Hi Shirlene dear one. This is probably as good a time as any to get something off my chest.....
What's on my mind is to do with digitising and how easy it is to butcher a design that a digitiser has spent hours, days & possibly, weeks, perfecting.
PLEASE CUTIES, DON'T RE-SIZE DESIGNS more than 5-10% !!!!
And if it doesn't stitch out right you and you know who digitised it, and you can request that the digitiser re-size it for you, then bloody well speak up and ASK!!!
The most they can say is no, but I bet most digitisers WON'T because they'd rather re-size one of their designs than have you butcher it!!!
And don't stitch out a design without using stabiliser and expect it to look good, it won't! And neither will the digitiser if you then show off your disgraceful (unstabilised) stitch out.
And if you ask a digitiser to do a design for you make sure you give them the most crucial information, SIZE & FORMAT, you require and if you have a deadline tell them how soon you need the design so they can decide whether they have enough time to do it for you.
PLEASE remember, digitisers are not some robot at the end of an email, they are human beings, most of them DON'T bite other human beings and most of them are only too willing to please you, but they need to know what it is that will please you, so SPEAK UP, give them ALL the information, not half of it, and don't leave them hanging waiting for a response from you.
NONE OF US CAN READ MINDS!!!!
And don't take this message the wrong way and start abusing me for it. I am not angry, I am terribly, terribly upset! And all of the above is the reason why.
Now I'm going to dry my eyes, wash my face and go back to my digitising.
Hugs n roses, Meg
I agree, not enough information does not make life easier and not too smart use of a design and then showing the result in projects is not the way we like to be thanked for our efforts. What I hate is going out of your way for a request and then silence.
I'm so sorry Meg, I know it hurts, but please try to forget it, many others are sooo pleased with your designs!!
Love, Martine
Meg, I am glad that you were able to talk about the situation that has you angry - all these requests are valid and just - I too encourage anyone that is thinking about a design that they might want to be a bigger size to contact the digitizer - I did that once - I had a nutcup - that I really wanted as a bowl - I asked the digitizer if they could resize it and they did - it is one of the bowls that I have shared in the projects and I am very pleased with the work. As far as embroidery goes - it should always have stabilizer in my humble opinion.
Let's all read through this post and take the requests to heart and help ourselves. I love the work of all the digitizers and I do know - there are hours and hours of work involved - I am not sure - I could ever attempt it and do it justice. So I commend all digitizers.
No, no, no, Absolutely NOT angry Shirlene, upset is not anger, upset is upset.
When I try so hard to please and know a design stitches out almost perfectly, because I have stitched it out myself, it really hurts me to see it stitched out so badly all because it has been DRASTICALLY resized, by over 20%
And it seems I can't get my message through to the person so I had to express my upset here, hoping she will understand what I am saying. It is not meant to be personal, it is not an attack, it is an attempt to educate people.
Digitisers love to see their designs used in projects and most will go to great lengths to get them as close to perfection as is humanly possible.
So all I ask is PLEASE don't be afraid to ASK. Speak up, call a spade a spade, especially if you are dealing with me. I am very outspoken, very upfront with everyone and I want the input of the person I am digitising for, I appreciate knowing what they want and my aim is to give them a design they will be PROUD to use on their beautiful projects.
Hugs n love, Meg
I have a lot of idea in my mind but I don't have time. I promised my neighbours to make a bunting for her son with the Union Jack flag at each end. Even so I will be at my family in France for easter I wanted to decorate my house in the easter spirit with a bunting of gingham in my kitchen and embroide the word easter to decorate in my entrance.
I started some pillow for my youngers boy with 10tje alphabet. I must finish those to show you.
And the big thing for me this year is to learn to digitize which I started with a lot of fun. Can wait to show you.
If I have time today I will embroid a little something for my Irish friend to wish her an happy St Patrick day.
And the list of project goes on and on...
New technique ?? I have been looking at to learn to do patchwork/quilting.
I still enjoy very much ITH and applique design.
Cathie, you have alot of projects in mind and I do wish you luck with completing them - I love the idea of the bunting and look forward to seeing that one finished. You home will look lovely decorated. It will be a pleasure to see what you have created with your learning how to digitize, too. I commend you for learning a new technique - especially patchwork/quilting - that is something that I have in the back of my mind to do - some day. Thanks!
I have a project... I am back from shopping with a new telephone book. I have decided to make a cover for it - that will keep me busy for a while!!!!
Sounds like a great project - I do hope you share a picture of it in PROJECTS and let us know how you made it, too. *4U
Oh Shirlene, I just posted a reply in another post. My mind is completely blank! I really would love some ideas for digitizing, I can't concentrate in my work... :(
Yoriko, I can't imagine why you mind have a blank mind - seriously - why don't you must make a posting for everyone to let you know what sort of ideas that they might have for you to digitize. I love your LACE work and if I could think of anything myself at the time of the wee hours - I would tell you - if I come up with anything - I will send you a note.
Secret Santa has just about taken me over but I really want to learn to digitise this year. Trouble is I get side-tracked stitching other peoples wonderful designs!
I can understand - how a project of that size could do that - do you need some help - maybe you need some elves, too.
I wish you luck with the learning how to digitise - I have so many designs - that if I started making my own - I would be consumed and never get to the heart of the embroidery work - which I love and would never go away from doing. Thanks Sue. I wish you luck with your learning.
Great question Shirlene!I am trying to digitize a mirror work design.It is placing a mirror( silver sequence) and doing embroidery around and over it to hold it in place without the needle hitting the mirror.Actually I have got the basic design but yet to give it a face lift.This is how it looks like.It also stitches out well.Anyone interested I will share at "designs by cuties".You can place it in a part of your design to give it extra glitter.
Sounds lovely - I;ve had a few things from India embroidered like that. Looking forward to seeing yours.
Oh my - it sounds liek it would be a great technique and something that alot of the CUTE family could play around with and give you some good feedback - please keep up the good work and share with us - as you go - if you would like to.
Shirlene, what a great question! I am in the first, very early stages of starting a web site to sell designs, which means I am quite busy digitizing designs (singles and sets) Still have a long way to go, but hopefuly able to have it all set up and ready to go in a few months time.
I have several projects I am working on, a wall hanging, placemats, towels and small items for hostess gifts when invited for coffee or for birthdays, etc. One day I hope to make a quilt, but need to find "just the right material"! Also getting a few designs ready to upload to Cute!
Christie, I am thrilled to hear that you are going to launch a website to sell you designs - they are lovely and I am sure you will do well, too. the rest of your projects sound so fun to do - we all need extra items for gifts - that is for sure - I hope you share pictures of them in PROJECTS to inspire all of us. *4U
And we LQQK forwrd to the designs that you are planning to upload to CUTE, too.
Hi Shirlene - good question. I can not wait for the school holidays which starts next Friday. It's just 2 weeks but I have so much planned. The children are tired and they can sleep late. I will catching up on a lot of embroidery projects. Napkins, towels etc for my kitchen. I also want to embroider wildlife/basket scenes from Emblibrary which I want to frame for our TV room. The room seems dark and the bright colours will brighten up the place. Unfortunately I first have to clean the Embroidery room as I cannot work if it is not properly organised. Lately I have not even filed my colourcharts from designs acquired and all this needs to be sorted into the files. That I have planned to start this afternoon. Throw out some scrap material etc. I also want to try out a few cutwork designs which I got from Ace Point last holiday. I want to start with pillow covers for the children's rooms. We do take part in all the religious activities at church and are very much aware of the meaning of Easter, it is a more spiritual tradition in our family and I therefor do not decorate etc as at Christmas so I don't really do special Easter embroidery.
I know but I have to it is busy to suffocate me. At least I normally send it to school as they use it in craft projects. And you know I will have space for incase I see some more nice things.
Eleen, I am thrilled you like the question. The 2 weeks sound like they will be very productive for you. I love working on napkins and towels. The wildlife/basket scens sound like they will be just what your TV room. I do hope that you take pictures and share them in the PROJECT section for all of us to get inspiration from. I do believe that there are lots of embroidery for the spiritual traditon of Easter and I hope that many find some and share them with us, as well.
As for the organization - I wish you luck - it sounds like alot of work - but I guess most of do that - when we are getting prepared for projects - we just don't talk about it much.
Getting rid of the scrap material - if it is going to someone else to use and enjoy is so wonderful - I commend you for doing that.
Thanks for you partcipation.
Hi Shirlene, I need to learn how to line up one design to another, like a line of text to the next line of text. Like on the border of a quilt. I haven't been very successful so far at that. I think I'd just as soon avoid anything that needs that. But sooner or later, I'm bound to need to know how.
Actually, I'm wanting to do some things for our house, which is a log cabin in the forest. I have lots of wild forest animal designs, so I thought I would make summer designs on one side and winter designs on the reverse side of lots of throw pillows. It's time to decorate this home by bringing the forest inside! So far I've made lots of things for others, T shirts and sweatshirts for the family, but not much for the house. Any ideas of what to do for window treatments for the bedroom to go with quilts?
Jan, I do believe if you go to the sewwierd website - she has a video on lining up text - I thought it was interesting to view - there might also be something on Emblibrary on that - as well.
You house sounds like a haven - bringing in the forest does sound like the right thing to do - had you thought about doing a pillow with one of the seasons and pillow cover for the pillow with the other? That way - if the pillow falls down or get tossed around - it still will be on the correct season - Hehehe! I don't do much sewing - so I can't help with the window treatments - maybe another CUTE family member will come along and suggest something for you. I hope you take pictures of all your great things you are making and share it in PROJECTS with us - we all can use some inspiration. Thanks Jan
Shirlene I have done my Easter/March challenge. I have not posted it yet because I am on very happy with the outcome. The alpha is good but the lace bookmarks could have been denser (is that a word?). They do look better than they photographed. Maybe I will put them in Projects just to prove that I did do something. Marg
Marg, we would love to see your projects - if you think the pictures don't do them justice - try taking another picture - at a different time of day - that happens sometimes the lighting is off or our mind can't see the camera right. I would love to see your Easter/March challenge - I still have gotten one going so I need some inspiraton and I would love to see your lace bookmarks.
Hopefully bu Easter I have wound my Bobbins for my Lace and Doing a few new projects on my Machine. Will be a quiet peaceful period where I can just sew. Lyn
I too hope that you can get your Bobbine wound - that must be so time consuming - but the project that you are making is so worth it - I would love to learn. I see that you get comfort and peace from your sewing - it is just the opposite for me - that is a stressful time for me - I need to go back and take some classes - I think - Hehehe!
Have nothing in mind at the moment. I bought material years ago to make a quilt for my bed but have never got around to it - actually do not know where to start!!!!
Sarah, I can't help you - I have no idea how to quilt - do you have a pattern in mind or are you going to wing it - when you get to it?
I thought I would just 'do' squares and embroider on some of them. Having never made one before it might be a bit hit and miss!!
I love the idea of embroidery on some of the squares - it will be lovely - once you get to work on it.
Too much on my mind! LOL But something I'm working on is combining the FSL Angel of Light that is a freebie at Stitchery Mall in a very different way. This particular one is the one that just has the angels head, torso, and wings. Many of you Cuties probably have it in your files, too. It's one of the first freebies of hers I stitched...not the torso one, but the actual Angel of Light and Angel of Cancer.
Anywho, what I'm trying is..to make the torso angel wear a dress. LOL I've done 2 so far but using other freebies that are intended for FSL doilies.
They look okay, but need some tweaking here and there. DH is out of town a few days, but when he gets home...with my camera, I'll put them in projects and hope some of Y'all will maybe help me with 'how to do them better'. And give me honest to goodness feedback. I'm a big girl and I can take criticism so please help me by being honest...oki doki???
Sorry this is so long,but I didn't know how else to explain. LOL
Mary Ann, it sounds to me you have a great project that you will be sharing with us soon - it does sound interesting - I am not much of a sewer - so I am not sure that I will be of much help - but I know I will comment on it - Hehehe!
What's on my mind? - Hmmm!!!! Starting up my own business!!!
What new technique - I'd like to learn - I'd love someone to show us how to do smocking on the embroidery machine!!!
Next project - I'm in the middle of three - the 3 Stoles for our new Deacon, Dad's memory quilt and my Antique Santas quilt for Christmas 2011.
I don't do Easter things - so that leaves me more time to do other things.
Thanks for the question Shirlene - love and blessings Chris
Chris, what sort of business are you thinking of starting?
I would like to learn how to do some smocking on the embroidery machine, as well - have you ever gone to Elizabeths Embroidereies - elizabethsembroideries.com - she does that.
I saw some pretty work on one of your stoles - the purple one - so I know you are coming along with those for your new Deacon. Did you find the designs that you wanted for your Dad's memory quilt? And I thought you had the Antique Santa quilt on hold for several months - have you found the fabric to use for it, yet?
I am glad you liked the question *4U Love to you, as well Shirlene
Amy and I want to start up a sewing business. I want to make baby quilts, dresses, romper suits, you name it and Memory quilts for our loved ones who have died.
Got all the designs for Dad's memory quilt thanks.
Found some great fabric for the Antique Santa quilt - so I do a bit now and again. That way I won't be panicking trying to get it finished by the end of November!
Finished the red stole today - will sew it up tomorrow but am out early with Mum. I'll post it tomorrow afternoon. Love Chris
Thank you for the beautiful Elizabeth's Embroideries site - WOW is all I can say. Love Chris
I am going to change my curtains.
Barbara, are you going to be putting any embroidery on your curtains? Please share a picture of them in PROJECT with/without embroidery - we would love to see them.
I am finishing a crochet quilt ( hand), that I started in hospital, while it stayed with my husband. He did 5 surgeries (intestine), but he this great!. The quilt this almost ready... I am going to post for you see. In May, I start the project on Christmas 2011. In the leisure hours, board baby's trousseau.
Dilceia, I can't wait to see your hand crochet quilt - I would love to learn how to make one of those. I am so sorry that your husband was in the hospital - I do hope he is getting better. What are you planning for your Christmas 2011? Thanks so much dear one - kisses!
No new projects at the moment as am still stitching the FSL entwined hearts Yoriko digitised for daughters wedding just a few more to go. Then on to something new I am thinking perhaps a quilt for the grandson I spy perhaps...Hugs Sally
Sally, how many are you stitching? I would love to see them all in a picture together - when you are finished. It does sound like you have a plan - stick to it and you will get it done - but please share it in PROJECT for all of us to get inspired.
Right now I'm trying to finish up a wall hanging for my hubby's sister-in-law. The design is from emlibrary and took most of the morning to stitch out. Something like 173 mins and then with the 34 thread changes! All in my new threads from metro. When that's done, I'll clean up my sewing room and start on the "tweet" wall hanging for daughter. Then I need to make a door prize for one of my clubs. Our theme is "tip-toe thru the tulips. I'm doing a wall hanging with the tulip mosiac design from emlibrary, and than..... Oh my gosh, my brain is just full of ideas!!! And, yes, I clean up my sewing room after each project! Hehehehehe. Carol
Carol, I do hope you share pictures of your projects with us - I would love to see this tulip one and the tweet one. I love that you clean up after yourself - with each project - we all need to do that and our rooms would be so much nicer. Thanks!
I would like to know about the toilet paper thing! Why would you embroider toilet paper??
Karen, how funny - that you would ask that one? I am with you - I don't understand the toilet paper thing - but I do like the covers for toilet paper rolls - Hehehe!
I think because it's different? I dl the instructions on how to do it, just in case, but thats like on the bottom of my things to do list. Carol