I have alot of free designs, but also hundreds that I have bought and never used. This makes me feel so guilty to not use these beautiful designs-does anyone else have an opinion on this?
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I look at the same way as if I was a stamp collector or coin collector....they don't use those items either...just treasure them. I have gazillions of designs since 1998...many free & many bought...I always find exactly what I need to put on any item I'm making.
774Yes, I have purchased designs that just has never gotten used, YET! But someday I hope they are! Some sales are too hard to resist.
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7568Join the club. There must be quite a large membership
115746Thanks for all the input-OK "over" the guilty feeling. You all have made me look at in in a different way. I knew you cuties would help!!!
5046Oh I would most certainly NOT feel guilty!! Machine embroidery IS an addiction, a healthy one as well. The collection of designs keeps us busy, happy and well entertained. ENJOY your addiction, enjoy collection and looking at them and enjoy embroidering them IF and when you get an opportunity
16251You never know when you might use them. Its kinda like shoes you can never have toooo many. lol
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48168Please help me i dont understand what does "feel guilty" mean....lol...soozie
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25169I am using my designs to help others in my quilt club that either do not have an embroidery machine or the designs I can provide them with for making a nice quilt. I have made & sold 2 sets just this month. I just pick a set of designs make them up & will never have trouble selling the sets as they can see what they are paying for & they sell themselves. If someone wants a certain design set I bet I have it. If they cut out SS I will still be able to make a little money to supplement my retirement. I will only delete a design if it does not stitch out right or has way to many jump stitches. I have well over 25,000 designs. I have 335 complete sets from Designs by Sick, 89 complete sets from Sweet Embroidery, 82 Complete sets from Bunnycup Embroidery & the list goes one. Sure I will never be able to use all these designs in my lifetime but I do not feel guilty for having them. I love looking at them & hope I get a chance to make up many of them before my time here on earth is up. If there is a hereafter I want to take my machines, designs, quilting supplies & fabric with me. LOL PS just enjoy your designs & don't feel guilty about having to many. I do not buy very many most of mine were free. So no quilt for spending money on them.
2533I may never be able to buy a Renoir, Gauguin or Rembrandt but I can afford to purchase beautiful embroidery designs so my designs are all "works of art", that I scroll through regularly to just admire and enjoy, like any other artwork.
This is my justification (ooops, story) and I'm sticking to it :-))))
122864I have been finding myself using designs that I don't really even like. BUT the person I'm stitching it out for does like it and requested it. Therefore, I was happy that I had it.
Now, the biggest question for me is, how do I organize them in such a way that others can look through my collection to find out what they want? IF I printed out each of the designs for a book it would take up a whole shelf of my bookcase. Maybe someone ought to design a software package that shows the designs as a slideshow, so the recipient can pick out the perfect design. Just a thought.
2 comments
by blairbsb
28 Jul 2011
I agree, hope someone will develop a package to show designs as a slideshow. I too have been collecting for a long time and there are not enough hours in my lifetime to use them all but I enjoy my addiction and it takes less room for this collection to be stored and the entertainment it provides me is well worth my efforts. However, I too wish I had a way to better organize for others to view - printing each design is not feesible this would take way too much paper and then the storage of all that. I remember someone sharing how to tell how many designs you have several years ago but I have forgotten how to do - so have no idea how many designs I have downloaded either free or purchased.
by marjialexa
28 Jul 2011
There is a program called SewIconz that shows the design right in the icon in the list or gallery view on your computer. If you have Windows 7, you can make those pretty large. You'll have to Google it, I don't remember the website, I think the program was something like $25. Nice for viewing the designs just like you can view little thumbnails of your photographs. Hugs, Marji
16302So sorry you feel guilty about having lovely embroidery designs that you have bought and never used.
I sure don't - I love every design that I have bought and every free design that I have downloaded - I wanted it and I was lucky enough - that I got it when I did.
From the talk around town - I hear that they may be taking our Social Security away from us - then where will we be - surely not buying any more designs - but I will have enough - that if I can find a place to setup my embroidery machine and PC - I can perhaps make enough money to help put a roof over our head or food in our tummy.
Thank goodness for that.
Hehehe - hugs to all.
2 comments
by 1allamericangirl
28 Jul 2011
I love your Maxine picture & saying. I have already starting putting my free designs to work. I made 2 sets, one of 10 butterflies & the other of 7 Sunbonnets of the week. I took them to my quilt club on the 11th & sold both sets before I left. I will keep making them in different sets & taking them to club as seeing sells better than anything. I also have many many free & paid for designs & love them all.
by shirlener88
28 Jul 2011
thank you - I love your idea - I will have to try to find a quilt guild around here - I know there has to be some.
211079I am one of those that have tons of designs and always looking at more.. You have to have a good collection in order to pick the right one for that certain project, right.. I have many many many folders of the designs that I have .. and many designs that I do not have pictures for.. but it is a love of this hobby and I do enjoy it.. and I love being with all the "Cutie's".. having fun ...
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70767No guilt here. I doubt that I would have enough years still available to me to use them all, but like many of you said, one never knows what design is perfect for another person. When I buy designs it is usually a special price so I don't feel extravagant. I agree with Bettina my hobbies keep the Psychiatrist away.
109774Love the question and the answers. I started machine embroidery fairly late in life and once the bug hit I downloaded everything in sight. I am now far more picky and only now buy what I need. I very rarely DL freebies now, unless something takes my fancy. Some days I just go through all I have (hundreds) and just wonder if I will ever use them. Feel guilty - NO WAY. Just wish I could use them all. Just enjoy collecting.
255049I have bought, collected and saved over 80,000 designs. And I will continue to collect them and not feel guilty at all about it. I may never use all of them. But if I need a particular butterfly or other design for that special person or gift, I bet I have it. Some cost money but the majority I collect are free. They aren't fattening or bad for you health, and they inspire me. I plan on willing them to my daughter or whoever gets my machine in about 40 yrs.
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10084My computer recently died and I had to transfer my saved designs. Yes I had them backed up YEAH. I figured if I completed 5 designs a day I might use all the ones I have now before I die. But since that was last week and I have bought more, I will just have to be content to have that perfect design in my stash. Becky
9846Do I feel guilty because I do the same thing or think anyone else should feel that way???? Heck no!!! Honestly, half the fun of embroidery is collecting all these designs and thinking someday, somewhere-I will use them...or not. And I find myself doing the same thing Carol does-look back on previous designs, deciding I don't really want or like them and turn around and shop @ Emblibrary or go for more free downloads. It's fun just to check out all the neat designs and once in awhile use them on something that someone will love
So, my opinion, for what it is worth, is forget feeling guilty and have fun with it. LOL ~linda~
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20173I say dito to all the other answers. I do feel guilty sometimes and just overcome it and by more. LOL It is very nice to have a choice.
4766Guilty? Heck no!! I figure even if I don't sew them out, I can look at them in my software, and appreciate the beautiful digitizing, and dream about what I could use them for. As others have said, they take up no room, being stuffed inside my laptop, not in my overcrowded sewing room. I have a fabric addiction, too, so the designs are just sooo much easier to handle. If you feel guilty, go through and organize them, so that when you get a notion to sew a particular design, you'll know where to find it. If you get happiness out of just looking at them, it's enough, no guilt involved, unless you're taking food out of your kids' mouths to purchase them. Just enjoy!!! Hugs, Marji
33451In order to do embroidery you have to have a collection of designs to offer or have on hand. So I call mine a collection that only takes up space on my computer and that don't have to be dusted. lol
89895Should I feel guilty cause I buy much more designs than I can stitch at the moment? NOOOOO!
Other women buy shoes and my designs need no cupboards and they don't wear off. I love fabric but the racks brim over. So buying embroiderydesigns is a much better deal to me ;o)
Greetings, Bettina
9 comments
by noah
27 Jul 2011
lol i would love this as a design so i could put it on my shopping bags yes all 10 of them lol carolyn
by ansalu
28 Jul 2011
It's a freebie from amazingdesigns :o)
http://amazingdesigns.com/shoppin...
Have fun (there is on page 1 my other fav: a womans work is never done *lol*
http://amazingdesigns.com/a-woman...)
Greetings, Bettina
33986It is no different than having a fabric stash that doesn't fit all in the same room. You will use them eventually, or not. If you bought them, then you are helping the digitizer/creator to stay in business so they can make more awesome designs!! I certainly wouldn't delete any of them. That is what big hard drives are for!! :) Maybe some day, you will remember "that perfect design" that you got way back when, and then it will all be just fine.
16302It's called Addiction. Heheheh. I brought some cute Christmas designs from emblibrary last year. Did not stitch them all out and I'm already looking at the new Christmas designs. No quilt feelings here. Last week I went thru my catalog and found at least 20-25 designs I had downloaded free about 5 years ago that I no longer liked, so I deleted them. Then I went to emblibrary and spent my $10.00 gift certicate.
Hugs..Carol
6 comments
by 1allamericangirl
28 Jul 2011
You could always get a 8GB jump drive it holds a lot...that is what I am using. LOL I only delete if it has a lot of jumps or does not stitch out good.
by bowlds
28 Jul 2011
I have looked at ugly ones and thought I should delele them...but it's hard. Then I think, maybe when I learn to digitize I can fix the one! It's a sickness!
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42046Sounds just like me and I think that I am a normal person with an obsession. Just went to buy something from A Stitch A Half and realised in time that I had already purchased these designs.
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by bevintex
27 Jul 2011
Sounds like me. If pay for them they are mine to use at my leisure. If they were free I may not need them today but I will have them when I want them. No guilty feelings on my part.
29801Oh I have bought many and not stitched them out yet. I have hope that someday but.....
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