Hi Everyone. My name is Chris and I am new here. And new to sewing and embroidering. I have never done either of them before in my life. I am a paper crafter and wanted to buy a sew machine to sew on cards and layouts. And in my search for a machine I discovered the embroidery. So instead of a sewing machine I got a combo machine.
The Viking Topaz 20. It is on layaway and will be home with me in about 6 to 8 weeks.
So now I am looking to learn all I can before I pick up my machine.
I have questions.
Is there free software out there that will let me make a design format work on my machine. And manipulate the images ( like adding more than one ) and does the photo stitch I saw in the store.. and all the other cool stuff. A software program that will work with my new viking?
I signed up here just now and wondering what the membership is about? Does buying six months give me access to download any image I want with out paying for it. Or do you get a discount if you sign up. How does that work?
Any good online tutorial sites where I can learn sewing and embroidering basics..lol
I have lots more questions but drawing a blank..lol
So glad to be here and cant wait to chat with you all!
here is a group on yahoo you can join to learn more about the Topaz
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vikingdesignergems
A knowledgeable group of embroiderers and sewers who know the viking machines
I hope to hear more about the membership and how it works.
Signing up gets you the free design of the day plus all of the free designs in the area "Designs By Cuties" which you can click on at the top of the page. Buying six months membership gets what I have already listed, plus EVERY design on the site. (not shouting with the caps, just aren't able to underline). When you have paid for your membership, just click on any design under the Designs category and then select your format - do not put the design in your cart. Putting the design in your cart is for purchasing designs À la carte.
We welcome new members and encourage you to ask any questions you can think of. We were once new to this craft and come here for the camaraderie and fellowship and to help others who enjoy sharing the same pastime that we love.
When looking at the designs is there a search feature? So say if I want to look for trains I would type that in and it would bring me to all trains? Instead of searching one by one?
Cuteembroidery+train.
Embroidery Library has heaps of tutorials. Check out the "Fabrics 101" & "How-to's". Lyn. xx
I just wanted to say welcome to this great site. I see you have been given such great information already. Ask any question you like, because you never know, someone else may be wanting to know the exact same thing. Love and blessings Chris, Newcastle, Australia.
I think the best thing you could consider purchase
is a product called "sewwhatpro"
this is easy to use and has its own group to help you with any problems With it you can change sizes add bits and remove bits add words in your own font as long as it is on the computer and alter the point, Use wingdings and wingbats,spilt stitches so that you can change the color and a whole host of other things,
for card making it is a great product that does not cost the earth and you get free upgrades.
please take the time to try out the free easy to use full product for i think its thirty day and you can save all things to file so even in the event you do not want it (and i would be amazed if you didn't ) then you still have the designs you have created during its usage.
I think there would be many more that would recommend this product.
annie in the uk
if you purchase membership to any group then ALL the designs are free to download and use for a stated amount of time.
you do not need to pay a fee for membership to cuties where the designs are created by other members.
your machine will do photo stitch with no problem as it is simply a way of sewing out a design like X stitch is and yes you can get X stitch designs for the embroidery machine.
If you start looking and downloading the free designs now you wil be ready for when the machine arrives. Be sure to check out those little gift bags and the Christmas stockings that small gifts can be placed in. little tags can be sewn out to add to gifts and of course those wonderful embroidered cards that are such a joy to receive.
Don't get me started on ideas.or i will be here all day.
annie in the uk.
use simple red/black work to create a simple design. this is where just one color is used to outline items, sew out onto plain white fabric and then use cheap wax crayons to add color, sandwich the design between kitchen paper and iron it.
the wax is absorbed by the kitchen paper and the color is left behind.
this idea is great for a childs card as they can color the picture in themselves.but look equally good on flower outlined ones as well
there are some wonderful Christmas cards in cuties that i use every year and you can find examples in the projects section using the above method