Let the Fun Begin!

I’m so excited, my mother arrived! 

She brought some supplies and has begun to teach me how to use the hoops (I have a medium and a large size).  Some material is hooped, but stretchy material is set on top of a sticky stabilizer that has been hooped.  There is a sticky stabilizer which keeps the material in place on the hoop.

There are so many different weights and kinds of stabilizers.  Some you tear away and some cut away.  There is also a wash away/melt away topping and backing stabilizer.  Wow, so much to know about.  Mom brought an assortment pack for me to practice with.  What a nice mother!

Once I’ve learned to hoop material I run around the house looking for something to practice embroidery on.  I came back with my robe.  Ok, its a bit stretchy so we put the tacky stabilizer backing into the hoop and lay the robe on top.  I got some tape and marked a cross in the middle of the area on my robe that I want to monogram.  The robe is set on the hoop in just the right spot and we pat it down on the tacky backing.

Now, time to get the hoop on the machine.  Its a little tricky to snap it into place, at least for a newbie like me.  But once its on I’m ready to go.  I’ve chosen a monogram on my embroidery machine that I like, its a giant M with flowers on it. 

We look at the pattern and how to tell if it is going to sew in the correct areas.  There is a test button to push.  This shows the entire sewing area, just in case something might be in the way, like the pins that hold the wash-away stabilizer when it is used.

All is ready and I press the “Go” button.  The machine starts slowly and then whirrs into action!  The large blue M is stitched out before my wondering eyes.  The machine beeps and the thread is cut.  It’s time to change colors.  Wow, that was quick. 

The display on my machine (Brother PC 6500) tells me what color to put on next.  Each time a color is completed the display changes to the next part of the design.   After a few colors into the design the display asks for a color I don’t have.  How can that be?  I have 18 spools of color and it wants one I don’t have?

Mom tells me, “There is no Color Police.  Choose any color you like.”   Wow, never thought about that before.  Its art.  I don’t have to make it exactly the same colors that the pattern calls for.  So Ok, I’ve chosen a color.  I press the “Go” button and my embroidery design continues to stitch out.

Emily comes to the kitchen to watch the embroidery machine at work.  Its not too loud for her and she actually watches with interest.

When the design is complete I take the hoop off the machine.  I cut any loose threads I see and then tear the stabilizer backing away from the robe.  Easy does it, and I’m done!

Wow, my first embroidery project.  It works!  It really works!  Now I need to model my project so everyone can see.

 

This was fun.  I can’t wait to do another project.  Hopefully my card reader box will arrive tomorrow…..

Thanks for listening ~