You asked for it and now it's here! The sequel to Embird Techniques Vol 1 has arrived. Embird Techniques Volume 2 - "Advanced Editing" covers many intermediate to advanced Embird functions and techniques.

Once you understand the basics, this is the next CD you'll want to own. It will teach you how to unleash the full power of Embird.

Fully narrated using language that is concise and easy to understand, each lesson will show you how its done and explain the process in complete detail. No manuals or books to read.

This video CD is now in production and scheduled to begin shipping July 16th. You can pre-order it now at a substantial savings. On July 16th the price will revert back to the regular retail price.

Order your copy now and save!

Click here to learn more and to order...

Here's a question submitted to Ask Mary! recently seeking help selecting the right stabilizer.

Question:  What type of stabilizer is best when stitching on T-shirts? Just beginning this addiction and have made some pretty horrible attempts.

Answer:  For T-shirts I would recommend one layer of a medium weight cutaway stabilizer. Polymesh is also a good choice and works well in eliminating show through on light colored fabrics. There is nothing worse than having your stabilizer show through the shirt while you are wearing it.

Even with the right stabilizer, if the shirt isn't properly hooped you will not see good results. Since you are just starting out, may I suggest you use those reject shirts for practice. Experimenting with them will help you master proper hooping techniques without running the risk of damaging any more shirts.

Our decorative flowers collection continues to grow. We have now added a small mini set that is a combination of full color and redwork designs. All but one design sew in the 4x4 hoop as shown.

See all of our decorative flowers here...

Catagory: Main course
Name of Dish: Vêtement embelli

Ingredients:

• 1  Garment - any size [plain fabric may be substituted if desired].
• 1  Embroidery design [can be single or multi-color].
• 1  2 to 2 1/2 ounce sheet of stabilizer [type appropriate for garment].
• 1  Bobbin 60wt polyester [either pre-wound or self-wound will work].
• 1  Embroidery hoop [appropriate size for design].
• Sufficient embroidery thread as required to cover area [color(s) by choice].

Preparation:

Clear sewing table of any foreign objects.
Slice stabilizer, if necessary, to a size appropriate for your hoop [leave whole].
Blend garment and stablilzer in hoop [be sure stabilizer is below garment].
Pour embroidery design into container appropriate for your machine.
Thread machine gently, carefully following prescribed path [set aside remaining threads for later use].

Sewing Instructions:

Prepare embroidery machine as usual. Bring to normal operating temperature. Install hoop and garment. Add design from container. Sew at normal speed for several minutes until area appears fully covered and machine stops. Carefully clip any excess thread. Repeat as necessary for each color being used.

Caution: Be sure to keep hands and feet away from needle and other moving parts.

When design appears done, remove hoop and garment from machine. Release garment from hoop and carefully remove excess stabilizer to suit. Mist with water to remove hoop marks, let dry. Wear with pride.

I hope you enjoyed my little recipe. Now that I've shared it with you, how about sending us some of your own "real food" recipes?

We'd love to have you share some of your original "quick & easy" recipes. Recipes designed to get you in and out of the kitchen fast so you can get back to your embroidery machine.

We have set up a special form to make it easy for you to submit your recipes. We will publish one of them in each new issue of Thread Times. Go ahead, help out your fellow embroiderers. Send us your favorite recipe today!

I originally wrote this article for my blog, but thought it was worth publishing here as well.

"I guess this in one of my pet peeves. I write about it every now and then just to remind folks that there is nothing like the real thing when it comes to stabilizer.

You paid a lot of money for your embroidery machine, so why would you risk damaging it with foreign objects not designed for use with your machine?

One thing I see mentioned quite often is the use of dryer sheets as stabilizer. Frequent comments refer to how nice they smell and how nice the garment smells after the embroidery is complete. That may sound enticing, but if you use dryer sheets as stabilizer there are a few things you might want to consider.

First of all, dryer sheets are not stabilizer. They are not manufactured for that purpose and do not stabilize the fabric. If you really want good results, you should use good quality stabilizer for all your embroidery projects.

Beyond that, they may not be 100% safe. Dryer sheets contain chemicals that are known carcinogens. There is some controversy as to whether or not those chemicals can actually pass through the skin, but prolonged contact could cause some irritation. These chemicals also pose a risk to people with certain allergies.

Some of the oils in dryer sheets may actually be absorbed by the fabric through repeated contact causing discoloration. These oils and chemicals also make dryer sheets very flammable. This is a particular concern for children's clothing and for anyone that works near an open flame.

I can't stress this enough. There is no such thing as a good substitute for embroidery stabilizer. You may save a few pennys by using various substitutes, but you must ask yourself if the sacrifices you make are worth the savings."

Our thanks to Pamela Maitre for submitting this helpful embroidery tip:

I use my rotary cutter and mat alot. I noticed the mat was looking pretty beat up with thread fibers that looked like cuts in the mat. I tried washing it, but had no success in bringing it back to it's clean beauty. Then I tried one of those sticky lint rollers. It picked up all the threads and guck off my mat and cleaned it up to its original condition. Very inexpensive.

Want to win FREE designs? Submit your tip or trick to us. If we publish your tip you will win your choice of any downloadable design or design set we offer for sale on our web site.

• Sew & Quilt Embroidery Festival - July 6-8 Saratoga Springs, NY
• ISS Show New England - July 19-21 Providence, RI
• American Sewing Guild Conference - July 26-29 Sacramento, CA
• Indiana Embroidery Conference - July 29-August 2 Columbus, IN
• Sew & Quilt Embroidery Festival - August 3-5 Honolulu, HI
• Embroidery Mart-EAST - August 3-4 Nashville, TN
• ISS Show Schaumburg - August 9-11 Schaumburg, IL
• Sew & Quilt Embroidery Festival - August 17-19 Reno, NV
• The Stitches & Craft Shows - August 22-26 Sydney, AU
• Quilter's Guild of Plano "Labors of Love" - August 24-25 Plano, TX
• Sew & Quilt Embroidery Festival - August 30-31 & September 1 San Rafael, CA

Our 8 year old granddaughter Rebecca is visiting with us for a few days. When ever she comes to stay, one of the first things she wants to do is sew. Mary has taught her how to use the Brother PC8500 for regular sewing, but now she wants to kick it up a notch.

She isn't content with just regular sewing any more. Wanting to further embellish her projects, she is now learning how to sew an embroidery design using our Babylock Ellegante.

I'm not talking about just pushing the start button either. She picks out the design she wants to sew, loads it into the machine, installs the bobbin, threads the machine and completely sews out the design - color changes and all. The only thing she needs help with is hooping. She isn't quite strong enough to do that just yet, but she tries.

Last night Rebecca sewed out a design of two kitty cats that turned out great, but she wasn't quite satisfied. Using the fonts built into the machine she created a name that she wanted to add and sewed it beneath the cats.

I have to admit I was quite impressed. It's really quite an accomplishment for an 8 year old to learn how to use such an advanced machine. I love seeing children show an interest in sewing and embroidery. Somehow it helps to restore my faith in humanity. There really are some good things happening in the world.

I encourage all of you to share the wonders of machine embroidery with your children and grandchildren. You just might spark a life long hobby they will continue to enjoy for many years to come. As for Rebecca, she doesn't have a machine of her own at home, but I think I can see one in her not too distant future.

Two (2) lucky winners in every isssue!

Today's lucky winners are:

If your email address is shown above, you have won a complete set of our Retro Restaurant Advertising design set. Please contact us within 5 days to claim your prize. Be sure to let us know what format you need so we can get the designs on their way to you.

This is one of our most popular sets and our customers continue to find new and creative ways to use these designs. A few have even sent us photos. You can see some of their ideas by clicking the link below.

Others interested in this set can see it here.

Got cheese? Two cute mice designs for the 4 x 4 hoop. Enjoy them with our compliments.

Available to subscribers only. Not available through the Archives.

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