September 11, 2007 marked the 6th anniversary of the unthinkable and cowardly attacks on the once statuesque twin towers of the World Trade Center.

One thing that impressed me in the aftermath of this tragedy was the huge number of Americans that began flying our country's flag each and every day. As I rode through town I was amazed at the sheer number of flags flying in front of home after home. Not every one had a flag pole, but they all managed to find some way to display Old Glory, even if it was a small flag taped inside their front window.

What I can't help but wonder now is where have all those flags gone? All that remains is the small number of citizens that have always displayed the flag even before the events of 9/11. My flag, shown above, has flown proudly on the same pole for more than 30 years. Naturally the flag needs replacing periodically, but Old Glory flies 24 hours a day seven days a week in our front yard. It is illuminated at night and made of nylon, which is suitable for all weather.

I don't mean to sound like I'm on my soap box, but I would dearly love to see all those flags that flew for several months after 9/11 flying once again. We never want to forget that day, nor do we want to forget the high cost of the freedom we all enjoy.

Last year, to mark the 5th anniversary of the events of 9/11, I created a simple embroidery design as a rememberance. This design is still available free to everyone. It has a low stitch count and is quick and easy to sew. If you would like to have this design it can be downloaded here. Wear it proudly!

Here's a question submitted to Ask Mary! recently seeking help with Embird and background colors.

Question:  I use embird and am wondering if there is a way to change the background in editor? I am embroidering on a red apron and would like to see the color combinations on red instead of the usual beige grid.

Answer:  Yes, you can change the hoop background color. Go to "Options" in the top menu bar and select "Hoop Color." You can then change the hoop screen color by double clicking on the color chip labeled "Screen Colors - Hoop." Select any color from the palette or create your own custom color.

If you would rather not see the grid lines simply change them to the same color as the background. These colors will also carry over to your sewing simulator when watching your design sew out.

Every little girl is sure to love Little Sarah. She's perfect for quilt blocks!

10 unique redwork designs in two sizes. 10 designs for the 4 x 4 hoop and 10 designs for the 5 x 7 hoop. 20 designs in all.

Meet Sarah here.

Designed to get you in & out of the kitchen fast and back to your embroidery machine.

Recipe Name: Pork Loin in applesauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes per pound

Ingredients:

Directions: Put pork loin in a oven safe dish that you can cover. Pour applesauce over pork. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until done. If you want gravy use the apple sauce for the stock. It makes a great gravy, but I just use the apple sauce over the pork.

Tips: Lo Cal-Lo Fat! Throw together a salad and serve with the pork & carrots, or any other veggie you like. Carrots give a little bit of a peppery taste.

Submitted by: Antoinette Nichols

There is a host of new embroidery machines being introduced this fall. From Brother comes the new Duetta 4500D and from Baby Lock the Ellegante 2 and the Emore. Janome is also introducing a new embroidery only machine in the Memory Craft 200e.

The Brother Duetta 4500D will replace the Innovis 4000D and the Baby Lock Ellegante 2 will replace the original Ellegante. The Baby Lock Emore is a brand new entry level embroidery only machine.

Perhaps the most notable of all is the new Creative Vision from Pfaff. The Creative Vision is undoubtedly the biggest news to hit the home embroidery market in years. This new machine boasts a sewing field of 360mm x 350mm, the largest of any home machine manufactured today. If you yearn to sew really large designs, this might be the machine for you.

Some of the new features on the Creative Vision include a high definition LCD screen and the ability to view your designs in 3D. Pfaff wasn't stingy with lighting either. Well placed lamps illuminate your work area completely. The machine comes with three embroidery hoops, 120mm x 120mm, 240mm x 150mm and 340mm x 200mm.

I don't know yet what the street price for this machine will be, but I expect it to be quite steep. If it hasn't arrived yet, you should see this new machine at your local Pfaff dealer soon.

Our thanks to Vickie Goulette for submitting this helpful embroidery tip:

For owners of the Brother/Babylock 6 needle machine who have trouble threading the machine because it's against a wall or being vertically challenged, I use a metal size 5 crochet hook. It fits nicely through that little tube and then you can hook onto your thread and pull it through.

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 from our online catalog.

• National Sewing Show - September 17-19 Las Vegas, NV
• Everything Quilting & Sewing Expo - September 21-23 St. Charles, MO
• Sew & Quilt Embroidery Festival - September 21-23 Council Bluffs, IA
• Original Sewing & Quilt Expo - September 27-29 Chantilly, VA
• American Sewing Expo - September 28-30 Novi, MI
• Original Sewing & Quilt Expo - October 11-13 Chicago, IL
• Original Sewing & Quilt Expo - October 25-27 Kansas City, MO

Actually, yes you can. Hooping a garment too tight can cause excessive puckering. Developing good hooping techniques is one of the first things new embroiderers need to do if they hope to achieve good results.

Everyone has their own techniques for hooping, so I won't suggest there is only one way to get it right. But what I often do is set the outer ring and inner ring distance close to the thickness of the fabric I want to embroider. I then test hoop the fabric only. If it's nice and snug I remove the fabric and add my stabilize without adjusting the hoop. I rehoop the fabric and stablizer together and I'm ready to sew. If it was too loose I adjust the hoop and retest.

One thing that you should resist is the temptation to pull the garment or fabric tighter once you have it hooped. Doing so stretches the fabric far more than it should be stretched. When you release the fabric from the hoop it will spring back to its original shape causing those nasty puckers. This is particularly true with knit fabrics. Normally they are very stretchy, at least in one direction.

Another temptation I stongly suggest you resist is using a screw driver to tighten your hoop. Screw drivers can apply far too much torque to the delecate adjustment screws. Overtightening them can cause the threads to strip. Once that happens you must either replace the screw or purchase a new hoop if you can't find one.

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 exclusive Monogram Coaster design set. Please contact us by email 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.

Others interested in this set can purchase it here.

Meet Topo the Chef Mouse. Here he is cooking up some scrumptious dishes. On the menu this time is a sample from this new set we have underway. Please enjoy them with out compliments.

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