We are extremely pleased to announce the lucky winner in our Ghosts & Goblins Giveaway. As previously announced, a random drawing was held on Halloween, October 31st, to determine the winner. The proud new owner of a brand new Baby Lock Emore embroidery machine is:

We contacted Jacquitta to congratulate her and get all the necessary shipping information so we could get her new toy on its way. More than likely it has arrived and is set up and ready to go.

Jacquitta has promised to send us a photo of her with the new machine as soon as possible. We'll post it on our web site so everyone can see just how happy she is with her new Baby Lock embroidery machine.

We would also like to thank A&A Crossroads Sewing Center in St. Petersburg, FL for co-sponsoring this event. It's been loads of fun and we look forward to another event just like this one.

We all love sewing out our favorite embroidery designs, but chances are we give little thought to what went into creating them. Unless something goes wrong we simply sew them out and then happily admire the finished product.

Creating an embroidery design is actually a lot of work. From start to finish there is a great deal of thought and effort that goes into the process. It all starts with selecting the art work to be used as the base template for the design. From there the digitizer must envision and plan the look and feel of the design. He or she must decide what will and what will not be included in the design and determine in what order the areas will be drawn.

Once the digitizing process begins, there are multiple stitch properties that need to be set for each individual section in the design. Determinations must be made for stitch type such as satin or fill. Underlay, stitch lengths (both minimum and maximum), stitch angles, stitch density, pull compensation and tie stitches are some of the major factors that must be addressed. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to stitch properties.

Next the digitizer might add outlines and/or shading to achieve the desired look. After that it's on to pathing the design correctly so that it sews out smoothly with a minimum number of jumps and trims. Depending on the complexity of the design, this could be a time consuming process.

Final adjustments are made and the design heads for the machine for its first test sew. The design may be tested on one or more different types of fabric. The digitizer will watch it sew out and make note of what should be changed or corrected.

If testing is successful and the digitizer is pleased with the design, the next step is to ready the design for sale. This requires converting the design to all the different formats that will be offered and creating a color chart for the end user. Any other supporting documents required will be created as well.

I certainly haven't covered every minor detail, but I think you get the idea. Creating a good embroidery design definately isn't a push button affair.

Here's a question submitted to Ask Mary! from an embroiderer seeking help in sewing out large designs.

Question:  I have a new Husqvarna Platinum embroidery machine with a Mega Hoop. Can I use a single large design in the Mega Hoop in one go, or do I have to split it into 3 and embroider P1 P2 & P3?

Answer:  Any design that exceeds the maximum sewing field of your machine would have to be split in order to sew out the entire design. Extra large hoops, such as the Mega Hoop, do not increase the maximum sewing field, but do allow you to sew out designs that would otherwise be impossible.

For example: Assuming you have the Platinum 955E, the maximum sewing field is 150mm x 240mm. If a design exceeds this length it can be split and sewn in the Mega Hoop (150mm x 360mm) in multiple parts.

The same holds true with any machine, regardless of the manufacturer, when using a hoop that exceeds the maximum sewing area.

Undoubtedly you'll find many uses for this cute and adorable set during the upcoming holiday season. Ten (10) design set (numbers 0-9) for the 4 x 4 hoop.

See the entire collection here.

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

Recipe Name:  Taco Salad

Ingredients:
Ground beef
Onion
Garlic (powdered or fresh)
Taco Seasoning
Western Brand Dressing
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Taco chips
Whatever else you like

Directions: Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic. Pour off fat. Add Taco Seasoning and the amount of water called for on the package(s).(I use more ground beef than the package directs.)

After mixture cools, place in one quart freezer bags allowing for a little extra room. Freeze.

At dinner time, take the hamburger mixture out of the freezer. Keeping it in the freezer bag break up the chunks with your hands; it thaws fast. Meanwhile tear up lettuce, chop tomatoes, onion, bell peppers and whatever else you like in taco salad. Break up the hamburger mixture more; add it to the lettuce mixture. Add the Western dressing, toss and serve.

I serve the Taco Chips on the side, but some like it right in their salad mixture.

Tips: I use this recipe for quick summer dinners. I prepare 4-5 pounds of the ground beef mixture and freeze in small freezer bags. I can now prepare this in 15 minutes at supper (quilting/embroidery) time!

I serve with a shaker of chili powder, for those who want it more spicy.

Submitted by: Leslie Ostyn

An artistic, colorful and decorative set of 10 exclusive designs. If you love birds this set is a must have. Designed for the 5 x 7 hoop.

See the entire collection here.

In our last issue I mentioned a rekindling of our Child Art Project. We wanted to bring it to the forefront by letting everyone know what's available and how the program works.

We had several parents and grandparents respond wanting to take part in this project. They sent us their child's art work for digitizing and most of them have been completed. It's easy to envision how cool these designs would look on a small child's quilt. You can have a look at the designs we curently have available here.

It's never too late if you would like to participate in this project. Click here for complete details on our Child Art Project.

Our thanks to Charlene Wilkinson for submitting this helpful embroidery tip:

I recently got a spinning spice rack with glass jars. I keep bobbins and needles in the jars for my sewing and embroidery machines. Top row for the sewing machine and bottom for the embroidery machine. Now the bobbins that I have pre-wound are all in one place and easy to spot. The glass jars allow you to find the color thread you need for the project at hand.

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.

• Original Sewing & Quilt Expo - November 8-10 Minneapolis, MN
• Original Creative Festival - November 9-11 San Mateo, CA
• Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival - November 15-17 Puyallup, WA

When you double click on a file in Windows Explorer or My Computer does it open in the right program? If not, you can easily fix the problem by changing the file association setting in Windows.

So, what do I mean by file associations? In Windows, every file type can be associated with any program you have installed on your computer. For example, if you use PES format for your designs you can tell windows that you want all PES files to open in PE Design when you double click on them. The same holds true for any other type of file and its associated program.

To set or change your current file associations, right click on the file in Windows Explorer. Select "Open With" from the pop-up menu that appears on your screen. From there, select "Choose Program" at the very bottom of the menu. A new box will appear showing a list of programs installed on your computer. Scroll through the list to locate the program you wish to use. If it is not listed, select "Browse" to locate the program manually.

Once you have selected your desired program check the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" and click OK. Now, when you double click on that type of file it will open in the program you selected.

That's all there is to it! No more frustration when Windows tries to open a design file in the wrong program.

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 extremely popular Retro Restaurant Advertising 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 very popular set can purchase it here.

Add these two cute reindeer to your Christmas design collection. Surely they will put a smile on someone's face. Please enjoy them with our compliments.

For the 4 x 4 hoop

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