Courthouse Steps – Stitched out view in Embird
I spent a bit of time today working on a new design – it looks a bit like a dog’s breakfast, but it should stitch out like this …
Nicer fabrics obviously.
Digitising things with straight lines is very easy in Embird Studio – there is a tool for it and things snap to the grid.
We went to the WA Museum today to see this ..
Well worth seeing if you’re in Perth – photography wasn’t allowed so I have no images to show you.
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery
Four Snail Trail Blocks
Surprisingly I finished my two blocks. It did take to 5:30pm, but we visited our neighbours and had a swim – perfect day.
Next up Courthouse Steps!
I’ve been watching The Buccaneers (it was a Christmas present). I’m enjoying it – it’s beautiful, lots of people behaving badly (very aristocratic) with not much to do, but have love affairs. Definitely worth watching if you like ‘bonnet dramas’.
The Buccaneers
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery
Snail Trail in Progress – Pieced in the hoop using an embroidery machine
I’m back onto foundation piecing using my embroidery machine, but it is progressing very slowly. It usually takes about half an hour to make one block, but today I started at 9:30 am and it is now 1pm and I’m only half way through – we did walk to the library (and booked into some school holiday activities) and buy groceries. My plan of getting two blocks finished today might be unreachable.
My aim is to make 12 traditional blocks (each one consisting of 4 smaller blocks) and then to make a sampler quilt. So far I have Hour Glass, Flying Geese and Snail Trail. I have also made a log cabin block, but it might not be the standard size (must remember to check that). Next up is Courthouse steps (just a fancy Log Cabin).
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Quilting
Snail Trail in Progress – Pieced in the hoop using an embroidery machine
My next digitising project is a snail trail block. I have made one before, but I want these new blocks to be a consistent size. While digitising I was a bit daunted by all of the lines on the screen, but in the end it was very easy and only needed one revision.
Finished Snail Trail
I like how this block turned out and stitching it out wasn’t too fiddly.
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Patchwork
Flying Geese Side of Cushion
Hour Glass Side of Cushion
I finished my cushion. I’m calling it my ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ cushion because the fabrics on each side are so different.
In the end it came together quite easily. I wondered how easy it would be to put a zip into two quilted pieces of fabric, but that was fine. Now I have to decide what block to do next.
You can find the machine embroidery designs here.
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Quilting
Wadjemup Lighthouse
We’ve been away on holiday to Rottnest Island (Miss A went on camp and we just tagged along). Above is the lighthouse in the middle of the island (I love lighthouses). This photo was taken about 6:30am – I went for a run every morning and the weather was perfect.
Salt Lakes at Rottnest
This photo was taken on the way back to the settlement. We had a fabulous time – went to the beach, the bakery, read books and I even managed to do some knitting.
Back to crafty stuff. This is my hour glass block…
Hour Glass Block Made Using Foundation Piecing by an Embroidery Machine
Here is four of them in a cushion top …
Four Hour Glass Blocks
Some of the tack down stitching shows on the middle square. I’m tempted to just ignore it or use water soluble thread, but the best thing would be to change the design.
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Patchwork
I’ve been busy (if not actively blogging) working on my quilt blocks. Above is a new flying geese block (which you can find here). I am going to make this sample into a cushion cover (hence the straight line quilting).
Once I have finished my block designs – I will write a tutorial – I’m working on an hour glass design at the moment.
The fabric is from here.
Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Quilting
Lion digitised using Embird Studio
I’m still working my way through the Embird Studio tutorial – I am up to pg 674 of 786!
The above image is of a lion I digitised (one of the lessons).
In each lesson I learn something more and now I know how to add extra detail in the outline and how to make fur.
I’ve also learnt how to delete double-ups in the outlines – like this on the whale (I outlined the purple section and the blue sections and so in places there are two outlines).
Whale has a double-up outline
I’m almost ready to tackle some of my own original designs.
Filed under Digitizing, Machine Embroidery, Software
Whale Stitching – density 4, pull compensation 0.1
I’ve been working on my digitising tutorials. I wanted to stitch something out and get an idea of what works on my machine. As you can see it is quite puckered and the black out line is quite off.
I reduced the density and increased the pull compensation in this one …
Density 5, pull compensation 0.3
The changes haven’t really made much difference. In my third (and final for a while) attempt I changed the angle of the fill from 90° to 80° and used the Create Outline from Fill tool.
Density 5, pull compensation 0.3, fill angle 80
The registration is still off (the outline is not exactly outlining the shapes). Things are improving, but I am not a fan of the densely stitched design, so I shall move on and come back to this later.
Filed under Digitizing, Machine Embroidery
I’m quite keen to create my own machine embroidery designs – more because I can’t find what I want. In November last year I bought Embird Studio and although I have mastered straight line designs (like this), I haven’t ventured into more complicated territory or taken advantage of the software’s feature.
I decided it was time to learn. I read the tutorials that came with Studio and that was quite a help, but I still felt a bit lost – it seemed that I would do something and it would work, but when I tried it again it wouldn’t work. I needed more instruction. In the end I bought Carolyn Keber’s ebook. I baulked at this at first – it is 770 pages long and quite expensive, but it is exhaustingly comprehensive and it is obvious that Ms Keber expended a lot of time putting it together.
The image above is my attempt at one of the early exercises (I haven’t finished yet). This is what it is meant to look like …
I’ve only read 60 pages, but I have already learnt quite a bit (like how to alter the direction of the fill) and I feel quite positive about the whole process.
Filed under Digitizing, Machine Embroidery, Software
