2009 simply sped past faster than I could blink. There were a lot of life changes and events…but they seem to have passed by in a blur! No kidding…seems like it was just January and now it is December! Time flew indeed.
After finishing off this year’s to do list, I’ve finally been able to pay visits to many of my fave machine embroidery websites. Several things are a pleasant surprise while others pulled at my heart. Lots of new digitizers in the field gladdened me and it is a joy to see their visions and creativities, knowing that the art of machine embroidery is being carried on. The one thing that I cringed at was seeing single digit prices for quality designs. So many machine embroidery stores are offering sewing/quilting classes instead of embroidery technique classes, while several have closed shop. Embroidery machine prices, which were soaring sky high last year have dropped considerably, making it an ideal time for many to afford top of the line machines.
What is the future of machine embroidery and was it a fad? There isn’t a crystal ball to tell us about the future, but I do hope that the past two years of economic stress has brought about a sincere understanding of the market and real “wants” and “don’t wants”. Machine embroidery had become an expensive hobby and sadly so. For years I have been talking about the “re-marketing” of already existing products, which were re-packaged, over priced and misleading. Why does one brand of thread costs $1.50, whereas the same type of thread, and in the same quantity should cost $5.00? Why does the same stabilizer costs $5.00 a yard at one place and $25.00 a yard at another? To my simple way of understanding, it is nothing but outright “fleecing”. Folks, as they say it in the land of “Show Me”…”this jus’ ain’t right”.
I really hope and wish that the machine embroidery manufacturers would pay a bit more attention to setting prices that are realistic….(I paid $1200 for a machine five years ago, which can be purchased today at Wal-mart for $400!) Bells and whistles are great but let’s be realistic. No, I don’t think surfing the net on my embroidery machine, while embroidering on it is a necessity! No, I don’t think I should pay “beaucoup” dollars for a zoom lens camera (telescope lens!!) on my embroidery machine and no, I definitely don’t think I should pay top dollar for my machine today, when two years later, the price would be half of what I paid for it. Where is the integrity and honor? I wish and hope that the sellers of machine embroidery products, thread, stabilizers etc. would come to realise that they have “milked” enough and sell the products at realistic prices.
Did I forget designs? Unlike the machines and other necessary products to create machine embroidery, the designs are a different item altogether. No two designs are alike, therefore there can’t be a set price on them. However, a word of caution to digitizer friends. Please don’t under sell yourself. Another word…please stick to one price code.
The future of machine embroidery lies in our own hands and how we shape it. It is truly an art form which will carry on for years in our future and tell a tale of our creativity and culture. My one wish for the future of machine embroidery….create a product that will last.
December 28th,2009
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Some of my earliest attempts of recreating laces on the embroidery machine
were the Battenburg laces. Battenburg is considered a type of bobbin lace and at times referred to as tape lace. Modern day Battenburg laces are created by using tapes which are attached together by threads (hence the referral to bobbin lace). Retiring my original Battenburg lace collection, I had plans to recreating it in the proper manner in the future. Well, its six years later and I’m still not sure whether I have achieved the proper technique!
Battenburg laces nowadays are created by shaping a bias tape with threads in such a manner as to create an open worked lace panel, 
border, fabric, etc. The center of the motif created with the tape and thread has an entredeux type effect. The laces were extremely popular in the early 1900’s as they created the lace effect much faster than creating the laces by hand. Bobbin laces are nothing but thread overlapping one another to create the lace effect and do take a bit of time. Battenburg laces filled the over demand of laces, even though they were a bit crude as compared to bobbin laces.
Taking out my sketches for the vintage battenburg shapes, I found myself faced with the dilemna regarding the width of the center entredeux. Should I keep it at a minimal or have it pronounced? The idea 
is to recreate the Battenburg lace so it would mimic hand made laces, so the question is really answered for me….yet… I do think I’m my own worst enemy!
Using cotton serger thread, I stitched out one panel to check gauge and the shrinkage upon washing out the water soluble stabilizer, only to find that the cotton thread shrank far more than I had anticipated, leaving the tiny center entredeux into gaping holes. So, its back to the work table and even though I like the look of the open areas in the motifs, I can’t justify it as Battenburg lace.
The designs in the first collection of Battenburg lace are very simple 
and lend themselves to a variety of uses. But, before I can even send the designs out to be tested, I have to find the perfect look. You be the Judge and advice….I’m open to all suggestions and ideas. Should the entredeux be almost non-existant or should I stay with what I’ve created?
TO EVERYONE. Thank you so much for all your kind emails regarding the 2009 gift design. I would like to apologize up front in that I can’t respond to everyone here on my blog and personal emails. Therefore, my great big THANKS to everyone. HUGS to all and have a wonderful holiday season. Sadia
December 23rd,2009
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After six months and toying with the idea over and over, I’ve finally decided to close the Studio Forum. With that said, the Forum will be closing December 22. Perhaps in future, when I have more time, I may start again. Good wishes and adieu to friends who were members of the Forum.
Snowflakes are some of nature’s most fragile things and yet cast a beauty
that can’t be matched. Thus, are my snowflakes gift to friends all around the world. A bevy of snowflakes, each beautiful and unique in its own way, and a token to last a lifetime.
End of every year, I take pains in creating a set of designs for my machine embroidery friends. Last year, I decided to carry out a random survey from the lovely emails that I received. The purpose was to find out what 
friends really want to have. I have to admit it was an eye opener and a huge help to me in determining my selection for designs this year.
Hoop size is always a big factor for many friends, as are the number of stitches and number of colors. The one thing that everyone wanted were freestanding lace designs. With the wish list and ideas in hand, I started work. My initial thought was to create two snowflakes which would be fast yet useful for friends. Alas, the collection kept growing until a dear friend pointed out that Christmas is right around the corner, next week!
For friends I have created a collection of seven snowflakes which can be used in so many many ways
, from adorning the Christmas tree, to name tags on presents, scattered among dining table decoration, stitched out on clothing…the list goes on! Most of the snowflakes use only one color, except for a few which use a cluster of golden candlewicks in the 
center to give a festive look. The snowflake on the right has loops around each of the flake petal which can be used to attach pearls, beads etc, giving it a completely different look, as can be seen on the left.
Another look that was preferred by many friends was to create covers for glass ornaments. As I had already created several last year 
in my gift 2008, I really didn’t want to repeat them. However, I did decide to incorporate two designs which can be used by themselves as ornaments or as toppers for small glass ornament balls. The loops around the petals can be left alone or beads can be added for a festive look, as can be seen on the ornament on the right.
The designs are all ready andI hope to upload them and create the webpage very very soon.
My best wishes for friends all over the world, a very happy holiday season and a blessed New Year!
Since releasing Vintage Linen II, I have had numerous queries regarding 
the t-shirt neckline designs in the collection and requests to create something in detail about the process, hence the blog. Before I even show the procedure, I would like to say that there is no way for me or anyone else to create a neckline that would fit everyone. As we all have different bodies, the most I can do is to create a section. This process requires templates to be placed in such a way that will work best for each and everyone. However I do want to point out that all the designs from the Vintage Linen II cutwork collection can be used for a cutwork edge on a t-shirt and friends are not limited to just the neckline designs that are included as a bonus with the collection.
In my last blog, I had indicated using Pellon sheer weight fusible interfacing behind the t-shirt (especially the area that will be cutaway). The t-shirt 
shown here is a 100% cotton and I didn’t use any stabilizer, except water soluble vilene to stitch out the designs. Yes, I wanted to push the envelope to its limits and see what would happen. The difference between the two t-shirts is minute and I am going to leave it up to personal preference whether to use the interfacing or not.
To start off, we do need to print out real size templates of the designs. The designs I have used are the neckline designs in the collection. There are two designs which when joined together create one side of the neckline. So, I printed 
off the templates including mirror imaged ones for the other side. It helps to visually see what the finished project will look like before starting. I will recommend to friends to use a water soluble or air drying marking pen and mark their t-shirts prior to any embroidery. I am more of an eye baller and most times have been lucky, so please do use a marker to center the t-shirt neckline so you know exactly what you are doing. I will also 
recommend taking pictures with the templates to see how you like the effect. Try on the t-shirt with the templates to see if the neckline is not too deep or wide. Anytime I sew something for myself, I always first try it on my double to check the look. The designs have an alignment square which when matched, creates the complete design. Notice that I’ve matched them up in the pictures.
The t-shirt that I had shown in my previous post had quite a high neck. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a single t-shirt which was similar to it, so I had to make adjustments in the center of the design. As you can see above, I over lapped the centers so I didn’t have too gaping a neckline.
With all cutwork, only a water soluble stabilizer can be used. I recommend water soluble vilene
which is so forgiving 
than any of the plastic type water soluble stabilizers. Only hoop the stabilizer and stitch out the alignment box and the cutwork outline (see pic right) directly upon it. These are the guidelines for us to position the t-shirt as well as an aid to multi-hooping.
With the printed template still attached to the t-shirt, place the t-shirt upon the stitched out cutwork outline and box, match and pin t-shirt to the stabilizer. Be sure to do this with the hoop removed from the machine and laid on a flat surface. I also opened 
some of the shoulder seam as well as cut into the ribbing. This will help in keeping the t-shirt flat and easy to handle. Be sure to keep the pins away 
from the design area and do not stretch the t-shirt.
Place the hoop back in the machine and stitch out the cutwork trimming zigzag stitch. To trim away the fabric, I highly recommend placing the hoop on a flat surface and then trimming. Trim to just the end of the zigzag stitch and not go past it. Fold the trimmed piece of fabric onto itself and pin it. See picture on left above. Place the hoop back in the machine and finish stitching out the design following the color chart. The design is multi-color, with the leaves and 
part of the edge in one color and the flowers another color with small gold or silver candlewicks inside the flowers and scattered above the leaves. If preferred, the leaves and flowers can all be done in
one color.
Part 1 of the design is completed! Cut away the stabilizer about an inch away from all the embroidery. Make sure not to cut out the alignment box as that will be necessary to match up the second part of the design. Hoop another piece of water soluble vilene and load part b of the neckline design. Stitch out the alignment box and the cutwork outline stitch directly on the stabilizer.
It is imperative that the alignment box match up. The rest of the design will naturally line up once the box is matched.
Follow the steps above to stitch out the second part. One side is completed and now you can follow the same steps to complete the other side. Be sure to mirror image the designs.
For the back side of the t-shirt, I used the plain edge design. But, as it was getting late and I was tired, I didn’t pay attention whether the design was up or down….result was that I ended up stitching the back side 
scallops upside down! It didn’t hurt anything except that was not what I had planned. Another thing… I found out that the scallop design can be used both ways, LOL.
Once all the embroidery is completed, sew up the shoulder seams and trim away all trimming threads. Rinse out all the vilene and better yet, soak the t-shirt, refreshing the water often. 
The end result…is not just any ordinary t-shirt! Have fun with this new method and experiment.
Note: I had the hardest time finding tshirts that were a bit more form fitting and without any buttons, frills and or writings. Seems like the plain T is no longer in vogue! Best places I did find form fitting PLAIN t-shirts were at Target and K-Mart.
I have to admit that I am a sucker for challenges. Tell me something that is not easy to do or can’t be done…I’m right there trying it out. Some time back, a customer had asked about creating a cutwork
edge on the neck line of a t-shirt. As t-shirt material is not a stable fabric, I had explained about the difficulties affiliated with the idea. However, as time went by, I wondered if there was such a possibility of taming the knits to where cutwork could be applied.
The hemline of a t-shirt is different than the neck line of the t-shirt. In the hemline, one has the blessing of the weight of the rest of the t-shirt which helps the fabric from curling to the inside. On the neckline, however, one does not have the luxury and care has to be taken that the design won’t curl, wash after wash. My first inclination was to prepare the knit, just like silk, and use the no show fusible poly mesh behind it for strength. However, the knit t-shirt that I had planned to use was quite slinky and thin. No show fusible poly mesh is great for a lot of things that need stabilizing but for slinky knits, it can add weight depending upon where the embroidery will be. In the end, I decided to use the good ole’ $1.47 Pellon sheerweight fusible interfacing. As if pretty obvious from the picture, the interfacing worked like a cham and is definitely not so heavy as the fusible poly mesh. The designs are from the soon to be released Vintage Linen 2 collection.
Having prepared the fabric, I was ready for my challenge: a cutwork neck line. Using the PR600 gave me advantage in having the design stitch out in one go but…a word 
of caution for friends who may want to try the method. It is far better to open the shoulder seams and then do the embroidery than it is to try and do the embroidery on the neckline of a t-shirt. As my t-shirt is form fitting, I had the dickens of a time in doing the embroidery, which resulted in my standing next to the machine, literally holding my breath and the t-shirt so it wouldn’t get caught under the needles. My greatest relief that moment was that it is a good thing the designs are fast stitching, otherwise I would be standing here for hours. I have to admit to some doubts when I went to wash the t-shirt. Will it curl or not? As you can see from the pics, it held pretty good and yes I did have to try it on to see how it felt….felt great! The back side of the t-shirt was a simple scallop edge. So, for any friends out there who want to experiment in creating a completely different look for their t-shirts, my advice is to check and see the t-shirt 
first, whether it is a cotton blend or slinky type. I believe either type of t-shirt will work fine using the Pellon stabilizer and then using water soluble stabilizer in the hoop. I have noted to include the blue-print of the designs for creating a variety of neck lines etc. in the PDF for the collection.
This has given me several ideas. One is to definitely go shopping for t-shirts, preferably with a cotton blend. Meanwhile, my friend Carolyn sent me something that has sparked my interest. I am thrilled that she used the Vintage Linen 2 edge as a border around the collar but her hand smocking is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks Carolyn for sharing such a lovely creation. Off I go to finish some more writing on the PDF and finishing the techniques. I am looking at releasing Vintage Linen 2 very shortly now….I know I have been saying that for a long while…
And how does one do that? How does one redefine the cutwork edge? One of the most simplest ideas popped up in my head not too long ago 
and that is one of the main reasons why I have delayed releasing the Vintage Linen 2 collection. I truly love the collection as it has variable edges, in contrast to plain edges that I had been working with before. The idea was so extremely simple that I had to experiment with it. No, you do not see my experimentation of it on the side, as it is still in the works. But, I did talk about the idea with my dear friend Carolyn, who immediately used it to create a check book cover and a bag!
As I have explained previously, cutwork is nothing more than an another form of applique. It uses the same three steps, except fabric is added in applique, whereas it is taken away in cutwork. Cutwork edges have to be carefully digitized, otherwise, the edge tends to wander away from the design, leaving a gap within the embroidery. For best digitizing of a cutwork edge, it is imperative that any design portion that will be upon the fabric be added after the edge is secured, just like applique. In applique, it is important to secure the outer edge before applying any stitches to the applique portion, otherwise, the fabric will move and the edges are not secured.
Although I love the cutwork edges, yet I wanted something different where another type of fabric, or color of fabric could be applied to the bottom portion of the cutwork edge design to give a completely different look. And that is exactly what I did! By the way, I have to put in a plug here for Carolyn, as she did a fabulous job with the purse and the check book cover. If you have not seen 
Carolyn’s purse patterns, do visit her site and check them out. Another reason why I wanted to redefine the cutwork edge is because the edges of the designs in the Vintage Linen 2 collection are not in a straight line which makes it rather difficult to attach trims etc. if the designs are to be used on a shawl. Well, the holiday season is upon us and shawls and wraps are great embroidery items, and as I wanted to attach a beaded trim to my shawl, I devised this method. Mind you, the beaded trim was attached to the design in the hoop! I know, I could have attached the trim afterwards, but this is so much easier and interesting, don’t you think. I do have some more interesting ideas using the technique and hopefully, fingers crossed….the collection or collections will be released very soon. Meantime, here are some pictures to share with you all.
