YAY for new machines and learning!!!
<-- you know what i mean by that..I can't wait to see the new stuff!!
Hope Josh is doing ok! No Concert pictures??? Slacker.
OK leaving you alone so you can go back to work. you only have 14 more days until you have US!!!
Thanks! I just wish I would try to learn something new under a little less pressure.
Josh seems to be doing a bit better... Will update below. No concert pictures, I just had my phone with me, and it doesn't do well in the auditorium.
Can't wait to see the bag! I wouldn't have thought MM would ave plastic dishes since metal is the way to go. Weird about his nose. Our puppies currently have a bug. Can you say poop everywhere
Awww... I hope the puppies are feeling better soon.
D, I'm still reading....just so much to do these last 22 days.
Hope Josh is feeling better. I'm sorry about your car.
No worries at all Kathy... I promise - I know your life is super crazy right now.
Can't wait to see your new bag today. I'm pretty sure Charlie is going to pay for me to get one of your auction bags at some point this year!
I've been researching Brother embroidery machines too and you might want to consider the PE770 - it's available on
Amazon for about $600. It does not come with pre-loaded Disney designs but it does have a USB port. My dealer carries the PE780d - which is only sold by dealers and is basically the same machine as the 770, except it has pre-loaded Disney designs, which really didn't impress me all that much - and the price is a whopping $999!
I've been playing around with the embroidery on my Viking and it is a learning process to say the least. I'm hoping to have embroidered t-shirts for us to wear in the parks each day of our trip. My dh is such a good sport about it and I'm having fun learning something new.
This is the machine I am leaning towards - always have been. I just need to justify it a little more. I cringe to spend that much on a machine - but I know there are deals out there on them all the time, Nini is really good at finding them.
On another sad note, my 20 year old great niece, who is in the Navy stationed on Guam was in the hospital for a medical issue when she apparently suffered a stroke which has affected her motor skills and speech. She was to have an MRI yesterday (last might?) and then will determine if they will send her to Honolulu or San Diego to a larger hospital. If you and others here are so inclined, prayers for Kat would be appreciated.
Thanks
Terry
Oh no... This is awful. Sending up prayers for her. Please keep us updated if you can.
Slacker! I can't believe your big meet at the MOA is only 2 weeks away.
I hope you can figure out your embroidery part on your Viking. I am sending prayers for your niece. How scary.
D~ Can't wait to see the auction bag and your embroidery. I hope Josh is doing better and taking it easy but for some reason I doubt he is relaxing around the house. I hope V had a nice concert. Our school year is winding down here and then I think summer might be crazy. I am not tricking myself into thinking I will have time to work on sewing projects this summer like I did last summer. Good luck getting all your sewing done.
I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away too... 2 weeks from today, actually.
Super excited to meet these awesome ladies!
Josh seems to be doing a bit better, will update below.
I hope you get some time to sew this summer. I know I will.
A B S O L U T E L Y
L O V E
T H E
J I M M I N Y
C R I C K E T
bag. It is absolutely priceless!
Wow... Thank you Kathy... I kind of like him too - it will be hard to mail him out.
Another brilliant D~ creation!!! Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Mine is getting closer!!!!My opinion on the embroidering? GO FOR IT! Personalization and mongramming on bags are all the rage now. I think it would DEFINITELY enhance your bags! Just MHO...
Thanks Oopsi... Well, I wouldn't offer any sort of personalization or monogramming... I would only use the machine to enhance what I've already done... I will explain below.
I love the darker bags because they make the applique pop off the bag! And the wish zipper pull is the perfect touch.
Now I've got Wishes going through my head. Sigh..... I want to be back at Disney now! (said in my best 2 year old tantrum voice)
LOL I totally agree - I like the darker bags too... I just love the dark blue with the yellow stitching and how the turquoise pops off of the bag... It's just really neat in person.
What a beautiful bag. I really think that you need the Brother machine!!! I think that it would enhance you amazing creations even more. You continue to out-do yourself.
Thanks so much! You guys are going to talk me into a new machine yet. LOL
LOL Mo!
Wow! You're such a quick learner! Great results. Love Jimminy bag-whole set-love the perfect lanyard too!
Could you PM a link to your actions? Do I need Facebook to see them?
Thanks Bernadette... I don't think you need FB to see them, but I think you may need some sort of FB account to bid on them. I know that there are a few people out there who bid on my aucitons with "dummy accounts" so their friends and family don't know their business. I will PM you the info.
I love to put personalization on my quilts and that is mainly what I've used my embroidery machine for in the past. I say go for it! Also, I've done a little more checking and if you are satisfied with the 4 x 4" embroidery area, Brother has the PE 500, which has a USB port also. Sells for about $250 on Amazon.
Love the bag and accessories! My dilemma is to go for this one or wait to see what your summer auction theme is.....
That's the thing... this machine does have a 4x4 hoop... and even when I was trying to write "wish" - there was something else I really wanted to write, but I didn't have the space. In most instances, a 4x4 would work, but I think the 5x7 would be better. I know I want a USB though.
I wish I could give you a hint on the summer theme, but I can't.... I will tell you that both themes are very good, but I really LIKE this Jimminy bag a lot.
Prayers going out for Iamthequeen's great niece!
I love the Jiminy Cricket bag and the embroidered lettering! D~ I think it would be an awesome addition to your bags
Monica
Thanks Monica!
Love the latest bag and the applique on the wallet is great. You did a fab job with that design. The wish wording does add a nice touch.
I was not in favor of you spending lots of money on a 770 but if the $250 machine will fit your bill then it might be a better investment. You will end up spending more money on supplies ( stabilizer, fonts, but you already have embroidery thread). I know ohers get hoop envy but I don't think that will be a problem for you since you will be using it for lettering. I would say to try and save for it after your trip. That being said I love your bags and unique take on characters so I don't think your bags are missing anything.
Does Target sell Amazon gift cards????
ROFL... No, Target does not sell Amazon GCs - yet. LOL
And this is where I see your point... I already have the thread, so that is one thing I won't have to invest in. I also have the stabilizer - which I will need more of, but it's something I buy anyways. So, my main cost will be the machine, fonts and if I decide to do some sort of editing software... Which I am pretty sure I will want to do, if only to string the letters together so I don't have to rehoop - because that would be nearly impossible. Do you have any idea what Embird costs - because I have heard that is one of the best, and easiest to learn, plus it is tiered - so you only have to buy the parts you want.
Love it... and you KNOW my opinion on the embroidery machine. I love the ability to add words to a design, change a design around...make it 'mine' with a few clicks of a button.
But then again I can't do hand embroidery...although I have thought about trying again after our upcoming trip...if I can find the time...
Nini
See my aboe response to Liz - I know you can help me with that question.
I think you should learn hand applique - it's something I LOVE to do.
Hi D~! I think the Jimminy Cricket bag is my new favorite.
I hope you had a nice Mother's Day! I am really behind on your PTR, but I always love looking at your schedule with the adorable graphics. It looks like you have an amazing trip in the works.
Thanks Ashley! No worries, you have an adorable new little man to cuddle - enjoy every moment of that... I'll still be here for a while.
For what it's worth, I think you should get the least expensive machine you can find that has a usb port! There are so many more design options available to download if you have that ability! The zipper pool looks really great!
This is what I am thinking too Stephanie... I just feel like the machine I am using right now will cause me more headaches than it's worth, and so much time converting files so the machine will work with what I need.
Oh D!!! The Jimminy bag is so cute!!!!
Thanks Alicia!
My opinion, on the wording capability, is that I absolutely love monogrammed stuff. That is as a consumer. Now from the "business" end, I think it boils down to this, would it increase your profit enough to pay for the machine. Or would it just be you adding a very nice effect to your already beautiful items. I know you seem to be the person that HAS to provide the BEST product possible. But, if you look at it practically, would it, in the long run, increase your revenue? How much extra would someone be willing to pay for personalization? Look at the online disney products. What do they charge? Honestly, as much as I LOVE personalized items, and trust me I do. I usually opt out due to the cost vs. practicality of it. I like to either resell items, or donate them to charity when I am done with them. If something is personalized that eliminates the demand for it as a 2nd hand sell.
I will explain my thoughts on this in a bit more detail below... I see exactly what you are saying. But it would not increase my revenue much at all - so it would take me a LONG while to pay it off, if you think in those terms. But it would be a full tax write off...
Did I mention how much I love Jimmney? That was my Dad's favorite. He used to always sing that song. Only he was going to live to be 103.
Thank you... What a sweet story.
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Alrighty... back to the embroidery machine dillema... Well, some of you mentioned personalization and monogramming. Personally - I do not like anything that is personalized or monogrammed... I would consider personalizing the interior pocket so if a bag is lost - the finder would know where to return it to - if a customer requested it. But I just think that personalization on the exterior of my bags would not go with them at all, so it is not something I would ever consider doing or offering.
What I am thinking I would use the embroidery machine for is to save myself some time, because there are times where people have requested writing on their bag, or I wanted to put it there... So, I have taken HOURS cutting out letters and appliqueing over the top of them... Like this:
So, I would only use the embroidery machine in places where I feel like putting a font that enhances the bag itself. So, above... the Mary Poppins bag... The PP on the front of it was supposed to be "Practically Perfect" - but there was just no way I could cut all of that out and stitch it - so I was forced to put PP on the front of that bag. It would have been sooo much better if it could have actually said Practically Perfect - in my opinion.
But then I think of all the TIME I could save by having an embroidery machine for these instances, and it would certainly pay for itself much quicker.
I just want to repeat though, having an embroidery machine would not change anything I do... I would not use it to applique anything... I would still do all of that by hand. I would only use it to apply a font where I think it would follow the theme of the bag.
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As you all saw... I completed the Jimminy bag set yesterday... He turned out so awesome - I really love that bag!
Then I switched back to my custom order after lunch... I finally got that applique cut out and I plan to start stitching it out this afternoon. It looks really good so far.
I work at Target this morning for a short shift... Then I will be back home to work here.
Josh's back seems to be doing a bit better. He did go to work all day yesterday, and he was still walking crooked when he got home. I have not seen him yet this morning, but he wasn't screaming out in pain at all during the night - so I think he may have loosened up? I hear him moving around up there getting ready for work - so fingers crossed he is doing better today.
My auction starts this morning... I hope I don't forget to start it before I go to work. LOL
Anyways... I hope you all have a great day... Sending out prayers to all who need them...
D~
