Question:
If I were to someday (wish wish) buy the Brother PE 770, then how do I get the disney designs on it? I am totally new to embroidery and have no idea how you even put the fabric in and then stitch around it - seriously, I have no clue - your creations that you guys make here are wonderful.
So - I'm trying to figure out how much all of this would cost. If I want to do Disney designs, or hello kitty or whatever, where do I get those designs.....how do I put them on the machine.....etc. Is there a tutorial or some help to determine what else I will need to purchase? Sorry to sound so uninformed....but thats what I am!
Vester
Okay, so you first have to go to a site and purchase a design. Good ones are found on etsy I think (I've started selling some -plug plug

). Like Teresa said FrouFrou by HeatherSue rocks! I started by using hers, still do and love them! When you buy them, the designer gets an email and then will respond to that email, sending you the design. Usually its a zip file off all the different file types. You'll get each design in a variety of sizes. You open that and then use the file you need (Brother PE770 uses .PES and 4x4 and 5x7). You'll copy this to a memory stick, put that into the machine and then the design will appear on the screen and you begin stitching.
The designer usually will send the files, a jpeg of the design, and a jpeg of some sort of directions. This will tell you step by step what the machine will do. For most designs it goes as follows:
Applique placement stitch: this is a running stitch put down on the fabric you wish to applique on. It tells you where that part of the design will go. Then you place the applique fabric over this.
Applique tackdown stitch: this is usually a longer zigzag stitch that tacks down the applique fabric. It follows the same lines as the placement stitch, only it's on top of the applique fabric. Then you have to cut around this stitch on the outside as close as you can.
Satin stitch: This is a wide, tight zigzag stitch that goes over the tackdown stitch, making the out line of the design.
Then you're done! Most designs have multiples of each step, making up the whole look. Some also have fills and lines details as well, and these will be in the directions.
There are places online you can go to see some of this in pictures to give you a better idea:
http://www.swakembroidery.com/swak-101-multi-appliquetutorial.htm
Good luck! Jessica