sylviak

Wow! I'm finally figuring out my new machine (Brother PE 770)! And I'm having a ball! I downloaded some Irish flowers from Embroidery Library and I've decided to make a quilt with the squares. I'm managing one flower per day, but they are absolutely beautiful! Here are pictures of the first two:

Krystyna

Sylviak, so glad you're having fun. They are beautiful designs. I have the same machine and love it. I'm sure many of our members will share sites where you can load up on free designs, too.

quiltnut4ever

Sylviak,
Those flowers are gorgeous! There's more designs on sale from emblibrary.com this week. They always post the new designs every Tuesday at 3 pm. I usually buy my designs from them since I don't have the time the check on the net for other sights.

romanojg

Keep an eye on your emails because if you buy from them once a month then they'll include you in the special of the month; it can be either any 10 designs for $10 or something just as great. This month is my birthday so I can get design packs for %50 off and it's a good thing that I have all month to chose because Im so undecided. My wish list is filling up fast.

romanojg

I save all of my bits of stablizer for mending when my stabilizer tears during the embroidery process. I just spray it with a little June Tailor spray adheasive and attach it; it even works on the water soluable one. Or if I need to make it more sturdy for a design I do the same thing by doubling up on the areas that need it. It saves alot. Also when doing free standing lace and you need to go back and starch it to stiffen it up if you don't have starch just dissolve the stablizer in water and you have your starch medium. The other thing that I use almost every time I embroidery is the painters blue tape. I normally use my 200x320 hoop and the stabilizer on the roll (since it's cheaper) but it just barely fits so I run tape along one edge and this gives just enough extra width after hooping to pull it tight and then I stick the tape down on the side and it holds it secure. I actually used tape along alot of the outside edges before I knew what the little clips were for that came with my Viking. Hope this helps someone.

clem55

Now, I could call the dealer and get an answer, but so much more fun to get answers here. Question 1.. I have a Janome 9700, do I need to buy embroidery software for the designs I download? If so, what kind? Question 2..When I try to open designs I've downloaded , my PC will tell me they can't open the jef. file exe. without the right file association. I have no idea how to correct this. Actually, I have no idea what it means!!LOL I've never been taught anything technical about computers, just bought one and learned how to send emails and surf the web. You should see all the free designs I have on my PC, and after 1 1/2 years of having the machine I still haven't tried to embroidery anything!

Krystyna

Great tip. Someone just sent me some tiny clips and I had no idea what they were for!

Bonbonary

I have a Janome 350e which is great. I wish it could take the larger hoops because I am limited in size.

It uses jef patterns, and I have heard that some digitizers say no one uses .jef anymore. I think they recommended .pes instead. Has anyone tried other patterns with it such as .pes?

romanojg

On my hoop around the edge there are areas every so many inches that the clips fit into; they will only go in on way on mine which is good or I'd probably put them in backwards. My book that came with the machine mentioned the clips as coming with it but didn't say for what. I had figured out the tape before I went into the store and was talking to the rep and telling her some issues I had and she asked me if I used the clips. She then showed me how to use them and what they were for. My Viking #1 has great big teaching books with it and it's funny now that machines cost an arm and a leg the books are almost none exsistant. Good thing I have a good LQS/dealer; this board and the projects and videos on emblibrary.com to help me out. The other thing that I finally got figured out this past weekend was getting my free standing lace done with the cone thread, polyester without breaking all the time. I was told to use an 11 sharp needle but that didn't help. I was using the right stablizer and going slower but had been battling this since Christmas. I went this weekend and got a larger needle; not a sharp since they were out, I have it going slow and problem solved. The thing the sharp helps with is that it keeps from tearing the stablizer so I had to double up on it; another great way to use those extra pieces. I just sprayed them then adheared them to the stablizer in the hoop let dry for a few seconds and it's all good. Hopefully this weekend I can get the sharp needles; right now I'm using the embroidery ones.So this has been a learning experience for me as well as frustration. On the other hand I have a head start on the lace ornaments for Christmas and the Easter baskets that I got frustrated with and quit doing because I ran out of time. They'll be ready for next year.

romanojg

My machine came with a baseline software to save the files in so that I can see them. There is a free program called ERA Universal that is supposed to be a full digitizing program; I'm sure there are others this one sounds really good. I'm going to download it this weekend. If you save your files in something like that you'll be able to see them. The other thing that I suggest is that when you download them create folders like one that says holidays then create a sub folder in it for each holiday and do a save as for the design and name it for what the design is; like Easter Bunny.jef (depending on machine) in the Easter folder; DO NOT change the file extension names. Most designs are named by numbers and then if you can't see them you have no idea what they are. I download all of mine into a folder called Orders and then separate them into their own folder. You should check your area to see if your LQS has a embroidery class that could get you started in the right direction. Good luck with it all.