Well, you ladies laugh about your love of fabric, but I have an
actual condition, soon to be acknowledged by the medical community:
EMS, Embroidery Maniacs Syndrome. I am completely debilitized by
it. As soon as it is formally acknowledged I will apply for
disability.. .so I can get more money to spend on fabric, and
needles, and thread. (Thread-lust is one of the most painful
symptoms of this disease. You know you have EMS when you cannot
pass a spool of shiny embroidery thread without grabbing for it on
reflex. There is no controlling it, really.)

I am also the silent sufferer (yes, I am stoic about all this ---
few know my pain) of DMS, Digitizing Madness Syndrome. The symptoms
are less public, but just as tragic. The "afflicted" compulsively
down-load "freebies" without regard for usefulness, believing that
the only good design, is a saved design. Babies go without milk;
children go without shoes; spouses are forced to do their own
laundry, while the DMS afflicted stare at computer screens,
furtively clicking away on their mouses, searching for the perfect
design, firmly believing that EVERY DESIGN is THE PERFECT DESIGN. I
recently witnessed this as hordes of people went into a virtual
frenzy about a "construction sign and cones" design; and at another
web-site a panic was created while seemingly thousands sought a
free "bath scrubby" design...designs, which on the surface, may not
seem like necessities, but clearly are.

Both EMS and DMS have two symptoms in common: the endless quest for
the perfect stabilizer; and the relentless pursuit of the optimum
software. People who would no more go into an office supply store
and spend $12 on state-of-the- art income tax software, will melt
their credit cards buying the elusive "perfect" conversion and/or
digitizing software programs, becoming 'software junkies' in the
process. Cyber-Space "range wars" have broken out during
discussions of these programs, with only International Time Zones,
and slow DSLs as protection.

A little known, but sad fact is that PMS is nothing compared to EMS
and DMS; and those who suffer from these diseases, suffer alone, in
the usually cramped, small quarters of their sewing rooms, with only
their stabilizers and hoops to comfort them, lighted by the glow of
computer screens, with the hum of an embroidery machine
reverberating in their ears while it finishes stitching-out a FSL
design...

You must excuse me while I go re-arrange my spools of
thread...should I put them in color-order today?...or by
manufacturer? ...or numerically? So many, many decisions.,

OMG Sondra, have I got ALL this to deal with when I get into my embroidery?????????? HOW will I cope??????????? :roll: :roll: :roll:

Maybe you suggest I leave the embroidery side of sewing alone????????? :? :?

Great read :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hee, I would say that is really funny, but I am now starting to have the same symptoms. Opps wrong thread color, there I go again............ :lol: :D :lol:

Uh Oh......I'm in the first stages of it. lol

I was wondering whether you were going to admit to contracting this disease.
I started to recognize your symptoms on the links and resources page...
:D
Now, since I suffer from it as well may I PM you for a couple bits of advice?
Thanks
Kirsten
[email protected]

Real diseases - YES!!

I was suffering from that several years ago but have managed to recuperate - actually I think I traded one disease for another and have had a relapse of the quilting bug....

Since I've been looking at machines and my darn neighbor actually let me borrow hers....welll..you can guess what is beginning to happen. :D

We have to laugh right?!!!

I think I may have another year before I suffer those symptoms.. I am hoping to get an embroidery machine next year. In the meantime though, I looooooooooove my embroidery threads that I use for other projects. I also just took a thread painting workshop last week, and i can see the reprocushons from it already!!! hmmm now that I think more about it, maybe I am in the first stages of it too... ooooooooooh nooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Hi,

Guilty as charged. The first Bernina I bought was their first embroidery machine. I'll admit I have several thousand dollars tied up in embroidery cards. I joined Martha Pullen's embroidery club and amassed at least 4 years worth of her downloads. Of course that required the purchase of a Magic Box. Several years ago I traded my first Embroidery Machine for the next model that still uses the same embroidery format. I also purchased every kind of hoop that could possibly fit my machine as well as drawers full of various stabilizers etc. I won't even talk about thread. I found a lovely thread chest at a local antique shop and it is stuffed with threads divided into drawers by color. In addition I now have at least three large boxes full of the cone embroidery threads. I still prefer the seperate embroidery machine as it allows me to embroider while I sew on my regular machine or serger. I have hunderds of patterns I have yet to use and am always salivating over new ones. It is just as addictive as fabric collecting and takes up less room. I have not surcomed to the digitizing bug as none of my machines presently support that chore.

I had some disturbing news when I recently visited my Bernina dealer. She told me the life expectancy of my Bernina machines was 20 years. I sure hope she is wrong. I did have to replace the computer in my 1260 several years ago. Of course it was just past the warrenty.

I fear I am hooked on this hobby called sewing, quilting, embroidery by machine. I have no intentions of going to rehab.

I must confess, I also have the disease. I am not looking or wanting for a cure either! :lol: :lol:

It's just too much fun. At least it keeps my mind occupied.

Kristen, you can PM me with your advice, won't guarantee I'll use it though. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sondra

Looks like I have that same disease. :lol:

My DH says I need to come up for air once in the while, if he can't find me, all he has to do is look in my sewing room :lol:

:roll: Oh, I have the same disease!!!