I have a question ? How do you do the embroidery without a hoop?
Sharon

Best of luck with your new embroidery machine. You will have so much fun. I recently just bought a Pfaff 2170 (my second machine - I had a Babylock Ellageo which I loved but did not have computer connectivity). I have also done a lot of sewing/embroidery on Viking (worked for them a while when I was in VA)

Here are a couple of links about stabilizer. The first is a Threads article and the other is from About.com

http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00128.asp

http://www.beaconfabric.com/vindex.h...Stabilizer.htm

I agree with Loretta on the importance of good hooping/stabilizer. Also if it is a design that you have downloaded from the internet - stitch it out before you do your final piece as some do not stitch out as you might expect them to. Debra Mc is correct about thread - you get what you pay for - I now buy either Madera or Robison Anton Thread - it is beautiful to work with. I do have some cheap thread but I use it sparingly. I have found that some machines are pickier than others. Below is another Threads article about thread choices.

http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00125.asp

Again - best of luck - and ask lots of questions.

Generally you hoop a sticky stabilizer with paper on it or a fabric type stabilizer with water soluble glue on it and then "stick" your fabric to that.

Sharon, what was meant by not hooping the towel is that some items are difficult to hoop or end up with hoop marks on after embroidering. So it's possible to hoop the stabilizer and attach the item to the stabilizer with fabric adhesive, or right to the stabilizer if it has a sticky side.

Glad you guys cleared that up. I didn't have a clue how to do it. That is my next lesson. I just knew my teacher told me, you didn't hoop towels. That does stand to reason though. My son bought me the Maderia Treasure Chest for my birthday & christmas. It has 194 spools of thread. It is so beautiful. Can't wait to use it. Changing the subject, we are having a heat wave here in Texas. It's gonna be 22 degrees in the morning. Man I feel sorry for everyone up north. -21 in Chicago. Man that is cold. I feel for everyone up that away. Ya'll stay safe & warm. Bake cookies & muffins & big pots of chili and stay inside. Debra Mc

What a Wonderful gift - you will be equipped to do almost anything. Once you get started the list if "I want" grows exponentially (kind of like quilting but I find it even more expensive).

You will love being able to do your own quilt labels as well!

I'm excited for you to get your machine...is it there yet??? I'm bookmarking this thread because of all the good links listed. I'm learning how to embroider also...it is loads of fun...but the others are right...it can be even more expensive than quilting! :oops:

It is supposed to arrive today. I can't wait. But, patience was never one of MY virtues!

It just arrived. Evidently my late MIL must have had more than one machine, because I certainly don't remember this one.

It looks like an older machine.

Babylock ProLine Model bl60e.

I'm going to their website to try to download the owner's manual.

I have no manual and he couldn't find any "chips" which I'm sure were the designs. There is no USB port, so you can't hook it up to the computer. It has a slot in the side by the power switch that looks like where the design discs would go, but certainly not a cd. They look like it would fit a small square or rectangular device.

I'm off to google! My hubby has the camera phone, so I won't be able to post a pic until tomorrow.

M

ok, here's what i've found out (i think i'm as excited as you are).

your machine looks every much like mine (white 3300, made by brother).

if you look at this ebay item, you'll see at the bottom that it is a card that works in brother and BABYLOCK machines.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brother-Babylock...3%3A1|294%3A98

if that is the case, you'll use the brother cards and PED-basic to write designs to the card. then you put the card in your machine and they appear on the touch screen.

off to sleuth some more!