Love those reindeer heads - darling!! Oh this thread has brought up such inspiration - love it - - thank you for bringing the subject up!!

I also bought a plug-in external drive for my lap top to keep the downloaded designs on - I am a design-junkie! (could be worse) :-)

Marysewfun

I hope I can do this. This is pics of the quilt before it was quilted. I did all over stippling for the quilting.

So glad I got the sewing/embroidery Janome 9500. I have not used the emb. as much as I thought I would. I detest hooping and stabilizer, and have been doing more quilting than emb. Since I ruined a knit shirt embroidering on it, I seem to have lost interest somewhat. Thread changes don't thrill me either.

here is a baby blanket I made for our local library to raffle for the children's library activities

I don't use mine as much now that I've gotten into quilting in such a big way. However, I do use it to make my quilt labels....that's nice to have that function...much prettier than pen writing or hand-embroidery. On my to-do list: A quilt with machine embroidery designs and/or machine appliques.

I hate hooping and stabilizing and thread changes, too!! Kinda discourages me to do more.

I wanted to put this in the first post but I was away from my computer and didn't have access to my pictures, I've done a lot of different things with my machine and I think I may have posted them before but here they are again. Be forwarned this a whole new addiction.

Love the Christmas pillow. What design did you use to get the 3-D affect?

I make all kinds of things. christmas ornaments, quilt blocks, bibs and my favorite is FSL angels. I have a cheapie machine but it does what I need it to do!!

I started using my embroidery machines for quilts. I have since started to digitize and am making a little money doing embroidery for others. Here are a few of the projects I have added embroidery to - all are in the hands of other board members... since these are their quilts.

I have had my embroidery machine forseveral years and it sure is nice to be able to make personalized quick gifts. I made my elderly neighbor a bible coverwith an embroideried bible verse and I make her an embroidered old fashion rocker cushion and backpad for her front porch.
d. swindle

I love mine. In fact I have 2 embroidery machines. Have made at list 200 designs on it. You can check out some of my embroidery work on my webshots url below:

I am wondering where to get the time! I have yet to spend much time with my embrodiery machine like I would like. Tonite I did embrodiery on two receiving blankets that I made for a charity!

Wow, looks like you emb. a design on a quilt. Do you just do the top or the whole sandwich.

I have found cards for my Pfaff on E-Bay. Perhaps you will find some there.

WOW WOW STUNNING, love your quilt, just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Will your machine let you use like a PE-Basic program on your computer that writes downloaded designs to a card that can be inserted in the machine and stitched out? With something like that you can go to any site and as long as they support the machine format (Bernina I think is one of the common ones), you can then download the design to your computer and write it through this program to a card that can be inserted and used in the machine.

I make blocks and embroidery them and put them together with borders and then I add the batting and backing and quilt. there are 33 blocks in my avatar quilt. It is king size, and it was made for my daughter. She loves black.

I have a program that changes the format of any embroidery pattern to the one I need. PES for brother and hus for my viking. I can also change the size and colors, if I choose. My program is called Embird.

I am getting read to quilt my king size quilt top.I have Artista 630 with usb port to plug my design sticks into.It is a great machine and pretty user frindly for someone my age 58 almost. So it has been a new adventure for me and has added alot off fun and creativity to my sewing projecs.

You all are so creative and inspiring!!! Love all the pictures and the comments. Keep them coming! Thanks!

They are like a machine applique, two layers, and I can't remember where I got them. But I think Linda Macghee has something similar on her sight.

jmangmom, your quilt is just gorgeous. I don't think I could ever get all those designs in the right place.

I have a Baby Lock Ellisimo, that is both a embroidery machine and sewing machine. I don't use it much for anything other than embroidery. I have two other machines, one is a Baby Lock Quilter quest and I use that for all my other sewing in the house. Then I have my Baby lock Decorator's choice that I take to all my classes. I keep that one in the car at all times until we are taking some one with us than I take it out.
what do I use my embroidery machine for, I do a lot of tote bags for myself and friends, also do towels, and Embroidery Aprons. I made Embroidered Aprons for everyone in the family for Xmas. Have also made a lot of Tote bags and put their names on them. I know a lot of people that do their blocks for their quilts on the embroidery machine. I will tell you if you buy one, go to your dealer alot for help, for you will need it until you figure it out.
My baby lock is very user friendly, and it is pretty pricy also, but I have had it a little over a year and I take the bobbin apart and clean it, so far it has worked like a champ, I love it. Have a lot of friends who also embroider, they help me if I have a question or problem. Also found that the prewound bobbins work for all the embroidery machines, but will not work for regular sewing machines, for the thread is a lot thinner and will not work.

One thing about this site, there is always someone who can help you. I am always open if you want to PM me.

My suggestion is to buy the best embroidery machine you can afford, and make sure to go to a good dealer to do that, for they are the ones that can help you get started. If you go to a dealer and he/she doesn't want to give you the help, find another one that will. Also check out the prices in more than one dealer. I found a dealer that also has classes on some of the various things you need to know about the machine, how to do embroidery as well as how to work some of the various things on your machine. Reading a book doesn't always cut it. I think most of the time the machines are made in a foreign country, that translates the info into English or what ever and sometimes things get lost in the translation.

I just got mine a few months ago; it's a Viking Ruby. I too am not using it as much as I planned but have lots of designs and plans. I belong to the machine embroidery club where I bought it (free since I bought it there) and tomorrow night I learn how to use the cut work needles, very excited about that. Last month we made a coin purse w/zipper in the hoop, that I use every day at work. Making bibs for my granddaughter's first b-day on the 26th of Feb and have downloaded designs for a Sashiko (not spelled right, sorry) quilt. I think if you check out some of the projects that can be done on some of the sites like emblibrary.com you might decide if you want one or not. I see all of the projects and I have so many things that I want to do but not enough time to get them all done.

I like to embroider on toilet paper and do fsl angels. The angels I send in cards for birthdays, Christmas, get well, anniversaries, thinking of you, etc. I also take some to the cancer center and to the hospital cancer ward. Maybe that will brighten someones day knowing that someone is thinking of them.

I have a Brother 2001 and 2003 ULT embroidery / sewing machine. I just use it for embroidery. I do free standing lace ornaments, & etc. Have made tree skirts with embr. designs. do a lot of Red Work with it. I have a Pfaff 1473 regular sewing machine and the way I have mine set up I can sew on regular machine and have embroidery machine going at the same time. I just like to be near embr. machine when I am using it because sometimes the thread can get caught and there goes a needle. I go in spells with embroidery work.

I use Isacord and buy from Sewforless.com when they have a sale.
I want to make quilt labels, can anyone suggest user friendly one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Is that too much to ask?
Neenee

I love this thread!!! I have two Embroidery machines Bernina 180 & bernina 630. They have both paid for them selves by Embroidering for customers.

Towels(dozens and dozens), wash cloths, bibs, sheets, pillowcases, quilt blocks, quilts, personalised bags, swimming bags, toilet bags, shoe bags, laundry bags,pencilcases, tin whistle cases, coats, teeshirts, quilt labels.....

What hasn't been embroidered?

I've also made dozens of handmade gifts saving me loads of money! Have had my first machine 11 years.

I never buy designs I always use free ones.

I bought a stand alone Brother embroidery machine. Didn't want to go too big until I knew I would like it. I do use it but not a lot although I have a friend doing the embroidery now, so feel I will use it more, but I am happy with the stand alone, not a huge investment and does a lot.

I love the pictues and the quilt top. I have a sewing/embroidery machine and have never used the embroidery.

I quilt small quilts using the cd's from The Stencil Co. They are one line quilting designs and not the traditional embroidery designs. Just hoop up and press the button. For those who have the older Bernina (about 12 yrs ago) the quilting designs built into the machine are those I designed. Bernina also released a series of digitized quilting designs in a rag qult kit that I originally designed for them.

I have combo machine and I really don't use it much. Last year, I had someone that wanted pillowcases with thier names on it. That was the last time I've used it.
I don't even know if I could even remember how to switch my machine back over to do embroidery....lol.

I LOVE my embroidery machine: Have a gazillion designs (at least!) :-) I want to see what they look like, so I stitch many of them out on a nice weight muslin. Cut them into various size blocks and make quilts - among other things. I'll try to find some pictures.
These Crazy quilt blocks (and I have 7 others (all different) to go with it that I'm doing from a yahoo group that I am a member of.

Nita in FL

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I have a Embroidery machine and don't use it every week with quilting & working 40 hrs. I put Embroidery on towels & shirts but I mostly use it in making things for G-kids. Most recent things for G-Kids are Library bags W/book worm & G-kids names embroidery on them. Small tooth fairy bags W/toothfairy embroidery on them (3 out of 4 G-kids are losing front teeth).
If I was going to buy a embroidery machine I would first shop around alot. Then buy the one with the biggest hoop you can afford hopefuly at lease a 5x7. Also check with the Board for their advise. When I bought mine it was before I knew of the Board & I would have asked for their input. I didn't shop around but I was lucky the local Jamone dealer was very helpful. I do know there is more to machine embroidery then I ever thought. I had no clue what I was getting into but I'm glad I did. If you decide to buy a embroidery machine this Board can be very helpful. Let us know if you decide on getting one & what you get.

Linda

I make a lot of pillowcase, for the great nieces and nephews I like to take ,the cuff part before I put it together and make it special. example, Disney stuff, cat in the hat with that fabric as the body. I have the "Cars fabric from the movie" will put a white cuff and embroidery cars on that. I have 15 great nieces and nephews, I do that as well as Aprons for the adults. I also make a lot of pillowcase for cancer patients, so there is a lot to do with the embroidery, I didn't pay what I did for my machine to let it sit. I also have two other sewing machines that I use for general sewing.
For any one who has an embroidery machine that doesn't use it, go to a sewing machine shop, they all have lessons or will help you get started, that is all it takes. Make friends with another people that are on this site that embroideries, they will help you also, I have made a couple of nice friends from this site and we live thousands of miles apart, but still help each other. If you need help on something, fell free to PM me, but make sure to tell me that you got my name thru QB. Nancy, alameda,ca

I make a lot of pillowcase, for the great nieces and nephews I like to take ,the cuff part before I put it together and make it special. example, Disney stuff, cat in the hat with that fabric as the body. I have the "Cars fabric from the movie" will put a white cuff and embroidery cars on that. I have 15 great nieces and nephews, I do that as well as Aprons for the adults. I also make a lot of pillowcase for cancer patients, so there is a lot to do with the embroidery, I didn't pay what I did for my machine to let it sit. I also have two other sewing machines that I use for general sewing.
For any one who has an embroidery machine that doesn't use it, go to a sewing machine shop, they all have lessons or will help you get started, that is all it takes. Make friends with another people that are on this site that embroideries, they will help you also, I have made a couple of nice friends from this site and we live thousands of miles apart, but still help each other. If you need help on something, fell free to PM me, but make sure to tell me that you got my name thru QB. Nancy, alameda,ca

I like to make a lot of In the Hoop items, as well as embroidering blocks then putting together as a quilt/wall hanging. I also like to make a lot of lace items - table runners, bowls, doilies. I think the use of the embroidery machine is only limited to your imagination, it is a fantastic toy. (I am now onto my 3rd one - all Brothers updating as a new one comes out).

I like to make a lot of In the Hoop items, as well as embroidering blocks then putting together as a quilt/wall hanging. I also like to make a lot of lace items - table runners, bowls, doilies. I think the use of the embroidery machine is only limited to your imagination, it is a fantastic toy. (I am now onto my 3rd one - all Brothers updating as a new one comes out).
Oh nearly forgot I also embroidery all my Christmas cards and have also embroidered toilet paper for a birthday present.