April 2012 – Embroidered Pendant

Yes, you can do this lesson!  It looks complicated, but is very easy to digitize.  Whether you are new to Studio and digitizing, have some experience or are very experienced in digitizing, there will be something in this lesson for you. I love to hear people say “Oh, I didn’t know you could do that” and hopefully you will be saying that quite often when you work with my lessons.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of this image and also the same design with a reverse applique technique)

The lesson includes 35 videos, a text lesson in pdf format and all supplies used in the lesson, including a user editor motif with full instructions on digitizing your own user editor motifs.  The following is a list of what you will learn in the lesson, but there is much, much more – too much to list:

• Digitizing columns
• Adding and editing connection stitches
• Digitizing fills
• Digitizing outlines
• Setting parameters for columns, fills and motifs
• Digitizing user editors
• Converting columns to applique objects
• Reverse applique
• Methods to edit the design to create new, unique designs, using the same background graphic
• And much more, including tips and hints to professionally and effectively digitize designs that will sew out with no problems.

Yes, I want to purchase the lesson. The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.

March 2012 – Flowers of Spring – The Pansy

Realistic flowers can be difficult to digitize but with a few simple techniques you can digitize realistic flowers. I could not imagine life without flowers, as just the sight of a spring flower will bring joy and put a smile on your face. Digitizing flowers should give you that same feeling when you see the flowers you digitize come to life at the embroidery machine. The pansy is one of the first flowers of spring, so in this lesson we will be digitizing a pansy. Yes, you can do this lesson! Whether you are new to Studio and digitizing, have some experience or are very experienced in digitizing, there will be something in this lesson for you.

The lesson includes 25 videos, a text lesson in pdf format and all supplies used in the lesson. Also included is one extra copyright free graphics so you can use the techniques used in the lesson on the extra graphic. The following is a list of what you will learn in the lesson, but there is much, much more – too much to list:

• Digitizing fills.
• Digitizing columns.
• Adding carving stitches
• Adding and editing connection stitches
• Setting parameters with particular emphasis on density and angles.
• Digitizing with the manual punch tool
• Adding global underlay to the pansy.
• Several shading techniques to create a realistic look for the design.
• And much more, including tips and hints to professionally and effectively digitize designs that will sew out with no problems.

Yes, I want to purchase the lesson. The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.

February 2012 – Small is Beautiful!

Have you ever began to digitize something and then realized that you could do this or that with it? Well, that’s how this lesson evolved. I began with digitizing a Celtic knot and then the lesson goes on to digitizing small designs and buttonholes. Just think of the struggles you have at the sewing machine setting up the machine for buttonhole sewing and then laboriously sewing the buttonholes one at a time. You won’t have to do that any more – just embroider your buttonholes in the largest hoop you have, embroidering one, two, three … up to as many as will fit in your hoop – all at once. Not only will you learn how to digitize buttonholes in different sizes, but also add designs to the buttonholes, making them unique. And of course the designs you digitize can be used for more than buttonholes. The Celtic knot section of the lesson will teach you how to digitize a Celtic knot so it looks like a knot, making sure the “unders” are under and the “overs” are over, as well as tricks and tips for connections and directed jumps.

The lesson includes 27 videos, a text lesson in pdf format and all supplies used in the lesson, including the .eof files for the buttonhole outlines. Also included are several extra copyright free graphics so you can use the techniques used in the lesson on these extra graphics. The following is a list of what you will learn in the lesson, but there is much, much more – too much to list:

• Digitizing outlines.
• Digitizing columns.
• Adding connection stitches
• Converting jumps to directed jumps (this technique is ideal when there are jumps between two small objects such as facial features or wherever it will be difficult to cut jump stitches).
• Converting outlines to columns / changing settings for outlines.
• Setting parameters.
• Merging designs.
• Digitizing buttonholes and eyelets.
• Digitizing outlines for placement of crystals.
• Digitizing small designs and adding them to the Studio Shapes folder.
• Combining and editing designs in Studio.
• Setting up designs for multiple hooping in larger hoops.
• And much more, including tips and hints to professionally and effectively digitize designs that will sew out with no problems.

Yes, I want to purchase the lesson. The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.

January 2012 – Redwork with a Twist

Redwork embroidery is always popular and can be a lot of fun to digitize.  Included with this lesson are instructions to not only digitize a  jumpless redwork design but also included in the lesson are tips, tricks, use of shortcut keys and many other ways to utilize the Studio tools to digitize redwork designs.  And what are the twists?  Adding fills, fonts, frames and many other ways to take your redwork design from the ordinary to the outstanding!   Four graphics are included with the lesson, the vintage automobile and vintage truck as well as two graphics to digitize text.    This lesson will be one of your must-have lessons for your digitizing library.

The lesson includes 25 videos, a text lesson in pdf format and all supplies used in the lesson. The following is a list of what you will learn in the lesson, but there is much, much more -  too much to list:

• Setting preferences and importing images into Studio
• Preparing a design map or pre-planning a design.
• Digitizing redwork outlines to achieve a “jumpless” design.
• Setting parameters for redwork objects.
• Adding styles to the “Styles Table”
• Adding fill objects to sections of the design using both the fill object tool and pattern with a column tool.
• Merging designs (you will never ask “why won’t this design merge into my workspace again!)
• Using different types of parameters for redwork designs.
• Digitizing redwork fonts using three methods:
  • Using Font Engine
  • Digitizing text from a graphic (two text graphics included with the lesson)
  • Digitizing text freehand
• And much more, including tips and hints to professionally and effectively digitize designs.

Yes, I want to purchase the lesson. The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.

November 2011 – Elvin the Elf

There are so many techniques available when digitizing with Embird Studio that will take your embroidery a step beyond the ordinary. The good news is that most of these techniques are easy to digitize in Studio. The Elvin the Elf design looks simple, and it is simple to digitize, but there are some unique techniques to digitize the facial features, the stripes in the leggings and other objects in this design that will take your digitizing skills to a new level. Do you know how to add global underlay to all or sections of a design? No? Well, learn how to easily add global underlay in this lesson. Do you know how to digitize smaller objects in a design and avoid those dreaded thread nests on the back of your embroider? Simple techniques to avoid thread nests and dense embroidery are also included in this lesson and much, much more.

The lesson includes 34 videos, a text lesson in pdf format and all supplies used in the lesson. The following is a list of what you will learn in the lesson, but there is much, much more – too much to list:

• Setting your personal preferences in Studio – no more changing all the preferences every time you begin a new design!
• Preparing a design map or pre-planning a design.
• Digitizing fill objects with the column tool (yes, really, you can use the column tool to digitizing fill objects!)
• Digitizing and setting angles with the fill object tool.
• Adding global underlay to sections of a design that are digitized as more than one object (in this design the leggings are digitized as several different objects, but a global underlay will be added).
• Adding connection stitches and how to effectively hide connection stitches.
• Digitizing facial features to avoid dense designs and thread nests on the back of your embroidery.
• Digitizing lettering with Font Engine.
• Adding carving to a design and setting correct angles for objects with carving stitches added.
• Setting unique parameters for fill objects.
• Substituting applique for some objects in the design.
• Substituting a jingle bell with a hanger for the embroidered jingle bell.
• Adding file summary information to the design.
• And all the extras in the lesson that are too lengthy to mention.

Elvin was so cute and I also found a friend for Elvin. If you wish information on purchasing the graphic for Elvin’s friend, please click here. The instructions to digitize Elvin can also be used for his friend and you will also have the privilege of naming Elvin’s friend.

October 2011 – Reverse Applique

There are so many techniques available to take your embroidery a step beyond the ordinary. The good news is that most of these techniques are easy to digitize in Studio. This month’s lesson will focus on digitizing a design for reverse applique, creating a very unique design. Not only will your learn the basic reverse applique technique but also how to use this technique for a quilting design and, of course, embroidering the design without any reverse applique effects. The images below do not do the designs justice, but the image on the left is a reverse applique effect with an organza background; the image on the right is reverse applique on a quilt block.

This month’s lesson is split into two sections due to the length and complexity of the lesson. There is a basic and then advanced component to the lesson as follows: The basic lesson will include, but not be limited to:

• Creating a custom colour catalogue in Studio.
• Digitizing outlines with the fill tool (now, that sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?)
• Digitizing a floral design using both the fill and column tools.
• Adding shading to the flowers in the design.
• When and how to use the sketch outline.
• Avoiding jump stitches and adding connection stitches between objects.
• Digitizing shapes and then adding shapes to the Studio Shapes Library.
• Complete Instructions to embroider a reverse applique design.
• How to effectively use the shortcut keys in Studio for more efficient and faster digitizing.
• Creating detail documentation in Embird Manager.
• Colour changing a design in Embird Manager.
• And all the extras in the lesson (too many to list!)

The basic lesson includes 27 videos, a complete text file in .pdf format and all the supplies needed to complete the lesson Working through the lesson I just had to take it one step further. This design seemed to cry out for more, so rather than re-using the design again in a new monthly lesson, I decided to just add a bit more to an advanced section of the lesson; This section of the lesson will take the design that one step further, from a single design as shown on the left below to the stunning double design shown on the right below. The double design is not a complete freestanding lace design, but the centre section of the design can be embroidered as freestanding lace following the instructions included in the advanced lesson.

The advanced lesson will also include:

• All the steps to complete the process of editing the design digitized in the basic lesson to a complete design shown in the above right complete design.
• Complete instructions on digitizing your own user editor patterns.
• Editing the design in Editor.

The advanced lesson includes an additional 10 videos, the user editor patterns and an expanded text lesson. This month you have two choices, either purchase the basic lesson or purchase the advanced lesson.

September, 2011 – Digitizing for both Multi-Hooping and Large DesignsHave you ever wanted to digitize a design larger than the largest hoop available for your embroidery machine? Learn the techniques to not only digitize for multi-hooping but also how to multi-hoop your design at the embroidery machine. What does the lesson consist of? A complete .pdf file, 34 videos and the clipart used in the lesson. The lesson will also include, but not be limited to:

• Digitizing a design for multi-hooping .
• Adding a lattice background to the design (this is not freestanding lace).
• Adding shapes to the Studio Shapes Library.
• Finding and saving several smaller designs from the larger design – a great way to add designs to your embroidery stash!
• Digitizing the design both with and without the lattice background for both multi-hooping and single hooping.
• Instructions on adding alignment lines for multi-hooping.
• Instructions to embroider a multi-hoop design.
• How to effectively use the shortcut keys in Studio for more efficient and faster digitizing.
• And all the extras in the lesson (too many to list!)

The lesson includes 34 videos, a complete text file in .pdf format and all the supplies needed to complete the lesson.

The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.

July – August 2011 – Shapes, Shaping, Outlines (including setting preferences and parameters and also what’s new in Studio 8D)

What is the difference between shaping and shapes?  Each of these techniques is completely different even though they sound the same.  Not only will you learn how to add shapes to the “My Shapes” Library in Studio, but you will also learn how to work with the three types of shaping commands to reshape and transform designs as well as many other techniques included in the lesson.

What you will find in the lesson? A complete .pdf file, 26 videos and all the graphics used in the lesson, plus extra graphics for you to work with. The lesson will include, but not be limited to:

• Setting the preferences in Studio to “my preferences”, saving them as the default preferences every time you open Studio.
• Setting the parameters in Studio to your preferred parameters.Digitize shapes for the “My Shapes” library.
• Creating outlines from fills.
• The easy way to create redwork outlines from fill objects.
• Use the shaping commands in Embird to reshape or combine shapes in designs.
• Create a global underlay for a design using a shaping command.
• A video on “What’s New in Studio 8D” and how to use some of the new tools included in the latest build.?
• And all the extras in the lesson (too many to list!)

The lesson includes 26 videos, a complete text file in .pdf format and all the supplies needed to complete the lesson.

Yes, I want to purchase the lesson.

The price is $15.00 for the downloadable lesson.