Take Up Embroidery

After many years in the corporate world, I decided about 10 years ago that I was never going to be happy providing my expertise to an endless string of employers whose main goal was to make their employees as miserable as possible. After a year of planning and saving, I stayed home and started working for myself. As well as being proficient in office technologies, I had spent most of my free time in sewing, quilting and machine embroidery, so I felt confident in my ability to combine all of my varied skills. I was overjoyed to spend 16 hours a day working for my new boss … me!

Wishful thinking can get me through some days when nothing else can! I had a bit of a rocky start, but things started getting easier and the necessary flow of work started falling into place almost on its own. It’s taken me nine years to reach this level of contentedness, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

One thing I’ve had to get used to with working at home has been my husband’s alternative schedule. He works 2-3 days at a time and then is home 2-8 days; more, if he takes vacation time. When I worked outside the home, this schedule left us little time together, but left me lots of time for making quilts and embroidery projects.

My husband is currently on a 21-day vacation. In the past 15 days, I should have gotten in at least 80 hours of work done. I’ve worked less than ten. I am behind on my obligations and ready to scream, but he is happy that I’ve spent so much time with him. Actually, if he paid attention at all, he would have noticed that I’ve spent most of the time cleaning the house. All he sees is that I have not been making quilts or creating machine embroidery designs! Of course, this must mean that I’m spending all that time with him! Men are so funny.

I can work when I want, but I am most comfortable and efficient when I’m on some sort of schedule. I have certain things I like to do on certain days or time of day, and I also have a few deadlines each week and month. These are not tasks that I can do ahead of time to free up time like my husband can for vacations. When he is on vacation (or just one of his multi-day breaks), he assumes that I have all that time off, too.

While I do love to spend time with him, I also enjoy machine quilting, machine embroidery, and the variety of projects of these two art forms. I enjoy it for personal enjoyment and professional enrichment. It is a hobby that allows me to earn a living. The light of my life enjoys the income I bring in, but he still treats my business like a cute little hobby that I can do or not, depending on his whims.

Tomorrow, I get the one day that I ask for during his longer breaks. On this day he handles all the housework, errands, meals and anything else that needs done, and I spend the time working or crafting depending on my needs and deadlines. On these days, I start out strong by catching up on business emails. I then head into the studio and get started. By 11:00 am, I’m ready for lunch. Hubby will want to go downtown for lunch and cappuccino, so I tag along.

This is the effective end of my productive day as we wander the cobbled streets of Chania, looking at vintage Vespa scooters, enjoying the beautiful weather and our time together. The vendors love my husband because they can always cajole him into buying some little thing for me.

So, footsore and laden with small packages, we return home in the late afternoon to our hyper dog and welcome air conditioning. We sit and converse about our day and listen to the new CD that we have picked up. I may not have done any quilting or embroidery, but I’ve got the love of a good man, and that’s the best.

Quilt Embroidery Designs- Fun Way to Spend Winters

Winters bring along a lot of wonderful things. One of them is ample free time. With the vacations and the chill outside, staying at home is a wonderful escape from the busy hum-drum of everyday life. From the daily rush, the refuge into a few hours of solitude is nothing short of bliss. Among all the beautiful ways in which you can spend these few precious hours is to embroider. For the ones who love to play with the needle and the thread, such time is nothing short of a boon.

There are a whole lot of things that one can think about when one decides to put their time and effort into the wonderful art of embroidery. But as it is winters and the most heavenly thing seems to be a quilt with a cup of coffee, so we can talk about Quilt Embroidery Designs. You can use Machine Embroidery Quilt Designs to make wonderful quilt covers. You can make use of these designs for making quilts for your kids. Also there are designs that are good for newlywed couples. No matter for whom you want to make the quilt, there are a number of Free Quilt Embroidery designs available on the internet.

With a large variety of designs available online, you can make the best use of your precious time. Whether it is for yourself or to gift someone, embroidered quilts are great for both the purposes. When time is running out and there is little to spend on doing what you love, take to the thing that makes you the most happy. Embroider to your heart’s content with the amazing Quilt Embroidery Designs available online.

Embroidery- The Joyful Art

It is one of my strongest personal beliefs that anyone who does embroidery can never be a bad person. The art of embroidery is so subtle, so passionate that anyone who indulges in it has to be someone with a lot of perseverance and of course a very good heart. The patience that the art requires is commendable and anyone who has that much of patience is truly to be appreciated.

Embroidery is also an art that projects joy and happiness. Most often the colors chosen for free embroidery and the embroidery designs are utterly delightful and a pure source of joy. Embroidery is hence one of the most joyful arts. The way the thread works with the fabric to make something of sheer beauty is just amazing. If seen separately, thread and fabric are just two simple objects not of much interest and use. But when worked with the love and care that embroidery requires, they can turn out to be beautiful objects that are loved and desired by all.

Another thing about embroidery that makes it so endearing is the way it can be used for any number of purposes. Embroidery can be put to use for clothes like sweaters, socks, jackets, shirts, gloves, mufflers, etc, for home décor stuff like dining sheets, table mats, tea cozies, bed sheets and much more. The versatility of embroidery makes it all the more fun. This allows for limitless experimentation and you can mix and match designs and styles. Colors and fabrics can be experimented with each other and you may come out with something that is absolutely new and amazing.

Embroidery is one of the most ancient arts spread across a number of cultures. Most of the ancient civilizations have their own specific styles of embroidery that are still popular and are widely used. Thus embroidery designs is a joyful art that fills your life with color and vibrancy.

Embroidery Designs

Embroidery has been one of the most favorite hobbies of women in all times and on all continents. The endearing beauty of an embroidered piece is hard not to love. The tenderness and care that goes into creating embroidery makes it very dear to the creator and everyone who sees it. Embroidery can beautify almost any item. Whether it is on clothing or household items, a little added color is always appreciated and stylish.

Embroidery designs can be used to add beauty to almost anything. A tea-cozy can look great with small little flowers or fruit embroidery on it or a design of a small vintage kettle on it. You can similarly use a lot of embroidery designs on table cloths, table mats, wall hangings, dining table covers, bed covers, cushion covers, pillow cases, etc. All you need is a little creativity and a lot of passion! Embroidery designs can enliven almost any garment. You can work wonders with cute little designs on your little daughter or granddaughter’s frocks, blouses or socks. Or put embroidery designs of planes, trains, puppies, etc. on your little son or grandson’s overalls or t-shirt and suddenly, an ordinary piece of clothing has become a loving work of art! There is a whole new world that can be explored and expressed through embroidery threads.

You can use embroidery designs in a number of ways to beautify your home. Stitch elegant initials on the corner of a handkerchief, napkin or muffler to give as a gift. This is a great way to personalize the object and it also reminds that person of you wherever they go. There are innumerable options when it comes to embroidery. You can choose from so many colors and types of embroidery threads and fabrics. Your creativity will soar as you let your mind imagine combinations of different styles of embroidery and you are sure to come out with something new and innovative as you explore the possibilities.

Embroidery today has become a lot easier with the availability of machine embroidery designs online. A number of sites bring a huge variety of machine embroidery designs right to your fingertips. You can get help on these sites and come up with some amazing ideas using embroidery designs. When you combine these designs with your creativity and diligence, you can create some truly beautiful masterpieces, individual and unique as each of us are.

Add Machine Embroidery Designs to your Outfit

In the world of fashion, one of the best ways to transform an outfit into something spectacular is by adding embroidery designs to it. While our grandmothers painstakingly applied each stitch by hand, we have the benefit of having the art of machine embroidery designs at the tips of our fingers. The effect produced is as varied as the many professional designers out there. There’s a wide spectrum of available types of machine embroidery. Some machine embroidery is created to have a vintage or hand sewn look. Some of the most prominent are commonly referred to as redwork (but they can be stitched in any color). These are usually the most simple to produce.

Another benefit of machine embroidery is that if you enjoy appliqué designs but don’t like the work of applying it by hand or with your basic sewing machine, you can find appliqué designs already programmed and created for you. Think of little Johnny’s adorable tee-shirt with a multi-layered design of cars and trucks. This technique combines application of fabric with that of stitched out designs, so the body of the truck may be made of fabric (applied by the embroidery machine), and the wheels stitched with thread.

There are countless other styles and types of machine embroidery to choose from…from elegant to whimsical and everything in between. Most online designers offer free embroidery designs to try out something new and if you like it, there are more to match the set.

Whether you are a beginner or seasoned pro at the wonderful world of machine embroidery, you will be able to find a myriad of free embroidery and machine embroidery for purchase.

Crisp Leaves, Hot Coffee and Embroidery

Winter approaching is always a beautiful time of year. As the crisp cool air swirls around us, warm scarves and mittens find their way out of the seasonal cupboards and forgotten closet corner. Suddenly, we need to bundle up with something warm and cozy. There are many great fabric fibers that provide warmth, especially wool. Sweaters and cardigans, mufflers and mittens, socks and caps are all so colorful, stylish and beautiful. As the frost, fog and snow take hold outside, we find comfort and enjoyment in activities at home. It’s the best time of year to sew and embroider. The holidays are quickly approaching and it’s a great time to start on our gift list. We can put the time to best use by taking to embroidery and creating something new and wonderful this season.

Embroidery can improve any winter garment. A muffler for example can be made extremely beautiful and stylish by adding a few leaves, snowflakes or flowers to it. Or you can sew a pocket on the muffler near the end and use an embroidered patch on the pocket. You can choose bright colors to compliment more neutral colors or vice versa, both are equally beautiful. It is great fun to decorate socks with embroidery. You can use small embroidery designs on the ankles. Create your own unique style by personalizing your socks, scarves, mittens, mufflers and hats with machine embroidery designs.

Your sweaters can be made much more colorful and lively with just a little bit of embroidery. Embroidery designs of various sizes and colors can be used to make a boring knitted sweater fun and stylish. If it is not possible to do the embroidery directly on the garment, you can use machine embroidery design as patches.

There are many embroidery designs that are perfect for Fall and Winter home décor. A table runner or table cloth can dress up a holiday table, creating a festive mood. Holiday towels decorated with embroidery give your kitchen and bathroom a fun, holiday feel. Christmas tree skirts, warm lap quilts, “welcome” door decorations and wall mini-quilts give your home a cozy, old-fashioned atmosphere. And embroidery gives all of these things that special touch that turns ordinary items into heirlooms you can pass on through generations to come. With a little extra work (that is more fun than work) all of your clothing, accessories and decor will become much more attractive. Embroidery gives all our garments and home decorations that extra sparkle which creates one of a kind inspiring beauty, for this Winter season and beyond.

Embroidery- A Gift from Grandmother

Sweet reminisces of childhood brings the memories of home baked cookies, of puppies playing in the backyard, of frilly frocks and long walks. Childhood is beyond doubt the most innocent time of our life. And blessed are those who have had the lucky chance to share this beautiful bit of their life with their grandparents. Through our Grannies and Grampas we get a glimpse of that bygone innocent era that held everything that was pure and beautiful.

The most cherished memories of childhood are comprised of little, minute details that so often get lost in the maze of the complicated life we create for ourselves. My most treasured memories of childhood are of me sitting beside my Grandma and watch her do her embroidery . In the dusk of her life her embroidery was her refuge and her embroidery designs were her cohort. It was a sort of tradition that twice a year she used to embroider beautiful articles exclusively for grandfather. In honor of him, this tradition continued and he kept living on in her designs and colors.

With decades of experience and hoards of passion she fervently took to embroidery and started creating small miracles with needle and threads. Hand embroidery had always been pleasurable, but at the advent of machine embroidery, a whole new world was opened for her. Machine embroidery offered much more variety and ease. There was now a scope for ample experimentation. Machine embroidery designs were more vibrant and quick and were much more fun to work with. This passion passed on from my dear Grandma was inherited by my Mother and now by me.

My most prized possessions include hand embroidered artifacts from my Grandmother and Mother. And now that this hobby that has been imbibed in me, I make the most out of it. I play around with colors, fabrics and designs and availability of designs online make it all the more pleasurable. There are a number of sites and online clubs that bring you a good variety of designs and ideas for embroidery. You can log in at anytime and browse through all the wonderful designs they offer. What’s more, you can even upload your own designs and share with other embroidery lovers.