Inspiration is blooming this season on Eileen’s new Blog!

Recently, I was reviewing video that we taped here at Designs. A smile crept across my face when I noticed my Wisteria quilt hanging in the background. I love that quilt. It doesn’t really fit in the décor of my home anymore so it usually lives in the office or travels in my trunk show. But whenever I spot it, it brings back a flood of fond memories.

 The Wisteria Quilt adorns the cover of my first book, Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts. I enjoyed the challenge of making the quilt and writing the book. I was delighted when it was accepted to hang in the show at Quilt Festival (Houston, TX) in 2004. It didn’t win a ribbon – and didn’t deserve a ribbon – but what a thrill to walk the hallowed aisles of Quilt Festival and see it.

My style has changed through the years so many of you, if you’re new to Designs, might find the delicate look of the Wisteria Quilt a bit surprising. Today, my work is bolder, brighter and a bit more contemporary. But I learned so much from creating all of the quilts showcased in Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts. As you know, quilting is truly a labor of love but doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. You can start small with our Spring Bundle.

We’re giving away one Spring Bundle to jump start your creativity – all you have to do is post your comment about quilting with your embroidery machine for a chance to win!  Share with us your favorite quilting tips, your worst quilting disasters or let us know about your current project.  Post your comments between April 23rd and April 29th for your chance to win.  The winner will be announced on Friday, April 30th along with a new giveaway!!   

Spring Bundle includes:
• Wisteria Journal Project Kit! (A $25 value) FREE!
• Personally, autographed copy of Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts (A $27.99 value) FREE!
Total Value: Over $52.99!

Spring Bundle Details:

Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts features 144 pages of inspiration and a CD with 14 multi-format embroidery designs*. Eileen provides step-by-step instructions to make 12 quilt projects including the Wisteria Quilt, Wisteria Blooms and the Wisteria Pillow.

Wisteria Journal Project Kit

We provide the essential materials and the instructions to make your own Wisteria Journal inspired by Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts.

Personalize the journal cover by adding beads, trim, and other accessories to make it your own. You’ll learn Eileen’s techniques to adding depth to your projects with the use of tulle. Make the journal cover to store project inspiration, swatches of fabrics, CDs, family photos, etc.

Kit includes:

• Complete printed instructions to make the Wisteria Journal

• ½ yard green batik fabric

• one 6” x 9” block of dark tulle

• fat quarter of brown cotton fabric (bark)

• batting: 25” x 13”
• Pellon ShirTailor interfacing
• Polymesh stabilizer
• Paper-backed fusible web

14 large format embroidery designs included!

Additional materials will be required and are listed in the instructions. 3-ring binder not included.

A Little TLC for Your Machine

Many embroiderers ask how to maintain their embroidery machine. It is always best to get a quick lesson from your machine dealer on how to properly care for your machine. A guided tour of the inside of the machine bed by an experienced machine repair person will give you added confidence when tackling this on your own. However, I'm happy to share what I do to keep my machines in tiptop shape.

Prepare the machine to be cleaned. Turn the machine off. Remove the foot and needle. Remove the bobbin cover and throat plate. If you've never done this before, take a photograph of the bobbin basket in the machine bed BEFORE you remove it. Use the photograph as a reference when reinserting the basket.






Remove the bobbin and the basket. Yikes! Talk about airing your dirty laundry!










Take a pipe cleaner and bend the tip over about 1". Twist the double layer to smooth into one form.










Clean the between the toes of the feed dogs.











Swipe the inside of the bobbin area and around the perimeter of the bobbin area.

Rotate the hand wheel a half turn and swipe the area again. Remove any fuzz from the pipe cleaner before sticking it back into the machine. If there are some stubborn fibers, place one drop of oil on the tip of the piper cleaner. Make sure the pipe cleaner absorbs most of the oil and continue to swab the inside of the basket. Finish by wiping the basket with a clean pipe cleaner - oil free - to collect any excess oil.

Reinsert the bobbin basket and bobbin. Screw the needle plate back in position and snap the bobbin cover in place. Your machine is now ready to stitch for hours of embroidery enjoyment!

Hands-on for 154? Yikes!

Tomorrow is a big day! My Stitching Sister, Marie Zinno, and I will teach 154 embroiderers at Jackman's Fabrics in St. Louis, Missouri. This will be the largest hands-on sewing class we've attempted. To get ready for the big event, we warmed up by teaching 85 embroiderers in Fairview Heights, Jackman's Illinois location this week. What a wonderful store, fabulous customers and staff. We did 10 projects in two days, every one flawless! Many of the attendees exclaimed, "When are you coming back to Jackman's? I want to do this again!"

So what's it's like to get ready for 154 embroiderers? Well, it's planning, shopping, cutting, and counting. Counting? Yep. Counting sheets of stabilizer, ribbons, silk flowers, flannel, batting, Magna-Quilters, Magna-Hoops, scissors, glue sticks, magnets, Angle Finders, hoop stands, etc. The list goes on and on but the counting is key. Our goal is to have every embroiderer succeed in our classroom. And I know from experience, if she doesn't have the right tools, she will struggle. So we count and recount until we're sure we have enough tools and supplies.

We are looking forward to teaching this group new techniques, shortcuts and tips that will enhance their embroidery experience. Marie and I are passionate about machine embroidery and love sharing our knowledge. And we learn so much from the students. They bring (and wear) gorgeous embroidery to show, to tell and to share. They make new friends who also love to embroider, they laugh with one another and they laugh with us. It's a fun two days, join us some time. Click here to see our schedule for 2010.