Sunday, March 1, 2015

Embroidery, sewing, & more...

After lots of encouragement from the hubby and daughter, I'm getting back into trying my hand with embroidery.  I've had a Brother PE500 for about 2 years now, and just this week added a Brother PE770.  The PE500 has a maximum embroidery field of 4"x4", whereas the PE770 has a maximum field of 5"x7".  As much as I would love to have a multi-needle embroidery machine, the price of those are quite out of my league at the present time.  Though you can do so much more on a multi-needle machine, quite a bit can be done with a single needle machine.  

The picture to your left is a embossed font I did on a hand towel for my daughter.  Though it seems like it takes a lot of thread, the end result is very nice.  The font I used is one of several I bought and downloaded from Designs by JuJu.  I have also come across several other websites that offer great fonts and embroidery/applique designs.  Some of these sites can be rather addicting and fun to explore.

As a result of getting back into embroidery, the desire to sew has crept back up.  I see so many cute things on FaceBook from other crafters that I would love to try my hand at, such as bibs, burp cloths, blankets.  Pinterest and Etsy are also great places to look for patterns, tutorials, and other great ideas and supplies for sewing and embroidery.

On another note,  I take my first ceramics class on March 21st.  I am really looking forward to this.  The studio I'll take the classes at is offering 6 classes, with each class specializing in something different.  This is not a hand thrown or wheel thrown class.  We will be learning about putting patterns on bisque and painting them.  I doubt my arthritis would let me handle the clay making process.  :-)

As time goes on, I hope to keep you posted on my process in both the embroidery and ceramic fields.  Links will be provided as I go along for those of you readers who might be interested.  If you don't have a hobby or are looking for a new one, I highly recommend both embroidery and ceramics.  I am not gifted with crafts, but I do enjoy learning...so don't let your insecurities stop you from learning something new.