Hi Carolyn,
I’ve purchased Embird, Font engine and several of your tutorials as well from the Secrets of website and I love the site and your section very much.  My question is that I would like to make a label for a quilt and embroider it with a single line of stitches.  I have tried  different things in Font Engine and only seem to come up with a double line.  Can this be done, or do all the fonts come out with double outlines?

Hi Flo,
The only program that has the single line fonts is Embird Cross Stitch.   I asked Ladislav to include some of them if Cross Stitch for verse and he obliged. I should perhaps ask him for some for Embird Editor as well.  In the next month or so I intend writing a free Embird Club lesson on how to create your own text with single lines so watch out for this lesson as it may help you with what you want to do.

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
www.carolynkeber.com

Hi Carolyn,
I have a Brother Innovis 4000 with PE V.6.  I was wondering if you ever had workshops for those of us who would like to learn the programs better.  I have your tutorials, and they have been a big help.  I would still like to have some more hands-on information and classes.  I live in Sioux City, Iowa, but we do have a good airport, to go almost anywhere.

Thanks a lot.
Fran Myhre

Hi Fran,
While I would love to come and teach you and your friends I am afraid it would take a little longer than you would expect for me to get there - or even for your friends to come to me. I live in New Zealand - but I can assure you that if I ever come to your area I would be happy to take some classes for you.  Thanks you for asking though

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
www.carolynkeber.com

Hi Carolyn, 
I recently bought your 93 page Design Centre book for PE-Design ver 6. I found it very helpful, but I am having a few problems.  I digitised a small picture, all in one solid colour using the default settings for sewing attributes,however when I embroidered it out, the background material shows through the embroidery.  I then changed the embroidery fill density to 7, and the step pitch to 2.1.  This caused the embroidery to be too dense.  I am not sure how to get the correct density and step pitch, or even if they must both be changed.
 
Please can you help with some advise.
Thanks, Cindy

Hi Cindy,
If you are having your fabric show through at the default settings in Design Center then it could be your fabric that is the problem.  Are you using a heavy fabric for your designs? such as toweling, velour or fleece? If you are using this type of fabric or something in a similar weight then it would be best if you tested a small square of fabric first to see what density would be best.

Create a small square in Layout and Editing and select the design and copy and paste it several times. Then select each square or shape and give each square slightly different density settings. Just increase the setting each time by half a point. For instance you could create four squares and make the settings, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6. That would be plenty to see which would create the best stitch-out on your fabric. Save the squares, hoop your fabric and stitch out the squares and examine the result to find which setting has the better coverage. Personally, I feel that you should not need to increase your density setting by more than half a point to get a better coverage and a setting of 7 would be far too heavy, as you have discovered.

The Step Pitch should not need to be altered as this is the stitch length although a small increase would be okay if you wished to have slightly longer stitches in the design. 

I hope that helps. Please let me know how you get on.

Kind regards,
Carolyn Keber
www.carolynkeber.com

Hi Carolyn,
I have Studio and just purchased Carolyn’s CD. I loaded Embird on 2nd computer and the hoop size doesn’t show in correct size.  When Normal or 1:1 is chosen, preferred choice, should show but it doesn’t. When I choose Jamone #5, which is a larger size hoop, the hoop size is 1/1/2 cm X 1/3/4cm.  I can “roll out” with the mouse to enlarge the size but haven\’t had to do this before. We have show in inches checked. I’m sure it’s some small adjustment I need to make but can’t figure out what.  On my laptop I have no problem!  Any suggestions?  Have re downloaded but didn’t help.  Love the Studio tutorial!  Just wish I could get this fixed!

Thanks!
Jeannette Dabbs

Hi Jeannette,
The problem could actually lie in Embird itself rather than Embird Studio. When you installed Embird and Studio on your 2nd computer did you remember to do the Screen Calibration which is found under Manager/Options/Display Calibration?

Let me know if that helps or not and if not we’ll try and work something else out. OK? Best of luck

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
www.carolynkeber.com

Hi Carolyn,
I would like to know what is the usual or the correct length of embroidery stitches?  I can find all the stitches but nothing on the lengths. Thank you for any help.

Hi there,
Embroidery stitches can be any length that you like as it is dependant on the design you’re trying to create as to what length stitch would look best. For instance if you were to create fur the length of the stitches would be longer than a normal stitch as you would want to create a more jagged appearance so that an impression of layers of thread was created. Some designs require smaller stitches and some is just purely personal preference. In my recent Redwork Made Easy tutorial I used smaller stitches than Embirds default settings as I preferred the look that was created by smaller stitches whereas the longer stitches that were the default setting did not look as tidy in my opinion. But it was just my opinion and you might like a different look to that which I prefer.
As a general rule stitches range anywhere from 2.5mm to about 9mm depending on the look required. Don’t use stitches longer than 9 to 10mm otherwise your design will have stitches that will catch easily and the program will think that they are jump stitches.

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
www.carolynkeber.com

Secrets of Embroidery was present at the Creative Embroidery Conference in Las Vegas earlier this month.  I flew in from New Zealand, and our helpers Michael and Marilyn came in from the west coast.  In our large attractive booth we displayed a variety of embroidery designs and projects from some of our talented designers, as well as Embird information, printed tutorials and computer help books. 

We make cds on the spot for the customers and process their payment live online.  They are delighted to receive instant delivery, customer points and bonus sets, just as it they are shopping on the site.  It is so nice to be able to thanks them personally as well! 

  
Meeting our customers in person is fun and we love to see them enjoying our designs in real life. Here is Pat Jarvis wearing a shirt embroidered with Pen and Pastel Designs from Birdhouse Cottage Crafts.    She purchased these designs at our booth in the show last year.

Here I am with JoAnn Hawley who came to the show particularly to see us.I taught a computer help workshop there, which focussed on downloading and organizing embroidery designs from the internet. 
 You can see more pics at this link.It was great to meet others from the embroidery world.  Several hundred people attend this annual conference - it is very inspiring and a great place to get creative ideas.

Jann

Hi Evy,

Hi Kathy;

Double-eyed needles are pretty new to me. I understand that they will take two different strands of threads in the same needle. Not all machines will accept them, however, and it sounds like there may be some tension problems, but the result is quite pretty…creating something like the two-colored twist threads we now use. Check out http://www.kapres.com/doubleeyeinfo.htm for more information and a source to purchase this new needle.
 
Hope this helps!
Evy
www.abitofstitch.com

Hi Carolyn,

Loving it.  Thanks.
Chris.

Hi Chris

If you would like to send me your design I’ll take a look at it for you.  It’s a little hard to understand what the problem is without seeing the
design. I would be happy to check it out for you.  Regarding courses in New Zealand - the organizers of the Embird seminar that I taught at in Tasmania last year are thinking of putting on a similar conference here in New Zealand in the near future. This is their web-site address http://www.meginc.org/

There is a “Contact” form at the bottom of the page. Christine will be happy to help you if you email her. Alternatively her email address is embroiderybydesign@cmebd.com

I hope that helps.

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
http://www.carolynkeber.com

Hello Carolyn,

Thank you, Carolyn

Hi Carolyn,
If you can email me back and let me know which software you are using to create your designs then I?ll try and help you find the centers. 

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
http://www.carolynkeber.com
Step by Step lessons for Embird and PE Design

Hi Carolyn,
I would like to know how to increase or decrease the stitch count when I change the size of the design.  I cannot seem to follow the instructions in the PE Design book.  I am new to machine embroidery. I have had a PE 150 for several years, but didn’t use it.  I would appreciate your help.

Thanks
Shirley

Hi ShirleyThe directions on how to adjust the stitch count in a design will depend on which version of P E design you are using. If you can email me back with this information I will give you some directions.

Kind regards

Carolyn Keber
Step by Step lessons for Embird and PE Design