Carolyn is Asked:

My iconizer had been working beautifully, until I installed the Artista upgrade 5. When I open the ART software, or Embird the Iconizer now goes through this re-install motion. Is this fixable?

Carolyn Replies:

The best thing to do is to re-install Embird as Embird sometimes doesn’t like other embroidery programs installed after it has been installed. I am sure if you re-install your Embird program you’ll find that it will work better for you.

Kind regards,
Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

Carolyn is asked:

I am very frustrated learning Embird.   I would like to download some of your fonts.   I download to my desktop in a Embroidery folder and put the zipped file in them.   How do I get ALL the letters in Embird - Find them, organize them and then be able to use them?  I am stumped!!!!!  The tutorials put out by the Embird people are really not helpful at all!!!  Or am I looking at the wrong thing?  I just want to be able to retrieve and USE my downloads.  What am I doing wrong?

Carolyn Replies:

I see by your email that you are having problems accessing your designs that you have downloaded after saving them to your Desktop. Personally I do not find that saving designs to my Desktop is the easiest way to find them again when using Embird. It would be far easier to create yourself a new embroidery folder under the C Drive on your Computer (through My Computer) and name it something like AEmbroidery so then it would be shown at the top of your list of folders under the C Drive when in Embird or any other program.

However at the moment you have saved your designs to the Desktop so I will tell you how to find the files and unzip them as they will need to be unzipped before you can use them.

Open Embird Manager. On the right hand side change the drive to the C Drive. Then in the Folder box follow this path - go to the Documents and Settings folder and double click on it. Double click on the folder with the name of the main user of the computer - in my instance mine is named Carolyn K. Then double click on the Desktop Folder. You should now be able to see your files you downloaded.

If they are zipped then select them one at a time (you can batch unzip as well if preferred) and right mouse click and choose Extract Zipped files to - Click OK to unzip them to the current folder or change the destination folder. The files will be unzipped and placed in the folder of your choice.

Now move to Embird Editor. Use File/Merge and move to the folder where you unzipped the designs to. (You may also need to convert the files to your machines format if  they are not already in your preferred format). Select the files you wish to use one by one, or select more using the keyboard command and then click OK. The files will open on your Design Page. You just need to re-arrange them in the correct hoop and save and send them to your machine - via your PEDS Basic program.

If you need more detailed information on Embird and the commands then I have a Step by Step Tutorial for the program and all the plug-ins which is sold through Secrets of Embroidery. I am sure you would find my lessons more than helpful.

Kind regards,
Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

The wonderful new FSL Miniature Flowers set from Embroidery Connection has 7 free standing flowers for the 4×4 hoop that are quick and easy to embroider and assemble. The flowers can be used for many projects such as greeting cards, Christmas projects, flower arrangements, to decorate boxes, lapels of jackets, hairpins, tassels, pictures and lots more. Take a look at Patricia’s fabulous project pictures for inspiration. 

Carolyn Keber has created a new Embird Font Engine tutorial.  This tutorial covers everything from downloading and installing fonts to creating your own wonderful creations using Font Engine V5.

This tutorial has been updated for Embird 2008 and has a number of new lessons in it plus it also has a section on using Font Engine in Embird Studio.

The tutorial has over 185 pages that will soon have you using Font Engine in Embird and Studio to its full potential. You’ll be creating great text in no time at all. The only problem you’ll have is deciding what text you are going to create next.

To view more details or to purchase Carolyn’s new tutorial, click through to the Step by Step Guide to Font Engine V5.

Carolyn is asked:

I have been using Embird successfully for a while. I no longer have the colors of a design at the bottom of the screen in manager. I do not know if the colors have been there since I downloaded the latest update. I have friends who have the update and they have the colors.

Carolyn replies:

To show your colors at the bottom of the Manager screen go to Options and place a check mark beside Show Process Panel.  That will fix the problem for you.

Kind regards,
Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

Get really creative with the new Christmas Trees collection from Too Cute Embroidery. Add some bling, whether you light them up, embellish with crystals or stitch them on cards in rich metallic threads. The set includes 14 designs in both 4×4″ and 5×7″ sizes plus two FREE photo tutorials for Stitching on Cards and creating a fabulous Lighted Christmas Tree Wallhanging as pictured. 

Hello guys, I have Wilcom ES65 2006 Full version for Windows Vista and XP for sale.  Please contact with me at wasim.cheema@gmail.com for more information.

Carolyn is asked:

Is there a away to make the stitches longer when using the connection tool? When I did a test sew out of my design I discovered that I had a gazillion running stitches between the parts that were connected. I could easily eliminate over 50% of them without affecting the design but couldn’t find a setting to increase the length of the stitches that the connection tool programs.

Carolyn replies:

Yes, you can increase the length of the Connection stitches - even after you have finished a design. Just select the Connection stitch object in the Object order screen and click on Parameters on the Menu Bar (or right mouse click and choose Parameters.)

The Parameters screen will open and you’ll be able to increase both the Min and Max length. If you want to save this setting (length) as your default setting then click on the Parameters button at the top of the screen and choose Save As default and click Apply and then OK.

Of course, if you want to change all the rest of the connections stitch objects in your Object order screen to this new setting, then rather than change them all individually, you can hold down the CTRL key and then left mouse click on every connection stitch you wish to change until they are all selected. Then select the connection stitch object you changed and holding down the right mouse button drag it down onto the selected objects. Release your mouse button and choose Set Identical from the pop-up screen. All done.

Kind Regards

Carolyn Keber
Tutorials for Embird and PE Design

Here are some designer details with machine embroidery & wing needle stitches that you might find useful on some of your future projects. Hope is working on a magazine article for Sew Beautiful magazine and has provided us with a sneak peak at a few of the “how to photos”: 

Shadow English Lace Ovals

The directions on the PDF file call for a peek-a-boo effect on my English Lace Ovals embroidery collection - but instead I layered pink cotton lawn fabric with some white netting to create a shadow of pink color which matches the flower neckline on the baby daygown. You can soften any appliqué design by following my example of layering a pale fabric with netting or silk organza for an heirloom shadow effect.

Wing Needle Corded Hemstitch

Here is one of my favorite techniques which looks like an expensive couture trim embellishment. Use a 5 or 7 hole cording foot threaded with DMC Perle cotton size #12 through the front two holes. Use 60 weight cotton thread in a 120 wing needle and select a double hemstitch. The stitches will cover the cord creating an Entredeux trim effect and then weave 6 strands of DMC floss over two holes & under one for a finished look. Make sure you use light weight tear stabilzer with this technique.

You can get 40% off Hope Yoder’s lovely Heirloom Embellishment Series (including the English Lace Ovals featured in this article), until 30 November 2008!!

My Fair Lady has three new fun Christmas Stockings that are made in the hoop, and then assembled for a quick and easy project. Full instructions are included with each stocking. There is an adorable Christmas Stocking that includes an appliqué frame, and a beautifully embroidered Cinderella Stocking which is embellished with buttons, beading and cord. The third style is the Christmas Tic Tac Toe Stocking which doubles as a game! Any orders over $10 from My Fair Lady will also receive a bonus Puzzle Book Page and Applique Design set absolutely FREE.