Personalized and Custom Embroidery

Christmas is coming very quickly and the economy says: "I can't afford anything nice and unique, so I'll see what Walmart has!"

What is a gift? Is it from the heart, or an obligation? I've wrestled with that for many years too, opting for "let's see if we can find something cheap on sale."

As I get older, and look at the "stuff" I've acumulated, I think, "does this item has a sentiment attached or is just something that was a good deal, that I thought I could not live without. As the clutter starts piling up, I'm seeing the value in things that have a lasting meaning and the "stuff" that I'm not attached to.

This Christmas, consider a gift, large or small, expensive or not, that has something of value attached to it, from the heart and not the wallet.

Personalized gifts place a time stamp on the item and bring back a memory that is timelss and pleasant. Customized gifts tell someone they are unique and valued. You've worked hard for your $$$, make it really count for something this coming holiday season. Let your gift giving be a "want to" and not a "must do.

You'll enjoy everything just a little bit more and perhaps grab an extra hug!

A Job Fair Announcement

River of Life Fellowship Church, in Kent Washington
is hosting a job fair on October 23rd, from 9am to 1pm.
There will be no solicitation to join the church, it is simply
a community outreach event. Among the 26 participarting employers,
is Microsoft, Comcast, Starbucks, World Vision, and many others.
Come dressed for success, and bring resumes.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT.
Address is: 10615 SE 216th Street, Kent, WA, 98031
Phone for questions: 253-859-0832

My Dog "Happy"

I'm a dog lover and 1 year ago, a friend gave my husband and I, the cutest little Pomeranian in the world. They had 2 dogs and could only keep 1, with a hectic work schedule. Their loss and our gain. This little guy is the most sociable animal I've had and a great watch dog. Nothing gets by him and he has made friends with all the dogs in our neighborhood. Poms have a perception that although they are small, in their mind, they are large dogs and it's funny to see him show no fear of even a Great Dane.

This past May, Happy was in the yard doing one of his favorite pastimes, chasing squirrels. He came running in, at noon, showing signs of something being terribly wrong. A trip to the vet revealed nothing except for a drropy tail and possible swelling in the hind quarters.

Two weeks laster, we find black bumps, identical, on both sides of his hind quarters. A couple of days later, these bumps were scratched and chewd as

Happy was terribly uncomfortable. Now, to the vet, and a shaved rear end, showed a terrible mess of lesions, requiring surgery. So, a long weekend wait and off to surgery the following Monday morning. In the afternoon, another ride, to the emergency vet, low blood pressure and much needed blood transfusion. My goodness, so much trauma for such a little dog.

The overnight vet calls us on Tuesday morning, the transfusion went well and Happy is perking up, but, the X-Ray shows a broken tailbone and it was obvious the original vet had missed it! Oh My!!!!! Happy's tail has been dead for 2 1/2 weeks and will need a radical amputation, as the break at the base of the spine!

Yikes, when is enough, enough?

Fast forward 2 days, I have Happy out in the backyard at 10pm to do his "doggy business". While watching and waiting, his "dead tail" goes straight up in the

air. I start crying and call to my husband, who is wondering: "What in the world is wrong?" All I can get out is "Look at the tail"!!!!! Mind you that this dog has about 2 dozen stitches in his back end and a narcotics patch attached to his side. There is no way he can raise his tail, even if he wanted to.

We are Christians and had put Happy on our prayer chain at church. God answered this prayer right before my eyes.....yes, a miracle.

What caused all this trauma to begin with? We ascertained that he had probably been picked up by an eagle and didn't want to be lunch that day! Eagles are prevalent in our area and they are very large, strong, and majestically beautiful.

One can't fault them for wanting to feed their young and Happy looked like a cat from above. WOW!

So, although this has nothing to do with embroidery, it is a true story and we have shared it with so many.

Thanks for letting me share it wth you too, Mary

P. S. He doesn't like being bathed in the kitchen sink but is a good sport about it. Makes for a funny pitiful picture. Oh, and today, he is doing great.

Christmas Is Coming

Well, I walked through Kohls yesterday and the Christmas decorations have been brought out! Signs of the times and the trees changing into their Autumn colors. Summers seem to come and go so quickly. I'm thinking about making personalized gifts once again. It's fun to create things that are are not found in the stores or even on the web. People know that my work is quality so I get asked about embroidery all the time and I'm expecting to be busy this season. If you do want something unique, and for that special one this upcoming holiday season, send me an email. I'm always up to a challenge. Reminder that the Autumn Solstice is this weekend. Get out and enjoy the changing colors, especially those of you in New England.

Christian Kids

As I get things ready, to launch my Christian Wear web site, I think back to the hours of preparation. Decisions had to be made on what I would offer, colors and designs for embroidery. Doing the kid's stuff was indeed the most fun. An eventual goal is to have custom designs available for them that are whimsical, retaining a Chrstian value, and reminder of how valuable they are to God.

I grew up with low self esteem, and this played a major role in my adult life, not thinking I had anything of worth. My parent's did the best they could considering they had 10 kids with all different needs. I hear so many parents these days calling their kids everything but valuable. This needs to change.

It's my hope that my kid's line of apparel will help in some small way.

Here's a peak of what is to come!

A Beautiful Wedding Party

A Wedding, something of value, forever remembered for laughter and tears.

My friend's February 16, 2007 wedding was just that, laughter for what was to come, and tears that the original seamstress came up short on a promise to make 8 needed dresses for the bridal party. A request to me was made 5 weeks prior to the date and nothing had yet been started. My quick trip to the local bridal salon and digital camera in hand, would define what my next 5 weeks would become. We would make 7 knock offs of 1 dress and 1 more of another.

Whew!!!! I needed to get busy and thank goodness fabric had come on sale. As

embroidery was going to be needed, another call was made to the digitizer who would set up a specific design for the front and back, a challenge to my skill later on. Fast forward to day of wedding, all got done with only a few "tweakings" along the way. One very happy bride got her "1 of a kind" bridal party ensemble, and I came away with a bunch of experience that was a real boost in my confidence as an embroiderer/seamstress.

Thank you Wendy Jean and Mike, for all your prayers and belief in me!

What the heck is DIGITIZING????????

Digitizing, a funny word, and what the heck is it? Every embroidery design starts out as an idea, concept, or picture. A flat image that looks great on a piece of paper. A "Digitizer" is a person, somewhat graphic savey in nature, who takes a flat image and changes it into a sewable template. They will set up the direction of the stitches, places where the colors need to change, the size, thickness, and anything else that is needed to make a beautiful embroidered image. The cost to make this "template" will vary, depending on size and detail, usually starting out at about $50.00 and then upwards from there. A more experienced digitizer will charge a little more, for their expertise, usual minimum starting at $75.00.
All digitzers have a software program, specifically made, for the purpose of creating embroidered designs, and a good embroiderer can tell if a design has good or poor sewing quality.
As an embroiderer, comitted to quality, I have rejected designs or had the digitizer re-work a design, to my satisfaction. I've learned that all embroiderers can learn to digitize, but, much better to hand it off to the "expert", who devotes their day to the task of just digitizing.

Embellishments, Embellishments

Have you seen the "English Laundry" line of shirts lately? That beautiful embroidery seems to be anywhere and anywhere. Creative and stunning, it catches the eye and there seems to be no qualms about the price tag.

This is "embellishment". These days, wearable art is full of trims, buttons, lace and about anything else you can add to a garment, making it as unique as the person wearing it. Spendy, perhaps, but oh so "1 of a kind", and it just plain "feels good" when you wear it. So, take a look in the closet, see what "plain Jane" item is hanging there, and imagine what a "garment makeover" might look like. I added a picture of a plain denim jacket that I added some machine embroidered lace to and iron on dots, I found at Walmart. It went from plain to fabulous and has gotten alot of compliments.

Welcome To My "Blog" World

Welcome to my world of embroidery. I believe that sewing and embroidery should be creative. Since each person is uniquely individual, why look like everyone else? I think it's fun to wear "one of a kind" things and then have someone ask you, "where did you get that?" God made me a creative being and it's wonderful to be able to share that gifting with those around me.