OK – how many of you out there bought a fancy schmancy embroidery attachment for your sewing machine early in your quilting life? Come on. I know I’m not the only one. Raise your hands. Come on, come on. OK. I see that hand. And another. Now here’s the million dollar question. How often do you actually use that fancy schmancy attachment and really embroider something with it?
I must admit….. for me it is seldom used. Too much quilting going on to drag out anything to embroider. Now I did use it a bunch when it was new. But once the newness wore off, into the case it went. And now it seldom makes an appearance in the sewing room. Except for the occasional project for a friend who calls, it mostly gathers dust.
So I am always pleased with a call from a friend for something they want to have embroidered. It’s usually a monogram that they need. That personal touch for a gift. And I actually love doing these little projects when called upon. Gives me an excuse to use that multiple thousand dollar attachment that I just had to have. Such was the case a few weeks ago when a dear friend asked me about monogramming some towels for her son who was heading off to college. I told her I’d be happy to do them and would make time as long as there weren’t 100 towels. Smart friend that she is, she replied that there were just 99. Cute.
Didn’t they turn out great? If my name was Seth, I’d be tempted to keep them. They are really nice, thick, thirsty towels too. And he won’t have to worry about anyone trying to steal them in the dorm. At least if they do, the whole world will know who they really belong to, now won’t they? I hope he doesn’t get to his dorm this weekend only to discover his roommate’s name is Seth. Could be problematic. But the best part? I emailed this picture to my friend after I finished. She replied quickly that they were awesome and that Seth loved them. Music to my ears.
So how about you? Do you actually use your embroidery attachment very often? Am I the only quilter around that thought I had to have one? I must admit it was really pretty nice to just sit and watch the machine stitch yesterday. Load a new towel in the hoop, press start and watch again. Cool. And Boo didn’t even help.
Tomorrow? Back to quilting. And the embroidery attachment is a dust collector again until the next friend calls.
Happy stitching,
Barb
Just Sayin' Sew 
yup- dust covers are good things for some quilty tools we HAVE to have….*grins*
GREAT towels, Barb!!!
Yup, I have one of those early embroidery machines. Never use it. I really bought the machine because it tells me when the bobbin is empty – but I’ve learned to ignore that annoying beep! Especially since it would be a terrible waste of thread – at least 2 or 3 feet – if I changed bobbins when it tells me to! If I could just figure out a knee lift/thread cutter mechanism for grandmother’s featherweight, it would be the perfect piecing machine!
Funny you should be writing about embroidery. As I am readying emails (in cool Colorado) I am embroidering the cutest snowmen for a wall hanging for my
granddaughter. They were free on the internet…all 170 of them from Charming Station.
I’d like to do towels for Christmas gifts and you’ve given me the incentive to do it. What stabilizer did you use?
I have also been doing Christmas cards with the embroidery machine….too cute!
Jill
I think we all are guilty of buying things and then seldom using them – mostly I didn’t like the item after all. I don’t do that anymore, just have to be frugal and wiser at this point in our lives and that’s OK.
BTW, you did a beautiful job on Seth’s college towels.
I bought a Brother with the embroidery attachment about 15 months ago. I played with it for a few days and have used it twice since to personalize baby quilts. I still feel a little guilty when I look at that attachment sitting on the shelf!
Great looking towels:)
I think I replied to this blog yesterday. Did you get it? Your embroidery attachment allows you to do some amazing work.
What a great idea. That would make a great grad gift.
Barb, you make me want to drag out the unit for my machine. The towels look just great!
Way to go!
Sue OK