Flying Needle Machine Embroidery

Waiting for Spring

Kathy Jones — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:21:28 +0000

It is March and spring officially arrived two weeks ago, but where is the spring weather? I feel almost as lost as this little guy does! But he is cute and does have his own special smile, doesn’t he, rain or not.

Enjoy!

Screen Capture Utilities

Kathy Jones — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:26:27 +0000

Screen captures are easy with Windows 7 with the snipping tool (start > all programs > accessories > all programs > snipping tool) It is easy to use, self explanatory and is one of those tools that makes you glad that you do have Windows 7. The snipping tool is also available with all editions of Windows Vista except Vista Home Basic. The snipping tool will do all basic screenshots, but does have limitations. If you are using Windows XP or any other earlier versions of Windows you do not have a snipping tool. You can use your graphics program to do screen captures, but sometimes that can be a bit problematic to capture just what you want in the screenshot.

There are several programs that you can purchase that will take screenshots, but if you want a basic, free program, then try MWSnap screen capture utility. There is more information on their website, but a quick overview states that it is capable of capturing the whole desktop, a highlighted window, an active menu, a control, or a fixed or free rectangular part of the screen. MWSnap handles the five most popular graphics formats and contains several graphical tools: a zoom, a ruler, a color picker and a window spy. It can be also used as a fast picture viewer or converter.

Definitely worth looking into if you want a good free screen capture program.

Digitizing Directed Jumps with Embird Studio

Kathy Jones — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:52:24 +0000

What is a directed jump and why would you want one? When you digitize small objects such as eyes or other facial features or jumps between any two objects where it would be difficult to cut the threads, then you would want a directed jump. A directed jump simply puts an extra stitch somewhere outside the design area to make it easier to cut the threads.

For more information on how to digitize directed jumps, you will find a free video on the monthly Studio Digitizing lessons page. And while you are there, be sure to check out the lessons on digitizing.

Happy Digitizing!

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Kathy Jones — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:27:39 +0000

There are “mouse” people and then there are “keyboard” people. I have to admit that I fall into the category of a keyboard person as I always find it much faster to use shortcuts. But then if you are trying to teach others how to use a program, I run into the problem of using shortcuts and confusing people.

You can usually find the shortcuts in programs as they are usually right beside the command, but some shortcuts are not obvious. My favourite two shortcuts are for copy and paste and I am always amazed how many people don’t know these shortcuts. For those of you who really want to know some of the shortcuts, a very brief listing of some is below.

Windows program key combinations

CTRL > C Copy
CTRL > X Cut
CTRL > V Paste
CTRL > Z Undo
CTRL > B Bold
CTRL > U Underline
CTRL > I Italic

General Folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts

For a selected object

F2 Rename object
F3 Find all files
CTRL > X Cut
CTRL > C Copy
CTRL > V Paste
SHIFT > DELETE Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
ALT > ENTER Open the properties for the selected object
To copy a file – Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To create a shortcut – Press and hold down CTRL > SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.

General folder/shortcut control keys

F4 Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
F5 Refreshes the current window.
F6 Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
CTRL > G Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
CTRL > Z Undo the last command
CTRL > A Select all the items in the current window
BACKSPACE Switch to the parent folder
SHIFT > click > Close button For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Enjoy!

Editing Clipart with Paint Shop Pro

Kathy Jones — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:40:49 +0000

If you digitize embroidery designs, at some point you will find that it is almost a necessity to have some sort of graphics program (other than Paint which comes with the computer) so you can do some basic editing on clipart to use for embroidery. The tulips to the right are presently 200 mm by 200 mm and they are touching the edges, which makes it difficult to digitize. If you open this image in a digitizing program such as Studio and have it fit a hoop size 100 mm or larger, it will be pixelized to the point where it will be difficult to digitize the design.

What do you need to do to fix this design? Two or three simple steps and you will have a useable image.

· Change the size of the background around the design.

· Enlarge the design to at least 400 pixels by 400 pixels at a resolution of 100 pixels per inch (the graphic at that size will fit “exactly” within a 100 mm square hoop in Embird Studio).

· Sharpen the image.

Working with Paint Shop Pro X3, the image began as a very small grouping of tulips as shown in the image to the left. After changing the size of the background around the design and enlarging it to 400 pixels, the image is now suitable for digitizing. Notice how the background is not even around the design, with more background at the top and less at the bottom, allowing the digitizer to complete the stems and leaves of the tulips at the bottom of the design and perhaps add some grass or other objects to finish this section of the design. Square designs will draw your eye to the centre, which is not always what you want with scenic designs but by having more open space at the top, the eye will see more of the entire design as it will not be drawn to the centre of the design but rather will focus on the largest or brightest area of the design, which could be the tulip flowers if they are bright or the stems and leaves as they will be the largest objects.

The image below shows the graphic open as a background image in a 100 mm workspace in Embird Studio. Quite a difference from the original image, isn’t it?

Don’t forget to check out the Flying Needle Digitizing lessons available with a new and always timely digitizing project each month.

Clipart for Digitizers

Kathy Jones — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:12:58 +0000

If you can draw like Michelangelo, you really don’t need clipart to use as a background image when digitizing, but unfortunately not too many of us have that capability. So that is where good clipart comes into the digitizing process. You can get clipart almost anywhere, use greeting cards, download it from the net or even clipart from magazines or newspapers. Having said that, you must always be aware of copyright issues. Most, if not all of the clipart sources I just mentioned will be copyrighted and you cannot use on items for sale. But you can contact the original digitizer of the image and ask permission to use it. You may be turned down, but it is much better than going ahead and using copyrighted images and having problems with infringing on someone’s copyright.

There are many sites that do specialize in selling clipart for digitizing. If you Google “clipart for digitizing” you will see a list of several sites you can check out. I found that entering that phrase into Google gave me 184,000 results, but usually the first two or three pages are all you will want to check into.

Over the years I have used quite a few different sites for clipart but the one thing missing from most sites is originality and useability. Quite often the clipart is either childish or too complicated and requires far too much editing to be useful as background images for digitizing. The one site I do feel comfortable recommending for all types of clipart, both simple and more advanced, covering the gamut from clipart for chldren’s designs to the more sophisticated adult designs is Diddybag clipart. I am not affiliated with Diddybag, but whenever I find something that is useful for digitizing purposes, I do want to pass it on. So be sure to check out the clipart at this site, you won’t be sorry you did.

At times you may need to edit the clipart slightly, so always be sure to ask the digitizer if you can edit the clipart after you purchase it. Next week I will go into some easy steps to edit clipart in Paint Shop Pro, the graphics program I use to edit graphics for digitizing.

Passwords and Internet Security

Kathy Jones — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:40:41 +0000

Do you remember the good old days when the only password you needed was to get past the imaginary blockade your friends had erected when you were playing a game and usually it was something silly like “Mother May I”? Well, those days are just a remote memory, aren’t they?

We are now required to keep passwords for almost everything in our lives, and it all seems to be computerized.

For safety on the web, be sure to choose good passwords and keep them in secure locations. It would be nice to just memorize all your passwords, but it would be impossible to memorize every password you have.

Use different passwords for different websites. This will help limit the amount of information stolen in case you are hacked. You can easily pick the first half of any name and append a special number to the end to create passwords on the fly that you can recall easily. Never use your debit pin number for anything online though.

Passwords should be 8-10 characters long. Numbers and/or symbols should be included along with lower case and upper case letters. Don’t use your kid’s names or anything else that would be easy for a thief to figure out.

Change your passwords every three to six months just to be safe. You can use a password auto-generator if you can’t come up with unique, difficult to crack passwords on your own.

Recently I was forwarded information on an article that should be a must read for everyone who deals with passwords – and I am sure that would be all of us. Lauren, the person who sent the article to me, said that she became interested in techniques to remembering passwords after she was assigned a research project which led her to the article at http://www.onlinehumanresourcesdegree.org/remember-password There is a wealth of information on this site and it is well worth taking the time to read through the various articles.

Applique with Embird

Kathy Jones — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:08:06 +0000

Digitizing applique designs with Embird Studio is simple to do – and I am sure you are saying, “Oh, sure, it’s simple for you”, but it really can be done quickly and easily! There are two types of applique, “closed applique” and “open applique”; you can also digitize applique using four tools, the outline tool, the column tool, the applique tool and the applique with an outline tool. Each method works well for different applique styles but knowing the right tool to use makes the difference in easy or difficult digitizing of your applique objects.

One of the advantages of digitizing applique objects or combining applique objects in a design with fill or column objects is the variety of fabrics you can use in your applique objects. There is no way you can replicate different types of fabrics with fill objects but by combining fabric with fill objects you will have unique one=of-a-kind designs for clothing, home dec or many other applications.

The “Applique – a Story in Fabric and Stitches” tutorial will teach you the easy way to digitize applique designs and best of all, there is a sale on the tutorial until April 3rd, 2011! There is also a free download on the bottom of the page to get you started with applique.

Enjoy Embird Studio and digitizing unique applique designs!

Embird Studio Tutorials

Kathy Jones — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:15:10 +0000

Digitizing with Embird Studio can be very addictive and also a lot of fun. Over the past few months I have been working diligently on a tutorial working with Studio and Font Engine. After completing the tutorial, I became really addicted to digitizing lettering and began to digitize a monogram alphabet from a set of graphics that I had. I then took this one step further and decided to do another lesson on digitizing monograms from graphics – and like Topsy, this tutorial expanded into including how to edit the graphics in Paint Shop Pro. Well, the day finally came when I decided both tutorials were long enough, so they are now available for purchase. And they are really fun lessons – I had so much fun, I had trouble ending each tutorial.

You may also find that if you are new to Studio that some of the icons and tools are really mystifying – and downright confusing at times! I do have a “Beginning Steps Tutorial” free download that you may find helpful. You can find the tutorial at the bottom of the Monthly Studio Digitizing Lessons page. And while you are there, be sure to check out the latest monthly lesson – each lesson is unique and a lot of fun.

Enjoy digitizing with Studio!

Digitizing with Embird Studio

Kathy Jones — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:59:50 +0000

Do you digitize with Embird Studio or perhaps you want to begin digitizing with Studio but find it a bit intimidating. As with any software program, Studio has a bit of a learning curve, but not too much. But there is always the necessity for a bit of help, isn’t there? I have just uploaded an updated “Beginning Steps with Embird” text tutorial that you may find helpful. Studio is an optional plug-in program for Embird. It must be downloaded as a separate file and installed (not just copied) into Embird. You must own Embird to be able to use Studio. While you are at that page, be sure to check out the monthly lesson. One of the easiest ways to learn a program is to work with it, and by doing lessons, you will find that you become familiar with the program faster than if you struggled on your own. If you do not currently own Embird and wish more information on what the Embird suite consists of, you will want to read “What is Embird Software” . Embird products are downloadable from the Embird web site.