Bernina V7: What skills do U most want to learn?

[Betty J.]

To Bernina Embroidery V7 users or those who want to learn this skill (note: This software is not just for Berninas. It works for many brands of home embroidery machines): If you were to have a book with projects that taught you new skills or improved existing ones in use of the software, what skills would you most want to learn?

I'm writing a book with ten projects using Bernina v7 to teach new or improve existing skills in digitizing or using existing embroideries. I would love to know what skill you particularly want to learn for this.

[Betty J.]

I would like to learn choosing the best underlay stitches and sizes, digitizing for perfect alignment in re-hooping and and so much more that I can't even think of. What kind of projects are you planning to put in your book and when will it be available?

Judy

[Betty J.]

Thanks for your reply. I had not thought of dealing with underlay stitches, but I'll add that somewhere. I have ten projects. The first six or so are relatively simple to deal with the basics of learning what tools are available and how to use them. They will be useful, like an embroidered small color wheel wall chart that covers the kalaidescope and thread matching skills, A fill sampler--there are so many wonderful fills--that can be used for a pillow top or a tote bag, or a mug rug that covers the importing and auto digitizing and further editing of that, a flower that is what I call trace-digitizing, and a piece of stand alone lace, or trace-digitizing trees and how to use fill angles to make the trunks look more natural, and pattern run to make the leaves look like leaves. There are also projects that will cover editing purchased embroidery downloads. But the last three or four are more complex, culminating in the final project that will be the most interesting. It is a small wall hanging and will cover a lot of the skills already covered by the earlier projects and putting them together. This will not cover cross stitching, or any of the other parts of the software except I will cover raised satin stitching and stumpwork. I don't know when it will be out. I am self publishing it, and I am on chapter four of the eleven chapter book. But it's going fairly fast...perhaps by summer.

[Betty J.]

Betty Jo,
Thanks for your response. The book sounds like something I would definitely be interested. I would love to get more use out of my Version 7 Software and my Bernina 830. Let me know when it is available for purchase.

Judy

[Beverly C.]

Betty Jo, does V6 have the capability for the projects in your book? I sure hope so!!

[Betty J.]

Yes, Beverly. I may not remember where all the buttons are and I won't have the illustrations in v6, but for everything but the raised satin and stumpwork I think it will be useable. I'll try to figure something.

[Judith A.]

Betty Jo,
1. Can you do a project on applique from start to finish? By this I mean from digitizing the applique design to embroidering it out, with no misalignment of fabric and embroidery.
2. I would like to learn how to digitize Richelieu bars on free-standing lace.
3. I would also love to see a lesson on digitizing french knots. I have some Zundt butterfly designs with what looks like French knots around the edges of the butterfly wings. They stitch out beautifully.

There is one other thing I would like to see, but I can't remember it right now. Will post later. Got to go to eye doctor now.

Judith

[Betty J.]

Great suggestions. I'll see how much of that I can include in this book. This is just the kind of suggestions I need to make this a really good book. Thanks.

[Judith A.]

Good eye checkup. Back to suggestions....
4. How about a project for digitizing embroidery designs for quilting in the hoop? It could include the best type of underlays for this technique and the best type of embroidery stitches (density, length of stitch, etc.) for embroidering on two layers of fabric, batting and stabilizer. Options: This project could have tips for best type of stabilizers to use, tips for how to hoop all these layers of material, and tips for how to manage quilting in the hoop on a home embroidery machine. I found books on how to quilt in the hoop for very small projects, but absolutely no information out there on how to manage quilting in the hoop on a large quilt.
(Aside: I used one of Diane Gaudynski's feathered wreath designs for quilting in the hoop. I was in a hurry and I thought it would be quicker to do all those feathered wreaths in the hoop than to free-motion quilt them myself. (My free-motion feathers and wreaths leave a LOT to be desired.) Quilting them in the hoop was not necessarily quicker than free-motion quilting feathered wreaths myself. But each quilted feathered wreath stitched out perfectly. I used an OESD washaway stabilizer. It worked beautifully.)

5. Also, I suggest you include something on digitizing for endless embroidery (like you would do to embroider a border). I think there are stitches you can add that you can match up when you rehoop to make the rehooped embroideries line up perfectly. Hope this makes sense. A lesson on this would be great.

6. Finally, I suggest having someone test your instructions by actually doing them. Ideally, this would be someone who has used V7 enough to be familiar with the basics, but who is not a V7 expert. When I wrote procedures at work, I got someone who didn't know how to do the task to try to follow my written procedures. If that person could follow them without any problems, I knew the other staff members could.

Best wishes with your book.
Judith

[Betty J.]

Thanks Judith.