Friday, December 28, 2012

Wow, it is Christmas time already!   I really can't believe how the year has flown.  I have a gift for all of you.  The BES © Lettering 2 addendum is finally complete and is available for free download for a limited time.  I will leave the lessons up on the free side until the end of January.  After that time they will be moved to a paid download.  They are copyrighted, so please respect that and only download for yourself.  Direct others to the site to download.  The addendum is currently on the BES 2 Additional Lessons page.

As the year comes to a close, I have to count my blessings.  One of those has been the pleasure of meeting you through my travels.  It is truely a blessing to be able to make a career out of something you love to do.  It has been my pleasure to provide you quality instruction.

While this is a time to reflect and be with our families, it is also a time to recognize the tragedies that have happened in the past year.  The most recent happening last week.  To all of you who have lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you.

I will finish my travel for the year this Saturday and then off to spend time with my family.  I hope you all have a special holiday season with your loved ones.  If there is time, I will do my best to get the tip of the month done before the end of the month (LOL).


This was supposed to go out to you before Christmas, but evidently, I saved it as a draft instead of publishing it.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Cindy

Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing October and November

I have just sent out the newsletter for October and November.  I hope you enjoy the videos along with the tips! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I hope you and your families can enjoy your time together.
Create something fun!
Cindy

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Hello Memphis!
I really enjoyed my time with you this weekend.  Both of the groups were great to work with!  I hope you enjoyed your time and felt you learned more about your software.

This afternoon one of you purchased the silhouette and wanted all the accesories with it (I believe it was Jennifer).  I forgot to get the Rhinestone kit out for you.  If you still want it, please email me ASAP.  I will try to meet up with you in the morning before I leave town.  I apologize for the oversight.  If we don't get together tomorrow, contact me by email and we'll work it out.  Not sure if it was on your receipt or not as I can't get hold of John at this hour.  I'll touch base with him Monday when the store is open.

I'll post pictures Monday!
Have a great rest of the weekend,
Cindy

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Hi All,
I have had an great past two weeks.   Last weekend I was in Hattiesburg, MS at Sew Select.  What a great group of people.  Joan and Phil even came down from Michigan to attend our event.  The Sew Select Staff was great!  Thanks so much Allison for making the event possible.  Below are pics from the event. 


 

This weekend I have been at Heyde's Sewing and Vac in St. Louis, MO.  Another Great group of ladies to work with.  Thanks Karen for providing a greate event as well.   She and her staff are wonderful as well.   I have really enjoyed the time with both groups of people.  Photos from the MO event will follow as soon as I recieve them as I forgot to take my own :(.  

I really have to say I have enjoyed sharing my passion for embroidery with all of you and love it when I see a light blub spark in your eyes with ideas to implement the techinques I have shared with you.   It really makes my day!  I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion for embroidery and software with you. 

Stitch something fun this week!
Cindy

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Creating Bold Lettering/Fonts

Hi Nancy,
I did post this answer on May 18, 2012.  If you click on the 2012 arrow and then scroll down to May, you should be able to read.   However, to make it easier for you today, I'll just repost the answer.

The easiest way to create bold lettering is to add Pull compensation. Pull compensation is found on the Sewing Attributes tab of the Integrated Sewing Attributes window. The default location is on the right side of the design window. At the bottom of the Sewing Attributes, click To Expert Mode. If you are already in Expert Mode, you will see To Beginner Mode at the bottom of the window. Pull compensation is toward the bottom. This is best increase in millimeters, not inches as you can increase in smaller increments.

If you are using a TTfont, on the Text attributes tab at the top of the window, under the font pull down menu, there is a tiny arrow. If you click on the Tiny arrow, the options for that font appear. If a bold option is available for that TTfont, it will appear in this location. Choose bold and then click OK. This option only works for TTfonts with bold as a selection.

Cindy

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Moving a color Chart

Hi Mary Alice,
Wow, a voice from the past.  How are things with you?

I noticed you removed your comment before I could reply.  The answer if you didn't find it already is yes.  You can create a thread chart on one computer and move it to another.  The created thread chart is Chart2.btc.  It is found in Program Files\Brother\PE-DESIGN(version #)\Color.  Copy chart2.btc and then put it into the other computer.  When asked if you want to replace the current chart, choose yes.  I realize that you know most of this, but it was a good question and others may be interested as well.  Would love to hear from you!
Have a great Day!
Cindy

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing September 2012

Hello all,
The Knowing in Sewing for September went out this afternoon.  I hope it was worth the wait.  If there are tips you would like help with, submit them to me and I 'll see if they can be added to a later newsletter or on a blog post.  Coming up with the tips that are useful are half the battle of writing a newsletter.
I do think you will like the September tips.  Especially those PE-DESIGN NEXT users who can't keep their Attribute Windows docked.

I had the pleasure in September of teaching a group of Kentucky teachers.  They have a very unusual program where they are teaching embroidery and software to their students as a part of their curriculum.     I really loved the concept and applaud the school system and their teacher for providing the classes to their student.  A portion of the curriculum focused on fashion and design as well.  

I am really looking forward to starting the fall travel season.  I hope to see you soon!
Create something fun today!
Cindy

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Hello everyone,
It has been a while since I have written and I do apologize.  You will finally receive a newsletter tonight.  It will cover June, July & August tips of the month.   I will write more this week when I have a bit more time.  I have some new pictures to post.  There is an updated teaching schedule on my website as well.
Have a great week,
Cindy

Monday, May 28, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing May 2012

The May Newsletter was sent out tonight.  If you did not receive it please check your Junk mail folder or your Spam folder.  If you need it to be forwarded to you, contact me at cindyhogan@cynthiasembroidery.com

Cindy

Louisiana

Happy Memorial Day to you all. 

I have bee very tardy in my posts this month.  I spent a wonderful week in Louisiana teaching in Lafayette and in Baton Rouge.  The weather was wonderful!  I appreciate how attentive each group was!  Lafayette was a bit of a tight squeeze for you all, but you hung in there like real troupers.  Since I haven't heard from any of you, I hope all is going well with your software adventure.  Unfortunately, my pictures did not turn out well!


I have been talking with John and Debbie at the Baton Rouge store about the Advanced Techniques in Appliqué Class.  We may be able to schedule it in early December.  Stay tuned!

Create something for yourself this week!
Cindy

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Hi Jo,

In answer to your question about a Redwork font, there is not currently a Redwork font built into PE-DESIGN.  I will pass on your request to the engineers who write the software.  Who knows, we may get one in the future.  We can always hope.

You can have lettering without a fill with a Redwork outline, but I don't think that is the style of lettering you want.  However, just in case here you go.

Any of the built in or TTfonts can have the fill stitch turned off and the outline turned on with a triple stitch as the outline style.  In the Sewing Attributes window, you would change the Run Pitch (stitch length) to 3.0mm.  You would have a Redwork style outline. 

Cindy

Friday, May 18, 2012

Tammy,
The easiest way to create bold lettering is to add Pull compensation.  Pull compensation is found on the Sewing Attributes tab of the Integrated Sewing Attributes window.  The default location is on the right side of the design window.  At the bottom of the Sewing Attributes, click To Expert Mode.  If you are already in Expert Mode, you will see To Beginner Mode at the bottom of the window.  Pull compensation is toward the bottom.  This is best increase in millimeters, not inches as you can increase in smaller increments.

If you are using a TTfont, on the Text attributes tab at the top of the window, under the font pull down menu, there is a tiny arrow.  If you click on the Tiny arrow, the options for that font appear.  If a bold option is available for that TTfont, it will appear in this location.  Choose bold and then click OK.  This option only works for TTfonts with bold as a selection.

Cindy

Monday, April 30, 2012

Sew Special Studio and the Knowing in Sewing

Hello all!
I hope this week finds you safe and well.  I apologize for the tardiness of my posting.  I kind of took the week off.  I was a bit under the weather last week.

The Sew Special Studio class was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed you guys and hope you are having fun creating your own appliques now.  We were so busy I didn't remember to take pictures.  How are your inking projects going?  Having fun with your Silhouette yet?  What a great little machine!

The April Knowing in Sewing has been sent out tonight.  Just under the wire one more time.  What can I say????

If you can think of a topic you would like a tip for, let me know and I'll see if it is something that will fit in a newsletter. 

If you have attended one of my seminars, please feel free to comment here.  Others would like to hear the feedback!

Enjoy!
Cindy

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

getting ready

Boy do I hate Tax time.  Bookkeeping for me is the ultimate mind sucking activity.  I think I despise it so much because I remember having to balance my first checkbook to the penny with my mother who was a bookkeeper.  It is an activity that I dread each year.....However, I have finally finished balancing the books this week, so I can go on to other activities.

If you are planning on coming to the Sew Special Advanced Techniques in Appliqué seminar, you are in for a treat.  I have found a new exciting way to create complex appliqués with PE-DESIGN NEXT.  It is the "Easy Way".  I am also experimenting with a different method of cutting appliqué pieces that I think you are going to love.  I can't wait to finish all the instructions and show you what I have discovered in class.  When you put Terri and I together to come up with an idea, things are always fun!

That's all for now.  I have to get back to instruction writing.

I hope everyone had a great Easter with your families.
Cindy

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing March 2012

The Knowing in Sewing March newsletter was sent out on Saturday night.  If you did not receive your copy via email.  Please check your spam folder.  If the newsletter is not there, please contact me.  You may have typed in your email address incorrectly. 
Enjoy!
Cindy

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Tomorrow's Treasures

Cathy,
I am so glad you enjoyed the seminar.  I enjoyed having you in class as well.  It was a pleasure!
Cindy

Tomorrow's Treasures Seminar

What a great weekend we had at Tomorrow's Treasures in Crofton, MD.  This seminar was a unique one in that you were allowed to come with questions about your projects and we explored the answers together as a group.  I hope you enjoyed the experience and walked away with some inspiration and knowledge about how to achieve the results you desire.
Remember most everything we discussed this weekend is in your Digitizing's Sew Easy NEXT workbook or the Lettering's Sew Easy workbook.  If you need page numbers, you can always ask here or send me an email.  Remember to play with your software, things always get easier if you practice!





Create something fun today!
Cindy

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Pigeon Forge Quilt show

More from today.......
Now that I have answered emails, I feel the need to share some info with you about PE-DESIGN NEXT, V8, and V7.  While visiting with a customer today, I discovered that many of you do not realize you have a built in cataloging Program in PE-DESIGN.  The part of the program is called the Design Database.  The Design Database allows you to print catalogs of your designs in the different folders on your computer so you have a handy reference when searching for designs. 
When you open the Design Database, you will need to navigate to a folder where you have saved your designs.  This can be on your harddrive, on an external drive, a USB media, etc.  Once you have located the file folder, click on it and then go to the File pull down menu.  Choose Print Setup.  Choose 1 design per page, 4 per page or 12 per page.  If you have NEXT, you can even print instructional style sheets with more info on it.  Once you have selected the style, click PRINT.  You will have a printed catalog for that file folder.
For more information on the design database, refer to the Design Database section of my workbooks.  This part of the program is often neglected, but it has a lot of functionality including viewing design, writing multiple designs to card (in next to the sewing machine, usb media and via link to the PR 650 & 1000 machine).

I hope you find the information helpful!
Cindy

Pigeon Forge Quilt Show

Hello everyone,
I am currently at the Pigeon Forge Quilt Show.  There are some amazing quilts on display.  If you are in the area, it is worth a day trip to view.  I haven't had time to just browse, but on the quilt walk through from the booth to the restroom, I have been amazed at some of the artistry displayed.
If you happen by, come see me in the Midsouth Sewing booth.  We are in the building with the classrooms on the right side.
Have a great evening,
Cindy

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Quattro and PR1000 upgrades

Daniel,
Save up!  You will enjoy the upgrades.  As you know I particularly like Kit 3.  It is somewhat like getting 3 upgrades in one.  A bigger border hoop, some border designs and then the ability to connect large items via the camera connect function.

Rickey J,
Great to hear from you as well.  I am not sure about the Novi show yet, we shall see closer to the time of the event.  I usually save the date for Leabu's, and wait to hear from them.  It was very interesting this past year, I ended up demoing more Machines than software that weekend and selling them.  Usually, I am swamped showing software.  So.... it was a different experience which I really enjoyed. 

Last years show was also much quieter than previous years.  I wondered if it was because of all the home sporting events that weekend.  The Tigers were winning and had a home game, Michigan and Michigan State both played at home and I think the Lions had a home game as well.  I really do enjoy that show (it is one of the few I travel to work) and I love Michigan in the Fall and Summer months!  It is kind of going home for me as my husband and I lived in that area for a few years.

Have a greast day today.  It is absolutely beautiful here today!  The sun is out in full force and the trees and flowers in full bloom.
Cindy

Friday, March 9, 2012

Continuing Blog

Jo and Daniel,
Good to know you are out there and enjoy reading.    Thanks for letting me know!   You both might want to sign up for my newsletter (if you haven't already done so) as I send out a tip of the month on BES Lettering and PE-DESIGN NEXT.

Today, I updated my Quattro to the latest version for Kit 3.  I do think this update is going to be a bit more user friendly as it is more visual.  If you have the Kit 3 upgrade, be sure to download the update and the new instructional manual.

I have been emailing with a customer this morning and decided others might find this information useful as well.  She was having a difficult time getting artwork to open in PE-DESGIN NEXT.  In NEXT, you need to go to the Image Tab and open artwork from that location, not from the file/flower pull down menu.  As an image is not a design, it will not open from the File pull down menu.

An alternate method of opening an image file is to right mouse click on the design page, choose Input and then choose From file.

Create something beautiful or just plain fun today!
Cindy

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Bamboo Tablet

Hi Daniel,
I will be more than happy to show you how to use the bamboo with your software.  It has many uses and in layout and editing with the pencil drawing tool works like drawing with a pen to create free motion embroidery.  I will have to be reminded before I pack to put mine in the briefcase, so shoot me a reminder.  I haven't been traveling with it lately, I have been trying to lighten my load a bit.
I hope to see you in Maryland!  By the way, thank you for commenting.  I often feel I am talking to myself and wonder if I should continue the blog.
Cindy

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

More seminars scheduled

Great news.  I have added a couple more seminars to the spring/early summer schedule.  However, I didn't have them finalized when the last newsletter went out.


April 20 & 21, Sew Special Studio, Woodbridge, VA - Advanced Techniques in Appliqué .  In this class we will learn the ins and outs of creating complex appliqués with PE-DESIGN NEXT.  If you have wanted to create your own adorable appliqués this is the class to attend.


June 7 &8, Sewing World of Grapevine, Grapevine, TX - Kick Start class.  This is the class to get you started with your software!  We cover the design database, lettering, editing, name drop, the template function and basic digitizing in Design Center and Layout and Editing. 


I have a couple of more dates I am still working on, so stay tuned.
Have a great rest of the week,
Cindy

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Benton Sewing Seminar

We have had three great days of digitizing and embroidery. I hope you all feel you learned a great deal while having a good time. We covered a lot of ground with the projects and you learned techniques that you can apply to different projects along the way. I was able to take a few pictures the last 2 days. You all were a great group to work with! Thanks Billie Jo for hosting our seminar.
Enjoy the pictures and give some feedback.  If you took pictures, please send them to me.  I didn't get to take as many as I would have liked, I always forget to pull out the camera.
Cindy
New Friends

Watching the project embroider and making new friends
Waiting on the projects to finish and getting our things together

Hard at work

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

PR 1000 upgrade

Hi Daniel,
The PR1000 does indeed have an upgrade.  It is called Kit 1 and you can purchase it from your local Brother dealer.  It has quite a few new features including the scan function (that lets you scan your fabric to view your garment on the screen, a pattern connect by camera function, color shuffle, resizing with stitch recalculation, custom thread chart saving function, 10 new embroidery patterns and 2 new fonts.
Cindy Hogan

Monday, February 27, 2012

Benton Sewing Center - Pattern Connect by camera

I don't know about you ladies, but I learned a lot today.....about what can happen in a class with different machines and how to solve those issues.  All in all though you weathered it well.  Thank you for your patience with each other!  Just think if we hadn't had issues, you may not have realized how handy the scan feature on the PR1000 upgrade 1 is to have at your disposal.  Also, you now know what the new update on the PR1000 looks like.
Hopefully, you will find the feature helpful and will enjoy using it in the future.  It really is a great little feature when you wrap your head around how it functions.
I am looking forward to seeing you again in the morning.  Tomorrow we will learn tons of stuff in the software, so be prepared!
Have a great night!
Cindy

Sunday, February 26, 2012

February Knowing in Sewing

The February Knowing in Sewing was sent out tonight.  If you are signed up for the newsletter and did not recieve it, please email me @ cindyhogan@cynthiasembroidery.com. I will be happy to check your email settings and forward the newsletter.

Have a wonderful week!
Cindy

Thanks Claudia

Thank you Claudia,
I really enjoyed my visit with all of you at Rae Bon Sewing.  I especially appreciate you ordering up the wonderful weather for me.  It seems I left just in time as snow came along the next day!

I do hope you are all practicing what you learned and are enjoying the software. 

I apologize to you all for not posting sooner.  I hit the ground running when I arrived in Tn, preparing form my seminar this week in Benton, AR.  Since this is a create and sew, and I had a new class offering, I had some writing to do and kits to prepare.

Below are some pictures from last weekend! We were so busy, I didn't think to take any until the end of the seminar.  Be sure to keep in touch and if you have any comments to offer on the seminar, please post.  Thank you for welcoming me into your community.
Enjoy,
Cindy






Friday, January 27, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing January 2012

Hi All,
I hope you are faring well this January.  The January Knowing in Sewing was sent out today.  If you did not receive your email.  Please check your spam box.
Enjoy!
Cindy

Monday, January 2, 2012

The Knowing in Sewing December 2011

The Knowing in Sewing for December 2011 went out tonight.  Yes, I know it is January, but you will have to forgive me on this one.  I was unable to send out the December newsletter while traveling so it is going out this evening.  I hope the New Year finds you safe, healthy and happy.   If you did not receive it, your email either blocked it or was entered incorrectly.  I have had a few bounce back tonight.
Enjoy,
Cindy