Enjoy The Digitization of Designs Through Machine Embroidery
I am a digitizer of designs and beautiful patterns for machine embroidery. Among us many people are not familiar. But, if you have a great fondness for machine embroidery, you know really what it implies. If I’m lucky, you also like what I do. I know that I love what I’m doing, so others enjoying it as well is simply the best feeling in the world! It was ten years ago that I lastly broke down and got my first and quality embroidery machine. Prior to that, I felt that I had little use for one and even less time to devote to it. Oh, I quickly altered my tune. My quilting passion took the back seat as I became quickly faithful to the world of machine embroidery. It was not long after that I determined I wanted to try my hand at creating my own designs, and that’s when I was keen for life. Being a digitizer, and working for myself, isn’t glamorous or anything like that. I get up, have some coffee, take care of the pets and then wander into my computer. If I’m working on a set of designs, I just take up where I left off. If I don’t have a current work going on, I can spend an entire day doing trial designs to see which direction I want to go. Sometimes I’m lucky and find my way instantly. Other times, I end up with a handful of various designs with no rhyme or reason between them. But, even this gives me a handful of options for new sets of embroidery designs. Nothing is wasted. One problem I run into as a designer is that I don’t know what it is that others look for in the machine embroidery designs they want. I like red work and lacy designs first, and then I
prefer those with a complete look and good outlines. It is not necessary that everyone likes it. I can only design what I like, so there may be a lose connection between my designs and those in need of them. For the most part, I simply follow the rule of doing what I know. Because I am also a creative stitcher, I digitize designs thinking of the projects they will be used in. Most of my sets come with a free pattern. This is the part I truly love because it gives me the opportunity to teach! Of course, problems can arise if my instructions include specific embroidery supplies that others may not have. So, I must try to use only those most common items. This is a challenge at times, but a challenge is exactly what I need to keep my career exciting. On the rare occasion that I get together with other digitizers, one of our common issues is that we don’t know what our followers would like most. More lace? Less flowers? Indepth instructions for vital techniques? We really don’t know unless someone contacts us to tell us what they would like. Some people don’t want to seem like they are complaining and so don’t contact us. Believe me, as long as the remarks are polite, they can complain as much as they want! Of course, suggestions are even more helpful! So, if you have a fervor for machine embroidery designs, why not give your favorite designers a call or an email to tell them how you feel about their designs. If there’s something you’re looking for and have been unable to find, tell them so! While we are all highly creative, we run out of ideas all the time.