The Bobbin Buzz & Stitchin' Bits

One of our members is named Debi Weinert. Her husband Karl and she own a boat-building business and a school that teaches people how to build a boat. In fact, the students come to their school in Western Tennessess and two days later, they've built this boat...

You can visit Debi and Karl's websites at...

http://www.tennesseeboatschool.com/2007
and
http://sandralynnboatworks.com

I get emails every day from members and guests to TheBobbinBuzz and ArtisticThreadWorks. Today Kaye Hansen from Oregon wrote to me and told me about this organization and their efforts to honor our fallen heroes...

"This nationwide effort to show our support for the families of service men and women was established in 2004 by Don Beld, nationally recognized quilter and historian of Redlands, California. Just as the quilters in early American history were dedicated in their heartfelt efforts to support the soldiers, we are working to show our gratitude for their service and sacrifice by providing these commemorative Home of the Brave quilts for the family of each serviceman or woman killed in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom."

You can read the rest of the story at...

...and view their photo gallery at...

As of today, only 484 people have seen their website. Please take a minute to look at what they are doing and if you're in Oregon and interested in quilting, check out their "How You Can Help" link.

November 1 through November 4, 2007 are the dates for the Houston Quilt Show. There's a "sneak-preview" night on October 31st too. Read more details at... http://www.quilts.com/home/viewer.php?page=../fqf07/info/genInfo

Holly and Nita will be at the show visiting with friends and possibly helping out at the RNK Distributing booth, but we won't have a booth of our own this year. (Maybe next year?) They'll be talking about "fuwari" designs and some possibly some other projects we have going on too.

What's "fuwari"? It's a 3-D embroidery technique where the digitizer creates a design that is 3-dimensional. It's fun to look at and to touch. Because it is 3-D, it doesn't show up so well in photos but I'll try with this photo...

Yep! Believe it or not, that was sewn out on a home embroidery machine!

Right now I'm in Vermont to visit my dad, stepmom, and sisters. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (literally) Holly and Nita are busy test-sewing fuwari designs on different machines and fabrics with different combinations of needles and threads so they KNOW exactly what to tell people that want to learn how to do fuwari. It's keeping them busy but they're also having a ball with this project! The design packs will begin showing up on your dealer's shelves in March, although a few dealers will have them sooner than that.

When I get home on Thursday I'll be working on several new videos we have in the works, along with more website updates, and a couple other projects we're working on. It sure can be busy when you own a small business! But for the next 3 days, I'm relaxing and taking time out for family. I'll still be checking in, just not all day long. Hope you're having a great weekend!

-- Larry

Did you know we have a "classifieds" section on ArtisticThreadWorks? It's a place where members can post items they have for sales, designs they've digitized, used machines and accessories, and lots more.

Here's one ad from our classifieds today...

Lisa

If YOU have an item you'd like to advertise to thousands of embroiderers, post it in our classifieds section at ArtisticThreadWorks. It's free to members!

November shipment from NitasThreadNest is shipping on Monday. Members should receive their shipments beginning Thursday November 8th.

This month's design packs are called "Tuscan Dreams" from Nita, and "From The Vineyard" from Holly. The bonus thread-pack contains spools of the 15 colors of Floriani thread used to make these designs! Here's a picture of both of this month's design sets...

(Digitized by Nita Okeefe)

(Digitized by Holly Pike)

Not a member yet? You can join now at Nita's ThreadNest! There are two choices for membership -- either "Start-In-Place" or "Start-At-The-Beginning". In the "Start-In-Place" plan your first shipment will come shortly after the 1st of December and will be the December design sets on CD, plus the bonus pack of 15 thread colors used to make the designs.

In the "Start-At-The-Beginning" plan, you will receive ALL the previous design sets and bonus thread packs too.

Either way -- it's a GREAT DEAL on some wonderful designs! Here's where to get more info on joining... http://www.nitasthreadnest.com/public/10.cfm

The Houston Quilt Festival opened last night to the public. This is a "must-see" show at least once in your life!

We'll be there on Friday (Nov 2nd) walking around the show and seeing everything new and exciting. Besides quilts and quilting supplies, you'll find lots of embroidery booths too!

(Photo of quilt by czgrad from ArtisticThreadWorks Photo Gallery)

I'll bring my camera and post photo's here on Saturday so check back then for a glimpse of the Houston Quilt Festival.

It's taken a lot of work to get it fully functional, but it's there now and you're invited to take a look at what's there now for digitizers!

The new home page at:
http://www.digitizersworld.com

Our "design search" system:
http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/department92.cfm

The "Online Lessons" area:
http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/1044.cfm

The "Feature Articles" section:
http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/department59.cfm

The "Advertising" opportunities:
http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/department104.cfm

and the new membership info page:
http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/department13.cfm

If you digitize as a hobby - you'll like the online lessons,
and the feature articles about digitizing and business.

If you digitize for a living - you'll like what DW can do
for your business!

Here's an email question I received this afternoon. I realized that if one person was asking, then others may be wondering too!

"I'm confused about www.DigitizersWorld.com. I'm already a member of www.ArtisticThreadWorks.com. Do I need to join DigitizersWorld in order to use the designs?"

In a word... "No."

We own several websites in the embroidery niche. You belong to www.ArtisticThreadWorks.com which is geared toward embroiderers. We also own www.DigitizersWorld.com which is geared toward digitizers. You can read details here... http://www.digitizersworld.com/public/department13.cfm

If you want to belong to DigitizersWorld then there are 3 membership possibilities. One is for Embroiderers. Another one is for Digitizers that are hobbyists or beginners. And the final membership is for professional digitizers. The difference in membership for the two levels of digitizers is based on whether or not a digitizer wants to advertise on our website. If they do, then they take the professional membership called "Digitizer-Plus". (The "plus" meaning "+ advertising")

So whether you would want to join DigitizersWorld or not depends on what you enjoy doing within the hobby or business of embroidery.

The first online digitizing lessons started today with "PE-Design Basics" at DigitizersWorld. Sign up for lessons and learn how to use the software you paid for so long ago.

View our upcoming lessons calendar at...

-- Larry

If you're a digitizer you probably have questions about copyrights. Here's a page that's in My Favorites that you may want to read. The same concepts apply to embroidery designs too...

Did you know that ATW sells designs? Many people think we're only a membership site. Not true! Take a look at our Premier Designs Studio...

Here's a unique in-the-hoop set of designs I spotted this morning in the Daily News. I really liked the hamburger in the set...

Here's a fun online game... "MonoMatch". It's provided by MonoBrow.com and it's a simple puzzle where you flip the pieces until you turn up two that match. Each puzzle piece features a person or character with just one eyebrow!

I got 10 right out of 12 possible... how about you?

Very clever Dr Seuss style poem!

It's Sunday and today I'd like to share a website I followed off-and-on for several years. It's called "OurCoolHouse.com" and it's about a couple in Maryland who decided to build an energy efficient home.

The site documents every step of the journey from finding the land to painting the walls in the finished rooms. Their design is unique and it really showcases what can be done by people who want to live a different way.

Have fun visiting thier site at... OurCoolHouse.com.

-- Larry

Here's a website that's a little strange but interesting anyway...

Here's a site I "crawled" around for a while...

Okay - this one is better off showing up in June but I just came across this page and thought "I probably won't remember to tell you about it in June so here it comes now...

It's time to share another of my favorite websites with my friends here!

My sister told me about this site www.andybaird.com/travels/ a couple years ago and I've been following along ever since. The site owner Andy decided several years ago to trade in his corporate job and daily commute for the full-time RV'er lifestyle. He has really made some great improvements to his RV and it makes a great read.

One of my favorite articles is this one called "Saving The Earth At 8-MPG". Another article I found helpful was this one about installing a more accurate tank gauge. We added the same gauge and found it to be VERY helpful to really know when the tanks need to be emptied!

There are many other interesting pages on this site including ones about friends, phototography, Marie (his cat) and others. Hopefully I'll get to meet Andy in person at the 2008 Albuquerque Balloon FIesta.

-- Larry