my first project was to embellish white linen with white cotton squiggles over the fabric randomnly and then to take the embroidered fabric and make a pair of trousers.

my second project was to embroider pale green dragonflies over the shoulder and down the sleeve of a linen tunic.

my third broke me to monogramming a dozen table napkins.

and by the forth I was combining flower designs into bouquets and adding pithy messages and turning the pieces into bedroom pilloows with piped or ruffled edges.

Now with a new machine I am into continuous borders for garments and funky buttonholes.
which brother did you buy?

Great suggestions, Dayenu!

I purchased a previously loved Brother PC8500. I was not sure if I was actually going to like embroidery but I needed another sewing machine while my larger machine was on a quilting frame. I know that I can also embroider patches for my quilts and I guess that is part of my problem because that is one of the things that I really want to do and I couldn't get past that.

I have done sweat shirts. I also cut down the middle of the sweatshirt front and put on binding and made it into a jacket. I embroidered on the left side with initials. I made my daughter a robe with her initials on it. There a a ton of things to embroider once you get going.

hoerlel, I got my first embroidery machine last November, a Bernina. I put the first few projects on my website and you are welcome to look at them and maybe get some ideas. When my son ask me to monogram the dash mat for his pickup, I was a little worried. But I tried sticking it with a needle and it went through with ease. The embroidery machine handled it well. The timing was great for me to get my Bernina because in December I became the proud grandmother of twins, Preston and Madisyne. So I've had fun designing things for them. You can see my first projects here, My first embroidery projects

MaryAnn thanks so much for sharing your projects. They are absolutely beautiful. I am especially partial to the little onesy with B.Y.O.B. That is so clever!

hoerlel, I put that design together myself and will be happy to e-mail it to you if you want it.

I really liked the Valentine holders. I embroidered the first one pictured for a friend's granddaughter. So I used it for a pattern to make the ones for the twins. They were due in March, but came in December and stayed in the hospital till March. So they hung the holders on their cribs in the hospital and we all gave them their first valentines.

I think I should say that I didn't dream up that design! I saw it somewhere and just did the text myself and added a baby bottle to it. I wish I was creative enough to come up with ideas like that!

I can't believe how clever everyone is. I feel like such a novice. I hope to be able to learn from this forum. I am loving working with my new machine and I can't wait to get some stuff under my belt.

I know this is a long time after the original posts but I'd like the BYOB embroidery file if MaryAnn still has it. My sister in-law is due next month and I'd LOVE to make her one of those!

Elethia,
I just saw your message about Mary ann's embroidery.I'm sorry to say Mary Ann lost her battle with cancer earlier this year.
Kathi