Hi Everyone,

As you can see some of my last posts on the website main page speak of a move that I just recently went through at the end of 2010.  The move was not very smooth and I tried my best.  I have been doing my best also to get those creative juices flowing in this new place and unfortunately I've hit a really bad creative block. My surroundings are so very different and are affecting me in a really negative way.  I am no longer surrounded by creative people anymore who were so inspiring to me.  Don't get me wrong, there's creative people here...but not the same style as me.  Most people here are SUPER conservative...I find my tastes to be more aggressive.  I apologize for the lack of new designs on the site...I need to get my chin back up in the air and crawl out of this rut that I'm in.  I'd really appreciate hearing from some of you about ideas...I need inspiration, need to get that creative spark back where I feel I can't go to bed til I get these ideas into my software!

I WILL work this out and hopefully you'll be seeing some new designs soon...

Thank You Everyone! I hope all of you are well and I'll be hearing from you.

Christine O'Connell

So my mom and I have been experimenting with applique work, hopefully we'll have a couple of them posted this weekend at some point.  If you have an idea of what you'd like to see as an applique, please drop me an email and let me know!

Happy Summer All!

Wow, what a Month!  Normally I don't try to schedule so many events in one month as it takes away from being able to work on my embroidery and also puts a hurting on the wallet!  Last weekend I attended the Vampire's Ball in NYC which was a whole array of all things Goth...and this past weekend I went to the very first Steampunk World's Fair in NJ which was a whole array of Steampunk and Goth...and now next weekend I will be attending a short version of the Pennsic Wars (Medieval Reenactment event 12th-16th century).  Thanks to these events, they inspire me more to create. The types of people that attend these events are SO CREATIVE and full of ideas that I have to write everything down so that I don't forget the overwhelming amount of knowledge that gets passed around.  I've talked to some of the vendors who have some Brilliant Steampunk designs and I'm hoping that we can work something out so that I can bring them out onto my embroidery site.  As soon as they return from vending in Germany for the next 2 weeks, we'll be talking about it. I can't wait!

Sorry I've been a bit slow in getting designs up...once the events slow down this month, I'll be able to work on and post more designs.  If you've got ideas or have been looking for certain types of designs and just can't seem to find them...please let me know...I'm open to ideas and suggestions!

As much as I'd love to go take a nap right now...It's time to work at my day job!

Happy Monday Everyone! hehehe

-Christine

Ok, So I have a question…no this is not a test…this is me just wanting to know if anyone out there has experienced the same thing, and if so, does anyone have any answers.  If you’re reading my blog, I’m sure you’ve been on my website and as you can see a LOT of my designs are black, contain black, are mostly done in…well…Black!  I use Floriani threads, I LOVE the Floriani threads, but it seems that for some reason my fills don’t look completely “filled” when I stitch them out in black.  I found areas here and there where I could see the fabric through the fill.  So of course I’m thinking it’s my density settings and such so at one point I was increasing density.  But then I discovered something…if I stitch out the same design in a “color”…it would come out Perfect!  I wouldn’t be able to see the fabric through the stitches without having to make a design more dense.  I was amazed at that!  So then I did other things too to test this theory to make sure it wasn’t something else other than that it was Black thread in general.  I did try: changing stitch direction, changing my needles, different fabric, different stabilizer, different spool of black thread of Floriani, different spools of thread from other companies.  What I found was basically…if it’s done in black you might be able to see through the fill and if you stitch it in a color thread, you won’t.  So has anyone else come across this? And if you have, do you have any answers?  Theories?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? LOL!

Although my little sutures idea still hasn’t worked out,  my experimenting with fringe has paid off.  I love the parasols that came out and am thinking of doing a collection of perhaps 10 different ones… I don’t know, just playing with the idea, they’re fun looking designs.  Now I’m trying to think of what other designs I can incorporate this little technique into.  I’ve seen it on Flowers already (I might do some anyway).  I was thinking along the lines of animal fur but it would come out in far separated rows in which I don’t think would look right at all.  If I make the rows too close together…it’ll be a struggle to cut the bobbin threads especially if you won’t even be able to see them!  If anyone’s familiar with this technique, and you think you’ve got a great idea of what type of design it could be applied to, let me know…cuz I’m drawing up a blank! LOL!  Or if you’ve got any other ideas, for any designs, let me know.

Have a Great Day Everyone!

So I thought of this idea the other day.  Yes you're REALLY going to think I'm weird after this one, but hey...I am weird LOL!  My mom has made several nice projects using some tassle designs that she purchased a long time ago.  Then a couple weeks ago I noticed a couple of 3D flower designs on display in an embroidery store and I thought they looked neat.  So then it dawned on me a couple days ago that perhaps I can make something in 3D.  Of course, I'm not a Flowers and Tassles kinda gal...and I was thinking more on the lines of medical stitches for cuts...kinda like Frankenstein stitches...but in 3D.  OMG...they were hilarious!!  I didn't tell my roomates what I was trying to do, and everytime I'd stitch out a revised version, I'd show them and say "So what does this look like to you?"...they're answers would be "A fuzzy caterpillar"..."A Less fuzzy caterpillar". LOL!  So needless to say I've put the idea on the back burner...hopefully I'll get it to work at some point.  Frankenstein stitches are cool...but I wanted to make them more detailed looking than your average stitches...yep, the crazy ideas that go through my head.

I know that I've said that I don't like Cutesy, Cutesy...and you've seen a few designs posted lately that are somewhat "cute"...but my version of what I think is cute are things that are along the lines of "bizarre".  I'm the weird girl who watches nature shows and thinks that various species of lizards and all species of bats are the most adorable creatures on the earth!!  When most people are cringing, I'm reaching out wanting to hold and pet them...same goes for snakes too LOL!  So although I've mentioned the not liking of Cute things, I should rephrase that and say that "my definitition of cute is WAY different from the norm!" LOL!

Have a Great Day Everyone!

The weather outside this weekend was beautiful, but I spent most of my weekend indoors digitizing.  I kept all the windows open to enjoy the nice occasional breeze of Spring air.  I hope everyone was able to enjoy good weather over the weekend!

So I've spent a total of 14 hours now on 1 particular design.  I was hoping to have it done in a few hours, posted to the website and on to the next but once in a while you get a design that refuses to cooperate.  Even the most simple cartoon can become a digitizer's nightmare.  I've been digitizing for 2 1/2 years now and by no means have mastered the laws of physics! LOL!...that's what it comes down to.  I think even digitizers with 10 or more years of experience probably run into the same problems.  The problem with this design...the borders refuse to line up.  I'm sure everyone who's been embroidering for some time have experienced this in a design at some point.  A digitizer cannot possibly tell what kind of stabilizer and fabric anyone is going to use...and therefore can't compensate for everyone.  But my philosophy is, if "I" can't get it to work, it doesn't go out for sale. I read an article from a well-known digitizer in which she stated, not in these exact words as I can't remember her direct quote: If the outline is a "little" off, leave it alone as long as it doesn't take away from the beauty of the design itself. Being a digitizer and looking for the quality in the design...the first thing my eye goes to are these problem areas.  I don't know how else to look at a design that I create! LOL! I'm extremely critical of my work, to the point of obsessed with perfection...which turns into so much trial and error that I sway away from being realistic...as physics sometimes do not work in our favor and refuses to allow you to control it no matter what you do to make it work.   So after 14 hours and 11 stitchouts my frustration got the best of me...and I had to walk away from it.  The funny thing is when I think that I've tried "everything"...the next morning I'll think of several more things I can do differently! LOL!  And now the frustrating part is I'm at my day job all day thinking..."I can't wait to get home and see if my idea works!"  I'm sure many of you have had projects in your head or ideas that you want to try, but you're stuck at work and you just CAN'T wait to get home and give it a shot.  That's where I'm at right now...sitting at my desk waiting for 4:30 to hit so I can go home and try it again. 

Have a great day everyone!

Welcome to my Blog!  I’m Christine aka Keeley and I am half owner of Esque Embroidery, LLC.  My mom, Cynthia is the other half in case you haven’t looked at our about page on our website.  I am the digitizer, customer service, web administrator, and now Blog administrator LOL! Ever since Esque became known to the world through advertisements in Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazine, I’ve met some wonderful people in the embroidery world and have enjoyed our email conversations…so much so, that I’ve decided to start a blog which will give me a chance to meet more of you.  I’m also hoping that this blog will also be an opportunity to share embroidery knowledge, tips, thoughts, suggestions, problems, etc. as well as perhaps be a little entertaining for everyone.