Re: Machine embroidered quilts
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Sandra Williamson
Be prepared as my response on favorite websites for machine embroidery quilt designs covers two companies. In my quest to inform, it became quite an epistle! Next, for impressive designs in a broad array of categories, including quilts, my favorite is StitchDelight.net & it's owned by Daleen Lubbe in S. Africa. This week she released a book cover made with a front with a cameo design along with some added optional, text choices. It shows an outline of a woman's face, various areas of background quilting & inclusion of some expected words (Mother's Day's coming) along with areas of heavier use on binding where vinyl can be added to complete its binding. It can snap closed, include lovely lace that'll hold your spot in the book & everything is beautifully finished. This is an ITH design & she coordinated its release with a YouTube video that explains each step of its making (actual stitching is mostly done off camera). When completed in the hoop using her largest hoop, she includes an impressive degree of detail in explaining its completion & sees it to that full completion. Many of her quilt patterns include a broad array of block sizes. 4"x4" to its largest block size of 26" x 26" represents typical block sizes which is a span I have not seen elsewhere. She also offers designs in longarm formats as well (since I lack a longarm, I cannot comment further). An earlier book cover is called the Celtic Owl & (IMO) it's an awesome design along with a separate quilt pattern by the same name. These are among my personal favorites & I strongly suggest checking the completed projects as her pictured ones show-off her spectacular eye for completing designs using atypical methods! In Dec 2017, while the semi-annual 50% off sale was on, she released a lengthy patchwork quilt blocks series. A significant lesson to learn with her series' of designs is that it's best to check what blocks are included behind the pictured block. While its pictured design may or may not appeal at all, other blocks included in the set may be outstanding & missing what exists in the group can become a key error. Doing that checking into each group represents a significant time commitment but remains as a wise move. My one problem encountered with StitchDelight is that even with her emailed daily free letter which is accompanied by added designs she puts on sale for just a few days, it's easy to spend a lot as her designs are very appealing! She offers a 'fix' for economy's sake when her 50% off sales run (twice yearly) so she provides 'Wishlist' options for storing designs for later purchases at sale pricing. Her sale in Dec 2017 was extended because she was in midst of testing before adding a new website (a process I've learned to dislike) & I assumed major trouble would hit in Jan 2018. I was wrong as that switch was 100% seamless! She personally had worked out the kinks prior to putting it online for our use! Why is it that others don't prepare like that? Another aspect in which she is a trailblazer is use of atypical fabrics for her stitchouts which is best discovered while viewing her stitched designs. Daleen Lubbe is followed through her FB StitchDelight Freebie Club (21K+ members strong) & one other & I'm aware that some parts of the world have various ways of accessing her designs & I have seen her give instructions in several languages & they are sent where their language is supported & the problems vanish. Her Facebook groups are very active with StitchDelight embroidery patterns & I look forward to seeing more beauties. Re: her pictured quilts, runners, book covers, baby bibs, sheets, stuffed animals, tablecloths, bowls, doilies, flowers...their stitched looks can be quite spectacular which spawns questions re: Why? What makes them outstanding? Of course, it's her design work & possibly it may be thread choice but more often it's her atypical fabric choice which makes for substantial changes in appearance. With her responses to member's curiosity about appearance, she expands options of fabric purchasing among her followers! It's extraordinary how her simple disclosure spawns searches for similar textiles by many. It's had a substantial effect on my fabric purchases as I have learned some of her methods. Its effect is to expand my searches in a quest for 'that unique look'! I now have my Daleen fabrics stored separately from all other fabrics. StitchDelight is about more than embroidery designs as it's more of its new way of creating fresh looks via our embroidery machines. I feel quite confident you'll enjoy these two suggestions. Enjoy discovering new designs!
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