outfits for my girls!

I know it is a little late, but I just had to share a few outfits that I made my girls and niece for Thanksgiving!

 

 


Sincerely,
Whitney

The Small Business Owner Pep-Talk for the Christmas Hustle and Bustle !!

Christmas Hustle and Bustle 

I don't know how many of you guys get caught up in all the Christmas hype. But, as an embroiderist I have begun to spread myself so thin that I am not even able to enjoy the "true season" of Christmas. Which should be my family, right?

If you are a small business owner, you completely get me. Everyone is buying, ordering, and calling your store asking what your business hours. 

I am sure that some of you feel like I have these last few days. I am been so busy with trying to get orders completed that I have not actually accomplished much of anything. My house is a mess, my stomach is growling because I managed to miss another meal, my kids are yelling at each other because I have failed to mediate and give them the proper attention. YIKES!

So, this is to all those stay-at-home-work-at-home business moms and dads. Also, to all those small business owners who have spread themselves too thin. The holidays will soon be over. Chin up, press on. And give God all the glory that we have a business!" 
We can make it. Good luck during these last 2 weeks before Christmas.

              Leave a comment below telling me what kind of business you have, or work for and how you are going to find 5 minutes to just be. 

Sincerely,
Whitney 

check me out at

 Facebook @NeedlesEmbroideryandClothing 

Pinterest @NeedlesEC
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That Feeling...

   Have you ever gotten that feeling when you agree to embroider something and that yes instantly becomes regret? 

   Well, that was me this week. My uncle stopped by with an golf bag to embroider for one of his co-workers that is retiring. When I saw the golf bag my throat knotted up. He wanted a large logo embroidered on the side of the bag. Which, generally, if you have read my previous blog post on "embroidering hard to hoop items" you would know that I use Fast Frames and sticky back stabilizer to assist me.

    Unfortunately, this gold bag was going to stretch my limits. It was a hard case! How am I supposed to get that onto my machine. Granted, I do have a large machine, and I can fit large and bulky items on it. But, this. This was going to really give me a run for my money. Speaking of, because I am embroidering it for my uncle I am not charging him for the time and effort, just the stabilizer and thread.

  So, today is the day that he is coming by to pick it up. I still haven't touched it yet, because it is a scary project. Ha. And right before he left my house he said, "this bag was the only one, so don't mess up". Um...Thanks.

  I prepare my sticky back on my fast frame and pick up this giant hard case golf bag to hook up to my machine...and as I start to unzip the side pocket a little more I quickly realize that the whole side comes right off the case. I start giggling and almost instantaneously my nerves calm and I am ready to work!

 That was a God thing, seriously. I would have had to of held that bag up on my machine for 1 hour (without any hiccups). My arms would have been so exhausted to say the least, But. think about it. How much time I would have wasted just holding a bag up! A heavy bag. A LOT!

So, Cheers to me for finding out that the side pocket comes off before I have held the golf bag up for almost an hour!

   What do you think? Our school logo. It looks amazing, if I do say so myself :-) The only thing I don't like about high density designs is how it tends to pull the material. I did use an extra layer of tear away stabilizer, but, I still got some pulls. Next time, I think I will use cut away instead.

Until next time!

A Dose of Constructive Criticism

Good afternoon my fellow bloggers.

   This afternoon I hired my sister, Amber, to come over and work for a few hours for me. While she was here she gave me a dose of constructive criticism. Amber is in a sorority and I've been embroidering Greek shirts for almost a year now, and she has been telling me for a year that I need to purchase the Traditional Greek Font. When she said it again today, I responded snarkily, "no one uses the traditional letters when they do appliques"
 
  Boy, was I ever wrong! She showed me picture after picture on Instragram of all these sweatshirts and shirts done with the traditional Greek Letters. She then followed with, "...that's why Tammy (name changed for no other reason other than I can't remember the real one ;-)) didn't really like her shirts"

WHAT?!


   So, after 5+ minutes of searching for the Traditional Greek Font I purchased the font for myself. I am now the proud owner of a font that Amber claims will get me more business. We shall see, maybe she is right. I do feel good about buying the Greek Alpha. I purchased it from Applique Market and they are currently having a half off sale!! The whole alpha is $6. You get two styles when you purchase from Applique Market, the satin and the zig zag. Yeah.




Here is what I made with it today using my new font... 

Details--
Sweatshirt Brand: Comfort Colors
Top Fabric is from Hobby Lobby
Bottom Fabric Layer is from Hancock Fabrics
Thread: Cream yellow and pewter gray. 

Back with new videos

Good morning.

I am finally back with YouTube videos. Check out my newest video "Battery Chargers and an Update" Also, be sure to watch til the very end :-)

   If you have missed any of my new series "Embroidery and Applique Series" click HERE!

 

   In this series my videos are specifically geared toward entrepreneurs who want to know more about embroidery and applique. 

   This series will cover a variety of subjects, for example: hooping, materials, working with children, building a customer base, and working and marketing online.

Thanks for joining me. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE and follow me on all the social media sites. 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WhitneyMarieHicks1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeedlesEmbroideryandClothing

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/NeedlesEC/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/needlesembroidery  or just needlesembroidery for the phone app

Embroidering on hard to hoop items

   How many times have you been requested to work on items that have been difficult to hoop? I am raising both hands! Today I am working on burlap tote bags that have a plastic lining. Generally, if I receive an order that I cannot fold up into a plastic bag I prepare it for my Fast Frames.

   Fast Frames are a patented pressed metal that offers an alternative to hooping; perfect for those difficult to hoop items that people keep asking us to embroider. I do love my Fast Frames, it was was on the best additional purchases that I made when I got my Entrepreneur Pro PR-1000e Brother embroidery machine. They were an additional cost, but worth every penny. I use mine every day. Not just for items that are difficult to hoop.

   Fast Frames are great to use for embroidering baby onesies, shirts, bags, totes and so much more; the list can go on and on. These pressed metal frames are so versatile! Whether you are a novice or master embroiderist Fast Frames are a must have.

   Here is a recent project that I had to embroider using Fast Frames. 
These burlap tote bags are beautiful, but with the plastic lining they are rather difficult to hoop; therefore, I used my largest Fast Frame. This frame measures 185x185mm.
 

The only stabilizer that I used for the project was the Sulky Sticky+ . I bought mine by the bolt at Amazon.com. But, I found it HERE for a good price, too. Of course, you can always purchase Sulky Sticky back stabilizer from your local Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann's, or Hancock Fabrics.  I used my grid mat to mark the center of the stabilizer, then place it on my machine to center the frame up with the needle. This is actually a more important step with the smaller frames. It is important to get the embroidery centered up so the needle won't hit the side of the frame.

  I lined the top of the Fast Frame up with the edge of the tote, using my grid mat as a guide.

Since the bag is made of burlap the thread is fairly holey, a layer of Water Soluble Stabilizer is the perfect fix. The WSS keeps the thread from getting lost between the gaps. 

   

   Once the monogram had been stitched out I gently peeled away the sticky back stabilizer and was left with this... 

 
  It is always a given to finished up an embroidered design or monogram by trimming the jump stitches on the back. Trimming doesn't take too long, and it is a small way of saying that your customers are important and worth the time.

   Here is the finished monogram. So beautiful. I used Vine Font, center initial is 5" and the side initials measure 3" tall. Thread colour is Floriani's Chocolate Brown PF0199


Follow me at

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WhitneyMarieHicks1 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeedlesEmbroideryandClothing

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/NeedlesEC/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/needlesembroidery  or just needlesembroidery for the phone app

Pinterest Intervention

   I seriously have a pinterest addiction! I can't even remember when I started pinning, and I am not making plans to stop.  Nope,  this intervention is an "action" intervention.  I am planning on going through my pin boards and recreating the ones that I love the most. Starting with sewing and embroidery...because that is my job! Eek. I am so excited. I have been hoarding this pins for such a long time.

  If you are a fellow pinner Follow my board! I have a personal pin board and a business pin board. You can follow me on both boards, I would love to have you.

Alright, my NEWLY 5 YEAR OLD daughter (Xoe's birthday is today!!) is telling me that she wants on the computer. So, I will leave this blog post short.

Be prepare for Pinterest recreations!!!


Whitney
 

The lost is now found!

Hello everyone,

So, for the last few months, and I am serious when I say months, I have been searching for my video camera's charger. I have unpacked and repacked boxes and bags in my office. I have searched my bedroom. My parent's house. Everywhere. I felt like I was searching for a long lost artifact.

Well, I am happy to report that my months of searching finally have paid off! I found my video camera charger just the other day. It was packed away in a box that was getting ready to be taken to our storage unit. (We had to get a unit because our family moved to Fort Leonard Wood, MO for my husband to attend a residential training for the military. Currently, we are living with his parents until we can find our own house; therefore, the storage unit.) How my charger ended up in the box could have happened only one way. Cleaning. Ha. I was cleaning my office and going through a bunch of inventory that I haven't been using, and did not plan on using any time soon. The charger must have fallen in with my extra inventory and been packed away.

I am thrilled to have my camera charger back. Long story short... a few weeks before I started this long, drawn out search I had begun a new embroidery and sewing series on youtube.com. It is all about the machines, materials, technique, and tips for fellow embroiderists and seamstresses, like myself.

See, when I started researching for an embroidery machine that would meet my needs and goals for my business there was not much information out there. I watched every video, read tons of blogs and searched mainstream websites for valued information concerning the machines and business.

Once my machine was happily at home, I decided that it would be beneficial to not only my followers, but also for me. to upload videos on embroidery. Two reasons, one, to keep me up-to-date with techniques and software, and two, I enjoy teaching. If you read my first entry you would find out that I resigned from teaching two years ago.

Now having my charger I plan on posting videos on youtube again. *Super loud YEAH*
Stay tuned for the next upload! Plus the next blog post.

You can find my on
Youtube @WhitneyMarieHicks1
Facebook @NeedlesEmbroideryandClothing 
Pinterest @NeedlesEC
Intagram @NeedlesEmbroidery

Please leave a comment below and thank you for sharing in my blogging journey.

Oh my craft... A little about me and my craft

Hello to all who find their way to my blog.

I have been encouraged to start a blog, thanks to Alex Beadon founder of "The Spark Lounge" (you can find her on Facebook, and pretty much any other social media site). So, after little debate, here I am starting up a new blog. Thank you for taking the time to read about my little crafting world.

Just a little about me...

 I am what I like to call a "Stay-At-Home-Work-At-Home-Mother". I am exactly what I have labeled myself. I stay at home with my beautiful daughter, Kadalin Echo of 8 months; while working from home.

I am married to a wonderful man of 6 years, Captain Micheal Hicks. He is National Guard and is extremely handsome in his uniform! He just finished telling me that October 25th was his 9th military anniversary! Wow, what an accomplishment. I am so proud to be an army wife.

**Pictures to come. server says that it is having difficulty uploading, whatever that means**

How it all started...

I have always crafted. But, I knew that I couldn't make a living on crafting, or so I thought. So, I went to college to become a teacher. After 1 year of teaching public school (8 years teaching English As a Second Language) and being treated absolutely horrible by the administration I resigned. I tried to jump back into teaching, and had applied for several jobs, but my heart was honestly terrified that I would be hired. I was so scared that I would be treated awful again. Once burned was more than enough for me. I just could not go back into the classroom still feeling like I was still on fire from the past year. After the school year began, and much prayer, I decided that I would not pursue a teaching career.

I started working for a wonderful lady who owned a craft store. It was originally supposed to be a scrapbooking store; but, it has really turned into a "we do everything in here" store! I was there almost a year, and within that year the owner's kindness and positive attitude healed my heart. I owe her a great deal of gratitude and cannot tell her how much I appreciate her hiring me.

 In 2012 my husband and I prayed about starting our own business. An embroidery business. I spent hours and hours researching which machine and what materials was needed to start and sustain an embroidery business from home. Finally, in April 2013, my husband and I embarked on a new adventure. I purchased (I am embarrassed to say. but it was all on credit) a 10 needle Entreprenuer PR-1000e BROTHER machine. She weights 99 pounds and is named Emma :-). Yes. I named my embroidery machine! Emma runs wonderfully and has created so many beautiful projects. But, more about my machine later.

What my blog is all about... 

I not only started this blog because the Sparklers in The Spark Lounge encouraged me to, but because I have a voice. And I have a story to be told. I meet women all the time who say they don't know how to craft, that they don't know where to even start. Well, I am here to say that "crafters", much like a craft, is created!  Crafting is something that most everyone can do. There are exceptions :-)  You know who you are.

I want this blog to encourage those who are wanting to start their own business. Giving you the information you need so you can feel confident in making your purchase. I want to give you tips and tricks. I also want to help you build a relationship with your customers. I also intend for this blog to be an inspiration for those who just want to craft!

Reality...

It is already known that I certainly cannot blog it all. And, thankfully, I do not have to. There are numerous blogs out there on the subject of crafting and embroidery. But, I will commit to sharing what I know and enjoying the journey. I certainly do appreciate every one of you who had read through this first blog. And, ask that you leave an encouraging comment below. Also to please follow me in my blogging journey. I will need constructive feedback and affirmation as I undertake this next phase in my business.

I am a "work-at-home-stay-at-home-mother" and time is short and choppy. I will strive to post as much as possible, whenever possible. And, as life goes, some weeks it may be 2-3 times a weeks...and then others it may be once a month. Life is life and I am so glad that we are sharing it together.