Digitizer’s Appreciation Week-July1-July7, 2007

Home digitizers have been the driving force behind machine embroidery market as it stands today. I give full credit to the commercial digitizers but I have to admit that the creativity and the reaching out for new and innovative ideas rests solely with the home digitizers. Machine embroidery is by no means a simple hobby. It is an elaborate, expensive and imaginative hobby. The arena which was in the hands of a few commercial entities is now moved by the home machine embroiderers and it is through them that the digitizers create new and innovative embroideries.

What started as a wonderful way to enhance the imagination became a nightmare for many home digitizers when certain individuals decided to partake in other’s hard works. Yahoo groups, News groups, private groups, even private embroidery clubs became dens of sharing purchased and or free designs.  Simple and easy word for these individuals partaking and engaging and enticing others is a “PIRATE”. Piracy exists in just about any craft so why not machine embroidery. The excuse these pirates gave for their actions was simple….it is education, it is fair use….etc etc. No mention was made of the time, money and expertise that the digitizer employed in creating the design, that was irrelevant. Excuses were made that the digitizer made a name by his/her design(s) being shared. A name cannot provide medicine, food, bills etc and it is not of the utmost importance to many home digitizers. It is not a hobby but a job for many digitizers including myself.

I have watched many friends come in the field of digitizing…few remain today and few left. Those who left could have been excellent digitizers had it not been for outright theft of their works. Many of us watch every day our designs being shared openly…even in front of our eyes…. an example….. in one of my classes at a show a lady thought it really interesting to share my designs via a disk mocking me. Embarrassing the lady in front of everyone is not my way of dealing and I let it go but kept a copy of what she was sharing. Time and life will deal with what she did.

Dianne Pomeroy, who is not only a dear friend but also the organizer of one of the largest home embroidery conferences, started a trend of honouring the home digitizers every year by a dedicated week in July. All that is asked is to visit your favourite digitizers’ websites and send appreciation either by purchase or send a note thanking for all that they do. There is no urging to purchase anything… a simple note of appreciation is also a purchase…a purchase of respect and honour. I do hope that many friends will give respect to their favourite digitizers during this time. The dates are July 1 through July 7, 2007. I myself will be introducing a new collection dedicated to this special week at a very special price. I am grateful to all friends around the world for their continued support and without it I would not be creating. The same goes for all my digitizer friends. I already have bookmarked my favourite digitizer’s websites and have taken an inventory of what I have and what I might want to get. Thanks to all friends and thanks to Dianne….Home digitizers rule!!!