A Machine Embroiderer’s New Year Resolution

I am a Machine Embroiderer and after having spent a long year in understanding my machine I have decided to make some resolutions in regard to my hobby in the coming New Year. I think these will help me in better understanding my machine and the time I spend embroidering.

1. I promise to clean my machine after every three hours of embroidering. I will try not to use my regular vaccum cleaner but purchase something smaller that won’t suck out some of the machine parts.

2. I promise to not slap my machine when the bobbin runs out and it gives a crying sound….for that matter I promise never to hit the machine whenever the crying sound happens.

3. I promise to not use masking tape or spray adhesives on my hoops…especially no spray adhesives near my machine.

4. I promise to keep my hands away from the machine when it is embroidering and trim the jumps after it has stopped stitching and not while it is stitching…the doctor bills for my needle stuck fingers raised my insurance premium…that must not happen again.

5. I promise to put a label on all my stabilizers so I know which one I’m using and not try and guess.

6. I promise to change my needle when it hits the throat plate and not pretend that the last 100 stitches of the design can be finished with a bent needle.

7. I promise to believe in quality and not quantity…if however quality and quantity is available at the same time, I should take advantage and then this promise will not count.

8. I promise to make a list of all the designs that I own so I don’t end up buying the same designs over and over again.

9. I promise to make a wish list so my family and friends won’t buy me some ******** gift that is of no use to me.

10. I promise to make color changes to the design that I am stitching and not be afraid that some “Embroidery Police” will come and attack me for choosing my Constitutional right of freedom of expression.

11. I promise to download freebies to a special folder marked “freebies” and make subfolders within it as to which digitizer the freebie came from.

12. I promise never to bring any liquid drinks in my sewing room and place near my machine.

13. I promise to test sew the design for my final embroidery. The $100 shirt that dd brought me to embroider has cost me $300…..grrrr.

14. I promise to find a unique hiding place for any fabric that I may buy this year….one that dh won’t find easy to discover.

15. I promise to watch out for sales and use my money wisely and not be tempted to purchase anything after midnight….those late night purchases made quite an impact on my credit card this year.

16. I promise to keep the cat out of my sewing room. If I take her to the vet one more time because her tail was caught in the embroidery design, I think the vet may call the “Humane society” on me.

17. I promise to finish projects that are at least a year old. Any project started before that time frame I will pitch or give away.

18. I promise to arrange my threads according to colors so I will know what all I have.

19. I promise to sweep my sewing room floor at least once a week so I won’t lose my hoops, threads, stabilizers or some machines.

20. I promise to test the color fastness of the thread by stitching a sample first and washing in hot water so dgd won’t have a red streaked school uniform shirt.

21. I promise to wipe my ironing board cover or wash it at least once a month so I won’t have all my clothese sticking to it when I iron.

22. And the last but not least, I promise to be good to myself and embroider at least one item for my own self this year.