Seriously, someone over in alt.sewing.mach-embroider gave me a huge shove about three years ago, and I'm glad I finally got going with it, I haven't had this much fun in ages!
"Please contact me..." is an *order* now? ;-þ
You're welcome. If you are serious about wanting the files, let me do a stitch-out trial first, I want to be sure I remembered all the steps. Or I can just send you the sample. Do you have color preferences for the background fabric?
My DDs loved it, they want them for their entry doors, too. Looks like I'll be busy.
Before I can turn on the machine, I need to clear a path to the cabinet it's sitting on top of. Then I'll have to wrangle a chair and a light. Not to mention that it's about time to start putting the tax stuff together and I've got some sorting out to do for the old man who has decided to retire this spring. He tells all the people that they have to talk to me, isn't that sweet?
On top of that, it's been snowing every day for the past two weeks, and there's a storm coming in tonight. I am so sick and tired of snow - it's not a lot at any one time - it snows an inch or two at night then melts or evaporates (most of it, anyway) in the day, then snows again, ad nauseum, ad infinitum. I think I have a fix in the works, though, because I broke down and ordered some boots. So far, I've managed with some old clogs, but that's only good if I stay out of the accumulation on the shady side.
There now, that's a great deal more than you wanted to know, but so it goes.
Background? White works well for contrast, with red and black stitching. But there are several other colors that would still do that, aren't there? Tan, beige, light blue, even pale pink! LOL! Glad your daughters will get in on this. It always amazes me that people think they can just show up at your door to tell you that you've got the entire idea of existence wrong and they've come to set you straight and you should be grateful. There must be a lot of brass monkeys missing important parts.
And you have to have space nearby for a computer! The digitizing part is almost as much fun as making stuff. My notebook, bought to be a dedicated (DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING IT!!!) adjunct to the embroidery machine has some issues, though. The computer has no serial port, the PSW and XL5000 require a serial modem hook-up to the machine. I've jury rigged with a USB-to-serial adaptor and modem cables. But PSW will not send to the machine, I have to close it and open desings in the "Conversion" software.
Yeah, I have Turbo Tax ready to install, I have to get mine done earlier than usual this year, as I'll be leaving for the Grand Canyon in April.
Darling of him, what a generous man! ;->
Folks here (but not me) complain about the almost constant rain this time of year. Personally I prefer it to the freezing rain black ice I didn't know was there as I skated out to get the paper this AM. I just barely avoided going down.
Right, I can make it to complement (or contrast with) your front door and/or siding.
Ah, truer words were never spoke. And it's not just the folks who arrive at the front door. I have one SIL who still tries mightily to "save" me. :-(
I'll have to check that situation out carefully. I do have an old laptop with 98 on it that I use with my old Singer EU.
That is extremely dangerous. A former co-worker slipped on the ice in her driveway - in Atlanta! - and broke both wrists. They didn't heal correctly and it led to her early retirement, which she was no way prepared for.
I've emailed you a picture of the front of my house in which you can see that there is no siding, just brick, but a black storm door, and white porch. The door itself is red, but hard to see through the grill on the storm door.
That would be very tiresome! I'm lucky that neither my seriously Catholic MIL, nor my SIL who used to be a nun are of that type. My cousin-the-Mormon-convert is also respectful of my privacy. I don't
*think* it's because they're all scared of me...... But I am always tempted to tell the door knockers that I practice human sacrifice...
I am just about to give up on the XP laptop for the embroidery machine. I have an older PC with 98SE and all the various ports, I think I'll retire it to the embroidery room, I get so frustrated with the design transfer problems. Or, since they are both on the network maybe I'll continue to create deigns on the laptop, and then drag them to the old desktop PC for transfer. Or something.....
It took me entirely by surprise. I knew we were expecting freezing weather, but it *looked* like plain old rain. I suddenly found myself slipping and just barely caught myself. I was exceedingly careful as I walked back to the house. I know from experience how deadly fractures can be in the elderly (though I'm not *there* yet), my FIL succumbed after breaking his second hip.
I received it, and sent you one of my house, although there is FAR less snow. ;-)
If it were not for the breach it might cause with my adored brother, I really demand in no uncertain terms that she stop. I don't know how he reconciles his atheism with her evangelism. Strange marriage.
I had a couple who were aggressively trying to get into the house. Finally I shouted at them and slammed the door. I felt rude and ungracious, but really, there is a limit! Now I either do not answer the door, or put up a hand, tell them to stop, and close the door. Gently....
I have an old computer downstairs in the cold room that might do. It has 2000 on it, but I could change the OS if need be.
My co-worker is considerably younger than I am, so this was all quite a surprise. She's doing much better now, though her husband died during her recovery and that didn't help at all. She's lost some mobility, and can't spend the long hours on the keyboard that she used to do.
Very nice house! I envy you the less snow, as I am getting way too much this winter. Though I am grateful it's not all at once, or we'd be buried like we were in 2005. Last night's 4-6 inches had pretty much melted (and been shoveled) away before the current snowfall began. This looks like it's going to be even more. *sigh*
I have a strange marriage of my own. ;-) Nobody understands it. My MIL estimated we'd last six months, and it'll be 30 years this April.
Not answering the door is good, and what I usually do. If I open the door at all, I have that lovely steel storm door that I can see out of but you can't really see in unless there's a light on inside. I just close the inside door and walk away. The doorhanger will stop some of them before they mount the stairs, I hope. Though I've had some say, "Does this mean me?" LOL!! Well....duh!!!
I was a bystander at what has become a classic tale of Getting Rid of The Godly:
I think they were Mormons, which is unusual here in the UK, and VERY unusual back in the mid seventies. I'd gone round to a friend's house, where he was making a posh Frock for his then girlfriend (now wife of more than 30 years!) to wear to the college summer ball. I wanted space to draft out my pattern and they had lots of tiled floor in their student house. So there we were, drafting patterns, playing with their kitten, trying to lay out chiffon, lining and cheesecloth when the doorbell rang. Remember: this is 1976 or so. We are STUDENTS! We live in bare feet, long floppy hair, droopy skirts and jeans. The house smells faintly of patuli, joss sticks and beer (it's a blokes house, after all! We girlies are only guests!)
P got up and went to see who it was, this being his dwelling. Doorsteppers trying to convert him to Christianity of some flavour. Quoted chunks of bible at him in support of something... Hm... NOT wise. 'I'm sure that's not an accurate translation', says P and gallops upstairs. Thumps overhead, followed by cry of 'There you are, you dratted object!' and an avalanche noise as he gallops back down the stairs...
By now GF A and I are giggling gently, hunkered down out of site on the living room floor: all windows are open as it's a bright sunny day.
Sound of flicking pages: 'Look!' says P: 'See! Right there!' [Sound of Ancient Greek being read by P, followed by translation into modern English] They try again with various other bits, which he rapidly finds, reads out, and translates, showing them the pages each time. After 10 minutes or so of this:
Apologetic voice from doorstep: 'I'm sorry, we can't read Greek!'
'Good Grief!' says P. 'What on earth do they teach in schools these days!' (Collapse of A and I into helpless laughter on floor.)
He must have been all of 21 at the time, and a Physics student, and at least 10 years younger than The Godly. There are, as he said, SOME advantages of a classical English Public School education.
Somewhere I still have pix of us in those frocks. A's was sugar pink chiffon, mine white cheesecloth. Mine looked like a cross between something Ophelia would drown in and an angel's nightshirt. All flappy sleeves, pointy hems and dangly braided bits. I made mine using my trusty Singer 66 handcrank that I still have: my first personally bought and owned sewing machine!
Some years ago I had a friend who had a very thorough Jesuit education, who relished the visits from any missionaries (if he had time) because he would sit down with them and quote scripture back at them for everything they were promoting, until their little heads were spinning and they left, no sure anymore where they were, what they were doing, and what they believed.
The Mormon "elders" are usually recent high school graduates, going off to do their two-years of missionary work (at their own expense!) before beginning their college education or starting a job. Poor kids, usually ill-prepared for the experience, and so limited in what they are allowed to do, other than knocking on doors, that some have serious problems.
I suppose it sorts out the sheep from the goats! ;) This pair were older than that, but not a lot less wet behind the ears.
Another uni friend of mine invited the Mormons back and got in a couple of Hari Krishna devotees in at the same time. He himself had spent some time studying diabolism (yes, he's a little odd: a mathematician who also studied law. He'd make a good theroretical theologian! Always makes me think of Machiavelli). He set them against each other, and every time the conversation flagged, he'd drop in a little comment that set them raving off again for another hour or two...
:-)) I think it is far ruder for these pests to try to impose on you their presence, their beliefs and to try to steal your time than it is for you to yell at them. You should have set the dogs on them.
We also had an interesting encounter with some Mormons in the 70s. Husband and I were living in a delightful rental house on which I was the lease holder.
My husband was in the back yard doing some gardening and the Mormans saw him and asked to speak to the head of the household. He relied that "She's inside the house". They then knocked on the door and when I answered said to me that they wanted to speak to the head of the household. I replied that I was the head of the household.
They asked who was the man in the backyeard, to which I replied that he was my husband.
They left. They must have figured that with responses like that from both of us there was no way we'd never convert to a religion that treats women as it does.
Oh, yeah, that would fix 'em! My Shih Tzu weighs all of 11 pounds soaking wet. He does *sound* like a bigger dog through the door, though. ;-)
The ones who really tick me off are the ones who drag their little kids along with them. I suppose they think no one will turn them away if they see little ones.
I no longer let them take any of my time, it's open the door, see what's out there, shut the door. No apologies, no rants, no time wasted.
But I am going to make one of the "NO!" doorhangers. ;->
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