Finding Your Center-a tool for sewers, card makers, quilters & more...

Do Not Disturb - I'm Sewing Design ITH by Cookie

Realization: Finding the center point of anything I am working on whether it be sewing, scrapbook or card making is so easy with the right tool.  Last weekend, I taught an In-The-Hoop class for my Do Not Disturb Pillow and afterwards someone asked, how do you get your designs so centered.  Many times I simply eyeball the design with the use the grid in the software, however, there are times when space is a commodity and I need to fit several elements into a design area.  Precision will matter and that is when I use my Brother Centering Ruler.

Now I didn't always use it. I discovered the virtues of owning it from store customers.  I was working on the floor, "borrowing a machine" and sewing on my break. Yes, I like sewing that much, that even on my break I will snack and stitch!  In the course of my break, I saw four of these Brother Centering Rulers fly out the door.  You can see the spot where they hang easily from where I was seated.   There is a picture and suggested uses on the Ashby Fan Page.

The next week, I was teaching the "Brother What's Next Software" club. On a short break, I was helping the gals answer the phones and fielding questions as the store was jumping with shoppers.  I got two questions about whether or not we had the Centering Ruler in stock...  I went to the wall, and the spot was empty. I put all the facts together, this is one great tool to own.

At that point, I found the order form showing a new shipment coming in and a list of customers waiting to own them.  BTW, this Centering Ruler is a long time product that I had somehow missed.  The staff at Ashby's explained to  me the different ways to use it.  I quickly realized it would work with all of my crafting hobbies.  And it is cheap! As of this morning, another order is in stock. I called the store to ensure it before posting for my GA friends. It is clear and flexible which I also love for marking on crafty objects.

And why blog about it today?  It keeps cropping into my life weekly.On the our site's  Fan Page, a friend asked how to find the center of her Fast Frames and I realized besides the eyeball method, use the Brother Centering Ruler while lining it on the embroidery machine.  Jot down the vertical and horizontal positions on the machine.  Use the label maker and adhere it to the frame, repeat for each of the remaining 6 frames. Now the Brother Label Maker idea was shown to me by my dear friend Kim a few years ago. Up until then I had an index card with the center points listed.  I've come full circle. If you play with paper - you will love it, too.  My quilting friends were laughing when I shared my fine as all them had one. Here I am, one of the last to know but putting here on my blog incase you missed it, too! ~ Cookie