Share a tip?

[lfrazier]

I'm wondering what tips you all have from years of experience..... maybe share one? What one thing have you learned from trial and error that has made your life a lot easier and you wish you'd known it from the start?

I'll be first .... how to line up a logo to be straight on the garment. I tried every reference point..... plackets, shoulders, sides, even grain of the fabric and nothing worked all of the time. I even drew lines with temporary pens but still, a crooked one every now and then. Then I started using the bottom of the sleeves as my reference. I lay the shirt over a small table, pin where the center of the design is to go. Place the sleeve bottoms at the edge of the table or some reference point on your table. Then hoop with the arms of the hoop matching the edge of the table. Perfect every time. Now all of you may know this, but I was clueless. This also works for other items too such as totes, etc.

Amaya related, software, a gadget, anything...

[Mama Kass]

Here's one that Rod Springer showed me when he was here for a service call:
Lay a narrow strip of white backing in the depression that runs along the length of the grabber bar. Voila! you can now see your needle eyes much more easily.

[Rod or Sharon]

A great idea that we actually saw at one of the shops we service. Use a toilet brush to run over your floor around your machine to pick up the thread that may accumulate on the floor. It then removes easily from the brush!
Sharon Springer

[lfrazier]

OMG, great tips! I can see my needles better and I have a clean floor! :-)

This is a big one and wish I had known back in 2004 when I got my first machine. When doing text in Design Shop (or really any digitizing) I had to over-exaggerate the column width to get a good stitch thickness. The screen version never looked like the sew out. Hugo was here back in the beginning of the year and told me about this. There is a setting in the OS that will help with the "boldness", if you will, of the stitching. Its under settings, then select the settings tab. Its column width adjustment and I had to play with the numbers to see what worked best for me. You can set either a percentage or points. I run my machines with an extra 2 points all of the time and I am SOOOO much happier with the way they sew. My professionally digitized designs even look better. I can now set up text for the way I want the end result to be and then make my adjustments in OS. Thank you Hugo!