On October 24^th, I was on the road with my sister, Marie Zinno leading a Stitching Sisters event in Springfield, MO at BSew Inn.  Back at the ranch (the office of Designs in Dallas), my assistant (okay the woman who makes many things happen here at Designs) was taping a video about my new Stipple! Collection, Ho Ho Holiday.  She did this entirely on her own. Set up the tripod, pushed record and then flawlessly stepped in front of the camera and let loose with perfect diction and a thorough understanding of the Stipple! process (she doesn't even embroider).

She managed to commandeer a technical professional, Roy Garland, to edit her masterpiece.  And then showed the final cut to me - via YouTube.  I was blown away. I had no idea she was capable of producing a video with such enthusiasm.  Or that she even had the desire to do it.  She's watched me on camera countless times - and I imagine bored beyond tears - in her editing responsibilities. But to have the gumption and guts to do it on her own, well, I couldn't be more impressed.

And I'm enjoying watching the views climb daily - today, her video is over the 4000 mark!  That's awesome - and it's her first!  Check it out by clicking on the video above. Denise has been here at Designs for over 8 years and has mastered many skills - but I never would have predicted this one!  Good for her - and great for Designs to have her.

So this week when I'm in Tampa at another Stitching Sisters event, I wonder what she'll do.  Maybe I should put a padlock on the sewing studio...or maybe, I should put a trail of M&Ms leading into the sewing studio.  And then she'll start to embroider!  And I can stay in Florida for a few extra days of sun and fun.  Nah, I guess I'll be back in the saddle on Monday!

Many of you may think I've vanished since I haven't updated my blog since April.  Shame on me for not staying in touch but I haven't been lying on a beach (although that's a lovely thought!). I've been busy stealthily working on a new technique. Stipple! Quilting designs are not new as we've been stitching stipple designs with our embroidery machine for a few years.  But the Stipple! technique is revolutionary.  It combines a few cumbersome tasks into one, easy and powerful embroidery design. 

How did it start?  Like most things, it was an evolution not a revolution. I've always loved quilting but my passion is machine embroidery. It's been my personal mission to combine these two loves into machine embroidered quilts and I've been doing it for over 10 years.  The first issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery featured a quilt on the cover and my first book was Contemporary Machine-Embroidered Quilts (Krause Publications, Iola, WI 2004). 

Traditionally, I embroidered on the quilt top only since I didn't want the bobbin stitches visible on the back of the quilt. Of course, then the challenge was how to quilt the embroidered quilt.  Usually, I applied free-motion quilting stitches to the areas of the quilt that didn't have embroidery.  This resulted in the embroidered areas to 'puff out'. The only way to avoid this was to free-motion quilt over the embroidery.  I didn't like this either as the stitches would often interfere or detract with the gorgeous embroidery. I've been frustrated with the results for years.

That wasn't all that frustrated me.  Cutting tiny pieces, matching points; ¼" seam allowances; short, repetitive stitches that some people actually count (while wear white gloves) and quilting a bulky quilt on a home machine have been tasks that I haven't exactly cherished.

It was this frustration that created Stipple!  Stipple! combines bold, raw edge applique with stipple stitches applied directly to the quilt sandwich, not just the top.  Trimming of the applique is done AFTER the quilt sandwich is removed from the hoop. So the tedious motion of taking the hoop off the machine/trimming the applique/finishing the design is non-existent. When you pull the block out of the hoop, you trim the applique and the block is finished - appliquéd, embellished and quilted! 

I'm having a ball creating quilts again!  Finally, a technique that gives the look I want - bold, colorful and full of texture.  And because it's a digital file, it's perfect.  Every block is the same. I just have to start with fabric that is larger than hoop and let the machine do the rest.