Monogrammed Pleather Purse (that crashed and burned)

Have you ever had a project that you had really high hopes for and were really excited about sharing the final results...only for it to crash and burn?

Here's the story of making lemonade out of lemons.  And not throwing the lemons against the wall like you really want to do.

If you machine embroider, you are probably in groups on Facebook where fellow embroiderers (is that a word?) share their projects, ask for help, and offer ideas.  If you happen to be one of those people, then you have seen this Walmart bag all over those groups.  I have read every post and thread about embroidering this bag.  I have watched every YouTube video.  I have asked questions and read what others did wrong.  I bought the proper needle.  I gathered my materials. I was ready to conquer.  And then the fun began.

I was told to use a 75/11 needle.  It broke.  I used a regular one and a ballpoint needle.  Both broke.  I wound up only having success (as in it not breaking) with a 75/11 needle intended for leather.  This is not leather, so I was not supposed to (as I read over and over) use a leather needle.  I adjusted tension.  I paused my machine and tried to give it breaks.  The monogram was supposed to have three letters (like the black bag in this photo).  As you can see, I stopped at one letter.  The thread broke a few times, so I had to continually rethread the machine.  I had to back up the machine a few stitches to restitch when the thread would break.  I have used the font design before, so I know it's not the design's fault.  It was my machine.  Or me.

This bag is reversible, and all along I had planned to make a patch to go on the reverse side to cover the back of the embroidered side (to cover the back side of the threads).  I made the patch and used E6000 glue to attach it to the pleather.  The patch is the only thing that went according to plan.

In the end I don't really know what wrong.  I know people have made these over and over on the same exact embroidery machine that I have.  I followed every single direction and step.  No one could have been more prepared.  I guess it was one of those days and one of those projects that just simply went wrong.  Thankfully these bags are affordable.  I wish I would have had a comparable fabric to practice on first, but I don't have a reversible pleather laying around.  I really wish I could nail down what to fix so I could successfully embroider these bags.  They come in several colors and have so many embroidery options.  You can find them in store or online at Walmart (use ebates for 1% cash back).

If you have success with these bags, I'd love to know your tricks!

I wound up with some tart lemonade, but that's better than moldy lemons, right? 😆

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Monogrammed Baseball Tee

I foresee this tee being a staple in my fall wardrobe.  It's long enough that I might even be able to pull it off with some black leggings...the ultimate comfort combo!

I stole this shirt from my husband, but you can pick one up from Walmart here or here for less than $10!  (Use ebates and get 1% back!)

I embroidered it with a font from Boutique Fonts.

Quick, easy, cheap, and comfy!

Monogramming: Women's Shirts

Summer is officially here!  Sun's out, gun's out!  Here are some summer shirts to wear all summer long.  Who says embroidery/monogramming is just for kids?  I personalized some shirts for my mom and me.  The shirts were cheap, so even if you had to pay someone to do the embroidery for you, you wouldn't be out much for the shirts.

  

My mom got this shirt at Ross for around $5.  I used the font Frog's Kiss to embroider her initials.

I got all of these Fruit of the Loom tanks at Walmart in the mens section.  They were less than $4 (before tax).  They are a Comfort Colors knock-off.  They definitely aren't the quality and fit of Comfort Colors, but they are much cheaper!

Both of the above monogramming fonts are the Interlocking Vine font from Boutique Fonts.

I wanted to do something a little different on this Walmart tank.  The pineapple frame and Mini Monogram font are also both from Boutique Fonts.  Here's a little secret I learned after I bought the Mini font-- you can download it for free in the files section of their Facebook page.

These tanks are perfect for a swimsuit coverup or even just a casual day.