Blog, Embroidery Designs, Freebies, Projects
CME Article on the Inner Circle Free Mini-Pocket
Apr
Since this website has been entirely rebuilt since I created the design and link for LInda McGehee’s article in the May/June issue of Creative Machine Embroidery, here’s an important update and where to find the design now.
THE BIG BANG!
No one plans to have their website go up in smoke.
Oh sure, there were backups. Problem was that restoring them didn’t even bring the site back to life.
Instead of a resurrection it needed a reincarnation and that took about 8 weeks longer than was initially estimated by the developer.
PUBLISHED LINK DOESN’T WORK BUT COUPON CODE DOES
So the upshot is a whole new website and although not really ready for prime time, it is up and running… sort of.
And, because this is an entirely different platform, all the product links have changed. (How convenient – NOT!)
The new product link is listed below and you’ll need the coupon code provided in the magazine article to get it for free.
Not a CME subscriber? They’ve posted it on their website here: – DON’T CLICK THEIR LINK THAT SAYS “Download the design here.”
Important Note: Like other CME promotions of this nature, this one does not go on forever and the coupon expires on June 30, 2017.
IT’S JUST A CIRCLE!
Well, yeah, that’s what it is. But with a little imagination and some creative juice from Linda McGehee you can turn it into all sorts of things!
What sort of things? Coasters, frisbees, change purses, wine coasters, and cord minders for starters. Linda’s article will show you the basics and get you started.
While the wine coaster isn’t covered, once you see how to add a single pocket, it shouldn’t be too difficult to add a second. Just cut two more circles, fold in half and match the folds in the center of your coaster.
For more variety, check out her collection Running In Circles. This is team project between Linda and me. She provided the ideas and I provided the digitizing.
SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED
To make the projects you’ll need a few supplies:
- An appropriate design
- Small bits of fabric
- Water soluble stabilizer
- Fusible interfacing or foam (available from Ghees)
- Snaps. Linda and I like those from Snap Source and you can find those on Ghees in handy little packets.
GREAT FOR GIFTS!
These little things are simple, easy, inexpensive and quick to make.
>They make great additions to your gift stash. You do have one of those right?
How often have you found yourself in need of some little gift to give to someone on the spur of the moment. Stocking your gift stash with easy to make, inexpensive, and simple gifts will provide you with a ready source.
Who doesn’t have a least one digital device? A cord minder is the perfect gift stash item as well as those occasions when you’re asked to donate something for a give-away or bazaar. Got an Etsy shop or do craft fairs? They’re perfect there too!
Or make some with pockets in them and then stash a bill in there for grads. Even with the pocket it can still be used as a cord minder.
EXPERIMENT WITH FABRICS AND THREADS!
These little projects are a great place to use up small leftover bits of fabric. Try your hand at different color schemes.
See how a variegated thread sews out. If you mess it up you haven’t ruined a garment.
WHERE TO GET THEM
Running In CirclesSingle Coaster Design
The coupon code only works with the single design. If you try to use it with any other item, you’ll get a “not found” error. This coupon cannot be combined with other coupons.
HELP THIS SITE SURVIVE!
This site provides a huge value in informative blog posts, educational videos, and professionally digitized designs—both free and paid. It cannot survive without the benefit of shop purchases and/or donations.
Currently the site is struggling to stay afloat because most shoppers only download freebies.
We commonly tip those in the service industry such as our hairdressers and restaurant waitstaff to show appreciation. Help your favorite site stay alive by showing your appreciation by supporting them too!
You can help by purchasing products from this site or making a donation. Check the Specials area for currently sales and specials.
Another way to help is by sharing posts, project, or products to social media and clicking those little stars!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
WANNA FREE COLLECTION?
Silly question, right? Who doesn’t?
To get a 12-design set, just sign up for the newsletter! Once you confirm, you’ll get a yet another coupon to get your free collection!
COMPLAINTS
Ok, so yes, these are real complaints I’ve gotten so I’m addressing them here. Makes me reconsider the sanity of doing these types of promotions.
For those of you who’ve written to thank either Linda or me, you’re the ones who make us feel like it is worthwhile!
We have feelings too and it’s not fun getting blasted for giving away something for free even if it does require a bit of effort on your part.
Read this blog post. The site crashed and the new CMS has all new links.
The most common reasons a coupon doesn’t work are:
- It’s not being used with the right product.
- It’s not been typed correctly.
- It’s expired. This one is set to expire on 6/30/2017.
Sure! If you pay full price, I’ll interrupt my work, dig out the files on my computer, add them to an email, and send them to you.
However, if you want it for free, you need to figure it out. Free means I don’t have to do any more work and you don’t have to pay for the design.
If you can email me to tell me that, you can get the design. The coupon expires on June 30. You can always order it now and download when you get home. (The beauty of creating an account…)
Because all shoppers have to create an account to download a design. Besides, your design is stored for you and you can come back and get it.
Not so with the “instant download” freebies. When coupons and freebies expire, you’d have to repurchase.
Not near as much work as I’ve done to design it, digitize it, write up the design info, convert to all the formats, upload all the designs, support files, and image, and get it hooked up in the shop!
Plus Linda McGehee wrote the article and made a ton of samples. most of which are not shown in the article. (Forget that I had to rebuild the entire site on top of that!)
And you think creating an account and entering a coupon code is too much work? Do you actually do embroidery? How much work is that?
The reason designers provide free designs is to get you to come to our website. If all you did was type in a link from the magazine and get an instant download, that would be defeating the purpose.
Ideally, we’d like you to stick around, see what’s here, bookmark it, sign up for the newsletter, and do a little window shopping even if all you do is take the freebie.
I have a wealth of informative blog posts and videos geared to embroiderers that are free plus I have a shop full of professionally digitized embroidery designs, some of which are free. Don’t just be a driveby freebie grabber.
Well, now, isn’t that a grateful attitude! If you feel entitled in that way then I suggest you find another site where you can grab and run incognito.
The reason designers are willing to provide free designs is to attract new followers. This design was created specifically for Linda’s CME article; it was not one I just had “laying around.” I think an email is a fair exchange.
And besides, other than possibly an invitation to sign up for the newsletter list, you will only get emails from the shop system when you order something.
Oh, puleeeeze! Do you really need every single format? Do you actually have that many machines?
Most people only need to download the design details, the template (if desired) and a single machine format.
The design details and template aren’t bundled with every individual format because that would be duplication that would inflate the downloads and the space needed on the server. Server space is not free.
Separating the formats keeps the downloads streamlined and prevents your computer from being cluttered with file formats you don’t need.
It’s not reasonable to expect every design to fit the smallest hoops. I have plenty of designs that do fit small hoops. This one doesn’t.
Possibly because your format is too small or because I no longer support every format ever made for business reasons.
It’s not economical for me to make and store every known machine format, especially when those formats are the least downloaded. Most programs can convert and if you’re downloading designs, you should also own embroidery software.
All formats are supported on CDs that we sell at shows.
After recent software upgrades to the most current versions of php on the back end, a handful of people have reported that the checkout process never completes (“spinning icon”).
This is beyond my control but not beyond yours. Quit your browser and reopen or try a different browser.
Also, make sure you’re using a current browser. If you continue to have problems, popup blockers can prevent some events from completing.
Personally, I don’t think it’s a popup problem because I’ve had this issue twice while working on my site and other times on other sites. In all those cases, I simply closed the tab, opened a new one, and things were just peachy.
The shop will keep your cart contents and you’ll see them when you log back in. (Another reason to create an account.)
If you’re not using the Contact form on this site, I might not even be GETTING your emails. And if you don’t type in your email correctly, I can’t reply back.
Do not try to contact me through Facebook Messenger! If it doesn’t show up in my email inbox, I likely won’t see it. Messenger doesn’t notify me of new messages and since my phone doesn’t work in the house, it’s nearly always in airplane mode.