Harvesting Education
Turn the Earth, Plant the Seeds, Reap the Rewards
Catch Helen Hart Momsen live
when she presents the following
seminars at The NBM Show…
SEM 308
A 20-year veteran of the embroidery industry with particular emphasis on digitizing, Helen Hart Momsen owns Va.-based Hart Enterprises. Widely published
in the industry’s trade press, Momsen also founded and moderates the “
Embroidery Line” Internet bulletin board, is a sought-after speaker at The Printwear
Show, and is the author of two ground-breaking books on the profession of
commercial embroidery, available at www.HelenHart.com.
The harvest of any entrepreneurial enterprise is sweet. One of the things that pleases me most about writing and presenting seminars is that I am often “there” to share in the
excitement of preparing the field and to help plant the seeds. Just in case the crop you have
decided to plant consists of needles and thread, consider the value of research… especially
when it comes to making big purchasing decisions.
Tools of the Trade: Embroidery
Essentials from Machines to
Garments
11 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m.
May 7; Fort Worth, Texas
June 4; Indianapolis
Aug. 13; Long Beach, Calif.
Nov. 5; Charlotte, N. C.
From how and where to buy a machine
to the shopping list you need to get that
stitching on the garment, Helen Hart Momsen shares tips and tricks for saving money
on your initial purchases as well as your
ongoing supply of goods and garments, and
even shares some marketing tips.
For the newbies
Marrying machine and garment to create embroidery is accomplished by a series of tasks
and a selection of supplies. I can’t emphasize enough that attending a trade show should
only be one step toward becoming an embroidery entrepreneur. The most important step
is research—and lots of it. That might begin with a trade show or, as many I have met have
done, attending several trade shows before making a final decision. But don’t discount surfing the Internet, joining and participating in email discussion groups, and networking with
other business before committing to a purchase. A list of satisfied customers from a company
will bring feedback… from satisfied customers. Find groups that are independent and ask
questions there.
It’s important to choose a company that has a good reputation for support. Trade shows
and networking give the benefit of “shared” experience before the shopping stage. This can
help create and control an interview with the vendor, as opposed to being the target of a sales
pitch. Always remember that, until the money is transferred, you are the person in charge.
Study and learn about the relationship between software and machines. Each digitizing
software program has its own proprietary file format but all can output a .dst file, which is
the compilation of machine code that directs the machine to stitch the design on the goods.
What this means is that any software will work with any machine. Don’t buy into a slick
sales technique that tries to convince you that the software that they are packaging with the
machine will work better. If that were true, there would be no digitizing software being sold
without a machine; machine companies would not change their brand of software when offered a better deal.
Shop for software with the same care that guides the purchase of a machine, or perhaps even
more since many hours will be spent interacting with the software and learning to create designs that will set your work apart. The time on the machine is pretty straight forward—the
time with the software is the innovative and creative time that makes embroidery exciting
and, in the case of originality, potentially more profitable.
Thread, needles, backing, a hooping device—all of these and more are needed to prepare,
hoop and stitch the goods. But is an expensive library of stock designs necessary? Remember that sales come around again and it might be a better idea to purchase designs when
SEM 324
Choosing Artwork that Works
for Embroidery and Digitizing
3 p.m. to 4: 30 p.m.
May 7; Fort Worth, Texas
June 4; Indianapolis
Aug. 13; Long Beach, Calif.
Nov. 5; Charlotte, N. C.
Helen Hart Momsen answers essential
conundrums such as the difference between bitmaps, tiffs, jpegs and vector files in
regard to digitizing, which is best for digitizing, and much more as she clarifies the
world of art and art files.
SEM 408
Innovative Digitizing for
Creative Embroidery
11 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m.
May 8; Fort Worth, Texas
June 5; Indianapolis
Aug. 14; Long Beach, Calif.
Nov. 6; Charlotte, N. C.
Join Helen Hart Momsen for 90 minutes
of exciting ideas to make your designs and
stitching sing. Creative ideas are welcome.
