Embroidering a Monogram on Converse Tennis Shoes

Today I am going to walk you through how I added a machine stitched monogram to a super cute pair of Converse tennis shoes. 

 

 

 

First, you'll want to pull the laces really loose or completely out to expose the tongues of the shoes to be stitched on.  In this case this cutie pair of shoes has two tongues!!!  Today we are working on the back yellow tongue.

 

 

Next we have to remove what is probably a very expensive label.  Now you aren't limited to just converse shoes to do this too...there are generic versions of canvas shoes out there.  You removed the label by ripping out the stitched with a basic seam ripper tool.

 

 

Now I went into my embroidery digitizing software and created the monogram file according to the size needed to fit the shoe. 

 

 

To make sure the monogram is centered, I measured across the tongue with my ruler and placed a pin or you can use a fabric chalk to mark the center.

 

 

On my PE-600 Brother multi-needle embroidery machine I set up my fast frames, with a three inch hoop with sticky backing on it.  As you can see there is some impressions from the last pair of shoes I did, but you just patch up the hole with another piece of sticking backing to save on how much you need to use.

 

 

Next I pull out the tongue and place it on the sticky part of my frame making sure I have the middle lined up with the notch on the back of the frame.  I secure the tongue to the frame with binder clips and push down on the tongue to the sticky paper on the frame.  Then remove the pin.

 

 

Utilizing the outlining function of my embroidery machine, I see where the design will be placed on the tongue.  I can then adjust back and forth on the arm of the machine until I get the placement just right.

 

 

Now for the fun part!  While holding the heavy part of the shoe, I start the machine and let the magic happen.

 

 

Once the stitching is complete, I remove the shoe and frame from the machine and gentle pull the tongue away from the frame pulling away from the sticky paper which has helped hold down my shoe and stabilized my stitching.

 

 

For a finishing touch, I rub my thumb over the wholes created after ripping out the label stitching and trim up any loose strings.  Then repeat with the second shoe!

 

 

Wha-laa!!!  A super cute pair of sport shoes that have a special personal touch! 

 

If you are interested in having a pair of your shoes monogrammed, please feel free to contact me at Corrina.dea@theunlimitedstitch.com or call 309-431-0085.  I am located in Morton, Illinois so you can drop them off locally or have them shipped.

 

 

T-Shirt Rag Quilts: A Great Way to Bring Together Years of Memories

About any cloth item can be made into a memory quilt - shirts from favorite vacations, sport teams, fraternity or sororities, baby blankets, onesies, kids clothing, men's dress shirts, grandma's favorite dress and more. Don't just shove them away in a closet or the basement in a plastic bag where no one can see them and appreciate them in a new form. They be can re-purposed into a useful and precious quilt that can be giving for lots of different occasions like graduation, new baby, wedding gifts, anniversary gift, Christmas, birthday and more.

I have been truly blessed to be asked to create amazing quilts and pillows for people who have saved these special shirts for years so that they could be collectively be stitched together for their loved ones.  Let me introduce you to a few of them.

This "Bradley" quilt was made for a high school graduate who grew up loving Bradley University and then herself choose to go there for college.  I love how this quilt brought lots of great memories of this young lady's childhood with her to make even more amazing ones as she started out her life on her own.  She had a bit of "home" with her at school.

I also got to add a special rectangle with her name embroidered on it to make it extra special.

The "Cheer Time" quilt was so fun to make because it was my first dad who brought me these lovely shirts and jacket to bring together as a lovely gift for his daughter.  I loved seeing how excited he was to have all of her years in dance and cheering brought together.  I'm sure he could envision every practice he brought her to and every competition he was there to watch.

Quilts bring together all sorts of someone's interests and just fun times throughout their lives.  One of the things I love about making these quilts is the creative challenge to take a big pile of shirts and putting together a piece that looks great but also honors all the memories someone has had over so many years.

My quilts can be made in a variety of ways. I can use your shirts to make the front and the back and use soft flannel in between the squares to give it a nice comforting weight and softness. This is especially great when you are using shirts that have a fun front and a name and/or number on the back.

I can also use just the front of the shirts and use a super soft and warm fleece material on the back which makes it extra nice to cozy up with. The quilt will be made rag style, meaning that the seams will be sewn out then the edges clipped and frayed for a fun framed 3-D effect. The flannel or fleece used in the squares will show through to give a fun accent that brings the whole quilt together nicely.

Standard quilt blocks are approximately 13 inches unfinished and 12 inches finished. So a quilt that is 4 squares by 5 squares so approximately 48 x 60 " which is a great throw blanket.  But I can also make other sized squares to accommodate larger or smaller clothing items like baby onesies and more.   If you are interesting in having me create a t-shirt memory quilt for you please feel free to contact me at corrina.dea@theunlimitedstitch.com or you can order one through my Etsy shop at this custom listing:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/269612457/custom-t-shirt-rag-quilt-memory-tee?ref=shop_home_active_15 .

 

 
 

Fall in Love with Monogramming

Simply by definition a "monogram" is a design consisting of one or more alphabetic letters combined or interlaced, commonly one's initials, often printed on stationery, embroidered on clothing, etc.  (dictionary.com) but monogramming is so much more!!!  A monogram imprinted or stitched on an item gives it personality, it adds style and character, it signifies a long history of traditionally identifying one's personal belongings.  Monogrammed items also make wonderful gifts.  When giving monogrammed items as gifts there is some special etiquette rule to follow, especially when it comes to the three letter monogram which seems to be one of the most popular and trendy monograms today.

 

Monogramming Etiquette

A three letter monogram for an individual person can be listed in two ways: 

1) In the traditional Victorian format, a three letter monogram places the last name initial larger in the middle with the first name initial being first and the middle initial being last.  So with my name Corrina Marie Dea, my three letter monogram would be CDM with the D being bigger. 

2) Now if I wanted to keep all three initials the same size I would list them out in order of my name so you would put it as CMD. 

 

Three Letter Monogram for Couples

If you are giving a wedding gift to a newly married couple (or existing couple) and want to incorporate both of their names in the monogram, the etiquette honestly depends on your recipients preference.

 

1) Make it ladies first by listing the bride's first initial then the last name initial large in the middle and the groom's first initial as the last letter in the monogram.

 

 

2) If they are more Mr and Mrs, then list the groom's initial first followed by the last name initial of the couple in the larger letter followed by the lovely bride's initial.

 

It is also socially acceptable for a married woman to use her maiden name's initial as her last (third initial).

 

Single initials are fun for all sorts of gifts:

 

1) Baby items are great for a single initial especially if parents tend to use the same first name initial for all their kids.  My friend had two little girls with names starting with A and these baby burp cloths and wash cloth made a special personalized gift that got multiple uses!

 

 

2) Ladies love to have their first name initial highlighted on their handbags, scarves, hats and more.

 

3)  Add a last name initial to totes, bags, and blankets are great to highlight your family name and make it easy to identify at a group gathering (except probably a family reunion).

 

 

4)  Make a super simple little dress into a classic monogrammed gown for your little princess.

 

5) There are so many create places to put monogram to exemplify your own personal "brand" of confidence and class.

 

6)  Add monograms to bridesmaid and groomsman gifts to make the big day special for everyone.  These are super simple button white shirts I made up for a lovely bridal party that all the girls got to wear as  they were getting their hair and make up done and prepping the bride for her big day.

 

7)  This robe was a gift from a group of friends to a special woman during her fight with cancer.  If you have to go through something that doesn't feel so glamorous there isn't any reason you can look glamorous while fighting the big fight.

 

 

8)  Christmas stocking often get names added to them, but a swirly infinity font monogram is simple, classic but looks amazing when matching it up with your tree skirt with a single initial.

  

9)  Probably the funnest thing I've added a monogram to is a pair of sneakers.  This just screams, I am confident and love to stand out in the room because I'm a classy chic.

 

Monogramming has a very traditional background but today about anything can go.  Have fun with what you have your monogram put on and just get creative with fonts, colors, sizes, and placement.  Monogrammed items make amazing gifts for others and something special to do for yourself.

Welcome to The Unlimited Stitch!

Hi there!  My name is Corrina Dea and I love to sew and embroider things that make people smile.  I have been blessed to turn a hobby of mine into my profession along with my roles as wife and mother of three.   I  started The Unlimited Stitch in 2013 after my requests for custom sewing projects and personalizing items got numerous enough that it was time to become an "official" business.  My passion is my family but my obsession is creating fun things from fabric and stitching on all sorts of things that make ordinary items extraordinary and special.    

Over the past several years I have created a variety of baby items, kids super hero capes, soft toys for toddlers like quiet books, crayon totes and aprons along with fun iron on ties for boys shirts that I have all sold via Etsy, Facebook and at local craft fairs. In short amount of time my business quickly evolved into so much more.  With the power of machine embroidery, I am now also creating custom school spirit wear, special occasion shirts for holidays, birthdays and vacations along with home décor items like specialty "home state" pillows and personalized accessories like blanket scarves.  The items I make literally ebb and flow with things going on in my life and come with some fun stories.  For instance my custom school spirit wear came from a discussion at Dairy Queen one summer afternoon and the blanket scarves came after visiting with a gal in line for the bathroom at an apple orchard.  I can't wait to tell you more about the birth of some of my products, as it's like a proud momma sharing the stories of how her kids came into the world.  All my products are available for sale online via my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/TheUnlimitedStitch and on my online store at www.shoptheunlimitedstitch.com, so I encourage you to check them both out.

The majority of what I do is create custom sewn items and use machine embroidery to personalize simple items to make them simply amazing.   I like to tell people that I'm the person who can transform your sewing Pinterest pins into reality.  So feel free to send me a picture of what you'd like made up and I can do my best to re-create it for you!  You can also make custom requests with me via Facebook, which is also the best way to keep up on what's new and to get great ideas for things to have done for yourself. Follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheUnlimitedStitch.

My latest intrigue is creating memory pillows and tshirt quilts. It is so cool to take people's cherished items that would often sit in storage and create something that can be actually be used as something else and it makes them 10 times more special because the memories can live on longer.

 

The possibilities are virtually "unlimited" to what we can create together. I'm hoping this blog can be a place to share ideas, fun pictures and videos, and create inspiration for items you may like to have or give as a gift!  Come back again and again to see what's new!