Impressions - June/July 2020 - 37

With children's designs, you have the luxury
of keeping them simple. Their imagination
will fill in the gaps; as they grow, that simple
design will take on new meanings.
son hadn't been taught the difference between "good" and "bad" music. His tastes
were pure and unprejudiced.
My friend helped fund the song's production and Alley Oop went to No. 1 on
the charts in a week. Everyone between
the ages of 6 and 60 loved it.
There's a reason, too, that children's
books contain simple images instead of
sophisticated ones. The former causes a
child's mind to expand and allows him to
create a story.
Children's designs follow suit and are
similar to children's toys.The simplest ones
will occupy them for hours.With designs,
you have the luxury of keeping them simple.
Their imagination will fill in the gaps; as
they grow, that simple design will take on
new meanings.
The "Sleeping Puppy" design (see Figure
1) is soft and receives rave reviews. It also
allows children to use their imagination
to fill in the gaps. Customers tell us this
design has outlasted the blankets onto
which it was sewn.
The light-density fills are especially
appropriate here.The layers compact the
plush blanket, causing the fabric to raise
and create dimension - an embossed look
- while the layers weave together to create dark and light areas in the design (see
Figure 2) without the excess stitches that
cause rolling or a cardboard look.
With a low stitch count and soft hand,
and no chance of birdsnesting, it not only
feels good but is perfect for a restful night
given the soft, tone-on-tone colors. Best
of all, the open areas keep the costs low
and the imagination racing.
Memorable Messages
Other appealing, children-centered designs
include those with special messages; they
tend to be cherished forever and even
passed on to the next generation.
Figure 3 shows a design of a kid wearing a striped shirt, carrying a slingshot
and a puppy peeking out from behind.
However, the message embroidered on
his sign, "You are loved," says it all. It's
simple and doesn't include many stitches.
This design was meant to convey a

Figure 3

message of hope and love to children
who may not have had a lot of exposure
to either. A design that transcends time,
it was done by Diana and Ken Miller of
Miller Embroidery, Raymore Missouri.
The Millers have used this children's
design for several years.Today, with children
enduring the sometimes-frightening changes
brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,
this message is especially appropriate and
special.The duo took the design one step
further by embroidering it on a sun-shaped
pillow that is a huggable prize for any child.
Any message can be added to your
designs. For those centered on children,
that message should be simple, direct and

meaningful - and its perceived value
should increase as they grow.The embroidered item also must look and feel good.
The rewards are great - not just when
you put it in your customer's hands, but
when that person tells you how long it
has lasted. The reward is even greater
when that child becomes your customer
as an adult. 
Lee Caroselli-Barnes, owner of Balboa Threadworks
Embroidery Design, is known for her innovation
and excellence in embroidery digitizing. She has
more than 30 years of experience in the embroidery
industry. For more information or to comment on
this article, email Lee at lee@balboastitch.net.
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Impressions - June/July 2020

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