Here's another way to make the circles that I used to embellish my "Bubbles" jacket in Through the Needle Issue #33: Use DesignerPlus BERNINA Embroidery Software!

Use the Circle tool to draw a circle.

Choose a decorative stitch from the wide variety found in the software - including many that are not on the sewing machine.

One advantage of using the BERNINA Embroidery Software is that each circle is outlined with complete stitch patterns (no partial patterns or overlaps) and the layout for each piece of the jacket can be designed prior to stitching. (For instructions on planning embroidery for each section, see Judy Hahner's version of the jacket, also in Through the Needle #33.)

Hoop a layer of wash-away stabilizer such as OESD BadgeMaster in your largest hoop and use a spray adhesive such as 101 Quilt Basting Spray to hold the linen and stabilizer layers together during the embroidery process.

A note from Lezette Thomason, Children's Corner patterns:

Once again my sister and I are chairmen of our Christmas Bazaar at St. David's Episcopal Church in Nashville. One item that I am making this year are Bags for Baking Potatoes. I drew a little design, scanned it into my BERNINA DesignerPlus Software, and Presto!! I digitized it! So easy! Then using the Lettering tool wrote "Potato Girl" beneath the design. Hope you enjoy it!

Click HERE for the free ART and EXP+ embroidery designs.

Click HERE for the project instructions.

One of my favorite new features of BERNINA Embroidery Software v6 is that it gives me a preview of what my lettering will look when I'm selecting an alphabet. When I open the pull-down menu to select my lettering style, the letters I've typed in the box appear next to the name of the alphabet - written in the style of that alphabet. This makes it so much easier to select alphabets for projects!

I decided to add some fun to a jacket I was making for the fall using BERNINA's My Label 3D Fashion Pattern Software. I used the Military Jacket as a base and subtracted ease from the waist and added ease to the hips for a peplum effect. I also wanted to use larger buttons than the garment specs called for, so I added to the center front of the jacket pattern to accommodate the larger diameter buttons.

Hope Yoder's design CD, Button-Ups, provided the perfect opportunity to add some pizzazz to the covered buttons. They were so easy to stitch in the large oval hoop! I brought the design into BERNINA Embroidery Software and cloned the design five times and arranged them in the large oval hoop to stitch out. The design includes a button template that fits a 1 1/2" button-to-cover - the perfect touch for an otherwise plain jacket. There are 18 different designs to choose from. I think my next project with these buttons will be for a pillow.

Check out the latest issue of Bernina's Through the Needle magazine at your local Bernina and Hancock Fabrics stores! That cute little girl on the cover is Erika's daughter, in a charming embroidered stroller. Isn't it the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Full step by step instructions are included - just make sure you have plenty of room around your embroidery machine!

Also in this issue - a pretty little jewelry roll-up, embroidery on paper, a sneak peek at some of our favorite features in V6 BERNINA Embroidery Software, My Label jeans, and an article on Project Sewing Workshop (more on that later!). And that's only a few of the articles in this issue!