machine embroidery on the road

Alan_Hepburn wrote:

mowermech wrote:
those who do this kind of work should look for hamfests in the area where they will be. Amateur radio operators really like having custom hats, jackets, vests, etc embroidered with their call signs, city, and state. Be sure you have the ARRL symbol programmed in your machine!
If you want to make a tax-deductible trip to Montana, near Glacier National Park, check out the Glacier/Waterton Hamfest in July.
I might see you there...

One caveat: is the ARRL symbol a registered trademark? If so then one would need written permission from the ARRL in order to sell anything with the symbol on it - and the ARRL would most likely want a cut of the proceeds. If you're an individual doing this as a hobby you'd most likely just face a "Cease and Desist" order - if you're a business you'd most likely face a lawsuit...

Most companies who go to the trouble of registering their trademarks also go to the trouble of protesting those trademarks - an excellent example is the Disney Corp. They have an arrangement with Brother Sewing Machines to provide embroidery files for Disney characters built in to some of their embroidery machines. When you buy one of those machines you are required to acknowledge in writing that those designs are for personal use only - people HAVE been prosecuted for trying to sell items with those designs stitched on them.

All I know is that the ARRL symbol is used on everything and anything related to ARRL members and ham radio. It is on our club patches, it is on correspondence from ARRL affiliated clubs, we have it embroidered on our vests and hats, and there has been no trouble yet, that I know of.
At least for ARRL members. If you aren't a member, why would you want the symbol?
You raise a valid concern. But in this case it may not be a problem.

mowermech wrote:
those who do this kind of work should look for hamfests in the area where they will be. Amateur radio operators really like having custom hats, jackets, vests, etc embroidered with their call signs, city, and state. Be sure you have the ARRL symbol programmed in your machine!
If you want to make a tax-deductible trip to Montana, near Glacier National Park, check out the Glacier/Waterton Hamfest in July.
I might see you there...

One caveat: is the ARRL symbol a registered trademark? If so then one would need written permission from the ARRL in order to sell anything with the symbol on it - and the ARRL would most likely want a cut of the proceeds. If you're an individual doing this as a hobby you'd most likely just face a "Cease and Desist" order - if you're a business you'd most likely face a lawsuit...

Most companies who go to the trouble of registering their trademarks also go to the trouble of protesting those trademarks - an excellent example is the Disney Corp. They have an arrangement with Brother Sewing Machines to provide embroidery files for Disney characters built in to some of their embroidery machines. When you buy one of those machines you are required to acknowledge in writing that those designs are for personal use only - people HAVE been prosecuted for trying to sell items with those designs stitched on them.

DW has 2 embroidery machines but has shifted to much more quilting over last few years. Just bought a lightweight machine with auto thread cutter to take with us this winter to satisfy her quilting addiction. Hopefully that will work well enough that she can be separated from her long arm for a couple of months :)

The wife has taken her small Husqvarna Viking D1 with her on the road. I keep the software on one of my computers just in case. She has also taken her sewing machine with us to work on a quilt. would never think about taking the ten needle with us. She worked on a few projects while at a RV rally.

those who do this kind of work should look for hamfests in the area where they will be. Amateur radio operators really like having custom hats, jackets, vests, etc embroidered with their call signs, city, and state. Be sure you have the ARRL symbol programmed in your machine!
If you want to make a tax-deductible trip to Montana, near Glacier National Park, check out the Glacier/Waterton Hamfest in July.
I might see you there...

x2 from a buyer. I tried buying a few things from RV'ers selling embroidery and if the design was extensive they couldn't print it out before I was leaving. Just something to think about.

We took our machine (Brother Innovis 4000D) along for a while, but not any more. We tried selling things at craft shows, etc but it just too much time to sew out designs. We still have a few items left that we display every so often. All our work is now done at home for family and friends. We do have a continuing project selling 4" patches to a local motorcycle dealer who sells the bikes our group rides. We've sold patches to several groups, but it's not a regular money-maker.

As for digitizing - I use Brother's PEDesign. Been using it for about 5 years now. If I'm in a hurry for a design I might buy it from emblibrary.com but I usually do my own digitizing.