Wi-Fi on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90: WHY it’s IMPRESSIVE!

This week, I’m excited to share a fun project using the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90. While I’m focusing on my project this week, you can read about all the fantastic features of this sewing and embroidery machine in my past post Tension perfection is a breeze with the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90.

Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90

One of my favorite features is the Wi-Fi connectivity. I can browse the mySewnet embroidery library online (a paid subscription is necessary). When I find a design that I want to stitch out, I can forward the design directly to the Designer Ruby 90. There’s no saving on a USB. I love that!

Forwarding embroidery designs from the mySewnet library to the Designer Ruby 90

The other reason I love the Wi-Fi connectivity is that all the updates come directly to the screen of the Designer Ruby 90. If an update is available, a pop-up message appears on the screen when I turn it on. I can choose to accept the download and install it right away, download the update and install later, or defer the download to the next time I turn on the sewing machine.

It’s so easy to keep the Designer Ruby 90 up-to-date. Recently, a new update arrived, giving us access to the NEW Husqvarna Viking Quilters Metal Hoop, which is 200 by 200mm. Those updates are adding new functionality to the machine, which is fantastic.

The NEW Quilters Metal Hoop 200 x 200mm is one of the available hoops for machine embroidery.

The Husqvarna Viking Quilters Metal Hoop 200 by 200mm

Another great feature, thanks to the Wi-Fi connectivity, is the mySewnet Blog, which periodically provides notifications, projects, tips, and hints right on the screen. Recently there was a change to the mySewnet apps for your smart device, and we received all the information in a blog post. How cool is that?

A mySewnet Blog post

I LOVE having access to all this information. It makes me feel like there’s a team of people behind the Designer Ruby 90, and if I need inspiration or guidance, someone’s there for me. And did you notice the clock on the upper left? I know this is a minor detail, but it’s great to have the time handy. Even though I wear a watch, I use that clock to check the time.

The home screen has the blog at the top and the JoyOS Advisor in the bottom half. If you’re new to sewing or embroidery or new to the Designer Ruby 90, or any new technique, the Joy OS Advisor is the place to start. There are loads of searchable information, and I find it easier to locate information here than in the physical User’s Guide.

Start-up screen

The quality of embroidery on the Designer Ruby 90 is outstanding. There are some great examples in previous blog posts, like the double-sided placemats, which I’m still in awe over. The quality of the embroidery stitches is impressive, and it’s hard to believe the back is as good as the front.

I’ve repaired a knit sweater using the Designer Ruby 90 to embroider a motif over a hole, sewed on buttons, and many more exciting projects. Check out the week of past blog posts to get more information.

Double-sided embroidered placemats

Today, I’m going down a different route with the Designer Ruby 90. I want to look at quilting, but I’ll be making a specialized and very useful quilt.

Many quilters look at their sewing/embroidery machine and ask why they have so many accessories or decorative stitches. This week’s project allows you to step outside the box and experiment.

I’m making a couple of fidget quilts. What’s a fidget quilt?

Think of activity mats for children, but we’re going to make them for adults. Mental health issues can cause great anxiety, and these fidget quilts are the perfect thing to keep fingers busy and out of trouble. It’s a great way to relieve stress, and I think we can all benefit from a fidget quilt. I might have to make one for myself, and I’ll incorporate a couple of slogans! More on that later this week.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you create a fidget quilt.

• Keep it small. About the size of a placemat works well, so it can easily sit on a tabletop or a lap.
• Stitch parts firmly to the quilt so they don’t go missing or get swallowed.
• Provide a variety of activities to keep it interesting.
• While any color will do, bright colors are more fun and eye-catching.
• Must be washable.

I decided to make two – one from bright solids and the other from more muted colors. It’s a great project to use odds and ends around your sewing space, and it’s a great way to learn to use different accessories for your sewing and embroidery machine.

I’m using fifteen 5½” squares in various shades of burgundy and pink fabrics. I cut a couple of extra-large squares to do some machine embroidery, and I kept the scraps to use for tabs on various parts of the activities.

Squares cut for the fidget quilt

I dug through my embellishment box(es!) and found some rick rack, ribbon, buttons, zippers, and much more, so there’s no shortage of things to put on the fidget quilt.

Items to work as activities on the fidget quilt

And let’s not forget about thread – it’s a great place to use up some of those odd bits of thread left on spools or perhaps those partially filled bobbins. I love using the Gütermann thread for this kind of project, and it comes in a vast array of colors and several different spool sizes. I’d love to have one of each color – they’re that fun to play with, and I use them for many projects.

A variety of threads

You may also need some stabilizers if you’re using decorative stitches. I saved some of the more significant bits from machine embroidery, so I dug out a few pieces. I like to use the Inspira Tear-A-Way stabilizer for this type of project.

Scraps of Inspira Tear-A-Way stabilizer

I’ve also pulled out a variety of presser feet, and I’m not sure which ones I’ll use at the moment, but seeing them in the workspace helps with inspiration. Be sure to check out the Accessory User’s Guide, where you can view the guide online or download it to your computer or tablet. You can check out the presser feet and accessories for your sewing machine, and it’s also an excellent resource guide. You’ll find pictures and instructions on using each foot or accessory. It’s a valuable tool (free!), and if you don’t have a copy on your computer, you should get it!

A variety of presser feet to play with

I’m ready to start sewing! I’ll save that fun for tomorrow, so be sure to come back as I take the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90 for a spin as we assemble several fidget quilts.

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!

This is part 1 of 5 in this series

Go to part 2: 6 fun blocks for a fidget quilt with beads, buttons, ribbons (and more)

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