The Jury is In…

My apologies:  All is well here.  For some reason, my internet was down and the morning post didn’t post.  It’s here now.

Recently I showed you all a video of me doing an “unboxing” of my mail.  I asked in the post what you preferred, video, or pictures.  Overwhelmingly, pictures won.

So what am I going to do with the information, I’m going to do mail posts with pictures, no video.

I did get a huge bunch of questions after my binding video.  That one was very popular.  People want more, more and more.

Questions included:
Wanting to see the backside of the machine stitching
Wanting to know the binding width
Wanting to know how I miter the corners

This video people really liked….of course, there were suggestions and I am taking them all into consideration.  The biggest suggestion was trying to find a way to film so my hands weren’t in the way.  That was super hard to deal with as I need to see what I’m doing AND you all need to see what I’m doing too.  I don’t want to run over my finger with a needle in order to get the video filmed.

We tried a GoPro for filming the binding video…that was okay but I was hoping for a better angle.  We tried the GoPro for the machine quilting video too.  Many wished the camera was closer to the needle.

Kalissa and I looked and decided to buy this tripod with the hope that it would solve some of our video recording problems.  You can find it HERE on Amazon.

It was an adjustable tripod.  It came with a clicker to turn the camera on my phone off remotely.  It is awesome.  I did like it but it didn’t do everything I needed.  I liked this for recording Flosstube (my cross-stitch videos) but not for things with my longarm or at the sewing machine.

After doing a bunch of reading,  I ended up buying this awesome clip…

It’s called an Adjustable Goose Neck Phone Clip.

You can find it HERE on Amazon.  It does the same as the tripod only this can clip onto things…like longarms and sewing tables.

The gooseneck is awesome and helped me be able to adjust the camera as needed.  I recommend it to anyone.  If you have family that you face time with, it can hold your camera so your hands are free.  Nothing like being able to fold laundry or snap some green beans while the clip holds your phone.  (can you tell I’m a multitasker?)  I know many people are doing Zoom meetings and need their hands free.  This holder is perfect and best yet, it was only just over $20.  I read that many cross-stitchers get together and facetime while stitching.  Well, this would be perfect for that too.

I thought to return the first tripod I bought.  Both of them are good in different circumstances….Not everywhere that I want to film has a place that I clip the gooseneck clip to.  Plus, I do like the clicker that turns the recording button of my phone on.

It’s all just a learning curve that I’m trying to overcome.  I have gotten a wonderful response from all of you to keep on making the videos….so I’m trying.  Someone asked what we are using to edit videos, the program is called Camtasia.  You can find it HERE on Amazon.  This program is expensive.

Kalissa already had it so that was awesome.  We both really like the program.  I’m so thankful she already owned it.  I’ve heard many who are doing Flosstube videos complain about how long it takes to load videos to Youtube.  We don’t have much of a problem doing that.  I think if videos are edited and put together with a program like this, loading goes more smoothly and doesn’t take as long.

So far, Kalissa and I have been having a great time making the videos.  It’s definitely something we are still learning a lot about.  We want to share what we’ve learned to this point and that’s why I wrote this post and told you all about the equipment we’ve been using.  We know how hard it is to try to look for the equipment we need but don’t know if it’s good or if it will suit our needs.  We also know that some of this equipment like the gooseneck clamp might be something you all are looking for too.

We appreciate constructive criticism with the videos.  Tell us what you like, what you don’t like, what you’d like to see videos about….anything you think we’d need to know to make better videos.  You can find my Youtube channel HERE.  If you click to be a subscriber, you will see the videos before I talk about them here on on the blog.

It’s always hard to enter a new arena with new equipment and new expectations.  I think we’re getting closer to having the right equipment….So that’s one step closer.  We so appreciate your support and your patience as we continue forward with adding videos.