Volume 1 Number 1  
Winter 2004  

Page 10  

Throughout history sewing has been used to mend and create.  Our desire and ability to do this has only increased with the coming of the machine age.  Machine embroidery has opened up a whole new world in the field of fabric embellishment.  The variety of colors and textures is endless and exciting.

Unlike hand sewing, in which the embroiderer controls the needle and thread, machine embroiderers control everything but the needle and thread.  The needle goes up, the needle goes down, locking in a stitch.  We decide tension, movement, length of stitch and placement.  It's fun and it's fast — but takes a bit of practice.

Anyone with a machine that can lower or cover the feed dogs can embroider.  Those teeth under the presser foot just have to go!  Straight stitch is fine for a lot of free-motion embroidery, and a zigzag stitch is a big plus as well.  Tape thin cardboard over the feed dogs and you can even do this on a treadle machine!.

Supplies:

A.  First, you need the machine.  Make sure the feed dogs can be lowered or covered.  (A clean machine will lessen the frustration of learning a new technique!)

B.  Second, you need an embroidery needle.  I use Schmetz's Stick-Nadel embroidery needles, size 75/11.  These are very sharp needles with a large eye.

C.  Third: you need an embroidery thread.  Let's start with a rayon embroidery thread.  You may certainly experiment later with any and all threads that catch your fancy, but for now let's use rayon. It's tough enough to withstand machine tension and it looks great! Pick any 2 colors.

D.  You will need a hoop.  I recommend the very thin hoops with the spring center.  They easily slide under your needle and presser foot.  The bigger the hoop is in diameter, the less room you will have to maneuver it before you hit the side of the machine.  A 5" hoop works well.

E.  A 12" X 12" scrap of fabric.  You have a machine, so I'm confident you have a piece of scrap fabric somewhere.  Choose a woven piece for your first

test drive.  Knits tend to bunch up, and since I don't use them, I can't help you with the problems.

F.  A 12" X 12" piece of tear-away stabilizer for under the work. Unless your hoop grips very firmly that fabric is going to shift — usually into the bobbin case! Some choose to only use starch, but it has never been enough for me. Try the stabilizer, please.

G. Thread-cutting scissors.

Most machines will allow you to release the presser foot pressure, so you can embroider

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