subject: Getting started with machine embroidery [print this page] Getting started with machine embroidery Getting started with machine embroidery
You have just purchased your first embroidery machine and there you are looking at it wondering what to do next. The salesperson managed to get it to appear so easy at the show room he or she snapped a hoop in place pressed a few buttons and produced a amazing embroidery design. In reality, it is easy but you will need some skills plus some fundamental understanding to achieve the truly amazing results out of your machine.
For you get started here is my suggestion for those of you that don't read handbooks, Read the handbook. You will need to as a minimum learn how to thread the machine the right way, the right way to put in the bobbin. the right way to attach your hoop, how to clean and oil your embroidery machine.
Now, what are you going to embroider? It's likely you have bought a machine with some patterns built in or you may have received some design CD's along with your machine. But, are they what you want to sew? Maybe you have some project in your head which is quite different from the usual floral and Disney characters that come with your machine.
If you are trying to find patterns there are heaps of them on the internet just type machine embroidery patterns into the Google, and other, search engine. Most places have free designs for you to experiment with. A lot of people will say that the number of patterns out there is fantastic, I think it quite mind-boggling. For anyone who is searching for something in particular, type exactly what you need into the search engine for example. "Embroidery designs Baby's first Christmas". This you will save lots of time looking through a lot of patterns for what you want.
Now you have the pattern you want to stitch you already know what you will stitch it on, but wait! Don't do it! test stitch it first, I realize this seems like a lot of work however if the design is not really what you want or it doesn't stitch as it should you will have to unpick all the embroidery stitches or throw the item away.
When you are still learning abouthow to use your embroidery machine it's a good ideas to make use of stable materials to begin with, light weight and knit fabrics are quite tricky to work with and you will want some practice before you move onto them, think back again to the showroom where you purchased your machine, what fabric did they use to show you it functioning? It was probably a nice stable weave like homespun or calico.
Another thing you should understand is the way to hoop up properly and which stablizers to use. There are lots of different stabilizers readily available however the general is "Cutaway" on unstable materials (e.g. stretchy or knitted); "Tearaway" on stable fabrics (e.g. woven); and utilize "Washaway" on freestanding lace or garments, or some really cool 3D stuff with organza - this is, in order to totally get rid of the stabilizer once the embroidery design is complete.
You need to cut adequate stabilizer to fit into the hoop then hoop that together with the item you are going to embroider. Now place it into the machine being careful that no other parts of the item are likely to get into the path of the needle. So now off you go get stitching. Keep in mind be patient and have a great time Happy stitching.
