Learning How to Embroider

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How to EmbroiderEmbroidery is a way to embellish articles of clothing, hand bags, pillows, and ornamental tapestries. This creative artwork has been practice for many years as a way to create decorative items for the home and to wear. There was a time when embroidery was something that young ladies were taught to do in order to pass the time. They did not sit with idle hands but would pick up their sewing and embroider using colored floss different pictures on different types of things. It was considered to be a hobby of wealthy ladies.

The art of embroidery has since grown to be fashionable and popular among all of the social classes and is no longer considered a polite way for a lady to pass the time. People now embroider monograms on towels, linens, clothing and all other manner of personal belongings. This work can be done by hand using a needle and thread or it can be accomplished with a specialized sewing machine. Either way the result of the work is a colorful embellishment on an otherwise nondescript item.

To learn how to embroider by hand you will need the following items:

  • Embroider needles
  • Embroider floss
  • An embroidery hoop
  • Some patience

The material that the sewing will be done on is secured in what is known as an embroidery hoop. These hoops have two sections that come apart. There is a wing nut positioned on the hoops in order to tighten and loosen them. You loosen the wing nut and remove the top section of the hoop. You then place your fabric piece on top of the other section of hoop. Making certain that the part of the design you are working on is within the framework of the hoop. You then place the top section of the hoop over the material and onto the bottom section of the hoop. This will have caught the material between the two sections of hoop. You will gently pull at the fabric edges to make sure that all wrinkles are removed from the section of fabric within the confines of the hoop. Once you have all of the wrinkles removed you tighten the wing nut on the hoop to hold the material in place and stretched taut.

Before you thread the needle with the color of floss you are going to begin with you must separate the floss. The floss is in six strands and you generally want to do your work with two strands at a time, or some people prefer the look of three strands. You will cut the floss into a length of approximately 18 inches, and then start from one end separating two or three of the strands away from the other strands. You need to proceed slowly and patiently because the thread can become knotted easily.

Once your floss is separated into the number of strands you prefer then you are ready to start your stitching. You thread the needle and tie a small knot in the end of the thread so it will not pass all the way through your fabric. Then from the underside of the material you insert the needle into the starting position. Take care to pull the full length of the floss through before you insert the needle to complete the stitch.

Here is a good embroidery video tutorial (in 3 parts)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

More tips on how to embroider >>

Janome Memory Craft MC 9500 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Review

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Janome Memory Craft MC 9500 reviewWhen you require a sewing machine and an embroidery machine that is top of the line and capable of doing everything that you want then you want to buy a Janome Memory Craft MC 9500 sewing and embroidery machine. This device will provide to you the precision of a superior stitch mechanism and the sophistication that a computerized touch screen control has. Continue reading →

Brother LB6800PRW Computerized Embroidery and Sewing Machine Review

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Brother LB6800PRW Review

The Brother LB6800PRW is an exceptional machine that sells for less than 400 dollars and is not only a sewing machine but an embroidery machine. You will be able to unleash the creative artist that dwells within you and do some of the most impressive work you have ever done.

The Brother LB6800PRW Project Runway has:

  • 70 designs that are built into the machine and you can download unlimited designs from the internet to add yourself. Brother LB6800PRW has a memory that will allow it to remember the designs you add to it so that you can use your favorite designs repeatedly with just the touch of a button
  • There are 67 different sewing machine stitches that will allow you to do any type of sewing project that you want to do
  • There are five different monogramming fonts for the application of monogrammed initials on towels and other things that you want to bear the persons initials
  • There are one hundred and twenty frame pattern combinations for the user to employ
  • You will have a drop in bobbin and you will have the ability to do automatic bobbin winding with the push of a button
  • There is an automatic needle threader to take the frustration out of changing threads and rethreading the needle on the machine
  • You will have the ability to connect to a computer and update the machine
  • There is an electronic speed control that allows you to choose the speed that you are comfortable working at
  • There is a 25 year limited warranty on this device
  • You will even get some fashion project runway rolling luggage with the purchase of Brother LB6800PRW

There will be very few if any projects that you will not have the confidence and the ability to take on when you have the Brother LB6800PRW sewing and embroidery machine to help you do the work. Actually the people who have reviewed this machine after purchasing it say that the work is turned into a pleasurable task.

If you can dream it then you can sew it on Brother LB6800PRW and you can decorate the items that you sew in any pattern that you choose. You can monogram towels and linens for the purpose of giving as gifts, and people will think you spent a lot more on their gifts than you actually did. You can also embroider designs on denim jeans and Capri pants to make a cheaper pair of pants look like they came from a high end fashion boutique. You can also hire your services out and do these types of design things for others in your town.

Customer Reviews on Brother LB6800PRW

As of this date, there are 20 reviews on Amazon with an excellent average rating of 4.1 out of 5.

“The Brother LB6800PRW is a lovely machine with computer connectivity so you can download free embroidery designs from the internet.As a ‘Project Runway’ model it seems a little bit better made than a model made especially for the ‘big box’ stores.” Patricia Denney

“Brother LB6800PRW has surpassed my every hope for it. I am thrilled with my purchase and am recommending this machine to my friends who are curious. This machine will be able to grow with me as I learn a few more sewing basics, it’s light and easy to transport and finally it’s easy and fun! If I can do it, anyone can.” Kathy

Read more reviews

Pros and Cons of Brother LB6800PRW

Pros

  • Rolling luggage bag is included
  • Effective auto threader
  • Adjustable sewing speed
  • Ability to download custom designs from the internet
  • USB memory stick capability
  • 25 years limited warranty

Cons

  • Black and White screen instead of color screen
  • Stabilizer is needed for improved performance

Price and Overall verdict

You do not have to worry about how hard it might be to find a Brother LB6800PRW sewing and embroidery machine because you can find this machine listed on Amazon.com for the best prices that you can get. You may even be able to find free shipping for the item as well.

Brother LB6800PRW is really helpful for you and to perform your work as you may find that it is not only a sewing machine but also an embroidery machine. You can also get it at a very reasonable price of just under 400 dollars.

Buy Brother LB6800PRW

Brother PE770 Embroidery Machine Review

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Brother PE770When you want a dependable high quality machine that is capable of doing the embroidery work for you then you want to consider the Brother PE770 machine. This machine has a twenty five year parts guarantee and is capable of producing as many as six hundred and fifty stitches every minute.

The Brother PE770 features six different built in fonts to make lettering easy to accomplish in any style that you want. There are also one hundred and thirty six built in decorative patterns that include such embellishments as:

  • Decorative scroll work
  • Intricate floral designs
  • Classic patterns used for quilting

You are not limited to these one hundred and thirty six patterns because there is an unlimited supply of different patterns to be found on the internet and the fact that this machine can use a USB memory stick means that you can easily download the designs using your computer and transfer the information over to the machine.

Patterns are easily rotated in increments of one degree, ten degree, or ninety degrees. This makes the placement of the designs easier to accomplish. The Brother PE770 is capable of remembering patterns that are your favorite, and this will save you time when you do patterns repeatedly. Continue reading →

Janome Magnolia 7330 Review

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Janome Magnolia 7330The Janome Magnolia 7330 is a computerized sewing machine that has thirty built in stitches that are included. The stitches that you have to choose from when you use this machine have been carefully selected to make the equipment user friendly and capable of performing the most frequently required functions.

The thirty stitches that were selected to be included on this machine have six different buttonhole stitches. Buttonholes are very hard to make and the majority of seamstresses dread them. With this delightful machine you can make the perfect size buttonhole with just one step. That takes all the dread out of creating these stitches and then discovering you had to go and purchase larger buttons because the hole you made was entirely too large.

The brightly lit LED screen displays things like the stitch number you are currently using. When you want to make your stitches larger you will simply push the plus button and increase the size, and when you need to decrease the size of the stitches you are making you will push the minus button. The new size will be displayed on the screen so there is no squinting to try and read the writing on a small turn dial to determine the length of the stitch you are currently making. Continue reading →

Brother SE400 Computerized Embroidery and Sewing Machine Review

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Brother SE400 ReviewWhen you go to purchase a machine that can do embroidery work you can either purchase a machine that does strictly the work of embroidery or you can spend a little more and purchase one machine that does both the work of sewing and the artistic embellishment of embroidery. That used to be a true statement but sine the creation of the Brother SE400 computerized embroidery and sewing machine the fact that a machine that is capable of performing both functions for the seamstress is more expensive than the machine that performs just one function has been blown out of the water.

The Brother SE400 computerized embroidery and sewing machine is capable of:

  • Sewing stitches
  • Doing embroidery stitches and patterns

Continue reading →

Finding the Top Embroidery Machines on the Market

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There was a time when the work of embroidery was all done by hand with a needle and colored thread. Ladies sat in the evening and passed the time by doing this delicate work on cloth. It was a time consuming process and when you wanted to purchase an item that adornment like this on it you paid a high price because of the time it took to do the work.

Technology has touched all of us, even the ones among us that sew and do other crafts of this nature. The embroidery machine was invented to help us do this delicate work more quickly. With the invention of a machine that could do the work mass quantities of items decorated with embroidered embellishments were possible to make.

At first only large companies could have the equipment to do this work with so the home seamstress still had to do the embroider work they required by hand.  Eventually the price of the machines started to get lower and the average home seamstress became capable of having a machine in their homes to do embroidery stitches on the items they were making. This became highly profitable for the seamstresses because they could suddenly produce the pieces they were making at remarkable speeds. Continue reading →

The Art of Hand Embroidery

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Hand EmbroideryMuch of the embroidery you see today is created by machines that have been developed to replicate the look of hand embroidery work. These machines do excellent jobs in making things like monograms, and other designs on materials, but nothing can take the place of the individual stitching by hand with needle and thread to create an embellishment.

The exact time of the invention of this type of needle work is not known but it is believed that the ancient Egyptians may have been the first people to use the techniques. It is surmised that in order to mend the fabric of the garments they wore the ancient Egyptians used stitch work that were very similar to stitches used to make decorations on materials. It is further believed that the people recognized the fact that they could use their needles and threads to embellish their clothing and thus the art of embroidery was born. This has not been proven but the idea does have some merit.

Elaborately embroidered cloth that was used to decorate the interiors of homes and was used as clothing became a symbol of wealth and prestige throughout the centuries, as only ladies of wealth could afford the time in their day to do sewing that was this frivolous. People of less wealth did not have the time it took to embroider beautiful adornment on their clothing.

The act of doing the work was extremely time consuming, and to have a piece made, or to hire someone to do this type of work, was very expensive. So the heavily embroidered items were items that belonged to the rich and famous until the industrial revolution brought the machine that could do the work to us. Of course at first the pieces were still very expensive but as time went by the cost was lowered and more people became capable of having this form of art on their clothing, their towels, their rugs, and their tapestries.

This is actually an art form. Individuals create pictures using colored threads in varying designs and thicknesses like the artist that paints portraits uses charcoal, paint, and canvas to create paintings. The individuals who do this work have a gifted eye and can envision what the piece of material will look like when they use a particular stitch to create an image on it.

People use the art of embroidery to create unique clothing pieces, and to do things like monogram initials onto hand towels, and onto clothing. They also create things for their homes like throw pillows, and artistic calendars and hangings to adorn their walls. Machine embroidery did in fact take over some of the work of doing these things, but nothing can ever replace the human hand making the perfect stitches and creating an image.

A machine can be programmed to do a stitch but the human hand can change the stitch and thus create a piece that is unique. Hand embroidery is an art form that dates back to many years to count and more than likely will always be appreciated.

Learning Basic Embroidery Stitches

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Everything that you do has a set of basic principles that you need to know so that you can be accomplished at the task. The art of embroidery is no different. There are basic stitches that everyone that does this type of work needs to know how to do. The stitches that you use in this work are dependent on the work you are doing and the type of material you are working on.

how to embroider - basic embroider stitches

The basic embroidery stitches will be in the following categories or styles of stitches:

  • Surface stitches which include the basic chain, the lazy daisy that is so frequently used when people are making simple flowers or when they are doing crazy quilting, the whipped chain, the couching, the stem stitch, the satin stitch, and the fly stitch.
  • Cross stitches which includes the basic cross, the fractional cross, the long armed cross, and the reversible cross stitch.
  • Knotted stitches which includes the bullion knots and the more popular French knots
  • Straight stitches which includes the double running stitch, the kloster blocks, the pattern darning stitch.
  • Pulled work stitches which includes the cable stitch, the cobbler, the diagonal raised band, the single Faggot stitch, the diamond eyelet, the four sided stitch, the honeycomb, the pulled double back stitch, the pulled satin, the ringed back, and the three sided stitch.
  • Needlepoint stitches which include the rise stitch and the velvet stitch, the tent stitch, and the Rhodes stitch and all of the variations of the Rhodes stitch.
  • Looped stitches which includes the buttonhole edging, the doves eyes stitch, and the square filet
  • Needle lace stitches which includes the corded Brussell’s stitch
  • All other stitches which will include the hem stitch, the needle weaving stitches, and the overcast bars.

Of course when you use machines to do the work of embroidery you will get pattern stitches that people who are doing hand work cannot or do not do. That is why the machines are wonderful pieces to add to your sewing equipment but you will undoubtedly still do some of this work by hand in order to create some of the stitches that the machines just cannot make.

Most of the surface stitches that people make are meant to outline or create an image on the material rather like drawing a picture using floss or thread instead of colored pencils. You draw the picture with the thread and then you color in the places that you think need filled in like a child would fill in the color in a picture book. That is of course very simplified and in no way is supposed to offend the people who do this craft. But the craft is a creation of design and color.

You will find many good web sites that offer instruction on the making of these stitches. Some of the sites have pictures and videos demonstrating the art of these stitches. It is recommended that you learn one stitch and master the art of performing it before you attempt to learn another.

10 Embroidery Tips for the Beginner

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Learning to embroider is not as difficult as you might think it is. The beginner often gets impatient because they have undoubtedly be watching someone with a lot more experience do this sort of work and they are often disappointed that they are not seeing their results look like the results of the more experienced individual. You cannot judge your work by the work of someone that has the advantage of years of practice. You are learning and should instead judge your accomplishments by your own works. With each work you will see improvements in your technique and in your results. Mark these accomplishments as your own and do not judge yourself too harshly. Chances are you are the biggest critic you have.

Ten Embroidery Tips for the Beginner

  1. Patience is a virtue in this task and in all other things that you attempt in life. Learn to be patient with yourself and quit expecting everything to have an automatic gratification. You will not learn to do this work overnight but will instead continue to learn things about this art form as long as you participate in the activity.
  2. If you are learning to hand embroider you must remember that the material you are doing the needle work on must be stretched tautly for the work to look right. If you do not get the material stretched taut enough then the stitches will appear loose on the finished project.
  3. When you are doing hand embroider work never cut your floss more than 18 inches long. It can be tempting to cut the floss in longer lengths and then you will not have to rethread your needle as often, but generally the longer lengths have a tendency to become tangled.
  4. Needle size matters. If you are using a needle that has too large a gauge you will leave visible holes in the fabric you are working on. Use the recommended needle size for the type of fabric you are working on.
  5. Try new stitches out on practice pieces before you attempt to put them on a piece you intend to wear or show. Practice the movements and perfect the stitch before you use it.
  6. If you do not have a floss keeper you can take your extra pieces of cut floss and using a bookmark you can wrap the floss around it to keep it tangle free.
  7. If you attempt to do this type of work in dim lighting you will strain your eyes.
  8. Wear a thimble or finger guard. At some point everyone pricks their finger and you do not want a bloodstain on your project.
  9. Take your time. If you try to rush through a project you will undoubtedly make mistakes that you would not have made had you slowed down and thought things through.
  10. Take pride in the work you are doing and do not sell your accomplishments short. You are learning to do something that you can enjoy for many years to come.