The Sewing Place

Free motion embroidery

Sara-S

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2019, 18:50:20 PM »
I finished another embroidery today. This is an anniversary design.  Our 28th anniversary is later this month.
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« Last Edit: October 03, 2019, 19:23:56 PM by Sara-S »
You can't scare me. I taught high school for 32 years.

justpottering

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2019, 14:00:28 PM »
I am currently playing with free motion machine embroidery, and having fun and palpitations at the same time  0_0

I have to think outside the box, most of my knowledge is about dressmaking and not 'free hand' and asking my machine to go in all directions rather than sew a seam!

First tries are ok-ish actually, well, from a distance anyway  0_0

Still getting to grips with directions, and info like best threads to use etc. Am now on t'interweb looking for ideas because I don't do playing without a purpose very well, I much rather having something to work towards, can't be doing with squiggles and wiggles that don't mean anything, would rather make a picture even if it's rubbish and ends up in the bin, and keep doing it until my technique improves.

Wish me luck!
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Elnnina

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2019, 16:25:14 PM »
Justpottering there are some  gorgeous books about by Liz Hubbard (sadly she passed away far too early age 46 in November 1990) on free motion embroidery - a hardback book called Thread Painting published by David and Charles, my copy has the most beautiful scarlet poppies mixed in with wheat on the cover - it looks stunning, then there is a smaller paperback booklet called Gutermann Thread Painting and this one is published by  Search Press.  Both books have used Gutermann threads, and at the time of publishing Gutermann used to offer their thread reels in special packs of threads so Poppies a range of reds through to oranges, Marigolds were yellows and light oranges, Greenwood were greens and  of course there were other pack colourways as well.  Each reel in the pack was only 50mtrs and there were 10 reels to each pack.  Liz also used some paints to colour wash fabric before stitching, so say a sky, and then she would embroider a landscape picture using mostly zigzag stitch and the results absolutely stunning.  She also has sewn cottages, gardens, river scenes - all are so pretty.  Liz used to go into schools where she lived and got children to design their own pictures and stitch them out.

Another author of free motion embroidery is Alison Holt and her book is called Machine Embroidered Landscapes published by  Batsford.

Have a look on abebooks UK website, or perhaps Amazon market place for these books.  By the way you do not have to have a super fancy machine to be able to do this, Liz's machine was a Bernina Matic 803   so think back to around 1970's for this machine - the hard back book was published 1988.  There is a good section at the front of the book showing you how to go about using your machine to create  free machine embroidery so that is helpful.

Hope this is helpful to you for whatever you are trying to achieve with this type of embroidery - go and have fun.

justpottering

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #18 on: November 04, 2019, 19:22:28 PM »
Thanks elnnina sounds perfect will have to investigate  :ninja:
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

justpottering

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #19 on: November 05, 2019, 20:42:01 PM »
Look what I did today  :)

I learn better when I have something to make so as a first effort with lots of mistakes I shall rinse and repeat until I get better but not bad for first go
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Acorn

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #20 on: November 05, 2019, 20:44:24 PM »
I think that's absolutely lovely!   0_0
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

BrendaP

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #21 on: November 05, 2019, 22:06:59 PM »
That's brilliant @justpottering   

It takes a LOT of practice to master free embroidery or free motion quilting.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Nuttywife59

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #22 on: November 05, 2019, 22:12:31 PM »
That is beautiful you must be pleased with how it looks. I have enough trouble with just doing some free motion squiggles.

justpottering

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #23 on: November 05, 2019, 22:27:08 PM »

It takes a LOT of practice to master free embroidery or free motion quilting.

I believe you Brenda, this is going to take a LOT of practising but I'm in the mood for a new challenge and I enjoyed this although it takes a lot of patience changing threads every time there's a new colour, I used ordinary cotton/polyester threads would like to try with embroidery thread so I've ordered some  :)
There are some amazing examples of this sort of thing so I shouldn't be short of inspiration for practising  :D
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Lilian

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2019, 22:59:14 PM »
Wow! @justpottering that's brilliant, relly well done  <3 :)
Willing but not always able :)

Elnnina

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #25 on: November 05, 2019, 23:25:30 PM »
Wow Justpottering, that is quite beautiful - if you can get hold of the book I mentioned yesterday you will enjoy experimenting even more.  You have got further than I have - this is something I have wanted to do for years, but never had the time to try it out for real.  By the way did you know that you can get a sprung loaded hoop - I think mine are by Madeira and come in two sizes so if you need to reposition you just press the two butterfly clips together and move the fabric a little and let go - this is all done whilst the fabric is under the needle.  I shall look forward to seeing what else you can do - now just enjoy the process and have fun.

By the way another book for you to look out for is The Art of Embroidery by Julia Barton.  Julia did her City and Guilds a good few years ago now and she then decided to hold a few classes on a Saturday for machine embroidery and I must say she made it look so easy, my efforts were nothing compared to hers.  She did say however that it had taken hours upon hours of practice to run the machine at a speed she could handle and move the fabric in the hoop.  At this time I suppose this must have been back around the early 80's and these Saturdays were connected with Missenden Abbey and their Summer School although the classes I attended were held in another school across the road from the Abbey.  At that time Julia lived in Amersham.  At one time her book was considered very rare and was fetching extraordinary high prices second hand, they have dropped in price considerably now thank goodness.

coffeeandcake

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #26 on: November 06, 2019, 14:00:08 PM »
I think that is really good!

justpottering

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #27 on: November 06, 2019, 22:29:07 PM »
Thanks everyone for your kind comments and encouragement I m looking forward to getting to grips with this so watch this space  0_0
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Sara-S

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #28 on: November 07, 2019, 21:27:06 PM »
@justpottering I will look forward to seeing your work.  I am hoping to be a bad influence on one of the ladies in my sewing class, who wants to learn more about it.
You can't scare me. I taught high school for 32 years.

Sara-S

Re: Free motion embroidery
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2019, 21:24:40 PM »
I just finished another wall-hanging this morning. This one is for Thanksgiving. I’m pretty happy with it.
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« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 21:56:42 PM by Sara-S »
You can't scare me. I taught high school for 32 years.