Freehand Machine Embroidery: Beginners Guide

By Maggie Kruger

I do not know how long ago embroidery started, but I think through the centuries, women have turned to needlecraft and embroidery for pleasure. My grandmother told us that in her days, the young ladies did not work and was taught to do needlework and embroidery. Although times have changed and the love for embroidery still remains strong, women sadly neglect this art as they do not have time.

The sewing machine is a quicker medium for embroidery and decorative stitching.

You can make a room look homely, cozy, and beautiful with needlework and embroidery. It can be embroidered tablecloths, runners, cushions, table mats, wall hangings, pictures, bed linen, and many more.

All these things can become possible to you by taking each page step by step and practicing the various stitches and methods.

To those who are already experienced machinists, sewing machine embroidery will be much easier. Others may find it a little more difficult, but it can be overcome with a lot of practice and perseverance.

This type of machine embroidery needs a lot of practice, but once you acquire control of the machine and embroidery hoop, there is no end to the possibilities of the work that can be done.

I hope that the sewing machine no longer will be regarded as the machine for sewing hems, mending, curtains, and dressmaking but as the means for enjoyment in producing beautiful machine embroidery for the home and family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: May 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781466982864

Maggie Kruger

Maggie Kruger started sewing in the 1960’s and was introduced to free hand machine embroidery when she purchased her first sewing machine. She has a natural love for sewing and not only completed several dressmaking, design, patchwork and quilting courses but also offered a variety of classes herself. In the last 15 years she has kept herself busy with free hand machine embroidery classes. Her successful first book “Success with Perfect Fit Pattern Making and designing” is now followed with this guide to freehand machine embroidery, a must for every sewing enthusiast.

Book preview

Copyright 2013 Maggie Kruger.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-8287-1 (sc)

           978-1-4669-8286-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904076

Trafford rev. 05/13/2013

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Sewing Machine and all the basic requirements

Machine Needles:

Scissors:

Tweezers:

Lint Brush:

Sewing Machine Oil:

Pritt Glue:

File:

Stabilizers:

Fabrics:

Embroidery Hoop:

Threads:

Design:

HOW TO WASH EMBROIDERY

Ironing of Embroidery Article

Working Area

CHAPTER TWO

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR MACHINE

How a Sewing Machine Works

The Presser Foot

Preparing the machine:

TENSION

Darning Foot:

SET UP YOUR MACHINE FOR FREEHAND EMBROIDERY

MACHINE SETTINGS:

CHAPTER THREE

PREPARING THE FABRIC AND THE HOOP FOR FREEHAND EMBROIDERY

Embroidery Hoop

CHAPTER FOUR

TECHNIQUE

Straight Stitch

LET’S GET STARTED

Be sure no fabric is caught under the hoop.

Stitching Without a Darning Foot:

CHAPTER FIVE

LETS PRACTICE:

Zigzag Stitch:

CHAPTER SIX

A Few Rules to Remember:

PROBLEMS

WORKING FROM A DESIGN

Embroidery on a Garment:

PART TWO

STITCHES

LESSON ONE

STRAIGHT STITCH:

Zigzag Stitch:

LESSON TWO

Thread Sketching – Straight Stitch

Straight Stitch:

LESSON THREE

SPIRAL STITCH:

FLOWER DESIGN – Straight Stitch

LESSON FOUR

ZIGZAG STITCH – SATIN STITCH

ALPHABET TECHNIQUE

Zigzag Width 3-5

FLOWER AND LEAVES EXERCISE

Width – 1.5 – 2

FLOWER - Zigzag Satin Stitch – width 3 – 4

LESSON FIVE

ZIGZAG STITCH

SATIN STITCH – SEEDS

Tension: looser.

SEED AND SPIRAL STITCH - ROSES

SINGLE MONOGRAM – SEED AND SPIRAL STITCH ROSES

DOUBLE MONOGRAM – SPIRAL STITCH ROSES

LESSON SIX

STRAIGHT STITCH – FILL-IN STITCH

VERTICAL - OPEN

LEAVES:

Herringbone Technique

FLOWER:

Straight Stitch Fill-in

Vertical – Close

STRAIGHT STITCH - FILL-IN

VERTICAL- CLOSE

STRAIGHT STITCH

HERRINGBONE TECHNIQUE

Embroidered Sample

STRAIGHT STITCH FILL-IN EXERCISE

STRAIGHT STITCH

STRAIGHT STITCH FILL-IN

LESSON SEVEN

STRAIGHT STITCH

FEATHER STITCH

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Dedicated to my husband Pieter Nicolaas Kruger

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Foreword

I do not know how long ago embroidery started but I think through the centuries, women have turned to needlecraft and embroidery for pleasure. My Grandmother told us that in her days the young ladies did not work and was taught to do needlework and embroidery. Although times have changed and the love for embroidery still remains strong, women sadly neglects this art as they do not have time.

The sewing machine is a quicker medium for embroidery and decorative stitching.

You can make a room look homely, cosy and beautiful with needlework and embroidery.

All these things can become possible to you by taking each page step by step and practice the various stitches and methods.

To those who are already experienced machinists, sewing machine embroidery will be much easier. Others may find it a little more difficult, but it can be overcome with a lot of practice and perseverance.

This type of machine embroidery needs a lot of practice, but, once having acquired control of the machine and embroidery hoop, there is no end to the possibilities of the work that can be done.

I hope that the sewing machine no longer will be regarded as the machine for sewing hems, mending, curtains and dressmaking, but be the means for enjoyment in producing beautiful, machine embroidery for the home and family.

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