Embroidry Sewing Machine

The art of embroidery has been practiced in one form or another throughout the ages.  Embroidery is simply defined as thread embellishment on cloth.  Practically as long as there has existed cloth, there has existed embroidery. 

There are two major forms of embroidery from the past which are collected today; they are: stump work and samplers. 

In the past, as part of the regular school curriculum of girls, embroidery was taught.  These very young students, sometimes as young as seven or eight years old, would show their sewing skills by creating colorful samplers.  The samplers would showcase their sewing skills as well as their knowledge of the numbers and alphabets.  Many samplers were created which depict the children, their interests and their school buildings as well.  Samplers were generally stitched on wool or silk fabrics with very colorful silk and metallic threads and can still be found for purchase today.  Very old or very decorative samplers today are worth a lot of money to the collectors who are fortunate enough to own them. 

Because every sewer is an individual, it is impossible to say there is one “best” sewing machine out there for everyone.  Your sewing needs should ultimately dictate the machine you purchase.  For example, if you never plan on doing machine embroidery, then you do not need a sewing machine capable of doing it.  You can save your money because embroidery sewing machines are much more expensive than a more basic model which will meet your needs just fine.

Once you have some idea of what you might want in a sewing machine, hit the Internet and do some serious research.  Go to manufacture websites as well as those which are owned by sewing experts.  Read what is out on the web and see if the machine you are interested in gets good reviews or bad.  People like to complain, so you might find complaints about every sewing machine out there.  Ignore the one or two complaints but listen to those where you start reading the same criticism over and over again.  One or two people can be a fluke, but twenty people are probably not. 

Purchasing a sewing machine is an investment in your craft so it is important to take the time and make the right choice.  Make sure you find just the right machine for your needs and it will serve you well for many sewing years to come. 

Learning to sew is really one of those “hands on” type things.  You can easily learn to sew but you have to take the time to try it out and see what works for you.  The easiest thing you can do is sign up for a sewing lesson at your local craft, sewing machine or quilting store.  Generally any store which sells the more expensive sewing machines will offer lessons for free or at a very reasonable cost.  You do not have to buy their sewing machine simply to take a class and try out sewing for yourself. 

If no one in your area offers lessons, and you don’t happen to know anyone who sews, you can always find tutorials and lessons online.  Simply go to any search engine and type in the words “sewing lessons” and you will have thousands of options to choose from! 

It is always exciting to learn something new and go out and buy all of the stuff you need to make whatever you want.  However, rather than going out and buying a top-of-the-line sewing machine and tons of other items, start with things you have around your home and a very basic sewing machine.  This will ensure that when you purchase things they end up being what you really want. 

One of the most challenging things for new sewers is sewing in elastic to their craft projects and garments.  Elastic is a bit tricky, because if you don’t do it correctly it can easily ruin your project by making it look horrible and bunchy.  Nothing is worse than sewing a great item and having your elastic turn into a “lettuce edge” looking mess on you. 

Take your elastic and zigzag stitch it together by sewing back and forth over it a few times where the two ends of the elastic meet up.  The best sewing machine setting to use for this is to use a wide, three-step zigzag.  Once you have completed sewing your elastic together, then pull on your elastic circle to ensure that it is secured and will not come apart.   Once you are sure that it will not separate, you can then use it in your project and know it will last. 

Again, using a wide, long zigzag stitch, to allow for the elastic to move and shape your project, and stretch your elastic and sew the top of it into place.  Continue to sew around the top of the elastic and then move on to sewing the bottom of the elastic.

When we were growing up most of our mothers and grandmothers knew how to sew.  As clothing has become cheaper and cheaper, sewing has become almost a lost art amongst the younger generations.  Thankfully, the past few years has seen resurgence in sewing and other handcrafts.  This is leading to a new availability of information on how to sew and supplies to learn to sew with. 

If you will be sewing something from a pattern, take the time to read through all of the instructions and make sure that you clearly understand them.  Make sure to read and understand everything before you start to cut out your fabric.  Remember that once you cut your fabric it will be in pieces and you can’t just re-cut it. 

The most important thing for you to remember when you first start sewing is that “Rome was not built in a day.”  Start with a very simple project and take your time.  Then start a more complex project and take some time to learn a new skill or two when completing it.  As you progress through your various projects you will feel more and more confident in your sewing abilities.  After all, you are learning to sew because it is functional and fun!

One of the most interesting ways you can embellish your embroidery projects is by adding beads onto your stitches.  Adding beads brings a three dimensional look to your needlework and adds a unique form of beauty and visual interest.    With today’s popularity of beadwork and jewelry making, there are some amazing beads available for you to purchase and add onto your embroidery projects. 

If you are looking to add some extra visual interest to your embroidery, you might want to add a more bold or opposite color to your work.  An example would be adding red beads onto a Christmas tree you have embroidered. 

While the size of your needle doesn’t matter too much when you are making your embroidery projects, it does matter, a lot, when you are working with beads.  If you will be using glass seed beads, or other small-hole beads, you want to make sure you use a small thin, long beading needle to affix your beads to your project.