Machine Embroidery

[Nicola]

Hi Everyone
Recently I have been trying machine embroidery - and I am really struggling to take to it.  So many people now are using it as a
natural accompaniment to hand embroidery that it is now the norm, so I
felt compelled to give it a go, but each time I try it, it just feels alien to me.

What I love about hand embroidery is the feeling and connection with each stitch that is made, and with machine
embroidery it just feels so impersonal, almost that anyone could do it -
with hand embroidery every stitch is unique to the person who has made
it...

I don't want to give up just yet, but I am fed up with feeling like a failure looking at a mass of ugly threads, does anyone have any advice or any books that could help me?

Thanks
Nicola

[Ruth Lane]

Carol Shinn's new book is great. I think it's called Freestlye Machine Embroidery. It will take some time to learn and lots of practice for you to be able to produce a piece that is more to your liking. I have been doing machine embroidery for over four years now and I'm just getting to feel proficient and some what skilled. I don't mean to discourage you from trying it and I hope you'll keep trying. I really enjoy doing the machine embroidery and love the looks that can be obtained.

[Nicola]

Hi Ruth
Thanks, I'll certainly get hold of the book - being fairly stubborn I'm going to stick with it, but hand embroidery has been such a love for so long, the transition is quite hard!


Ruth Lane said:

Carol Shinn's new book is great. I think it's called Freestlye Machine Embroidery. It will take some time to learn and lots of practice for you to be able to produce a piece that is more to your liking. I have been doing machine embroidery for over four years now and I'm just getting to feel proficient and some what skilled. I don't mean to discourage you from trying it and I hope you'll keep trying. I really enjoy doing the machine embroidery and love the looks that can be obtained.

[Barbara/Hopscotch]

Nicola,

Please don't despair! I have been practising free-style machine embroidery for a while and longed to combine it with hand embroidery.

My hand work is by no means perfect but I am gaining experience and enjoying the journey!. You just need patience and a certain amount of stubborness. Good luck!
Barbara

[Nicola]

Thanks Barbara, I'm going to give it another go today and see what happens, although I am determined that it won't get the better of me. Still, the up side is that I am coming up with new and creative ways of swearing ;)

Hopscotch said:

Nicola,

Please don't despair! I have been practising free-style machine embroidery for a while and longed to combine it with hand embroidery.

My hand work is by no means perfect but I am gaining experience and enjoying the journey!. You just need patience and a certain amount of stubborness. Good luck!
Barbara

[nancy s minshew]

Nancy Zieman has a book that really helped me. It is available at Nancy's Notions and it is about confidence in learning embroidery. I am still learning but I am willing to answer any questions that you might have...if I can. I had bought a new machine for this purpose and bought it in Memphis and I lived in a lttle town far,far away from any assistance and I had to teach my self how to use this machine and then to learn how to embroider on it also. It would have been so helpful to ask someone some questions. But by trial and error I have learned. Use the service man to get any information you may need or the sales people in the shop where you bought your machine and if you can take a course if they offer any. Happy stitching. Nancy Minshew

[Charlene Stephens Robinson]

I feel your frustration. My sewing machine wants to eat the work I'm doin'. My kitty won't give me any advice I understand. She just wants to decorate all my fabric with cat hair. So keep on trying and so will I.

[Charlene Stephens Robinson]

I feel your frustration. My sewing machine wants to eat the work I'm doin'. My kitty won't give me any advice I understand. She just wants to decorate all my fabric with cat hair. So keep on trying and so will I.