DK WAYWO: Coloring in Machine Embroidery

I have been doing hand embroidery since I was 12. But as we age, and things get more difficult, we look for easier ways to get similar results.  One obvious answer for embroidery is machine embroidery.

For that you need a machine that does embroidery. I was talking to a woman last week who wanted one, but the price was a bit of a problem. I told her the best prices I ever saw were at the big quilting / sewing conferences, like Original Quilting and Sewing Expo, where I bought my machine.  Go on Sunday and in the afternoon they will be discounting the machines they bought for demoing so they don’t have to take them back. I bought mine for 40% off. You will never get those prices any where else. And you still get the free classes and such. That is a bit of a digression, but I thought I would add that as the woman I talked to was very pleased to have that bit of knowledge.

There are classes and classes on how to do machine embroidery.  The stabilizer aspect is key to successful machine embroidery and which stabilizer to use depends on whether the fabric has stretch or not, or has nap or not, and how dense the stitching on the embroidery is. And in some cases, it is best to use more than one stabilizer.  I’m not covering that here.

What I am doing this diary on, is using machine embroidery combined with the current craze of coloring.  Basically you can purchase CD of Outline embroideries and then color them in. Or not. It might be you like the outline embroidery just fine. In many cases I think they are fine.

My embroidery machine is a Babylock Ellure plus and I like it a lot although I’ve only recently switched to using it for embroidery rather than quilting and such. To switch it from a sewing machine to an embroidery machine, you add the embroidery unit, change the bobbin (key point due to tension issues) and use the appropriate bobbin thread. I use 60 wgt off white — you can match the thread to the embroidery, but you’ll be changing colors, and if the tension is right, you’ll never see the bobbin thread. Most people just use an off-white or grey.

Next pick your outline embroidery design. I have a set of Botanical Outlines by Amazing Designs — if you are going to color in the designs, get them Jumbo, which usually means the design will be larger. You can also resize them to a certain degree and make them larger, but better to start with larger ones.

Below are three examples of outline embroideries I did:

What this diary is about is coloring them in. Like the coloring book craze.  Below is the roses colored in. The large rose with fabric marker and the bud with a fairly thick wash.

I’m not sure I like this better than just the outline. The fabric marker, even with a fairly fine point, is too dark. It overwhelms the design. The bud is better though.  I used fabric spray paint in a plastic container and then used a brush to do the coloring.

Below is the morning glory colored in.  I used a combination of fabric pencils with a sharp point and the spray paint but thinned it with water. This led to some bleeding, but I decided I liked that.

So something to think about. Outline embroidery by machine is quick and easy and augmenting with colors, I think, gives a nice effect. You can experiment with various mediums — pencils, spray paint, fabric paints — whatever you want and see what you like best. I like the thinner washes that let the embroidery show through more, but if you like heavier colors, that choice is yours.

What Are you Working on Lately?

Do you knit? crochet? sew? make jewelry? do metal (or other) sculpting? build furniture? create with your hands and heart?

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