Embroidery, Experimentation, and 47 Projects Later

When I bought my BERNINA 700 E, I had a pretty specific goal in mind. I wanted to make custom embroidered patches for my daughter’s denim jacket. She’s deeply involved in musical theater, and I buy and sew on a new patch for every show she’s in as a way to remember each production. Being able to design and stitch those patches myself was the whole reason, ahem… justification… for purchasing an embroidery machine.

Of course, once you have an embroidery machine, you start looking at all the things you could make. And suddenly, your original plan is just one of approximately 47 projects you want to try. As is the curse of all creative hobbies, there’s always something else we want to make.

Along the way, I’ve been reminded that learning something new is equal parts exciting, humbling, and occasionally a little ridiculous. You can be perfectly comfortable with one creative skill and then find yourself back at square one with another. And that’s part of the fun.

Let’s go 3-D!

When OESD released the Freestanding Midnight Garden Pumpkins, I saw them and immediately knew I had to make them. With Halloween approaching, they seemed like the perfect excuse to venture into the world of 3-D machine embroidery.

This was my first freestanding embroidery project, and I quickly learned that these aren’t exactly a stitch-it-and-forget-it kind of afternoon. There are more steps involved than with some embroidery projects, and a little patience goes a long way. Sometimes you want a quick win, and sometimes you’re willing to put in the time to make something a little more involved–and this was definitely the latter.

A quick side note public service announcement: those OESD alligator clamps are a MUST-HAVE notion for freestanding projects.

The finished pumpkins were worth the effort, especially when my teenager decided she wanted one for her room. If you have a teenager, you know I’m counting that as a major creative achievement.

Now I’m planning, or more accurately, scrambling, to plan what other freestanding projects I can create before the holiday season hits because now holiday decorating has a whole new set of possibilities.

Completely From Scratch

One of the most satisfying projects I’ve made this summer was a T-shirt that I took from a sewing pattern to a finished, embroidered garment. Starting with the free T-shirt pattern from Closet Core Patterns, used the OESD Chain Stitch Alphabet in DIME software to design the embroidery, and then stitched it out.

I loved seeing it all come together. Bringing together sewing, embroidery software design, and machine embroidery to create something that was entirely my own.

Key Tip: Test your embroidery design before stitching on your finished project!

I cannot stress this enough. Test your design size, stabilizer choices, thread colors, and placement before you commit to the final garment. Even if you’ve used a design or font before, the fabric you’re stitching on can change the results. 

I recommend stitching out a sample on the same fabric you’re using for your finished project, if possible, with the same stabilizer and thread colors. It’s also a great opportunity to check that the size and placement look the way you envisioned. If something needs adjusting, you can make those changes before you’re committed.

I would much rather test a design half a dozen times than ruin a project because I rushed the process. This is especially true when you’re embroidering something you’ve already spent time sewing, or fabric you can’t easily replace. 

Coming Full Circle

And then there are the patches. The whole reason I bought the embroidery machine in the first place.

As I mentioned, for every musical our daughter is in, I add a new patch to her denim jacket. Until now, that meant finding and buying a patch that fit the show. But now, I have completed my goal and successfully designed and embroidered one for her.

There’s something special about making something for someone you love, especially when it’s connected to something they’re passionate about. The jacket tells the story of all the shows she’s been part of, and now I get to add a little more of my own creativity to that story.

Of course, I selfishly hope she keeps the jacket forever and looks back on it fondly. But even if she doesn’t, I’ll always treasure the memory of making these patches for her.

And just like that, I finally made the thing I bought the machine to make. It only took approximately 47 other projects to get there.

What I’ve Learned

Looking back, it isn’t that much of a surprise that I bought an embroidery machine for one very specific purpose and ended up exploring so many other things along the way.

I still have plenty to learn, and there are more projects on my list than I’ll probably ever get around to making. But that’s part of what keeps creating interesting. There’s always something new to try, and you don’t have to know everything before you begin.

If you’ve been curious about machine embroidery, find a project that makes you think, “I’d love to make that”, and give it a try. You might discover a new favorite creative outlet, or you might just make something that becomes meaningful to you or someone you love.

And if you decide to try a freestanding project, get those alligator clamps first!