Category Archives: Machine Embroidery

November 20, 2023 · 11:38 am

Christmas Decorations

Free Standing Lace Star from Urban Threads (Design UT21424)

I thought I would make some Christmas decorations using free standing lace – I have made a couple of these before. This time I have bought some Christmas decoration hangers from Amazon and I will turn them into decorations and give as gifts (small tokens).

I am using two sheets of water soluble stabiliser (the one above is like paper, but I am also using the film version). Embroidery thread (Robinson Anton Candy Apple Red) on top and in the bobbin. I have slowed my machine down to 500 s/min so these take a long time, but they look good.

A short clip of the stitch out because I find it mesmerising.

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July 15, 2023 · 11:10 am

Machine Embroidery – Blackwork

My plan is to cover a wooden box with embroidery – something like this one. Because I don’t know how well this is going to go, I am doing my first attempt with machine embroidery (the above took 35 minutes).

I am using a design from Embroidery Library. I am stitching on linen using sewing machine thread and a cutaway medium weight stabiliser.

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July 1, 2023 · 2:46 pm

Zipper Bag

New Zipper Bag from Pixie Willow Patterns

It’s school holidays here, which means no students for a couple of weeks, so I have set my embroidery machine up on my desk.

The design is from Pixie Willow Patterns. The instructions were good and it was easy to put together (it did take me a couple of hours).

My corners aren’t very crisp and I wish I had done the stitching down of the background in black, but I am sure I will make another one and I will do that then.

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Filed under Applique, Digitizing, Embroidery, Fabric Stash, Machine Embroidery

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March 7, 2023 · 2:14 pm

Project Update

I have been working on some of my projects.

  • Gingerbread House (Top Left) – I have almost finished one section of the roof and then its just the other roof section. I am only working on this at my stitching group, so it’s months from completion.
  • Cinnamon Stars (Top right) – I have worked on this for a few hours this week. While watching the movie version of Brideshead Revisited and a new SBS series Vigil. I was watching Vonna’s floss tube yesterday and she mentioned that she only ever uses size 22 needles (regardless of the linen count), so I thought I would give that a go.
  • I have joined A Bee in the Bonnet’s Golden Honey Sock club, so the yarn (bottom left) is for the first pattern. I have since made it into a ball and started knitting the swatch.
  • More progress on covering the joins of Miss A’s quilt. It’s physical hard to man-handle the quilt through the machine.

There will be no new projects until some of these are finished.

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Filed under Canvas Work, Cross Stitch, Cross Stitch, Foundation Blocks, Knitting, Machine Embroidery, Movies, Quilting, Sock Knitting

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December 29, 2022 · 9:52 am

2022 – A Review

The things I worked on this year

I worked on some big projects this year; Miss P’s blanket and the Cinnamon Stars cross stitch.

I finished

So next year I would like to finish my

  • Cinnamon Stars cross stitch
  • My covid knitting project (it’s the doll second from the left in the bottom row)
  • Miss P’s blanket
  • Gingerbread Cross stitch house
  • Dictionary of Stitches Sampler
  • Miss A’s quilt (not shown)

And then I would like to start my

I think that’s enough projects planned.

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Filed under Cross Stitch, Cross Stitch, Embroidery, Machine Embroidery, Sewing, Sock Knitting

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December 14, 2022 · 5:27 pm

New Project Bag

New Knitting Project Bag

I made a drawstring bag for my sock projects. The design is from Urban Threads. I stabilised it with calico, but I should have used something more sturdy as there is a bit of puckering.

I used instructions from Martha Stewart to make the bag.

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December 7, 2022 · 6:05 pm

Drawstring Bags – Machine Embroidery

Drawstring Gift Bags

I thought I was been cunning by making drawstring bags on my embroidery machine, but it wasn’t as smooth as I expected.

I used a design from Pixie Willow Patterns. The instructions were fabulous – very well written with lots of detail and images. And the design stitched out perfectly. I struggled to get the drawstrings through all of the layers, I did exactly as written in the instructions, but it was still tricky and time consuming. I will make them the old-fashioned way next time, but it was worth a go.

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June 25, 2022 · 1:13 pm

Crafty Birds – Machine Embroidery

Crafty Little Birds Embroidery Design from Urban Threads

It’s time for a new project bag.

The design is from Urban Threads.

I am using calico as a stabiliser, which might prove to be too flimsy, and I am floating the fabric after attaching it using a basting spray.

I’m using a Metafil needle (size 12, Klasse), which is fabulous no thread breakages yet.

The Stitching Out process

I have slowed my machine down to 500spm, so its going to be a long process (102 minutes of just stitching) and I want to make two.

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April 4, 2020 · 4:47 pm

Project Bag

Sock Knitting Project Bag

I have made a new project bag for my sock knitting. I wanted it to fit my knitting (obviously) and an A5 notebook. I also like the zip closure rather than a drawstring.

The machine embroidery design is from Urban Threads.

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December 16, 2019 · 4:55 pm

Lace Stars

Lace Star – design from Urban Threads

These stars appealed to me – decorations, present toppers, etc.

Stitching the Star

I found two layers of water soluble stabiliser worked best (hooped perpendicular to each other).

I used the same thread as both my top thread and my bobbin thread.

I have slowed my machine down to 500 spm. I am not sure if that is necessary, but everything just seems to work a lot better. At this speed it does take 70 minutes, but there are no colour changes.

Red Star

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