Stitchers cover the world with love, one stitch at a time. Those of us who do any type of fiber art seem to always be presenting our handiwork as gifts, so this is a very true statement! Whether its an elegant tablecloth, cute baby blanket or utility tote, were doing our best to spread the love.
In the world of
machine embroidery, the types of crafters are as varied as the projects they create. And, the recipients of our gifts make the realm of possibilities absolutely huge! Your little ballerina might not actually want girly stuff. The elegant hostess might want something a little more fun and funky. And, the manly types might not want fishing themed gifts every time. Just as we fiber artists want some variety, so do our friends!
When someone thinks of machine embroidery designs the usual visual that comes to mind is lovely old-fashioned floral or nursery-themed designs. Those who design embroidery patterns have branched out in the last few years to add variety to whats available, and these designers are very generous with their free embroidery designs for us to try!
The first very new thing that I learned was free-standing lace designs, which were just the utmost in elegance to me. Then came foundation quilt piecing in-the-hoop and appliqu. More quilt embroidery patterns joined the group. And, those are just the new techniques! As well as old-fashioned florals and redwork or nursery designs, we have so many new design options. My favorite designer creates exquisite stained-glass portraits and fashion-forward purses. Others specialize in in-the-hoop projects like bags for cell phones, cameras and e-readers.
A few designers with wonderful imagination have created designs that are meant to be stitched on paper (including the toilet variety) or over Mylar for wonderful shine. Others have designs that are beautifully suited to adding hot-fix crystals and jewels, as well as other embellishment items, making for very one-of-a-kind designs.
As well as florals, nursery, country, redwork and other traditional types of designs, our vocabulary has expanded. We now have designs with a Jacobean or Parisian flair; Cross-stitch and Battenberg have joined Hardanger and Candle-wicking in our design dictionaries. We can now create beautiful filet crochet on the
embroidery machine instead of spending weeks on it by hand. We can create fantastic wall art of stunning beauty and the cutest risqu totes and tees. There has never been a more exciting time to do machine embroidery!
Of course, all these new design styles and techniques have created a need for new embroidery supplies as well. We now have several different water-soluble stabilizers that can be washed away after making free-standing designs, and water-soluble thread, too! Sticky stabilizer and magnetized hoops for holding delicate or difficult project materials are a huge help. Specialized embroidery thread in so many varieties including metallic, variegated, glow-in-the-dark and even a thread that shrinks, creating an interesting crinkled result. All of these options keep me in a frenzy to try them all! Like a lot of stitchers, I collect the tools and supplies so that I can make any type of project at any time. Now, I would really like to request that the designers create a free embroidery clone to help me out!
