Table of contents for Fall 2020 in Creative Machine Embroidery

Dear Readers, I’m a summer girl at heart, but nevertheless there’s something so delightful about fall — the cool, crisp weather, the colors of the turning trees and, of course, Halloween (the sewing holiday!). I freely admit that all the traditional fall motifs speak to me in a big way, so I’m always super excited to share with you all the projects in the fall issue. The 2020 issue doesn’t disappoint. Fall is a great time to start playing around with fun textures… like faux fur, for example. It’s tricky to embroider on, but when done right, the effect is spectacular. Learn all the tricks from expert Katrina Walker on page 32, along with instructions for making a foxy faux-fur pillow that’s somehow cute and elegant at the same time.…

MATERIALS Materials listed are enough to make one 23/4”x3”x3/8” needle book + 4”x7” rectangle each of low-volume quilting cotton, coordinating quilting cotton & batting + Two 21/2”x5” rectangles of felt + Stabilizer: mediumweight tear-away & fabric-like water-soluble + Embroidery or masking tape + Two 8” lengths of 1/4”-1/4” ribbon + Thread: bobbin & embroidery + Chopstick or point turner + Hand-sewing needle or strip of fusible tape PREPARE • Download the Needle Book designs free from sewdaily.com/go/ CMEfreebies until Oct. 31, 2020. Load the first design onto the machine. • Wind one bobbin with bobbin thread and another with a color that matches the low-volume fabric. Install the bobbin with bobbin thread into the machine and thread the machine with the first color. EMBROIDER • Hoop a piece of tear-away…

Printed cotton is a mainstay of any quilter’s fabric collection, and there are so many wonderful designs and design collections to choose from. Don’t limit yourself to solids when planning an embroidered quilt project because you’re worried your designs will get lost on print backgrounds. Follow these simple guidelines and let your imagination loose. • If you are the conservative type, choose tone-on-tones for your first embroidering-on-prints endeavor. Then start experimenting with multicolor miniature scale prints. • Batiks make excellent backgrounds as the random colors and less defined shapes add background interest to the embroidery design. • Stripes, plaids, polka dots and checks will create a geometric background which will pair well with and show off floral designs. Turn checks and plaids on point for interesting detailing. • Look for…

MATERIALS + Long cardigan pattern (such as Helen’s Closet Patterns Blackwood Cardigan; see “Source.”) + Jersey knit or French terry (amount according to pattern envelope) + Notions (according to pattern envelope) + Cut-away stabilizer + Embroidery thread + Water-soluble marker + Temporary spray adhesive + Autumn leaf border & corner design (approximately 11/2”x6” & 21/2”x31/4”; see “Designs.”) PREPARE • Cut out the pattern pieces from the fabric according to the pattern instructions. EMBROIDER • Print a template of the border design. • Position one center-front band right side up on a flat work surface. Designate one short edge as the upper edge. Draw a line 11/8” from and parallel to the left edge. Designate as the border centerline. Draw a line 5/8” from and parallel to the band lower edge.…

MATERIALS + Blouse pattern with a contrast inset panel (such as the Liesl + Co. Afternoon Tea Blouse; see “Sources”) + Black woven fabric, such as linen or rayon twill (amount according to the pattern envelope) + Off-white woven fabric, such as linen or broadcloth (amount according to the pattern envelope plus 1/4 yard) + Notions (according to the pattern envelope) + Fabric-like water-soluble stabilizer + Thread: all-purpose, bobbin & embroidery + Removeable fabric marker + Ruler + Continuous line spider web design (approx. 4.81”x4.83”; see “Design”) PREPARE • Prewash the fabric to make sure no shrinkage occurs after embroidery and construction. • Cut out the pattern pieces; set aside everything except the inset pieces. • Measure the inset pieces and record the length and width of each, taking into…

MATERIALS + Bib pattern (such as BurdaStyle’s Baby 2015 #9395C) + 1/4 yard of cotton fabric with leaf print + 1/4 yard of batting + One 1/2” or two 1/4” sew-in snaps + Thread: all-purpose & embroidery + Hand-sewing needle + Rotary cutting system + Bug embroidery designs (approx. 3.25"x2.50" & 1.00”x0.50" ; see “Designs”) PREPARE • If using a digital pattern, print, tile and tape the pattern pieces together. Check to see if seam allowance is included on the pattern; if not, add seam allowance. Cut out the pattern pieces. CUT • From the cotton fabric, cut two bibs. Transfer all pattern markings. • From the batting, cut one bib. EMBROIDER • On the machine screen bottom left or as desired, position a bug embroidery design so it appears…

MATERIALS + Readymade canvas tote bag + 5” square of orange woven cotton (appliqué) + Pom-pom trim (amount according to bag upper and lower edge circumferences plus 4”) + Stabilizer: tear-away & water-soluble + Thread: all-purpose, bobbin & embroidery + 5x7 hoop + Pumpkin appliqué design (approx. 4.71”x6.63”) PREPARE • Remove the stitching along one bag side seam and lower edge (A). • Measure and mark the bag vertical and horizontal centerline (B). EMBROIDER • Download the pumpkin appliqué from sewdaily.com/go/CMEfreebiesuntil Oct. 31, 2020. Load the design onto the embroidery machine. • Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer and the bag front, centering the bag centerlines within the hoop. Place the hoop onto the machine. Center a piece of water-soluble stabilizer over the bag front. • Select a basting stitch…

nancy fiedler (“Quilt This: Prints + Embroidery”—page 18) has served as an Educator for Janome America for 14 years and designs and writes from her studio in Dwight, Illinois, with the help of her cat Jon Snow and dog Beckett. denise hoguin (“Hand Bag”—page 60) has been in the machine embroidery industry for over 17 years. She has designed multiple embroidery collections, and her work has been featured in blogs and embroidery magazines. Denise also enjoys writing, photography, marketing and miniatures. Her hope is to encourage others to explore their creativity. stacy schlyer (“Harvest Cardigan”—page 26 and “Spooky Tidings”—page 46) is a self-taught seamstress and self-proclaimed fabric junkie whose goal is to reach SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy). She lives in Kansas with her family and blogs about her…

MATERIALS Supplies listed are enough to make one necklace. + Non-woven material (such as cork or fabric-like paper: see “Sources.”) + Two 12” squares of coordinating woven cotton fabric + Water-activated adhesive tear-away stabilizer (See “Sources.”) + Water-soluble topper + Size 80/12 topstitch or denim needle + Embroidery thread + Embroidery tape (See “Sources.”) + Nine 8mm-diameter double-cap rivets & attachment tool + Round fabric punch tool + 16” length necklace chain with clasp + Two 6mm-diameter jump rings + Jewelry pliers & cutters + Three freestanding flower designs (See “Designs.”) EMBROIDER • Load the first flower design onto the machine. • From the fabric-like paper, cut two pieces larger than the finished embroidery design. • Thread the needle and bobbin with matching embroidery thread. • Hoop a piece of…

Create your own horizontal inset on a favorite blouse pattern. • Determine your preferred location for the top of the inset stripe. The featured pattern has its inset 13/8” below the neckline at the front. Mark a line perpendicular to the grainline on the pattern front at this location. • Mark a parallel line 23/4” below this line on the pattern front (1). • Note where the front sleeve notches are relative to the inset stripe. Use the matching notches on the sleeves to place a corresponding stripe on the sleeve pattern. If desired, add extra interest to the sleeves shaping the sleeve inset into a V (2). Adding a seam to the sleeve pattern at the top sleeve notch and parallel to the grainline can make this easier —…

MATERIALS + Denim jacket + Paper-backed adhesive stabilizer + Coordinating embroidery thread + Chalk or removable fabric market + Eye embroidery design (approx. 5.75”x6.75”; see “Design”) PREPARE • Decide on the desired design placement and mark the center point with a dot. In the featured sample, the design is placed in the middle center-back panel. • Hoop a piece of paper-back adhesive stabilizer with the paper side up. Score an X through the center of the hoop with a pin. Peel back the paper to reveal the adhesive. • Find the horizontal and vertical centerpoint of the hooped adhesive and mark with a pin. • Press the denim jacket onto the adhesive, aligning the marked centerpoint with the pin in the adhesive. Finger press and smooth in place. EMBROIDER •…

Julia Griffey is the inspiring designer and maker behind Machine Embroidery Geek. With a background in both sewing and graphics, in 2013 Julia created a blog featuring a new post every day that documented her progress as she learned to digitize designs. Over the years, that blog developed into the Machine Embroidery Geek business, offering how-tos and inspiration for other self-described embroidery geeks like Julia. How did you get started with embroidery? My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was very little, so I have sewn for as long as I can remember. My grandmother was an amazing seamstress who taught herself how to sew out of necessity. She grew up motherless and poor, and she wanted to have more than one dress to wear. So she started…

• Print a paper template from the embroidery design file download (1). If a PDF isn’t included in the design download, contact the designer to request a scaled design image. • Roughly cut around the shape. • Cut a horizontal and vertical slit along the center markings and fold back two opposite edges (2). If no center markings are provided, note how the design orients when loaded onto the embroidery machine. Place an acrylic ruler with intersecting lines over the printed design. The intersecting horizontal and vertical lines helps you visualize the center. Note the height and width, and then find the center by marking the exact halfway point of both measurements. Once marked, cut a vertical and horizontal slit. • Place the paper template in the desired position over…

DESIGN CHOICE Faux fur is constructed with a long pile and knit backing. The backing is usually stable, but varies depending on the faux fur chosen. The backing has an open structure that supports a wide range of embroidery designs and thread. Choose a relatively bold design to hold up against the dense fur pile. Solid fill areas and heavy satin stitching work well to hold down the pile for the best stitch coverage. If less dense designs are used, consider using a heavyweight thread to emphasize the stitching and increase visibility. MARKING & CUTTING Working with faux fur requires special consideration and careful handling to yield the best results, especially for long-pile fur. Mark the cutting lines on the fabric wrong side. Use a pair of sharp scissors and…

SUPPLIES + Kimono-sleeve coat pattern (such as Sew News Copper Mountain Coat) + 2 yards of wool fabric + 1/4 yard of contrasting fabric with a leather or waxy finish (for the cuffs) + 1/2 yard of fusible woven interfacing + 18”-long separating zipper + Cut-away stabilizer + Thread: all-purpose & embroidery + Straight ruler + Pattern or tracing paper + Rotary cutting system + Circular embroidery designs (approx. 11/2” x11/2” & 3”x3”; see “Designs”) PREPARE • Print, tile and tape the coat pattern pieces together. Measure your bust circumference to determine the correct size. ALTER • Place the zipper along the center-front line of the front pattern piece, aligning the top of the zipper tape with the neckline. Mark the zipper bottom. • Using a straight ruler, draw a…

MATERIALS + Gathered sleeve blouse (such as the Roscoe Blouse by True Bias) + Linen or linen-blend fabric (amount according to pattern plus 1 yard + Fabric-like water-soluble stabilizer + Thread: all-purpose, bobbin & embroidery + Removable fabric marker + Placket design (approx. 4.94”x6.86”; see “Design”) ALTER • For this design, omit the center-front opening pattern piece as well as the neck tie pattern piece. • Add 15” to 16” to the length on the bodice front and back. • Multiply the sleeve band length by 3.5. Keeping the width the same, draft a new pattern piece based on this measurement. • Cut out the remaining pattern pieces, including the lengthened bodice front and back and the lengthened sleeve bands. • To create the sleeve plackets, cut two 11/2”x6 1/4”…

Customizing denim jeans and jackets with embroidery produces an instant unique, high-end look. Follow these steps for machine embroidery success. • Wash and dry your denim fabric or garment well to prevent any later shrinkage. • Pick a fairly dense design to ensure that the stitching shows up on the denim background. • Linework designs may be too thin and lose impact on a variegated denim fabric. • Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer is best for denim embroidery, given denim’s ability to stretch and shift. • If needed, take apart jean or jacket seams for access to embroidery areas, then restitch the seams later along the original seamlines.…

An everyday coat doesn’t have to be boring. Just a little border embroidery can really elevate a new coat make— or even an old one in your closet that you want to bring back into the rotation. Seventies styles are still on trend and being shown on the runway, and a long heavyweight duster coat like this is just the outer piece to bring this trend into your fall/winter wardrobe. Wear open, belted (try a vintage one!) or add snaps and buttons. No matter what you’re wearing underneath, this chic coat will get you wherever you’re going in style. COAT PATTERN Opt for a long knee-length open coat with a collar and large patch pockets. No pockets? No problem! Draft some yourself in the desired shape and size. FABRIC COLOR…