Additional Samples - Trying New Techniques!

I'm more confident with hand embroidery and I decided I would practice some machine embroidery. I do know I need to practice, practice, practice! I've been collecting the Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn Original Series books and so I thought I'd make some samples following their suggestions/examples.

The first four samples are adding machine stitching to hand stitching.  I found my sewing machine a bit temperamental but after some fiddling about and trying different threads & tensions, I managed to produce the suggested samples. I feel I have been reasonably successful and can use this technique with a bit more practice and confidence. They produced interesting textures and can be incorporated in a design either as a background or as a small area within a larger design.

 

Samples AS1 to AS4

 

With the next sample I tried some machine stitching on soluble fabric. I have a few different types but I tried Solu-Fleece first. I added a tiny bit of hand embroidery, but only to see if it 'worked'.  I need to practice with different threads. The Sulky caught up and was quite tricky.



 

AS5

 

I love yarn, so I decided to have a go at another one of the samples which caught my interest in particular, embroidery on a knitted background. I think I should have knitted a finer background for the sample as the sewing machine struggled with the thickness. The machine stitching is not very clear on the scanned image but it made a great texture. It would be good for a fabric for a bag, or for adding texture to a hand knitted garment.



 

AS6

 

I enjoyed making these samples and it gave me more of an interest in machine embroidery, especially when it is combined with hand embroidery to make different textures rather than an outline type designs. I'm looking forward to exploring these techniques further.