I broke down last weekend. Not my car... Me. I gave in to the lure of the embroidery machine. I've looked at them, seen videos, know people who have them but never thought I'd want one until last weekend.
It was a pitiful sight. I spotted the Singer Futura XL-400 in the sale flyer at Joann's and didn't like the way the unit looked. But my local store had two on premesis so off I went to take a look. The one side of the wall didn't have them so I looked at the other side and there was one humongous box sitting there. Of course, that was the one. I needed help carrying it to the register. And it would not fit in my car. I had to unpack it and cut the sides of the box so I could fold it down to get it loaded to take it home. I said it right, it was pitiful. But my sidekick, Sparkie, was there for me when I needed a smile.
The next step was to get my computer set up. Easy process. Love that this unit is fire-wired to my PC so the sky's the limit!
But the fun has finally begun to reveal itself in my sewing room! It sews beautifully so it is my backup in case Lacy needs servicing. After nearly breaking it to install the embroidery bed, the first sample was stitched.
This was stitched on a heavy upholstery fabric so I didn't use a stabilizer. Regular white sewing thread was used since I didn't know any better.
Then, I found a pretty little pattern for the Christmas season. Stepping it up to multiple thread colors, it was a nice one to practice with. No stabilizer, plain threads... It's obvious, I know, but it's still pretty!
Since this was new territory for me, I figured I'd better watch at least one training video about how to do this. First stop, PBS.org's Sewing With Nancy. She had a two part show about this craft. Very helpful! She's an inspiration! Next stop, Craftsy.com. It was my day! There was a free beginner's class available! Between all those videos, I felt much better about attempting to make real things, not just samples.
So I downloaded more patterns that I liked, remembered that I picked up a bunch of Sulky thread a few months ago and got them handy, got various stabilizers together, and was ready to start designing!
Here's a pattern I think is really nice. Love that Sulky blue!
And another classic look. The variegated pink is a subtle effect but I love it!
It's a great machine! Works like it should! I'm so glad I took the plunge.
Do you have an embroidery machine? What do you make with it? Share your blog link in the comment section or post a photo on my Facebook page!
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