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Embroidery machines: white elephants or essential tools?

© Marion

The beautiful and varied designs that can be sewn on an embroidery machine makes it very tempting to get one. You tell yourself that there are all sorts of things you could do with it that you can't do with your sewing machine. And while this is true, will you use it often enough to justify the expense? For the one thing all embroidery machines have in common is that they don't come cheap.

All manufacturers produce stand-alone embroidery machines. Bernina also produce an embroidery unit which gets attached to its top-of-the-range sewing machine, the Artista. The machine will come with a range of embroidery designs, but you'll soon realise that embroidery patterns are as addictive as lengths of fabric. No matter how many you've got, you'll always spot something new and appealing.... And this is even before you start finding free designs on the internet!

You're not limited to the original size of the embroidery, but can rotate it, change the ratio between it's length and width (most useful with lettering) and, of course, sew it in whatever colours you wish. And what colours you get in embroidery thread! The 'basic' threads are silky and shiny, but then there are the metallics, those that change colour along their length, and more. It certainly makes it easy when someone asks you what you want as a present -- some embroidery thread! Embroidery thread tends to be less strong than normal sewing thread, so if you're finding it keeps breaking as your design is stitching out, slow down the speed at which your machine is sewing.

One of the most appealing things to make with an embroidery machine is a cot quilt. Take a suitably sized bit of white cotton, divide it up visually into squares, then embroidery a design in each. If you're worried that you may make a mess of one design, then cut up the fabric into squares before you embroider. If something goes wrong, simply discard that "block" and start another. If you choose a fabric that's any colour besides white, remember to think very carefully about the colours you use in an embroidery as they won't stand out as clearly.

Another easy gift to make is to embroider a design on a t-shirt. The hardest part about this is to ensure that you're got the t-shirt in the hoop straight. It's extremely frustrating to complete a design only to discover that it's skewed! And don't forget to personalise your gift by embroidering your name on it or embroidering a quilt label.

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