SEW SEW FINE EMBROIDERY DESIGNS
Machine Embroidery Designs & Free Embroidery Designs
Be sure to use appropriate stabilizer for your embroidery design and fabric. There are many stabilizers to choose from depending on the base fabric you are embroidering on and how dense the design is. If I embroider a design on a knit such as a t-shirt, I use sticky back stabilizer or a fusible stabilizer so the knit doesn’t shift while embroidering. Sometimes you might need two layers of stabilizer for a dense design. Just remember that a dense design will be stiff. Place the knit fabric on the sticky stabilizer or use a temporary spray adhesive made for fabric so you don’t have to hoop.
Do not hoop the knit as it will stretch and leave a hoop mark on the fabric. Do not hoop velvet, corduroy, or other similar fabrics as you will have hoop marks.
I always recommend testing your design on a scrap piece of fabric that is similar to your final piece to be sure you have used the correct stabilizer.
I hoop sticky stabilizer with the release paper up. I never hoop the sticky stabilizer directly onto the hoop as it leave a sticky mess on your hoop. Once the stabilizer is hooped, take a straight pin or needle and draw a large X in the paper but be sure you don’t go through the stabilizer. You can then peel up the release paper and tear it out until you have exposed the sticky surface. Then center your fabric on the sticky surface and you are ready to embroider your design.
Even denim needs to be stabilized. I tried it without stabilizing but when I washed and dried the denim, the design kind of bunched up and wouldn’t lay flat. So for best results, stabilize. Starching your fabric (especially lighter weight fabric) helps stabilize.
If you are using a quilting design, you do not need stabilizer because you have batting and backing fabric which acts like stabilizer. Most quilters like their quilts to be slightly puffy anyway. Just be sure all layers are taut in the hoop and have not created any tucks or folds.
Be sure to use a wash away stabilizer on top of fleece, towels, velvet, etc. so your stitches don’t sink down into the fabric and disappear. If you have any questions on stabilizing, feel free to Contact Us.
Some designs on this web site have accompanying color charts due to many color variations that the digitizing software cannot account for. You are free to change colors for your needs. Have fun and experiment. Color is a personal thing and you might have a good reason to use different colors. The color charts are what I used for design or my personal choice and are only suggestions. Take any design and embroider only the outline in a varigated thread. Since it is not a dense design, it will do well on a t-shirt with only one layer of stabilizer (sticky or fusible). If your design has a satin outline, the results will be more pronounced. I have used a run line outline in a silver metallic thread on a black t-shirt and it was pretty, too. I’ve even used metallic thread to quilt a black quilt. It was beautiful.
See Projects for examples and ideas for general machine embroidery.