Can You do Embroidery with A Regular Sewing Machine?
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Can you do embroidery with a regular sewing machine? The short answer is, YES!!!
I have a YouTube video illustrating how this can work. In the video, I manually duplicate two digital embroidery design to illustrate how anyone can create professional embroidery designs without the use of software or expensive embroidery machines.
The Long Story
When I first got into embroidery, I went to a tag sale of an elder who owned an embroidery business for over 40 years. She had a Bernina Sport and one other mechanical Bernina in the studio.
Along the walls, she had photographs displaying of various embroidery designs customers could get on shirts, clear light switch boxes, keychains, and picture frames. The designs ranged from licensed images (like Mickey and Minnie Mouse) to holiday decorations and monograms.
To my generation Y surprise, there were no computerized or multi-head embroidery machines present. The retired lady was the embroidery unit and her Bernina’s were for stitching out designs! This is when I thought to myself, “I cannot afford to spend money on a large multi-needle embroidery machine. Perhaps, I can learn how to thread paint just like her!”
Very quickly, I ran into a long list of pros and cons associated with manual machine embroidery in this modern digital age.
Pros
- It’s way cheaper than spending thousands of dollars on an embroidery machine.
- Sewing machine price never limits the hoop size!
- You don’t just learn how to make a machine go. You actually learn how to embroider.
- It isn’t as dependent on the power grid because most manual machines can be attached to a treadle base in the event of a prolonged power outage.
- No software is required.
- You can catch mistakes much faster and remedy the problem/issue easier. * Computerized machines require you to go back to the stitch count # where the problem first manifested. Then, there are always realignment headaches.
Cons
Can you do embroidery with a regular sewing machine. Yes! But, the bigger question is: Do you really want to?
- You’ll have to use a light table or bright window to trace out designs. Or, you’ll need to get a Circuit or Silhouette for automating the tracing process.
- It takes a little longer because digital machines print faster.
- There is a TALL learning curve for developing thread painting skills to a professional level.
- Small print is very difficult to do manually, regardless of how talented you are.
- Appliques need to be self cut. Or, you’ll need to use a laser cutter, Circuit, Silhouette to automate the process.
- Manual use of your hands and arms is required. (It is very physical work even though it doesn’t look like it on the surface).
- It requires good vision because you have to be able to see fine details. *You still need eye sight with digital embroidery, but it’s not as focused because the machine is doing a lot of the work for you.
- Fill stitch patterns are limited to just one because complex fill stitches take a lot of time and skill. Whereas, there are many fill stitch patterns to choose from with computerized machines and software.
- You cannot multi-task! Instead of letting the machine stitch while you attend to emails, you’ll be sewing. 🙂
Can You do Embroidery with A Regular Sewing Machine? Yep.
You’ll hoop the design in same way you would with a digital embroidery machine. This time, however, you won’t be limited by the hoop sizes available. Instead, you can choose a wide variety of wood or plastic hoops.
The needles are the same. I like to use a size 75/11 needle and 40 weight embroidery thread. For stabilizer, I just use a medium weight tear away. Of course, for children, use a stabilizer that can get close to sensitive skin.
Machine set up for thread painting
Set the stitch length to zero. Leave width as straight stitch. Then, work on a scrap piece of fabric to set the thread tension. *My Bernina 1010 likes a 4 tension for embroidery on plain cotton fabric. Drop the feed dogs. Next, remove the presser foot. Some machines don’t require a darning foot. Others, recommend the use of a darning foot.
Place your hooped fabric underneath the machine. Drop the presser foot lever. Then, send the needle down thru the fabric and use it to pull up your bobbin thread. Both threads should be on top of your fabric. Now, you are ready to embroider.
Embroidery Motion.
There are two motions east to west and north to south. Most of the time, you’ll be embroidering going east to west. Keep your foot on the peddle at a medium steady speed. Make slight movements of the hoop with no sudden jerks in your arms or wrists. It is difficult to sync the speed of your foot pedal with the movement of your arms . But, once you get the swing of it, you’ll be able to go fast.
Please don’t get discouraged if you break a few needles or need to re-thread. It takes quite a bit of practice to set the machine up correctly and get the correct rhythm.
Text and Applique Borders
Satin stitches can be stitched out with the sewing machine using the settings mentioned above. However, zigzag sewing machines have the satin stitch function built-in. To use the satin stitch function, remove the darning foot and set the width to the width of your applique border or texts. *You may need remove the upper thread and use the hand wheel to see where the needle will land in order to get the proper width.
Simply, use your hands to guide the fabric around the curves and bends of your letters or applique borders. For any stitch wider than 10mm, it is imperative for you to do a split satin stitch. This will allow your stitches to last much longer and prevent it from unraveling.
In the case of straight lines of satin stitches, you will find it useful to place the zigzag foot on your machine and raise the feed dogs. This will allow the machine to do all of the heavy lifting without you having to guide the hoop as much.
Can You do Embroidery with A Regular Sewing Machine?
This question is the equivalent to asking, “Can you wash cloths with a 5 gallon bucket filled with soapy water ?” YES , you can. But, do you want to do all that work when there is a washer and dryer available? Hell No!
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