Darning/Embroidery on Vintage Singers
10-05-2014, 07:00 AM
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 8,136
After looking and watching videos, I'm going to have my husband modify one of my 15's so it can be a dedicated embroidery machine. First thing will be to solder up the thread guide right above the tension dial - I have problems with the thread popping out of that one and then not feeding into the tension correctly. I've been putting a piece of tape over it to close the hole.
Then he's going to take a presser bar and chop off the end so it's up out of the way - can't remove it completely because of the tension release. I'll make a large wood surface that will fit around the case, as I find I need to have the machine up higher when doing this - otherwise I find I'm hunching down to be able to get my eyes closer to my work.
Kind of funny - I have a Pfaff embroidery machine I bought used early this year - and have never done anything with it. And now I'm more excited to learn how to do it all by hand.
Then he's going to take a presser bar and chop off the end so it's up out of the way - can't remove it completely because of the tension release. I'll make a large wood surface that will fit around the case, as I find I need to have the machine up higher when doing this - otherwise I find I'm hunching down to be able to get my eyes closer to my work.
Kind of funny - I have a Pfaff embroidery machine I bought used early this year - and have never done anything with it. And now I'm more excited to learn how to do it all by hand.
10-05-2014, 07:43 AM
#42
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Originally Posted by Macybaby
....I'll make a large wood surface that will fit around the case, as I find I need to have the machine up higher when doing this - otherwise I find I'm hunching down to be able to get my eyes closer to my work.
I really miss that height when I’m using my treadles at home. I keep going to lower and lower stools to use with them. Pretty soon, my knees are going to be up close to my chin.....
CD in Oklahoma
10-05-2014, 12:30 PM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Sparks, NV
Posts: 1,243
I've been in a funk lately not wanting to do my "normal" type of sewing. Doing machine embroidery using a normal sewing machine has always fascinated me.
So, yesterday I took out an 8" wooden embroidery hoop, covered it with white cotton strips, and put in my fabric. To start out with I decided to use an electric machine. I am using my recently gifted Necchi Supernova and her tension is beautiful.
I'll show a picture once I'm done if it isn't too bad. So far I've finished the flower and am now working on the surrounding foliage. The design I chose is more like red work rather than a totally filled in design and I think it is going pretty well.
I'm tracing the design on the fabric with a purple disappearing marker. I think I have rayon thread in the machine (it is a spool I found in a cabinet drawer and the spool doesn't have the label on it anymore). The needle is a Schmetz #90 embroidery needle. My upper tension is reduced to #1. I removed the foot and am using my left finger to keep the fabric tight against the needle plate. I am not using the single hole needle plate since there are places where I am using the zig zag stitch. I think the fabric would always stay above the needle plate if I used the single hole needle plate. The machine itself is a portable machine and I have it on top of my kitchen table. The work surface is nice and high and my eyes are inches away from the work which is allowing me to see very well. I also have an auxillary light on the hoop area.
Yes, I can see it will take practice, practice, practice and time, time, time. It is most definately not a "hit the button and walk away" process. I am not interested in those modern embroidery machines by the way.
I'm having fun and am making lots of mistakes. Forgetting to put my pressure foot down, bad drawing with the needle, are just some of the things I keep doing wrong. I've also had thread fraying issues a few times because I started going too fast.
So, yesterday I took out an 8" wooden embroidery hoop, covered it with white cotton strips, and put in my fabric. To start out with I decided to use an electric machine. I am using my recently gifted Necchi Supernova and her tension is beautiful.
I'll show a picture once I'm done if it isn't too bad. So far I've finished the flower and am now working on the surrounding foliage. The design I chose is more like red work rather than a totally filled in design and I think it is going pretty well.
I'm tracing the design on the fabric with a purple disappearing marker. I think I have rayon thread in the machine (it is a spool I found in a cabinet drawer and the spool doesn't have the label on it anymore). The needle is a Schmetz #90 embroidery needle. My upper tension is reduced to #1. I removed the foot and am using my left finger to keep the fabric tight against the needle plate. I am not using the single hole needle plate since there are places where I am using the zig zag stitch. I think the fabric would always stay above the needle plate if I used the single hole needle plate. The machine itself is a portable machine and I have it on top of my kitchen table. The work surface is nice and high and my eyes are inches away from the work which is allowing me to see very well. I also have an auxillary light on the hoop area.
Yes, I can see it will take practice, practice, practice and time, time, time. It is most definately not a "hit the button and walk away" process. I am not interested in those modern embroidery machines by the way.
I'm having fun and am making lots of mistakes. Forgetting to put my pressure foot down, bad drawing with the needle, are just some of the things I keep doing wrong. I've also had thread fraying issues a few times because I started going too fast.
10-05-2014, 01:39 PM
#45
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Originally Posted by crocee
...I'm kinda worried about that left hand finger. My luck I would sew right through it and get blood on the project.
This stuff isn’t for the meek.
CD in Oklahoma
10-05-2014, 01:55 PM
#46
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 4,096
Originally Posted by JudyTheSewer
I've been in a funk lately not wanting to do my "normal" type of sewing. Doing machine embroidery using a normal sewing machine has always fascinated me.
So, yesterday I took out an 8" wooden embroidery hoop, covered it with white cotton strips, and put in my fabric. To start out with I decided to use an electric machine. I am using my recently gifted Necchi Supernova and her tension is beautiful.
I'll show a picture once I'm done if it isn't too bad. So far I've finished the flower and am now working on the surrounding foliage. The design I chose is more like red work rather than a totally filled in design and I think it is going pretty well.
I'm tracing the design on the fabric with a purple disappearing marker. I think I have rayon thread in the machine (it is a spool I found in a cabinet drawer and the spool doesn't have the label on it anymore). The needle is a Schmetz #90 embroidery needle. My upper tension is reduced to #1. I removed the foot and am using my left finger to keep the fabric tight against the needle plate. I am not using the single hole needle plate since there are places where I am using the zig zag stitch. I think the fabric would always stay above the needle plate if I used the single hole needle plate. The machine itself is a portable machine and I have it on top of my kitchen table. The work surface is nice and high and my eyes are inches away from the work which is allowing me to see very well. I also have an auxillary light on the hoop area.
Yes, I can see it will take practice, practice, practice and time, time, time. It is most definately not a "hit the button and walk away" process. I am not interested in those modern embroidery machines by the way.
I'm having fun and am making lots of mistakes. Forgetting to put my pressure foot down, bad drawing with the needle, are just some of the things I keep doing wrong. I've also had thread fraying issues a few times because I started going too fast.
So, yesterday I took out an 8" wooden embroidery hoop, covered it with white cotton strips, and put in my fabric. To start out with I decided to use an electric machine. I am using my recently gifted Necchi Supernova and her tension is beautiful.
I'll show a picture once I'm done if it isn't too bad. So far I've finished the flower and am now working on the surrounding foliage. The design I chose is more like red work rather than a totally filled in design and I think it is going pretty well.
I'm tracing the design on the fabric with a purple disappearing marker. I think I have rayon thread in the machine (it is a spool I found in a cabinet drawer and the spool doesn't have the label on it anymore). The needle is a Schmetz #90 embroidery needle. My upper tension is reduced to #1. I removed the foot and am using my left finger to keep the fabric tight against the needle plate. I am not using the single hole needle plate since there are places where I am using the zig zag stitch. I think the fabric would always stay above the needle plate if I used the single hole needle plate. The machine itself is a portable machine and I have it on top of my kitchen table. The work surface is nice and high and my eyes are inches away from the work which is allowing me to see very well. I also have an auxillary light on the hoop area.
Yes, I can see it will take practice, practice, practice and time, time, time. It is most definately not a "hit the button and walk away" process. I am not interested in those modern embroidery machines by the way.
I'm having fun and am making lots of mistakes. Forgetting to put my pressure foot down, bad drawing with the needle, are just some of the things I keep doing wrong. I've also had thread fraying issues a few times because I started going too fast.
Cari
10-05-2014, 02:14 PM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Sparks, NV
Posts: 1,243
Originally Posted by Cari-in-Oly
Judy do you belong to the vintage Necchi group? If you do check out the pics of the embroidery that Sonny does with her Supernova. She can put an embroidery machine to shame with what she does free hand. It's absolutely beautiful. I played around with this type of work many years ago on my moms Brother machine but didn't have the patience to put in the practice.
Cari
Cari
10-05-2014, 02:22 PM
#48
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 4,096
Originally Posted by JudyTheSewer
I just put in my request to join the group a few minutes ago. Thanks for the suggestion! I'm looking forward to seeing Sonny's creations but I think I'll wait until mine is totally done so I don't get too discouraged - LOL!
Cari
10-06-2014, 12:16 PM
#49
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Sparks, NV
Posts: 1,243
Look mom, no blood!
Here are the results of my freehand embroidery. Some of the purple pen remains on the fabric but the package says it should disappear within days.
I chose an open design to start with. There is lots of room for improvement in my technique. I've done quite a bit of free motion quilting on small projects so drawing with a needle and thread is not a totally new technique for me. I think that previous experience was a great asset for doing this.
If I get good enough to do a "filled in" design I will share that later.
I chose an open design to start with. There is lots of room for improvement in my technique. I've done quite a bit of free motion quilting on small projects so drawing with a needle and thread is not a totally new technique for me. I think that previous experience was a great asset for doing this.
If I get good enough to do a "filled in" design I will share that later.
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