Spotlight: Hollis Chatelain, Textile Artist
Inspired by her humanitarian work in Africa, Hollis Chatelain creates art quilts that raise awareness of the human condition in the third world. Back in the States, she wanted to...
Machine Embroidery
Machine embroidery adds patterns and design details to quilts, garments and home décor. You can embroider with a dedicated embroidery machine, or use an embroidery attachment on your home sewing machine. Common designs are monograms, florals, quilt labels and more!
You can purchase designs that load into your machine to stitch out, or use embroidery software to digitize your own embroidery design. Some machines include lots of built-in designs, too. With a home sewing machine, you can draw or trace your design onto fabric, then use a variety of stitches to create your embroidery design.
Before embarking on a project, make sure to have some stabilizer so that your fabric doesn’t stretch during stitching. Collect the right thread types and colors for your design, too. A hoop keeps your design symmetrical and pucker-free.
Browse through our projects and stories that include machine embroidery as a creative technique.
Machine Embroidery Inspiration
Spotlight: Stephen Wilson, Mixed Media Artist
Stephen Wilson uses modern technology to create contemporary artwork rooted in traditional craft. He uses fabric and thread to create his images in the same way a painter might use...
Spotlight: Lea McComas, Thread Painter & Fiber Artist
As Lea McComas travels the world and immerses herself in rich and vibrant cultures, her art reflects the human experience. With fabric and thread, she captures moments that highlight the...
More Machine Embroidery
Spotlight: Lea McComas, Thread Painter & Fiber Artist
As Lea McComas travels the world and immerses herself in rich and vibrant cultures, her art reflects the human experience. With fabric and thread, she captures moments that highlight the…
Spotlight: Beth Blankenship, Bead and Fiber Artist
When Beth Blankenship creates, she calls on her lifelong love for artistic pursuits. Her childhood experiments with crayons and a rich public school art education led Beth to her love…
Spotlight: Libby Williamson, Fiber Artist
Growing up with artists as parents, Libby Williamson explored many ways of creating, and that is reflected in her fiber art today. With complex layers of fabric, paint, dye, print,…
Spotlight: Stephen Wilson, Mixed Media Artist
Stephen Wilson uses modern technology to create contemporary artwork rooted in traditional craft. He uses fabric and thread to create his images in the same way a painter might use…
Spotlight: Claire B. Jones, Fiber Artist
At first glance, Claire B. Jones' sculptural embroidery looks like it must be built on some kind of armature. But Claire engineers her pieces so that they are built entirely…
Spotlight: Donna Lee Dowdney, Fabric Artist
Bringing as much meticulous attention to her work as an artist as she brought to her technical career, Donna Lee Dowdney creates nature-inspired visual art with fabric and mixed media.…
9 Ways to Transfer Embroidery Pattern to Fabric
There are a variety of techniques how to transfer embroidery pattern to fabric. Select the embroidery design transfer method that will work the best for the complexity of your design…
Scribble Appliqué Bird Ornaments
No two birds are the same, in nature and when you make these adorable scribble appliqué bird ornaments! All you need is some scraps of fabric (preferably with fusible web…