I Learned Something New Today

I've had my sewing machine/embroidery machine for over five years already, but until now I had not tried applique in the hoop. Today, after watching a tutorial, I finally tried it.

I wanted to do one on a tee shirt for Irene, but first I practiced on a dish towel.

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Patterns are available on line. I like Embroidery Library. There I find designs, buy them with a credit card, and download them to my computer, using software that I bought with my machine.

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Designs come with instructions , steps in the process, and thread color changes to follow or adapt. I print out the instructions.

I download individual designs from the computer to the sewing machine card.

The card is inserted into the machine, and tells it what to do.

The first step is to run a paper template of the fabric pieces needed. These are stitched on paper with the sewing machine.

I punch these out and use them as patterns to cut the fabrics, which are backed with iron on stabilizer.

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The machine provides an outline to place each piece, one at a time, sews it down and then repeats for the next, until the process is complete. I change the thread color as needed, and carefully place the fabric pieces in the outlines.

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It is very cool. Now I want to do more.

I did get the design on the shirt.