Have you ever wondered about one question, which is can a sewing machine be used to embroider? Think of it, a regular domestic sewing machine is with an appearance so similar to an embroidery one. So why does they serve different purposes? What gives them differed capability? Can they substitute each other? Well, actually a sewing machine can also be used to create intricate designs and embellish your fabrics. Since its has a different operation principle, it requires higher skills and more ingenuity. This guide will show you the magic of turning a stand-alone sewing machine into a loyal embroidery partner.
Supplies Needed
domestic sewing machine
open toe quilting & embroidery presser foot
iron-on backing
embroidery hoop
tailor’s chalk/ fine line permanent marker
ballpoint needle
embroidery thread
1. Can I embroider with a sewing machine?
Yes, you can. Any sewing machine with a straight stitch can be used to embroider. Well, the fact is all sewing machines have a straight stitch.
It’s not difficult for an machine embroiderer to grasp in a short time. To put it simply, steps for embroidering with a sewing machine contains properly setting up the machine, prepare the fabric, and then you can start embroidering. You can move the fabric in any direction to monogram, outline a design, embroider a whole pattern, or do an applique on your garments. Everything is possible. It may not be as delicate as what made an embroidery machine, but it’s of its own style. Although you must be careful with the technique. Cause your fingers are placed very close to needle, and it’s easy to get hurt. Therefore, you’d better focus your mind on the stitches and finish the job wholeheartedly.
2. Can any sewing machine be turned into an embroidery machine?
Yes, any sewing machine can be turned into an embroidery machine. Turning them into your embroidery partner are feasible and it’s quite easy to realize. There is only some little adjustments need to be done before you use a sewing machine for free-motion embroidery.
- Change presser foot
The greatest difference between regular machine embroidery and free-motion embroidery is that one of them uses system to control the fabric’s movement automatically, the other one requires embroiderer to manually move and control the process. So it’s necessary to leave a clear platform and an optimal view of the stitching area during the stitching. Replacing the presser foot to an open toe one can help you get a clear view of the position of the needle, guiding you to move with better precision.
- Change the thread
Embroidery threads often have a higher sheen or gloss, which enhances its decorative effect. So, if you have a higher requirement for the embroidery performance, do not forget to change thew thread.
- Change the needle
Embroidery needles are typically designed with larger eyes to accommodate multiple strands of thread. Besides, the ballpoint tip of embroidery needle can protect knit fabrics from puncturing.
- Drop the feed dog
Feed dogs are small, toothed metals bars on sewing machines. They work in sync with the needle to ensure even stitches. When performing free-motion embroidery, they need to be lowered for precise fabric control. For more in-depth information and specific instructions, refer to the guiding video below:
3. Can any sewing machine do embroidery?
Yes. Any sewing machine can do embroidery. But there’s 2 distinct situations included.
The first one is to use an embroidery capable sewing machine. These combo machines are preloaded with embroidery patterns, fonts and decorative embroidery stitches, which is designed to perform the art. And with other downloaded or self-digitized embroidery files, you can have more options on the patterns. These combos have embroidery ability totally on par with an embroidery only machine. The only inconvenience lies in the potential need to change certain components when switching between the two modes. Yet, with one machine doing both jobs, what more could you ask for? The second one is the type of embroidery done by a sewing only machine. That’s to say, the machine designers have not ever considered it to be used as embroidery tool. It’s sewists who find out their potential and make it known to all. So, as long as you can drop the feed dog at home and replace it with one fit for embroidery, it’ll be no problem for you to do free-motion.
4. What kind of sewing machine do you need for embroidery?
Any sewing machine with the basic stitch. Doing embroidery with sewing machine needs some extra supplies, but the requirements for the machine are not high. And here is the several guidance on how to select.
First, either a standalone or a combo machine is available. Only that if you use a stand-alone sewing machine, your embroidery categories will be limited. You can only do some basics like applique embroidery but not digital patterns or complex designs. On the other hand, with a sewing and embroidery machine, you can finish nearly all kinds of embroidery projects, fully freeing your creativity. So if you’re looking to purchase a machine but you only have few embroidery needs, an entry-level sewing machine is a your best choice. With under $500 you can get a high-quality and durable machine of a prestigious brand.
5. What sewing machine is best for embroidery?
It depends on both your embroidery requirements and budget. As mentioned above, any domestic sewing machine can be used to perform the embroidery. And to determine a best one is very difficult. Standards like stitches per minute can not be used to measure the machine’s performance the way it normally is. Embroidering with more human participating requires the machine to slow down a bit so that people can move and rotate the fabrics timely. And due to the work only asks for the most basic function an sewing machine provides, every well-functioning sewing machine is qualified. Brands, models, software and fancy features don’t matter any longer. So the suggestion is to invest in a best value entry level sewing machine. For instance, the Brother SE600. The number 600 following “SE” indicates that it is a basic model, which is very budget-friendly. Often praised for its affordability and beginner-friendliness, Brother is a sewing machine brand you can trust. Plus, as a classic model, there is a lot of customer reviews and YouTuber's unboxing and review videos for you to get familiar with the machine. Of course, it’s just a random example. Leading brands like BabyLock, Janome, Pfaff, SWF... are all trustworthy options to choose from. You can take your time to make a well-considered machine.
6. Do you need a special machine for embroidery?
Yes. You need a special machine for embroidery, especially if you’re looking forward to do some intricate and complex designs. If you’d like to have a try with machine embroidery, a special embroidery machine is very much indeed required. Unless you got comfortable with free-motion embroidery. But for those not sure what free-motion it is, it’s very different from the ordinary machine embroidery. Free-motion embroidery is one sort of special machine embroidery created by mutual effort of a sewing machine and a person. It is sewing machine’s job to present consistent stitching, while the person hold the fabric and move it according to the embroidery requirements. In competition with traditional hand embroidery, it does enjoy a efficiency and quality advantage. But its limitations are evident either. It requires the embroiderer to stay focused and pay constant attention to the thread movement. If the judgement goes wrong, stitches will be distorted and embroiderer’s hand might get hurt as well. This is a quite challenging task for inexperienced beginners. Moreover, it can only deal with simple patterns concerning its difficulty. In short, if you're trying to complete a high-quality, complex design with machine embroidery, especially with some efficiency requirements, then consider getting an embroidery machine, or a combo machine. An embroidery machine can elevate your design to a higher level. And this can be easily done. You must have heard some people grumbling about how difficult it is to learn embroidering. Well, the good news is that operating a machine to embroider is much more easier than doing it yourself. You need to be neither well-educated nor finger-flexible. You only need to be able to understand the instructions and repeat with these steps.
Conclusion
Practice makes perfect. This is very true to embroidery. No matter it’s hand embroidery, machine embroidery or free-motion machine embroidery, no matter it’s difficult for starters or beginner-friendly, you’ll progress steadily as long as you insist on working hard. Nothing is impossible.
To further improve your sewing & embroidery techniques, make sure you check the rest of our blogs. You’re also welcome to join our social media community on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. See you in our next blog!
