Burda Style For people who sew

since my main sewing machine is incapacitated, i have been spending a bulk of my sewing time reading about different techniques and instructions for all kinds of projects. i borrowed “singer instructions for art embroidery and lace work” from my library. i geeked out at all of the things you can do with a regular machine. i was always told that you have to use an embroidery machine to do anything complicated. i want to try everything in the book. it even shows you how to create many different types of lace. i assume that all the lessons are practicaly from the dawn of machine sewing time, as it seems. i want to know why, besides time and convieniance, that anyone would want that knowledge to die? even if you don’t regularly create lace and embroidery, it is extremely usefull to know how and what to do to make anything your heart desires! maybe i live in a creative bubble and alot of people still make lace and things this way. no one i know does, but the only other person i know that sews is my grandma and she doesn’t exactly like to talk about the past or what she can do. so i would like comments about this blog please, good or bad. i’m a novice and it seams that these decorative techniques are opportunity knocking!?
thanks to all that read and comment, ana555

Sep 14, 2009, 01.51 AM by ana555

• Report as Inappropriate

11 Posts

• 

  Sep 14, 2009, 01.06 PMby AnaJan

  Hello ana555,

  I have a regular machine which has some embroidery options. I would say – embroidery patterns (i.e. scalopped edge). But, I used to make some simple embroideries with regular button hole stitch, and it looked pretty good.
  Keep us informed about your progress and new skills you learn – we will all benefit from you experiment and we’ll certainly be inspired.

  Ana :-)
• 

  Sep 16, 2009, 02.27 AMby nehmah

  The Anas rule!
  I’ve done freehand embroidery with a zigzag machine. It isn’t difficult, but you do have to go slow and pay attention. Back then there were none of the stabilizers available. We hooped our work, and away we went. Cordially, Nehmah
• 

  Sep 24, 2009, 09.38 AMby Ichigogirl

  I agree with you, Ana555, there seems to be so many things you can achieve with a regular sewing-machine (actually, I’ve realised that after joining Burdastyle, thanks Burdastyle!).
  I wonder if it’s a disappearing knowledge because the sewing machine manufacturers want to sell their more expensive models rather than the simple ones. Maybe.
  Anyway, thanks for sharing the knowledge, I feel a need to have a look at that book!
  There’s also an instruction video here on Burdastyle on how to make beautiful buttonholes on very, very simple old machines. I had no idea you could, such an eye-opener!
• 

  Sep 24, 2009, 01.28 PMby ana555

  i think you might be right about the manufacturers. it probably started as a good gesture to free up seamstress time, but evolved into what it is today. when you flip through that singer book you will be shocked. the lace you buy by the yard and add to a garment is made in there, there are portraits, paintings, mock tapestries. there is even embroidery on wood! you can take a sheet of wood veneer and embroider on it! i know that it is time consuming, but the machines that make the same automatically takes time too so i would rather spend that time learning, and you have 100% control on design and not at the mercy of someone creating your template or what the company has ready for you. i have ideas and not much money, so this is a perfect way to express myself.
  thanks for your post IchiGoGirl, i was wondering if i was one of the few who thought that it wasn’t a waste of time.
  ana555
• 

  Oct 2, 2009, 06.16 PMby jayn

  thank you something else to try thanks
• 

  Oct 12, 2009, 12.48 AMby sondriecohe

  Octihoop lets you do embroidery on any regular sewing machine, even a treadle. Here’s the link to the videos you can watch.
  http://videos.jennys-sewing-studio.com/main.php?g2_itemId=3552
• 

  Oct 12, 2009, 08.37 PMby giffengood

  where can I learn to do lace on my regular sewing machine? I would love to learn the old techniques! Someone please post a link or source?! Thanks
• 

  Oct 13, 2009, 01.55 PMby ana555

  i have found some old books on lace making at this site. i haven’t checked the books out yet, but i will and post again when i do.
• 

  Oct 13, 2009, 02.03 PMby ana555

  here is one of the “singer books”: http://ia340927.us.archive.org/1/items/singerinstructio00sing/singerinstructio00sing.pdf. this one is included in the reprint that i read. what is nice is that it can be a pdf download. don’t let the word embroidery fool you. lace is in there too!

  1 Reply

  • 

    Oct 13, 2009, 02.04 PMby ana555

    singer book

• 

  Oct 13, 2009, 08.19 PMby susanfrom

  You can find an free old book about sewing machine embroidery at internet archives.
  http://www.archive.org/details/singerinstructio00sing

  1 Reply

  • 

    Oct 14, 2009, 05.49 PMby Tangled Thread

    Thanks for the link susanfrom. Looking forward to going through this.
    Tracey.

• 

  Oct 14, 2009, 05.45 PMby Tangled Thread

  Thanks ana555,
  I’ve ordered a copy.
  Tracey.