The most terrifying thing?
Or the most terrific?! I’m not talking about the owl on the thumbnail, btw, he’s more ticked-off than terrifying! I’m talking free-motion embroidery, and it all depends where you are on the journey.
Looking for info about the Fabulous Free Motion course? Here’s everything in one place:
I’ve been teaching machine embroidery for 15 years now, so I’ve met a lot of people and their sewing machines. Which also means I’ve met their hang-ups and excuses:
My machine doesn’t like this (my absolute favourite)
My machine won’t do that
I tried but it didn’t work for me
I tried but I don’t like it
I prefer hand embroidery
It’s all gone wrong
I need a new sewing machine
Add your own
All of which may be perfectly valid, I’m not here to judge!
I know that free motion embroidery can be particularly tricky for people. Some sewing machines are definitely easier to use than others (although virtually all machines are capable) and everyone has different abilities with hand-eye coordination, hand and wrist mobility, and grip strength (also, you shouldn’t really be gripping anything). And not everyone (anyone?) has vast empty savannahs of free time to devote to the practice. Absolutely true, and fair enough.
BUT…
Allowing for all that, especially the physical limiting factors (people who do struggle will know perfectly well where their limits are, and their workarounds) and assuming your sewing machine is in good nick (cleaned and oiled more than once a decade, shiny new needle every so often) then it just comes down to the fact that…
Stitching free-motion embroidery is a skill, a technique, a way of using the sewing machine.
And that’s it.
It’s like swapping to the zipper foot (as a random example). You have to stitch in a different way, position the fabric in a different place, move the needle so you don’t stitch through the metal zipper teeth… Inserting a zip is a skill. And skills can be learned.
But it won’t always be pretty
The journey to learning anything has four distinct phases, whether that’s learning to tie shoelaces, drive a car, or use your sewing machine for free motion embroidery…
1. Unconscious incompetence
If you tried, it’d probably be bad. But you haven’t, so who knows?
This is where I’ll meet people who are genuinely not interested: they’re happy doing their thing. Fantastic! Carry on.
For a lot of people, this is also like the beginning of the Hero’s Journey, the bit where he doesn’t even know he’s on a journey, he’s just at home doing his thing. If you’ve just bought your first sewing machine, this is also you. You bought it to do standard stuff like make clothes. Little do you know what glorious vistas of potential creativity lie ahead!
But it’s also where the ‘free motion deniers’ hang out. The ‘don’t want to, not interested, not for me’ people who secretly DO want to try free motion, but it’s scary. And if this is you, please know I’m not dismissing your fears: I’m all too familiar with the feeling of utter terror over many aspects in life…heights, driving over bridges, public speaking, dancing, parallel parking…
In this stage, it can be easier to live with the disappointment of not doing it, than try it and risk ending up at the next stage and embarrassing yourself. If you don’t try, you can’t fail, right?
But perhaps you’ve had that call…the ‘call to adventure’. You’ve been on Instagram or Pinterest, you’ve watched the YouTube videos. You’re going in…
2. Conscious incompetence
You’ve given it a go, and yep - it was bad! So bad. Loose and saggy stitches? Jagged stitches that look like an ECG reading instead of a smooth line? Or stitches so tight it’s pulled the fabric up into lumps and bumps? And please don’t turn it over and look at the back I said don’t turn it over and look at the back!! Ugh!!
Not fun! In the hero’s journey, this is called The Abyss or The Ordeal - so apt! It’s horrible and embarrassing, and sooo frustrating.
But you absolutely have to go through this stage if you want to get to…
3. Conscious competence
Yes! Finally something that doesn’t look like it’s been sucked up by the vacuum and spat out again.
It’s smooth, not puckered; the stitches are even, it’s verging on the quite nice, but might feel like a bit of a fluke, something you have to concentrate really hard to do.
In the hero’s journey, this is the turning point, the moment of transformation. One day, you’ll stitch something and think '“yep, pleased with that”. And if you get to this stage but you don’t do anything for a while, you’ll probably stay here, and that’s fine.
This is the ‘good enough’ stage. If you want to do a bit of free motion, you can - but you have to remind yourself each time how to do it and get it right. And if something isn’t right, it’s just a quick look back at your notes, or the manual - and you’re back in business.
The good news is, over time - especially if you keep coming back to it - you’ll get to the final stage, where suddenly you’ve developed…
4. Unconscious competence
Free motion embroidery is just something you do. Presser foot on or off, teeth up or down, you change with the flick of a switch …ish! depending on your machine! and off you go. No bother, no thinking, just get it done. Something’s not working right? Give me a coffee, and I’ll figure it out. Ah, that’s what’s happened. Righty-ho. And we’re back.
This is the moment of victory, of triumph. Ironically, the reward for persisting with this journey, is that you don’t even think about it anymore! It’s just something that you do and can have fun with.
Because It’s terrific and FUN and terrific fun!
Stitch whatever you like - doodles, words, pretty patterns…whatever
Stitch where you like - when you’re bored of straight lines!
Stitch fast. Oh yes. Get it done, no messing around. The whole point of a sewing machine is that it’s built for speed!
Stitch things. I use free-motion to stitch sequins: the embroidery foot allows me to see what I’m doing. I also use it to stitch beads and wire, but that’s another story…
Create texture, loops and lacy bits - where and when you want them!
Or silly things like irritable owls…
You know what I’m going to say next, so I won’t
I’ll just direct you to this video that explains as much as I can without blathering on for hours!
Key things to remember
Subscribers get a discount - check the link at the top of your email (or message me if you can’t find it)
Doors close on SATURDAY evening, bedtime BST because we start on Monday 9th
You don’t need a fancy sewing machine or expensive materials
The 10 weeks (sounds like a lot) includes three weeks with no new lessons so you can PRACTISE! By the end of the course, if you do all the things, you’ll be firmly in the zone of competence and working your way through to that glorious final stage, when it’s just something you do, whenever the mood takes you.
What do you need?
A spirit of adventure and a willingness to persist when the going gets tough - which it might do. I’ll be there to help, always.
If it doesn’t get tough? Could be you’re a natural, you’re lucky! Or it could be you stopped when it got tricky. That’s OK, dust yourself off, try again. I’ll still be here to help when you need me,
Here’s the link with all the info
NB Don’t forget the discount code if you’re a subscriber - it’s at the top of your email🙂
Having recently conquered my blockage about FME, I would recommend anyone to try again even if they think they can't do it. I began to learn twenty years ago, and after a short time was pleased with my first efforts on my old mechanical machine, though I needed a lot more practice to feel comfortable with it. Then I bought a new computerised machine, and it was a complete disaster. It has a special setting for FME, but I have never ever managed to get it to work. I could never get the machine's tension right, threads kept breaking and my tension wasn't much better after all that frustration! I eventually couldn't face trying anymore, and kept putting it off until last year, when I did an internet course with Cas Holmes, a section of which included using FME., so I was forced to try again. I was very nervous about it, but decided to dig out my old machine, which had been consigned to the attic for twenty years. It worked beautifully, FMEs like a dream, and my phobia is no more. I am enjoying the freedom that freemachining gives.