top of page

Free Embroidery 1

Writer's picture: Sharon PriganSharon Prigan

Free embroidery means just that! No rules, no restrictions, no limits. Anything goes. You can use different threads, different fabrics and incorporate different obljects, buttons and beads to create beautiful, artful expressive pieces.


Over the last year I have been downsizing my studio. Also thinking of how to create if I didn't have access to a sewing machine. What if there was no electricity? What? I couldn't create?


I do create slow stitched pieces but haven't till now researched the world of embroidery in depth. I have picked up many techniques over the years and have on and off taken a look at what is out there. Most of it did not set of that creative spark - until this year.


The studio moved and while sorting fabrics and threads it came to me!


What if I created hand sewn versions of my techniques? Not fabric applique, something different. Incorporating fabric and embroidery to get the look that I see. A take with you project which can be created on the go.


Using only upcycled threads and fabrics of course. Most of the embroidery that I had been researching called for new threads, with many posts written about the fragility of used vintage threads. Well for me that was a challenge because of course I will be using vintage and sometimes upcycled threads as well.


I hit the drawing board and created some designs based on my wave series as well as a few abstract creations.


I am working on organizing my "Free Embroidery" section in my studio and creating the samples for tutorials.


The first part of the studio set up was to find and sort all of my threads. I have a HUGE

vintage supply, many unused very old threads purchased from charity stores many years ago and gifted to me by elderly aunts and cousins.



palstic container wtih many vintage many colored embroidery threads


I also have piles of jumbled threads and orts which I am also going to be using so they need to be sorted as well.



container with jumpled sewing and embroidery threads


In my sewing classes nothing gets thrown away, even the smallest of sewing threads.



bowl of sewing threads


And there is one diligent student that collects them into a pile for me



hands holding ball of sewing threads


They are also sorted into colors



pile of colored orts bundles of remnant sewing threads


I found many small containers so I decided to sort the threads according to color.



containers with sewing threads sorted according to color


Follow me on my hand sewing journey and see where it takes me.

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page