Free Motion Embroidery

 I have been wanting to try free motion embroidery on my sewing machine for quite some time, but just haven't managed to pluck up the courage to have a go...until now.  I tried using a double layer of calico first,but found it was a bit too floppy.  These are the two pieces at the bottom of the photo above.  I then used two layers of calico with some thin polyester wadding in between.  It felt a bit odd initially, because the whole idea is to keep the lines fluid and not keep stopping (which I kept doing).  I have seen people demonstrating this on the TV and they suggest sitting and doodling with a pen or pencil, keeping the line fluid and trying not to take the pen or pencil off the paper, so that is something else I need to do.

 My next attempts with the wadding inside definitely worked better and quilted the fabrics too.  I wasn't sure how fast I should attempt to go, but I think I can go a little more slowly, which will allow me to have more control.  It will take a fair bit of time to get really proficient, but I was quite pleased with my first ever attempts.

I managed to write my name and draw a flower or two.  My idea is to practise lots more and then possibly use this type of embroidery to embellish my felt pieces.  Hand sewing as embellishment works really well, but is very time consuming.  Free motion embroidery will give a different look to the pieces and again, I won't be able to duplicate any patterns exactly, so will keep the individuality of each piece.  All I need now is time to practise...a lot...