Machine Embroidery Workshop

Yvonne Menear lives in Langley, British Columbia, and is an international speaker and educator for the home sewing industry. She concentrates on teaching quilting, machine embroidery, quilt design, digitizing machine embroidery, and teaching basic computer skills for the home sewer.

As a quilter and machine embroidery individual, I learned very quickly that I could do so much more with my computerized machines if I knew how to use the computer and all the different programs that support our quilt designing and machine embroidery designing. Using the internet for information and resources for products really helped me to grow in my love of sewing. I realized this is the type of information others needed to have also, so I began my teaching career. I had all ready retired from my career as a dental hygienist of 40 years to now become even busier with my career of teaching sewing and all the related topics.

I have written many magazine articles over the years about quilting and machine embroidery and had the opportunity to work with The Electric Quilt Company in developing their EQStitch embroidery digitizing software and beta tested the EQ8 software. With the release of EQ8, I continually write lessons on the EQ blog, and have a chapter in the EQ8 Designing More Quilts book, published in the fall of 2018. I travel internationally teaching quilt designing and digitizing machine embroidery.

EMBROIDERY RETREAT-THREAD AND PAPER-SEPTEMBER 2024

SUPPLY LIST AND COURSE DESCRIPTION

Instructor-Yvonne Menear  menear.yvonne@gmail.com

Retreat Description—3-day retreat dedicated to machine embroidery.  All machine types are welcome.  Must have a hoop to accommodate a 5 x 7 inch (125 x 175 mm) stitch field as all designs provided will fill the 5 x 7 inch area.  Designs are to teach/learn different stitching techniques and not project based.  Learning will be about machine settings, tension settings, needle types, thread types and weights, trouble-shooting design issues, bobbin work unique settings, free standing designs, twin needle designs, texturizing fabrics, applique techniques with texturized fabric, and so much more!

Standard Supplies for the retreat—

Machine in good working order (cleaned it lately?) Repair available every Wednesday in store all your hoops, embroidery arm, power cord, machine embroidery feet, extension cord, thread stand for upright spool position, machine instruction/user manual, portable light if you wish

USB stick to transfer designs to your machine (have your name and file format needed on the USB stick)

Rotary cutter, small rotary ruler, small cutting mat

Fabric scissors, paper scissors, thread snips

Spare bobbin case, empty bobbins

Speciality bobbin case for bobbin work (Your machine will have its own special case that you need to order from your machine dealer before the class.  If your machine does not have a dedicated bobbin case, bring a second bobbin case that we will adjust for use in the bobbin work class)

Basic repair case—include Q-tips and micro brushes for cleaning machine, tweezers, screwdriver for removal of throat plate, machine oil (if recommended for your machine model), emery board

Must have a 5 x7 inch hoop (or larger) to accommodate the designs. (I will not be resizing designs in class to accommodate smaller hoops.)

Assortment of threads in various colors, variegated thread selections, and neon colors.  40 wt. polyester thread is the thread of choice for machine embroidery. Hemingworth available at Thread & Paper

Bobbin thread or pre-wound bobbins.  Bobbin thread brands are usually 60 – 80 weight threads that are lighter weight than the stitching thread.  We will use bobbin thread on all the designs. My recommendation is the DecoBob bobbin thread from Wonderfil which is an 80 wt. thread.

Standard tape (scotch tape) for the class on free-standing rick-rack

Heavy weight threads (8 – 12 wt.) or baby weight yarn for the bobbin work class.  (I will have some threads but bring your own for your designs)

Assortment of needles including embroidery needles size 75/11 and 80/12; non-stick needles size 80/12, top stitch needles size 80/12 and 90/14, twin needles size 2.0/80.

Assortment of background fabrics in solid colors (prints will not show the embroidery designs well).  Muslin works well for most embroidery designs.  Bring some black fabric for the designs that require the neon thread choices.  Bring a fat quarter size of a lining light weight polyester fabric for use in the textured applique class. We are doing multiple hoopings over the 3-day retreat so bring an adequate amount of your fabrics (2-3 meters).

Pellon 806 tear away stabilizer and Pellon 541 wash-n-gone wash away stabilizer.  We are doing multiple hoopings for a few of the designs so have at least 2-3 meters of each.

Class techniques sample designs– below are some images of stitch files we will be working with.  I will provide more files in class but we will only stitch one design for each technique.