As I love embellishment, I have collected many links, and classes !
Take pleasure in the dreaming, sewing, and wearing 😀
Another way of making infinite numbers of different versions of a single pattern.
Some general collections of ideas :
10 Embellishment ideas, from the Friday Pattern Co.
Old and New textile altering techniques.
Piece and decorate (Sewingplums).
For extreme embellishment inspiration, and to get an idea of the ultimate that some people can aim for and achieve, see this pdf from Foundations Revealed. It’s also a guide to keeping going with sewing.
As I mostly focus on trying to make sewing as easy as possible while producing good quality, it’s good to be reminded of the full range of possibilities ♥️
Specific techniques
Embroidery
Hand embroidery stitches – clear videos from Needle ‘n Thread.
Free motion stitching, to stitch embroidery and quilting using a domestic sewing machine.
See below for links about embroidery using a special purpose machine.
6 ways to insert lace, from Sew Historically.
Bias binding.
Shape from ruffle strips, start with making gathered bias-cut ruffle strips, then apply them to make a shape.
Pockets.
Quilting – easy machine quilting. Search ‘hand quilting’ for many tutorials and videos.
Smocking and other Textures, from TeresaDownUnder.
Extensive online courses, which are not free
Using special purpose presser feet and needles :
Embellishment techniques, from the Sewing Collection formerly Martha Pullen.
Stitching Cosmos, from Sewing Mastery.
Some Craftsy classes
Creative Closures.
Decorative seams.
Edge finishing techniques.
Heirloom sewing.
Sewing Texture.
Using a special purpose Embroidery machine – free
This is not user-controlled machine embroidery on a domestic sewing machine, for which see free-motion-stitching above, but using a special type of machine which stitches under the control of software. Photographs of these machines usually include an embroidery hoop.
Even though the machine does most of the work, using these machines is not just ‘press a button to make something beautiful’. There are many skills involved.
Start using an embroidery machine – basics.
Start using an embroidery machine – next steps.
Start using an embroidery machine – editing designs.
If you ‘cannot draw’
Sanntangle produce many stencils which you can draw around to produce attractive designs.
When you get into ‘multi-media’ work, you can incorporate all sorts of materials which are not traditionally thought of as fibres and fabrics !
For those of us who love embellishment – 😀 😀 😀 Enjoy 😀 😀 😀