Machine Embroidery is one of my creative outlets.  It allows me to make and share beautifully stitched out, one-of-a-kind creations.  

What a pleasure it is to wrap a handmade creation in tissue paper and extend the labor of love, with a piece of my eyes, as my dear mother says.

If you are new to machine embroidery or

you want to extend your knowledge and use all the features of your machine, or

Like me, you set a goal to do your own digitizing, I sourced some of the best publications on the topic of Machine Embroidery.​

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1. DIGITIZING made easy by John Deer

John has more than 30 years experience in digitizing.

He describes how time-consuming digitizing used to be and how easy it has become with auto-digitizing.

He covers the following:

• The Three Basic Stitch Types
• The Elements of a Great Design
• Understanding Distortion
• Understanding Underlay
• Tips & Hints
• Editing your Software
• Digitizing for multi-needle machines
• The bonus CD enclosed offers Embroidery designs, tutorials, video files etc.

2. Embroidery Machine Essentials: How to Stabilize, Hoop and Stitch             Decorative Designs Paperback – by  Jeanine Twigg

Although this book was published back in 2001, most embroiderers love it!

Teachers recommend it in their classes!

• It touches on every subject, from embroidery equipment to digitizing your own designs.

• The information is easy to understand, instructions clear and pictures are helpful. 

• Nice sample projects
• Troubleshooting

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3. Modern Machine Embroidery: 11 Projects from Pickle Pie Designs with       25 Must-Have Embroidery Motifs by Lisa Archer

This is the latest book on machine embroidery, published in 2016.

• Machine embroidery essentials covered

• How to create appliques, in the hoop projects and monograms

• DVD with 25 embroidery designs, including 3 in-the-hoop designs and an alphabet
• I must agree with another review that I read earlier, that most of the older books have really used outdated designs. By the looks of it, this book is far more trendy!

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4. Machine Embroidery on Difficult Materials by Deborah Jones

We all know how tricky embroidering on silky and thick materials can be.

This book offers help with just that.

• How to hoop properly

• How needle selection can affect stitching
• How to modify designs to accommodate the material

• DVD with 20 embroidery designs

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5. The Sewing Machine Embroiderer’s Bible by Liz Keegan

Get the most from your machine and its functions, including designs and built-in stitches.

Ideal for the novice embroiderers who need to know how to download, transfer and store her designs.

For the more advanced embroiderer who wants to start creating her own designs.

A particularly useful reference book.

A good guide no matter what the brand

Lots of photos and diagrams

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6. Free Machine Embroidery Magazines

Our list will not be complete without some free resources.  If you are not familiar with Issu – it is a very useful app (mobile downloadable) with lots of free magazines in all the topics imaginable.

I see trouble in the land of paradise once you start with this site!  Make sure everyone is either asleep or at work because you will not even get up to go to the loo!

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7. Creative Machine Embroidery (magazine)

This is a publication (digital as well) dedicated to all this related to machine embroidery.  

Free downloads are available with each issue (monthly).  Be sure to download it before the expiry date.

There are some free e-books available once you register to the site – Click on Freebies and then Free ebooks.

The magazine is also available in iTunes to read while you are on the go!

The list will be updated regularly to display new and noteworthy publications.

Please would you care to share this post with your peeps and on social media?  I really need your help to spread the word.

Until next time – happy stitching!​