Circular stitching on your sewing machine is one time when "running around in circles" can be fun and creative.
For small, circular, embroidered motifs, try the Flower Stitcher, a generic attachment that utilizes your sewing machine's zigzag stitch patterns. Or go larger with a circular sewing attachment. This extension arm and tack apparatus allows you to utilize virtually any stitch in your machine to create circular motifs. If neither attachment is available to you, improvise using a tack, an eraser, tape and ingenuity!
Starting Small
Scatter small, decorative circular designs on a collar, neckline or hem, or create eyelet-like trim with the Flower Stitcher attachment for short-shank sewing machines. Note: Some machines will need a shank adapter; check with your dealer.
With three different width settings available, you can create miniature floral designs
from 1/4" to 3/4" in diameter or as wide as your machine's zigzag stitch
setting. Drop the feed dogs, or set the machine for 0 stitch length. (This attachment
won't work if you use a feed dog cover to disengage the feed dogs, as required on some
older machines.) Practice on scraps with the stitches available on your machine to
determine the desired stitch and settings. If your sample puckers, first try reducing the
needle tension. If that doesn't help, use a water-soluble or tear-away stabilizer under
the fabric.
Holding the needle thread in your left hand and up out of the
Flower Stitcher disk to the left, begin to stitch. Note: This is contrary to the
directions that come with the attachment, but works better because you can see exactly
where you began and make a clean join to end the circle.
Stitch, letting the Flower Stitcher move the fabric for you.
When working on larger fabric pieces, make sure the stitcher is
moving freely and evenly as you stitch with no drag on the pattern. Guide the fabric
evenly with your hands.
When you reach the beginning point, choose one of the following
methods to end the stitching:
Raise the Flower Stitcher and remove the work from the machine, leaving a long thread
tail. Pull the top threads to the underside and tie securely. If the beginning thread
can't be pulled to the underside, clip the thread close to the fabric. With most stitch
patterns, take an additional stitch or two for added security.
Another method is to change the stitch width to 0 or, if your machine allows, hit the
"tie off" button and take several stitches in place. Clip the threads close to
the fabric on both sides.
Make a stitch sampler to
determine the best designs. Generally, any open zigzag stitch variation will work, but
tri-motion or reverse cycle zigzag stitches don't work with this attachment. Not all satin
stitch motifs produce satisfactory motifs at all settings. Your stitch sampler will
provide a permanent record for reference.
The Flower Stitcher attachment makes circular sewing a cinch.
Circling on a Tack
To sew larger circles use a
circular stitching attachment or the tack method. To use a circular stitcher, follow the
manufacturer's instructions to position the arm and determine the circle radius. You'll
need a sharp household tack, strapping tape and a pencil eraser to use the tack method.
Push the tack through the strapping tape sticky side and position
it the desired distance from the needle. This distance is the radius of your stitched
circle. Place a pencil eraser on the point to protect yourself from scrapes and your
fabric from snags (Figure 1).
Select the desired stitch and adjust the stitch width and length
for your fabric and thread. When using a satin stitch motif, loosen the needle tension so
the bobbin thread will pull the needle thread to the underside.
Mark the circle center in the desired location on the fabric. Back
the fabric with an iron-on, tear-away stabilizer such as Sulky's® Totally Stable™ or
place the fabric in a spring-loaded machine embroidery hoop with the fabric right-side-up.
Without the stabilizer or a hoop, the fabric may draw up and bubble toward the tack while
you stitch and the results will be anything but circular.
Remove the eraser from the tack and position the circle center
mark on the tack point. Gently force the tack through the fabric and replace the eraser.
Stitch, allowing the fabric to pivot in a circle around the tack.
Use your hands to lightly guide the fabric, but allow the feed dogs to do most of the
work. Don't tug or pull on the fabric and don't let excess fabric surrounding the circle
get caught, causing drag and distortion. If your design incorporates interlocking circles,
you may need to "coax" the stitching when crossing previous stitching. Note:
It's important to stitch at a consistent speed to keep motifs uniform. If speed control is
available on your machine, use the slowest speed.
End stitching when you reach
the beginning point. Pull the threads to the wrong side and tie off, or stitch in place.
Figure 1.
Circle Stitch Scallops
You can use a tack or circular
stitcher to sew scalloped edges.
Back the fabric with an iron-on, tear-away stabilizer.
Adjust the machine for a closely spaced 3- or 4mm-wide satin
stitch. Test stitch on a stabilizer-backed fabric strip.
Using 1/8"-wide quilter's marking tape on your fabric as a
guide, mark the scallop center. Position the tack on the machine bed the desired distance
from the needle and push the fabric onto the tack at the scallop center mark (Figure 2).
Change the stitch width to 0 and lower the needle to the tape's
lower edge. Sew a few stitches, adjust for a slightly wider stitch, sew two or three more
stitches, adjust and repeat until you reach the desired width setting. Stitch the circle
until you are again at the tape's lower edge. Reverse the process, gradually tapering the
width back to 0 (Figure 3). Stop at the tape's lower edge. The completed scallop
will be behind the needle.
With the needle in the fabric
at tape's lower edge, gently lift the fabric off the tack and rotate clockwise until the
scallop is again to the front of the needle. Mark the next center point and push the
fabric onto the tack. Stitch the second scallop in the same manner as the first. Continue
until you have the desired scallop edge length. Gently remove the tape and the stabilizer.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Adjust stitch width gradually.
Variations
Combine a favorite motif from the Flower Stitcher with the
completed scallops. Use the tack hole as the center point for a motif inside the scallop
or make a dot 1/2" above the scallop inner points and stitch with the Flower Stitcher
at the minus setting.
For interlacing scallops, stitch a scallop row as directed above.
Position the tack at the scallop inner point and stitch the second row as you did the
first, marking the mid-point of the new scallop at the end of the scallop on the previous
row (Figure 4).
Using metallic or decorative thread, sew a circle. Decrease the
radius and stitch again. Repeat several times for an interesting accent.
Overlap circular designs using different threads and sizes. Vary
the stitch width, add additional decorative stitches over the basic satin stitch, or
stitch partial circles.
Use a braiding foot and an open zigzag stitch to couch cording or
fine, narrow trim in a circle. Pull the thread ends to the underside to secure.
Use an open-toe embroidery foot and a zigzag or decorative stitch
to sew over ruffled lace heading or narrow trim while you stitch it in place. Trim close
to the stitching on the underside.
Play with other special
presser feet and stitches to create your own circular stitching variations. Have fun!
Figure 4.
Overlapping Scallops
Sew Easy Yo-Yo's
Normally traced on fabric, cut
out and hand gathered into a puff, yo-yos can be made quickly on the sewing machine.
Yo-yos are popular embellishments for folk-art country clothing, children's wear and craft
projects. Consider stitching some in gold lame, adding jewels or buttons to the centers
and bartacking them together for a holiday handbag or evening gown jacket.
Attach the circular stitching attachment or a tack as described
earlier in this article. For a finished yo-yo that is 1 1/2" across, position the
tack 3/4" from the needle. Experiment with the tack position for larger and smaller
yo-yos. Attach the all-purpose presser foot, and change the stitch length to 4mm for
basting. Loosen the upper thread tension by one setting.
Mark the yo-yo center on the fabric wrong side, allowing for at
least 3/8" space around each circle.
Place the fabric in a spring-loaded embroidery hoop wrong-side-up.
Position one yo-yo center mark over the tack and lower the presser foot.
Machine baste all the way around. When you reach the starting
point, gently guide the hoop so that two or three stitches go past and next to the
beginning stitches (Figure 5).
Remove the hoop from the tack and cut a long thread tail. Position
for the next circle, lower the foot, and stitch. Continue in this fashion until all
circles have been stitched.
Remove the fabric from the hoop and carefully cut out each circle
1/8" to 1/4" outside the stitching, taking care not to cut the thread tails.
Lay the needle thread tails across the circle wrong side and grasp
the bobbin thread tails securely. Draw the threads together to gather the puff and flatten
it into a circle. For added security, tie all threads together in an overhand knot.
Cover the yo-yo raw edges at
the center with a button (bartack on the machine or stitch by hand) or with a bead or
jewel glued in place.
Figure 5.
Stitch past and next to beginning
stitches.
Sources
The Flower Stitcher and circular sewing attachments are available at many sewing machine dealers.
The Flower Stitcher also is available by mail-order from Nancy's Notions. Call (800) 833-0690 to request a catalog or for ordering information.
