SINGER 771 Touch & Sew II - Manual (Page 48)

8. FREE-MOTlOñi STITCHiiyG
fn free-motion stitching, you sew without a
presser foot and control fabric movement by
means of an embroidery hoop. Bther a straight
or a plain zig-zag stitch can be used. Because
you can move the hoop in any direction — for­
ward or backward, from side to side, or even
diagonally—free-motion stitching is extremely
useful for embroidery designs. On the other
hand, it is equally useful for darning.
If you are embroidering, you can vary the
length of stitches simply by moving the hoop
faster or slower under the needle. The faster
you move the hoop, the longer the stitches will
be. You can also vary the width of zig-zag
stitches from wide to narrow by controlling the
angle at which the hoop is placed and moved
under the needle.
For darning, the embroidery hoop used in free-
miOtion stitching enables you to hold the fabric
taut — a real advantage when your fabric is
lightweight or soft and thus likely to pucker.
See page 67 for directions.
flower embroidery
Pattern: Plain Zig-Zag |
Stitch Width: 2 to 5
Needle Position: A
Feed Cover Needle Plate
No Presser Foot
Completed Flower Cesign
PREPARATION
Trace design on right side of fabric. (If you
have designing skill, you will enjoy creating
your own patterns; otherwise, you can buy at­
tractive transfer designs.) Place work in an
embroidery hoop large enough to encompass
the entire design, but small enough so that
hoop can be easily mianaged. Add an underlay
if fabric is soft. Remove presser foot (see
page 10), and replace regular needle plate
with the feed cover needle plate.
PROCEDURE
1. Position work under needle and lower
presser bar to engage tension.
2. Hold needle thread loosely and turn hand
wheel toward you to bring bobbin thread up
through fabric. Hold both thread ends and
lower needle into fabric.
3. Stitch, outlining or filling in design with zig­
zag stitches. For a smooth, satiny surface,
place parallel stitches close together, mov­
ing hoop slowly and steadily. For an irregu­
lar texture, move the hoop more rapidly,
allowing some stitches to overlap.
A series of bar-tacks can be used to form
spray-like leaves or flowers. This technique
adds variety and lightness to many designs.
Leaves and petals formed in this way may
carry the thread from one bar tack to the next
This carrying thread eliminates tying of the
thread ends.
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