It’s fun and easy to use upside down stitchery, (also known as bobbin work), to embellish tea towels, table runners, pillows, scarves, jean jackets, & more! These are all ideal projects for embellishing with bobbin work.
Just what is bobbin work and why is this technique called upside down stitchery? Simply put, bobbin work is an embellishment technique created with thick threads and novelty yarns that would never go through the eye of a needle and are not suitable for the thread path and tension mechanism of a sewing machine.
Just what is bobbin work and why is this technique called upside down stitchery? Simply put, bobbin work is an embellishment technique created with thick threads and novelty yarns that would never go through the eye of a needle and are not suitable for the thread path and tension mechanism of a sewing machine.
Bobbin work is accomplished by winding thick thread onto a bobbin, and then changing out the bobbin case of the machine with an alternative bobbin case set for thick thread and a tension much looser than normal. You'll sew with the right side of the fabric facing the throat plate, therefore, sewing "upside down."
Bobbin work is possible for virtually any machine, as long as you have an alternative bobbin case with the tension loosened for the the thicker threads. Simply switch out your standard bobbin case for the one with loosened tension when you want to do bobbin work. You will need to adjust the bobbin case for various kinds of thick threads. Some will require looser tension than others. This technique is easy but it does require some time and experimentation as you are learning the nuances of using different threads and making adjustments.
Some Brother machine models include a bobbin work bobbin case and there have been some past models with embroidery style bobbin work designs built-in to the machine. Bobbin work embroidery designs seem to be in short supply these days but there's still a lot you can do with bobbin work on the sewing side of the machine. Below is an image of designs found is past Brother machines such as the Quattro and Dream Machine models.
Some Brother machine models include a bobbin work bobbin case and there have been some past models with embroidery style bobbin work designs built-in to the machine. Bobbin work embroidery designs seem to be in short supply these days but there's still a lot you can do with bobbin work on the sewing side of the machine. Below is an image of designs found is past Brother machines such as the Quattro and Dream Machine models.
The special Brother bobbin case is grey, making it very noticeable and distinctive from an ordinary bobbin case. To learn lore about the optional Brother Bobbin Work Kit CLICK HERE to view the description on their website, and see compatible models.
Here is a short video showing how to wind the bobbin for bobbin work:
The top of the machine is threaded with regular sewing thread, embroidery thread, or even monofilament type thread. A bobbin with thick thread is placed in the machine, and should flow freely from the bobbin case with the loosened tension. With a few tweaks and tests for tension, you're on your way to stitching hand drawn patterns or rows of decorative and straight stitches. If you're good at free motion stitchery, you could set up your machine for free-form sewing and create patterns by stitching over templates or traced images or free motioning like you would for quilting.
I recently did a live show tutorial for my friends at Sewing Machines Plus, with an overview of bobbin work, showing various samples I hope will inspire you. You can watch the video below. I've also created a written tutorial to go along with the video. Download the PDF file for more details and information that coordinates with the video.
I recently did a live show tutorial for my friends at Sewing Machines Plus, with an overview of bobbin work, showing various samples I hope will inspire you. You can watch the video below. I've also created a written tutorial to go along with the video. Download the PDF file for more details and information that coordinates with the video.
| lets_go_sew_with_joanne_banko_bobbinwork_stitchery.pdf |
Feel free to leave your comments and questions below!
Interested in learning even MORE about bobbin work?
- Brother has a short, silent video showing how to insert the bobbin case here: Brother has a short, silent video showing how to insert the bobbin case here: https://bit.ly/3zLgEvr
- Check out my It's Sew Easy TV video about bobbin work on the embroidery side of the machine when you click the following link: Machine Embroidered Bobbin Work Pashmina
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