C&T Publishing: Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery by Patty Albin Lesson Plan
Instructor's Class Plan for
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery
by Patty Albin
Notes to Instructors and Shop Owners:
This class lesson plan is meant to be used as a "Get To Know Your Embroidery Machine" class. It is broken down into 3 classes using Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery as the instruction book. This can be used by stores that sell machines or simply by shops that want to help their customers become more familiar with their own machines. This will also be beneficial to teachers who may want to teach embroidery-in-quilts classes.
Each of these classes can be used as a stand-alone class or as part of a series. The book is written to provide basic information to embroidery machine owners in a non-intimidating way. These classes are meant to provide confidence to the students so they feel more comfortable with their machines and understand the basics of machine embroidery. While the book and the class is geared to basic machine embroidery, encourage those more experienced embroiderers to attend class also as they may learn things they didn't previously know or didn't understand. Plus, having experienced students in the class can also help inspire the beginners!
Ensure Optimal Sales
Be sure to have in stock the items that are discussed in each class. These would include notions like scissors, seam rippers, irons, embroidery designs if you carry them, needles, all the stabilizers mentioned in the book, different kinds of threads, packs of pre-wound bobbins, embroidery software, etc. This allows for additional purchases by the students as they will see the need to own the various supplies mentioned in the book and throughout class. C&T has books that feature samples with machine embroidery - browse their book selection for something that appeals to you. Machine Embroidery Makes the Quilt is an excellent book to get you started!
Copyright Regulations
Make sure you understand copyright of designs and convey that understanding to your students. The copying of designs for use in class is a violation of law. Each student must own designs in order to be used by them. If you personally create a design, you own the copyright and can do with it what you wish. If everyone in the class owns a particular collection of designs, you can copy (or modify) designs and give them to a student since they already own the design collection. If you are not sure what designs the students may own, have everyone purchase a collection of designs, or the Machine Embroidery Makes the Quilt book or Beautiful Baltimore collection by Husqvarna Viking on a multi-format CD so all machine owners can use it. Have the students come to class with the designs already on a media card or some other device so their embroidery machines can readily read it.
Class Description
Be intimidated no more by your embroidery machine! In this class you'll learn the basics of machine embroidery, step by step. Using the book Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery by Patty Albin you'll build a foundation of knowledge consisting of the proper notions, stabilizers, differences in threads, and embroidery designs. After attending the class and following the exercises in the book, you will be more confident in your embroidery skills and able to incorporate machine embroideries in all your quilts and projects!
Class 1: In the Beginning (approximately 2 hours)
Student Supplies Class 1
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Embroidery machine, and embroidery unit if not attached, power cord, foot control
Media card or device to transfer designs to the machine with a design pre-loaded onto it
Instruction manuals specific to students' machines for students' reference
Instructor Supplies Class 1
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Have all of the notions you want to talk about with you in class. Make sure you let the students know that these things are in stock and for sale.
Quilts to inspire the students
Quilts and or samples that feature the notions about which you will be talking.
In the Classroom
1. Review the Gallery
Look at the quilts and discuss the creative ways embroideries were used in the quilts pictured. Ask what other things were used to embellish or add to the embroideries. Inks? Beads? Vintage laces or fabrics? Words?
"Getting To Know Your Machine" and "Necessary Notions" chapters
Discuss parts of the machine. Everyone may have a different brand of machine so use the book to keep things generic. Follow the book to identify key aspects of their specific machine as well as the media cards or devices they need to use to transfer designs to their machine. If your store sells machines, be alert for students who may want to upgrade theirs in the future.
Talk safety by mentioning surge protectors and battery back-ups. Do the TO-DO at the end of the Get To Know Your Machine chapter.
Use the book to talk about the notions mentioned in the Necessary Notions chapter. Review the TO-DO at the end of this chapter to make sure the students have the right notions. If not, sell them what they need.
"Threads, Stabilizers and Needles" chapter
Use the book to review the differences in threads and discuss how they may react differently with different embroideries. This information is discussed in the book. Metallic thread can be beautiful yet troublesome. Review how to successfully use this thread.
Talk about thread tension and how to adjust the machine if necessary. Have a variety of stabilizers on hand to discuss the different uses for each using the book to help you along if necessary.
Homework for the next class is the TO-DO after the Threads section, the Stabilizer section and the Needles section
Class 2: Embroidery (approximately 2 hours)
Student Supplies Class 2
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Embroidery machine, and embroidery unit if not attached, power cord, foot control
All hoops the student owns
Instruction manuals specific to student's machine.
Have the students bring in a pack or two of embroidery designs they may already own
Supplies on the first TO-DO list in this chapter
Hoop template or template plastic
Marker that will draw on the plastic
Design to be stitched in a line printed or stitched out ready to trace onto the plastic (this same design transferred to a media card or some other device to copy onto the machine)
Instructor Supplies Class 2
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Samples (if available) to inspire the students
Packs of embroidery designs that the store sells, include a few that are already open
Fabric and stabilizer for hooping
Hoops
Marking pencil or pen
Necessary notions such as thread snips or embroidery scissors, threads, bobbin thread or pre-wound bobbins
Hoop template or template plastic
Marker that will draw on the plastic
Design to be stitched in a line printed or stitched out ready to trace onto the plastic (this same design transferred to a media card or some other device to copy onto the machine)
In the Classroom
Embroidery Designs
Discuss copyright from the introduction of the book. Students need to understand that copying designs is a violation of law. Most new owners don't understand this and now is a good time to make it clear.
Have the students look at packages of embroidery designs. Teach how to read the information and it's importance as described in this section of the book.
Review the ways a design can be manipulated to make it look different or stitch in a different orientation.
Have the students do the Manipulation Exercise at the end of this chapter.
Following the book, help the students through the hooping instructions so they can become confident in their hooping skills.
Next, review the Precision Hooping Exercise. Have the students prepare the fabric and practice hooping. This skill will lay the foundation for later exercises.
Have the students stitch a simple design. Complex designs require too much class time. Have them cut jump-stitches if necessary and change threads. Must they remove the hoop to change bobbins or can they do it with the hoop still connected to the arm? At this time you can also do the Color Stepping Exercise and Stitch Advance Exercise in the chapter.
Stitching In a Line (AKA Precision Hooping). By beginning this process in class by following the directions in this section, you can send the students home with knowledge in this valuable skill in machine embroidery. They can continue to stitch embroideries in a line at home. The more they do the better they will become.
Class 3: Embroidery (approximately 1 hour)
Note to teachers: This class should only be taught by a teacher that is familiar with machine embroidery software and how to use it. If the store knows or employs a software teacher or customer that is familiar with software, this class should be taught by that person. This is a great way to get your students thinking creatively and possibly purchasing software. Students that have not attended previous classes can also attend as they may become inspired to use/purchase this from you or an associate sewing machine dealer.
This class is best taught as a lecture with students being able to see the computer screen. If the computer can be connected to a projection monitor or TV then do so as it will allow the students to follow along with ease. Remember, the core students of this class are beginners so by demonstrating the advantages of machine embroidery software you are able to inspire them to want to do more, learn more, and buy more.
Student Supplies Class 3
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Instructor Supplies Class 3
Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery, by Patty Albin
Samples (if available) to inspire the students
Computer with embroidery software on it
A Word About Software
Using Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery as your outline, demonstrate what software can do for the machine embroiderer. Depending on what software you are showing, make it shine and show the benefits of the software, not just what it is capable of doing.
Show:
Changing the look of designs - orientation, size, editing if possible
Adding lettering if possible
Create a design if possible
Show samples of quilts (if you have them) with designs that have been modified in software
The Gallery II
Talk about the projects in the gallery and the accompanying descriptions. Each photo contains projects with a description as to how it was conceived and developed in the software and then stitched out on the machine. This section will further inspire your customers to want to do more than they ever thought possible.
Shops could also sell
"Embroidery for Beginners" kits that include essentials
Embroidery software and designs
