Free Motion Embroidery Workshop 07/08/2026

Sew Free!

A Beginner’s Guide to Free Motion Sewing

Tutor: Claire Salmon

Have you ever wanted to have a go at free motion
embroidery on your sewing machine, but not sure
where to start?
This introductory session is a guide to free motion
sewing for the mildly terrified, and will show you how
to set up your machine for free motion work, how to
stabilise your fabric, and basic stitching techniques.

There will also be a range of practice exercises to help
to develop your skills.

What do you need to bring?'

Please bring your own sewing machine, and check that it can be set up for free motion sewing either by dropping the
feed dogs, or covering them with a special attachment called a cover plate. The machine manual should have this
information, but if you’re not sure, please contact Claire the tutor for assistance at the email address below, stating
the make and model of your machine.
If you have a darning foot or a free motion embroidery foot for your machine, please bring that along. There will be a
range of universal embroidery feet available to borrow. These fit most but not all machines.
Please also bring a selection of coloured threads and your scissors or thread snips.

The workshop will include:
- How to set up your machine for free motion sewing
- How to prepare your fabric- choosing fabrics, using stabilisers and working with an embroidery hoop.
- Free motion techniques - supervised practice exercises to help you master the techniques.

Email the tutor at: cherryorchardcrafts@yahoo.co.uk