Decorative Machine Stitching

At one point, including machine stitching on scrapbook pages was considered a new and unusual technique. By now, it's become a standard practice in the industry. Many scrapbookers use sewing machines to create zigzag borders, or to stitch elements to their pages. What many scrappers don't realize, however, is that the sewing machine in their home probably offers more options than it may appear.

Most sewing machines—even the most basic models—offer at least one decorative stitching option. My intro-level machine offers twelve different stitches in addition to the straight and zigzag stitching options. As any experienced seamstress can tell you, many of these stitches were designed with a purpose: creating buttonholes, stretchable seams and more. But these stitches offer a new option to the scrapbook artist: beautiful and creative looks for their pages.

Getting Started
If you've never included machine stitching on your scrapbook pages, you'll want to make sure you get some practice. Old cardstock and paper scraps are great for this! Practice sewing two sheets together, or simply running a single piece of paper through the machine. If necessary, adjust your thread tension so that both sides of your paper show an even stitch, (Consult your sewing machine's manual if you need help with this.)

After you've practiced the basics, try switching to some of the other stitch models available on your machine. You probably have several zigzag and other creative variations available to you. Explore the possibilities, again using scraps of paper.

Creating a Stitch Guide
Once you've got a handle on the basic feeling of stitching on paper, it's time to create a stitch guide. A stitch guide is simply a sheet of cardstock that shows all of the decorative stitches that are available on your sewing machine. Since it can be hard to tell exactly what a stitch will look like from the machine's diagram, the stitch guide will help you select a machine stitch for any project you might be working on. This is a very simple project which can usually be completed in a half hour or less, but will provide you with valuable help for the rest of your projects!

All you'll need in order to create a stitch guide is a single sheet of flat black cardstock and a spool of white thread. Simply run your paper through your machine one time for each stitch, creating a single length of each stitch across your paper. Be sure to place the stitches in the same order that they appear on your machine, or number them, so you'll be able to quickly and easily figure out which setting you need.

Once you've created a stitch guide, the fun can truly begin!

Creating Your Project
Decorative stitching options will look great on all sorts of projects. Consider one or more of the following ideas:

• Add a stitched border on a card or scrapbook page.
• Include decorative stitching across a length of ribbon or twill tape.
• Stitch to create a photo frame.
• Use stitching to create a pocket out of fabric or paper.
• Stitch across binding tape, then use it to create a decorative edge on your album or book project.
• Attach an embellishment or decorative item to your project.

Once you get started, the possibilities are endless. Decorative machine stitching is quick and simple, and is a beautiful way to add a special touch to one of your upcoming projects.