Using decorative stitches to make a selvage project

There are so many stitches to explore on the PFAFF Creative 4.5 that it’s hard to know where to start! My default *playground* is creating with selvages and then it’s pretty much follow my fancy 🙂 This post goes through my play process with the stitches and my selvages.

Selecting Stitches

I turned on the machine and opened the stitches file. I started selecting different ones to see what I liked. The manual also has all of them listed out with photos and the stitch numbers.

The Color Touch Screen on the PFAFF Creative 4.5 gives icon details for every stitch selected – from what presser foot to use, if you need stabilizer and where the needle will start in the stitch.

The screen showed me that most of them require using a stabilizer underneath – it’s the white rectangle icon above the stitch. I figured that the layer of cotton I use as a backing for the selvages could count as a stabilizer.

I used a fat quarter from my stash with the wrong side up as my foundation/stabilizer. I chose selvages that are from fat quarters or longer yardage. I have my selvages sorted in a couple of different ways and chose to use the ones with no white strip, dots, or words for this project.

I wanted to try creating my own selvage designs with the stitches!

Stitching Selvages Together

I started with a selvage with the raw edge at the right edge of the stabilizer and tucked the raw edge of the next selvage underneath the other edge. As you can see in the photo, I played with quite a few stitches before a plan started to formulate on how I could use this piece of stitched fabric!

These selvages are close to the end of my piece. After the pink I added one more wide selvage to get to my desired length.

Next I picked a stitch- stitch 4.3.19 to be exact! You’ll notice that the screen has a green *plus sign* that shows where the needle will start in the stitch. I also made sure I had the correct presser foot ready on the machine, in this case foot 2A.

Line up the bound edge of the selvage with the middle of the stitch to be sure that the stitching will actually go across both selvages.

The machine will guide the stitch – you should guide the fabric with your hands but the machine may move the fabric back and forth to complete the stitch.

The PFAFF Creative 4.5 makes it easy to play and create with stitches. With so many to choose from, it’s easy to add a personal touch to any project. In tomorrow’s post you’ll see what I created with mine – maybe you’ll make one too!