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Freestanding Embroidery

machine embroidery designs of freestanding butterflies

Set your creativity free with this unique new embroidery style! Special designs are expertly digitized to hold together on their own, without fabric, to create beautiful freestanding shapes. Follow along to learn how to stitch these incredible designs!

Supplies & Materials:

- Freestanding embroidery design

- Heavy duty water-soluble stabilizer (such as Vilene or Sulky Ultra Solvy)

- 40 wt. rayon thread for the embroidery

- 75/11 sharp sewing needle

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- Radiant Orchid (Freestanding)

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Four spools of embroidery thread in shades of purple and blue on a wooden surface, with three finished freestanding embroidered flower shapes and two thread bobbins below them.

Freestanding embroidery designs have been digitized for heavy duty water-soluble stabilizer, and after the stabilizer is removes, only beautiful lace remains. There are a few different kinds of water-soluble stabilizer available, and two good choices are Vilene or Solvy Ultra Solvy.


Using a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of a standard embroidery needle can also be helpful, because it makes smaller holes in the stabilizer and prevents the lace from being "cut out" as it sews.

Three pieces of freestanding embroidery in purple, blue, and white shades resembling stylized flower petals, displayed on a wooden surface.

As the lace orchid will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin for every thread color used in the design

Four large spools of shiny embroidery thread in shades of purple and blue on a wooden surface, with a hand pulling thread from the leftmost spool and three small bobbins nearby.

Then hoop the water soluble stabilizer firmly, making sure it is tight and without wrinkles or puckers.

Embroidery hoop attached to a fabric stabilizer on a wooden surface, with the fabric evenly stretched and edges extending beyond the hoop.

Load the embroidery design onto the machine, and place the first thread color and matching bobbin into the machine. Then begin to embroider the design.

Close-up of embroidery machine stitching purple thread into a freestanding lace shape on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.

After the first color is finished embroidering, change the bobbin out to match the next thread color.

Close-up of a hand holding a small spool of blue thread near a sewing machine's needle and presser foot area, with a turquoise sleeve visible.

Continue to embroider the design. Watch the color change sheet, and stop to match the bobbin color to every thread color used in the top needle.

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering a purple and blue petal-shaped design on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.


Once the embroidery is finished, trim away the extra stabilizer from around the design.

Orange-handled scissors lie open on a dark wood surface next to a small, purple embroidered flower patch with a blue sequin center on white fabric.

Follow the instructions on the water-soluble stabilizer's packaging to remove the rest. For Vilene, simply soak the lace piece in water for a few moments.

Close-up of hand holding white fabric with blue and purple embroidered flower with beaded center against a textured concentric circular silver surface.

Allow the lace piece to air dry, and then press it flat with an iron.

Close-up of an iron pressing a white cloth on a turquoise surface with a purple and blue embroidered patch partially underneath the fabric.

If there are multiple lace pieces in the design, repeat the steps to embroider and finish each one.

Three pieces of purple and blue embroidery shaped like flower petals lay on a dark wood surface, each with a small white and blue embroidered center.

To make a keychain, attach the piece or pieces onto a key ring or hardware of your choice.


Multipiece keychain

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