Staff Pick: Best for Embellishers

In honor of National Sewing Month, we're celebrating by sharing our team's favorite tools and machines that have made sewing not only accessible but also incredibly enjoyable. Whether you're a novice just getting started or an experienced sewist looking to expand your toolkit, we've curated a list of top recommendations from our staff to inspire your next creative endeavor.

Who are you and what do you do at Singer? 

• Hello, my name is Emily McGinley, and I am the Asst. Manager of Global Intergrated Marketing at SVP Worldwide. I have been at the company for eight years with the opportunity to work in a variety of roles. For the last year I have been primarily working on coming up with campaign themes for new machines and the sewing projects that go along with them. This is like a dream job for a creative sewist like me! I sew a bit of everything from clothing to quilts, but my obsession is with embroidery, embellishing and upcycling. 

What type of sewist are you (how long have you been sewing)? 

• I have been sewing for about 14 years. In that time have sewn a little bit of everything and loved almost everything. So, I would say I’m an adventurous sewist, or as some have said, I’m sewing/embroidery addict. 

What projects are you working on right now? 

• I’m sure many DIYers can relate when I say I have a large pile of UFOs (unfinished objects). But the projects I’m actively working on are a king-sized quilt with embroidery, and upcycling/embellishing an old denim work jacket with antique quilt blocks, some nautical fabric, and embroidery. 

What Singer machine is great for your style of sewing/crafting?

• I have been in love with the SINGER® SE9180 Sewing & Embroidery Machine sewing and embroidery machine because I can do so much with this machine. You can easily switch between embroidering your project to sewing it together without needing to switch out the entire machine.  

What feature of this machine makes your sewing easier? 

• Having access to the mySewnet™ Library on screen. I love being able to search for a design directly on the screen because I stay focused on my project. With other embroidery machines I’ve used, I would have to break out the computer to find or purchase a design and save it to a USB, to load it to the machine. But I would always get sidetracked and sometimes the projects would end up being pushed aside for something else I got excited to make after seeing the design. This has caused possibly half of my UFOs. 

Words of Wisdom for Others 

• Sew what makes you happy. Buy the pretty fabric, you’ll figure out a project for it eventually. And the biggest thing to remember is sewing is a creative process, so it’s ok to make mistakes or change your mind halfway through. Because even if it doesn’t fit your original vision, you have still created something and that’s amazing.