Create a Showstopping Peacock with Free‑Motion Machine Embroidery

Video reference: “Peacock Machine Embroidery (Free-motion technique)” by M Embroidery515

A peacock in full color is a masterclass in free-motion control, color layering, and clean outlining. This guide walks you through the exact sequence—gold → green → blue feather eyes, rice-stitch outlines, smooth satin shading on the body, and floral accents—so your finished piece gleams with depth and detail.

What you’ll learn

• How to build iridescent feather “eyes” in three passes (gold, green, blue)

• When to use straight vs. satin stitches, and why

• Rice stitching for crisp, textural outlines

• Blending light and dark blues on the body for dimension

• Practical fabric, thread, and stabilizer tips sourced from community Q&A

Primer: What This Peacock Project Teaches A peacock design is ideal for practicing controlled fills, color transitions, and decorative outlining. You’ll guide a hooped fabric by hand while the machine makes the stitches—a hallmark of free-motion embroidery. The process showcased here is hand-guided on a machine and uses straight stitches for fills and rice stitching for outlines, with satin stitches for the body and neck.

• Where it shines: Art embroidery, statement panels, framed wall pieces, and textile decor.

• Prerequisites: Comfortable hoop handling, steady hand movements, and basic free-motion control.

• Machine flexibility: The creator confirms work is currently done on an industrial zigzag SINGER 20u. They also note that in the past, similar free-motion results were achieved on a normal domestic machine.

Pro tip: If you’re new to free motion, warm up on scrap fabric with simple shapes (ovals, teardrops). This builds the muscle memory you’ll need for the feather eyes.

Watch out: Free-motion fills magnify hooped fabric slack. Keep fabric taut to avoid ripples when you add dense fills later.

Quick check: After the first small shape you fill, press your hoop lightly—if the surface ripples, re-hoop tighter before continuing. magnetic hoops

Prep: Materials, Hooping, and Thread Choices Essential materials and tools (as seen in the process and confirmed in community Q&A):

• Fabric: Cotton cloth was used by the creator; it’s stable and takes dense filling well.

• Stabilizer/underlay options: The creator used tracing paper under the fabric and sometimes interfacing or stabilizer for extra support—especially helpful under dense fills.

• Threads: Rayon threads in multiple colors (gold metallic also featured prominently); blue in light and dark shades; green; yellow and orange for florals; black for the eye.

• Hoop: Standard embroidery hoop suitable for hand-guided movement.

• Drawing tools: A simple drawn outline on fabric (pencil) is your stitch map.

• Machine: The creator uses an industrial zigzag SINGER 20u for free-motion; a domestic machine can also be used for free motion with proper setup and technique.

Decision point: Fabric weight vs. support

• If using lightweight cotton: Add tracing paper underneath or a light stabilizer.

• If using medium-weight cotton: Hooping alone may suffice; test a small fill first.

From the comments: Several readers asked how to keep stitches firm. The creator’s answer—tracing paper under the fabric—works well and tears away easily after stitching.

Pro tip: Metallics are less forgiving. Thread metallic gold only when ready to outline or fill areas in one pass to minimize rethreading and potential fray.

Checklist — Prep

• Cotton fabric, hooped drum-tight

• Outline drawn clearly on the fabric

• Rayon color set ready (gold, green, blue, black, yellow, orange; plus metallic gold)

• Tracing paper/stabilizer placed (if needed)

• Test scrap stitched for tension and hand control hoop master embroidery hooping station

Setup: Free-Motion Ready and Color Plan Align your order of operations to minimize color changes and build depth logically:

• The feather eyes: Base in gold → inner green → innermost blue.

• Outlines and stems: Gold rice stitching.

• Body and neck: Light blue satin base → darker blue shading → optional gold/green highlight.

• Face detail: Black eye.

• Floral accents: Leaves in light green → flowers in yellow → final orange fills.

Free-motion setup guidance

• Hooped fabric moves by hand; your movement sets stitch direction, density, and shape.

• In straight-stitch fills, width is literally the path you move—so trace edges with the hoop and fill with back-and-forth passes.

Quick check: Before committing to the first feather, stitch a small test teardrop on scrap in gold, then layer green and blue to verify blending without harsh edges. embroidery magnetic hoops

Checklist — Setup

• Thread order noted and spools staged

• Practice shape completed successfully

• Hooped fabric is flat and firm

• Underlay (tracing paper or stabilizer) secured if used

• Pathing plan for outlines and stems drafted in your mind’s eye

Operation: The Complete Stitch-by-Stitch Sequence Follow these stages and validate your progress along the way.

1) Outline design and prepare for stitching (gold ready)

• Draw the peacock outline on hooped cotton.

• Thread gold. Begin with a feather eye and practice keeping coverage even.

Expected result: One feather “eye” fully filled in gold, smooth texture, no gaps.

Quick check: After the first gold fill, inspect from a shallow angle under light—any dull weave peeking through means your density needs another pass. magnetic hoop for brother

2) Fill feather eyes with gold

• Continue filling feather eyes across the tail area with straight stitches.

• Keep passes parallel where possible for a burnished effect; adjust to shape curves.

Expected result: Several feather eyes uniformly filled in gold, forming the tail base.

Watch out: Overworking a small area can tighten and pucker fabric. If you see distortion forming, pause and let nearby areas “rest,” then return with shorter, lighter passes.

3) Add the green layer to feather eyes

• Switch to green. Fill the inner sections of the gold shapes with clean edges.

• For blending at the gold/green boundary, use shorter stitches and slightly varied direction to soften the transition.

Expected result: Green centers form within each gold eye—no harsh outlines.

Pro tip: Stitch the entire set of green centers before rethreading again. Consistency improves when you repeat the same micro-movement across the design.

4) Apply the blue inner layer

• Switch to blue and fill the smallest, innermost area of each eye.

• Keep shapes consistent across the feathers—small and centered.

Expected result: The blue inner ring sharpens the peacock eye look and makes the trio pop.

5) Outline feathers and stitch stems with gold (rice stitching)

• Re-thread gold. Work small, evenly spaced dashes around each feather eye—this is rice stitching.

• Continue with flowing gold lines to connect each feather back to the body.

Expected result: Clean, textural outlines with graceful connecting stems unifying the tail.

Watch out: Wobbly stems distract fast. Visualize the curve and stitch in one smooth motion rather than micro-correcting every few millimeters.

6) Fill the peacock’s body and neck with satin stitches (blended blues)

• Thread light blue and satin-fill the upper body and neck first.

• Switch to darker blue to shade contours; blend by shortening stitch length and feathering edges into the light blue.

Expected result: A smooth, contoured body with seamless transitions between blues.

Quick check: Run a fingertip over the satin area—if you feel ridges, your angle changes were too abrupt. Add a few bridging stitches at the color boundary to smooth the hand. dime snap hoop

7) Add the peacock’s eye

• Thread black. Stitch a small, round eye precisely positioned on the head.

Expected result: A neat, proportionate eye that anchors the face.

8) Add gold and green highlights on the body/wing

• With gold, outline selective curves on the upper body for definition.

• With green, fill a wing highlight area and softly blend into surrounding blue.

Expected result: Body and wing gain dimensional accents without overpowering the blues.

9) Embroider leaves and flowers

• Thread light green to stitch small leaves around the scene.

• Thread yellow to fill flowers.

Expected result: Distinct leaves and bright yellow blooms to frame the peacock.

10) Stitch the crown

• With gold, add the peacock’s crown above the head with steady, confident lines.

Expected result: A neat, centered crown that reads regal and refined.

11) Outline the body with gold

• With gold still on, run a clean, continuous outline around head, neck, and through the tail base.

Expected result: A crisp silhouette that unifies the composition.

12) Finish florals with orange

• Switch to orange and fill any remaining flowers for final color balance.

Expected result: The composition reaches full chroma—the final pass pulls the palette together.

Checklist — Operation

• Gold base fills complete, no gaps

• Green/blue centers clean, centered, and evenly sized

• Rice-stitched outlines consistent; stems smooth

• Satin body blends light and dark blues seamlessly

• Eye/crown accurate; florals balanced

From the comments: Beginners asked how to control stitch “width.” In free motion, the path and coverage are managed entirely by how you move the hooped fabric by hand—practice smooth, overlapping passes before tackling the main design. mighty hoop 5.5

Quality Checks: Know When Each Stage Is Right

• Gold fills: No base fabric peeking; directionality consistent with shape.

• Green layer: Clean inner edges; green doesn’t “bleed” across gold boundaries.

• Blue centers: Small and centered; overall feather eyes feel uniform.

• Rice stitching: Dashes are even; curves are smooth, not jagged.

• Satin body: Color transitions invisible from arm’s length; sheen reads continuous.

• Highlights: Gold/green accents support, not compete with, the body.

• Florals: Petals read as distinct shapes; leaf spacing feels intentional.

Quick check: Squint test from 6–8 feet away—do the feather eyes feel evenly sized and spaced? If one looks loud or small, add or thin a few stitches to balance. magnetic embroidery frames

Results & Handoff: Finishing, Framing, and Care Your finished piece should have luminous feather eyes, a sculpted blue body, precise gold outlines, and balanced florals.

Finishing

• Remove tracing paper/stabilizer carefully from the back.

• Lightly steam (hover, don’t press hard) to relax any minor puckers.

• Trim backing threads cleanly; avoid clipping front satin stitches.

Display options

• Frame under glass (use spacers to protect texture).

• Mount as a textile panel or pillow front (choose gentle-use locations to honor metallic threads).

Care

• Spot clean only; metallics and rayon are delicate.

• Avoid prolonged direct sunlight to preserve saturation.

From the comments: The creator mentioned having used a normal machine in the past; today, they favor the SINGER 20u for free motion. Choose the machine you can control most comfortably—technique matters more than model.

Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom → likely cause → fix

• Gaps in feather fills → Coverage too sparse → Add another pass with shorter, overlapping strokes in the same direction.

• Harsh color boundary between gold/green/blue → Stitches too long at the transition → Shorten stitches and angle slightly across the boundary for a soft blend.

• Wobbly stems or outlines → Hesitation mid-curve → Commit to a smooth, continuous motion; practice curve on scrap before stitching the real arc.

• Puckering under dense fills → Fabric too loose or insufficient support → Re-hoop tighter; add tracing paper or light stabilizer as the creator does.

• Irregular satin sheen on the body → Inconsistent stitch angle or density → Bridge with a few angled passes to merge highlight and shadow smoothly.

• Oversized peacock eye → Misjudged scale → Remove carefully if possible; otherwise tighten the shape by embroidering a clean outline around and filling to refine the circle.

Quick isolation tests

• Stitch a 1-inch practice oval in each color combo to feel the tension and coverage before returning to the artwork.

• If metallic frays, reduce stop-start frequency and complete that area in a single, steady pass.

Pro tip: Map thread order for the entire piece before starting (gold → green → blue → gold outlines → blues for body → black eye → accents → florals). Minimizing swaps reduces tension shifts and keeps your hand rhythm consistent. brother embroidery machine

From the Comments: Quick Answers

• Which machine? The creator uses an industrial zigzag SINGER 20u for free motion.

• Can a simple machine do this? Yes—the creator notes they used a normal machine previously for free-motion work.

• What fabric? Cotton cloth.

• What’s under the fabric? Tracing paper; sometimes interfacing or stabilizer.

• What threads? Rayon for color, gold metallic for accents; black for the eye; yellow/orange for flowers.

• How is straight-stitch “width” controlled? By moving the hooped fabric by hand in free motion.

Optional gear note If you regularly hoop delicate or thick materials, some stitchers prefer alternative hooping aids for convenience. Explore options that fit your machine ecosystem, such as magnetic embroidery frames, embroidex magnetic hoops, or fast frames for brother embroidery machine to streamline setup. Choose the system compatible with your model and test on scrap first. magnetic hoops