Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2017 i Creative Machine Embroidery

WE’RE BUGGIN’ OUT! Bugs are the latest trend in embellishment, and not just token butterflies. Moths, bees and ants are showing up on high fashion garments, emblazoned on glitzy purses and carved into intricate jewelry. So instead of showcasing our new Irresistible Insects embroidery collection on a gardening apron or picnic blanket, we placed our little bees on a bright pink silk skirt and adorned it with beads. See the results on page 48 and explore the possibilities for this collection further with a cute set of hand towels on page 54. I love the look of large-scale embroideries. Combining several motifs to create one larger one is a great way to be your own designer without the need to conceptualize, draw, edit and digitize something from scratch. Many design…

1. Embrace the coming spring and all that it brings with the CME Irresistible Insects Embroidery Design Collection. You won't mind finding an infestation of these cute little critters in your house! Perfect for home décor or as a unique garment embellishment, this collection of tone-on-tone insect designs will charm anyone who encounters them. ($3.99/design, $19.99/collection,shopsewitall.com) 2. With the Collar Perfect tool, easily press out any areas of your work that have multiple layers without embedding the embroidery design onto the fabric layers. Designed for quick and easy touch-ups on collars and shirt pockets and perfect for travel, the tool can also be used flat like an iron and has five built-in temperature settings based on fabric type. ($34.95, collarperfect.com) 3. Add some desert décor to your space with the…

Leather is not as difficult to stitch on as you might imagine. However, understanding its characteristics is the key to success. Just as there are many types of fabrics to choose from, there are many variations in leather with regard to weight, feel and texture, depending on how it has been tanned and processed. Leather, unlike fabric, has no “memory.” Most fabric can be stretched or penetrated with a needle, later relaxing back into its natural state. This is not true of leather. All holes, whether they are created from the sewing needle or pins, will remain visible. There are many embroidery designs specifically digitized for stitching on leather. These designs pay special attention to starting and ending points as well as necessary jump stitches to minimize the holes that…

MATERIALS Supplies listed are enough to make one 2½ ”x13”x15” bag. + 2 yards of canvas fabric + 1 yard of cotton fabric (lining) + 1½ to 2 yards of ¾ ”- to 7/8”-wide tapestry ribbon + 3 yards of woven interfacing + 2½” x 13” scrap of thick fusible polyester interfacing (optional) + Two adjustable sliders + Six 1” D-rings + Four 1” swivel snap hooks or lobster clasps with D-rings attached + Two magnetic snaps + Thread: embroidery & coordinating all-purpose + Cut-away stabilizer + Removable fabric marker + Square and corner embroidery designs (approximately 5.87” square and 3.85”x3.85”; see “Designs.”) CUT • From the canvas, cut one 9” square for the central square motif; four 9½” squares for the corner motifs; two 2”x12” rectangles, one 2”x14” rectangle…

Note: For a list of materials needed, see the beginning of the project. STARBURST • Thread the beading needle. Knot the end of the thread and insert the beading needle into the fabric from the wrong side at the desired starting point. • Add four mixed-color seed beads to the needle and slide them down the thread. • Reinsert the needle about two seed-bead widths from the original entry point. The beads will form an arc. • Repeat three times as shown in the diagram to create the starburst center. • Starting with the needle inserted from the back at the top of the starburst center, create gold rays by placing one gold seed bead, one gold long bugle bead (or two standard-length gold bugle beads), and one seed bead…

lisa archer (“In the Hoop: Mini Purse” — page 28) is the owner and creative director of Pickle Pie Designs. She loves the challenge of creating in-the-hoop designs that reflect her personal style. Home Base: Holly Springs, NC Visit: picklepiedesigns.com lori baker (“Quilt This: Scan & Stitch” — page 22) is on the editorial staff of McCall’s Quilting and Quiltmaker magazines. She has sewn most of her life and has a rich heritage of sewists, quilt makers and crafters in her family. Home Base: Westminster, CO pamela cox (“Unique Technique: Allover Embroidery” — page 24; “Rustic Revival” — page 32) received a fashion design degree from The Boston School of Design with an emphasis on patternmaking. Purchasing her first embroidery machine in ‘07 added a new dimension to her…

PROPERTIES When it comes to thread, weight is determined by the length of thread in kilometers that it takes to make one kilogram. For example, if 40 kilometers of thread weighs one kilogram, then the thread is 40-wt. If a kilogram only holds 30 kilometers, then it’s 30-wt. The higher the number in weight, the finer the thread is. Most professionally digitized designs are intended to use 40-wt. two-ply thread. If a different thread is chosen, adjustments to the embroidery machine’s settings may be necessary. A good time to choose a finer thread is when you’re stitching dense or small designs; choose heavier thread for fill stitches, as they will cover the area better. Using several thread weights in one design adds dimension and visual interest. Ply refers to the…

I remember exactly when I got my first embroidery machine. It was in 1994. We’d just moved to a small farming community where housing costs were amazingly low. Two of our children were gone from home and we actually had disposable income. I’d been sewing on my faithful little workhorse of a sewing machine for a little over 20 years so I was thinking of purchasing a new machine. My mom had recently gotten a new sewing machine that embroidered, and we’d played with it on my last couple of visits to her house. I was intrigued to say the least. I shopped and shopped, checking features and prices. I finally decided which sewing/embroidery machine I wanted and came home with my new toy. The embroidery field on that machine…

Although there are no set rules for creating your own embroidered fabric, the following guidelines can be helpful: 1. Consider the size and area that needs to be covered for the intended project. 2. Select an embroidery collection that offers a good number of smaller, compatible elements. 3. Experiment. Save what works, even if it’s just in part, under a new file name and preserve the original design files for future projects. 4. When covering spacious areas, begin with the larger design, filling in any negative spaces with smaller elements. 5. Be willing to try and fail, and try again.…

• As a leather needle is needed to sew leather, they are also recommended for embroidering on leather. Select the needle size appropriate to the weight of the leather: soft, supple leather will need a smaller gauge, while thick, stiff leather will need a stronger, larger needle. • Leather cannot be secured directly in the frame of an embroidery hoop. This is partly because of the material’s thickness, but also because the pressure of the hoop would scar the leather. To embroider, float the leather on self-adhesive paper-backed stabilizer. • A special foot is not necessary, because during the embroidery process, the presser foot floats above the material being embroidered. However, during the piecing phase of this project, use a Teflon foot that will glide over the leather. • Leather…

MATERIALS + 1½ yard of silk or cotton voile + ¼ yard silk shantung (54” wide) + Basic open-front cape or jacket pattern with dolman sleeves (such as Butterick B5529) + Thread: coordinating embroidery, bobbin & all-purpose + Water-soluble stabilizer + Pattern or tracing paper + 75/11 embroidery needle + Scallop embroidery design (approximately 3¼ ”x7¼ ”; see “Design.”) ALTER Note: This project features Butterick B5529, View C. • Trace the pattern pieces onto new paper. • On the jacket front, measure from the corner of the shoulder/neckline to the hemline of jacket C, keeping the ruler parallel to the grainline (A). Using the corner as a pivot point, measure and mark that distance in intervals, creating a curve as you work toward the sleeve (B). Trim along the hemline…

MATERIALS Materials listed are enough to make one 20”x28” tea towel. + 20”x28” tea towel blank (See “Source.”) + Mediumweight cut-away stabilizer or cut-away paperbacked self-adhesive stabilizer + Embroidery thread + Insect embroidery designs, approximately 1½” x 1¼” (dragonfly), ¾” x 1½” (grasshopper) and ½” x 1” (ant) (See “Designs.”) PREPARE • Print as many templates of the design as desired. Audition the designs on the towel blank, pinning or otherwise attaching the templates in place. • Mark the placements of the designs with cross marks. • Load the design onto the machine. EMBROIDER • Hoop the towel blank with a piece of mediumweight cut-away stabilizer; if using multiple copies of the design, try to fit as many into a single hooping as possible. Or, if the design will be…

MATERIALS + 1/8 yard of 43”- to 45”-wide quilting cotton in white, light pink, dark pink, black and coordinating French-themed fabric + 2 yards of low-volume coordinating striped quilting cotton + 1¾ yard each of 1”- to 2”-wide pom-pom trim in red, white and pink + 1¾ yard of ½ ”-wide red rickrack trim + 1¾ yard of 1”-wide black rickrack trim + Thread: All-purpose & embroidery in coordinating colors + Cut-away stabilizer + Water-soluble marker + Rotary cutter and cutting mat + Temporary spray adhesive + French-themed embroidery designs (various sizes; see “Designs.”) PREPARE • Fold one1/8 yard of cotton in half widthwise, then trim it down to 4¼” wide using a rotary cutter. • Cut the trimmed strip at the fold to make two equal-length strips. Cut one…

MATERIALS + ½ yard of neutral-colored solid cotton or cotton-linen blend + Embroidery software program with fonts + Stabilizer: fusible mesh and tear-away + Spray starch alternative + 90/14 embroidery needle + Embroidery thread in various colors + ½ yard of batting or drapery-weight interlining + 12”x16” stretched artist canvas + Staple gun & staples + Ruler + Removable fabric marker + Favorite quote or short saying + Various fonts & embroidery designs as desired (see "Sources.") DESIGN • Scroll through the fonts in your software. Most software programs come with many fonts to choose from. Make a list of your favorites. • Decide which parts of the quote you want to use with each font. Use the fonts to draw attention to the key words of the quote. In…

PRESCRIBED PERFECTION Use forceps when turning projects through small openings — perfect for in-the-hoop projects! Annabelle W., email CUP THEM CLOSE Keep your snips and other tools close by attaching a suction-cup soap dish to the side of your machine. If you’re having trouble, try adding glycerin to the cups to help them adhere better. Elena H., Facebook PINK PICKUP Use a standard pencil eraser to clean out the crevices and cracks on your cutting mat. Ricky T., Facebook IMMACULATE IRON If you won’t be using your iron for a while, empty out the water and then use a mixture of white vinegar and water to clean it. This eliminates hard water buildup and increases the iron life span. Heather D., Facebook EARBUD SPOOL Use an empty spool to keep…

Shrinking Thread • Formulated to shrink on contact with heat, producing a smocked effect. • Works best with running, stippling or zig-zag stitches, simple embroidery, grid, swirls and quilting designs. • Use steam generously when pressing, but don’t touch the iron directly to the thread unless you are prepared for it to shrink about 30% immediately. Stabilizing can help to control the shrinkage. • Use with soft, lightweight fabrics that gather easily for best results. • Available in 40-wt. • Usually used in the bobbin. • For maximum puckering, use as both top and bobbin threads and stitch with a 65/9 to 80/12 needle. Glow-in-the-Dark Thread • Glows in the dark or under black light for up to 15 hours. • Picks up light from artificial and natural sources. •…

Inspired by many of the modern quilts, I decided I’d make an extra-large churn dash block. I drew out a 39” block on graph paper, then string-pieced the colored parts and stitched them together with the ivory background fabric. Using a stack of the 8” blocks leftover from filming a video about string piecing, I made enough more to frame the churn dash block. To create a symmetrical pattern, I added the dark blue border in order to use an even number of blocks around the outside of the quilt so I’d get the diamond pattern in the two outside rows. My final step was to add the embroidery.…

THIS FAST AND EASY purse is perfect for special occasions. Experiment with different specialty fabrics to create your own unique bag. Crepe and sparkly tulle were used for the sample, and the results are stunning. To use both fabrics, simply layer the pieces together as one in each step where tulle is used — in this case, the flap and bag back. MATERIALS + ¼ yard opaque special occasion fabric (such as crepe, satin or brocade) + ¼ yard sheer embellished fabric (such as tulle or chiffon) (optional) + ¼ yard mediumweight fusible woven interfacing + 16” of coordinating cord or ribbon + Cut-away mesh stabilizer + 5x7 or larger hoop + Embroidery tape + Non-fusible permanent seam tape PREPARE • Download the ITH Mini Purse design at cmemag.com/freebies. Transfer…

Worried about the stability of your joining stitches? Here are a few ways to make the seam more stable. For additional security, add a strip of cut-away stabilizer underneath the self-adhesive stabilizer, allowing it to become a part of the joining process. Make sure the layer lays smooth on the bottom during the stitching process. Another method is to use a strip of leather under the joining seam, with rough sides facing. While stitching, keep both sides butted against each other and the leather joining strip flat.…

Wrap skirts are flattering, fun and on trend this spring. They create a great vertical line and provide a perfect place to show off a favorite embroidery design. Unfortunately, a true wrap skirt can be a bit tricky when in motion, especially on a breezy day! Luckily, it’s very simple to convert your favorite pencil skirt pattern into a faux wrap skirt that has all the style and none of the inconvenience. MATERIALS + Pencil skirt pattern (such as BurdaStyle #118 08/2015) + Woven fabric (amount according to pattern envelope plus ¾ yard) + Interfacing, zipper and other notions (according to pattern envelope) + Lightweight cut-away mesh stabilizer + Gold and black metallic embroidery thread + Pattern or tracing paper + Ruler + Removable fabric marker + Bee embroidery design…

Tea towel blanks are perfect for this quick project, but it’s easy to make them from scratch. • Cut a piece of cotton fabric into a 21½ ”x29½ ” rectangle. • Turn each long edge a scant3/8” toward the wrong side; press. • Turn the folded edges3/8” toward the wrong side a second time; press and topstitch in place. • Repeat to hem the short edges. • You can embroider before or after hemming, but if you embroider before, make sure to leave at least 1” from each edge clear of embroidery.…

MATERIALS + Laminate fabric (See “Sources.”) + ¼”-wide braided elastic + 90/14 embroidery needle + Binder clips (See “Sources.”) + Thread: all-purpose, bobbin & embroidery + Lightweight tear-away stabilizer + Temporary spray adhesive + Serving bowl + Fun & Fruity designs (See “Designs.”) PREPARE • Place laminate fabric right side down and lightly trace the upper edge of the bowl. Add a 2” seam allowance around the traced circle (A). Mark the center of the circle. CUT • Cut the laminate in a square around the circle, making sure it is large enough to fit in your hoop (B). EMBROIDER • Load the fruit design onto the machine. • Reduce the stitching speed on the machine. • Hoop the lightweight tear-away stabilizer. Spray the back of the laminate with temporary…

Designing your own wall hanging might seem a little intimidating, but keep in mind that it’s just a collection of elements—words, fonts and embroidery designs—put together in a visually pleasing way. Follow these tips for success: • When choosing a quote, look for something that inspires you, such as a poem, a Bible verse, a song lyric or words of wisdom. Choose something that's one or two lines long, as a longer quote will require smaller-sized lettering, causing words to get lost. • As you’re entering words, don’t worry about positioning until the entire quote is in place. Each word is added individually, allowing you to move and resize them separately, so load them all and then think about perfect placement. • Remember to leave room for any additional designs…

Let’s Create a Monogram! There are countles ways to style a monogram. Have fun experimenting with different layouts, thread colors, and fonts until you find the style that you love. Traditional Monograms There are a few basic styles that follow traditional monogram etiquette. In general, a traditional monogram features the first, middle, and last initials of a name. In the examples below, the initals F (for first name), M (for middle name), and L (for last name) are used to demonstrate placement in the monograms. Nontraditional Monograms We’ve seen just a small sampling of the many traditional monogram styles. Now let’s explore some fun ways to shake up your monogram. Framed Monograms These three monograms combine lettering with three simple embroidery designs found on the CD that accompanies Modern Machine…