Innehållsförteckning för Spring/Summer 2019 från Creative Machine Embroidery

Dear Readers, When I was in my senior year of high school, I was required to memorize and recite the first 18 lines of The Canterbury Tales in the original middle English. I can actually still do it, but I won’t. I’ll just give you the gist: Spring inspires people to travel. I think it has something to do with new life starting to bloom; it stirs the blood the same as it stirs the sap in the trees. And of course, for many of us summer is the ideal time for a vacation.My major upcoming travel is planned for the fall, so instead of indulging my wanderlust, I’m going to have to spend my spring planning, preparing and embroidering. Luckily there are many great ideas in this issue to…

1. Celebrate spring with the adorable Wish Bunny Embroidery Design. This sweet combination of appliqué and embroidery combines to make a whimsical design perfect for kids (or adults who love cute bunnies). ($1.99, urbanthreads.com) 2. Eliminate unpleasant odors, instantly freshen fabrics or just elevate the mood with Grow Air + Fabric Freshener. It’s made from 100% plant-based ingredients so you can feel safe using it around your home. Fragrances include Bamboo, Lavender Blossom, Citrus Cedar and Apple Pomander, and all of them are toxin, phthalate and paraben free. ($12, growfragrance.com) 3. Bring a touch of the tropical to your home with the CME exclusive Tropical Greenery Embroidery Design Collection. These large-scale designs are perfect for home décor projects and look fantastic on pillows, towels and more. Or combine them to…

HISTORY Stumpwork is a centuries-old form of dimensional embroidery. The technique gained popularity in the 17th century, but examples of padded and raised embroidery date as far back as the 1400s. This type of raised design was originally referred to as “brodees en relief,” “embost” or “needlelace.” The term “stumpwork” didn’t arise until the 19th century. The origins of this name aren’t clear, but it encompasses several 3-D embroidery techniques, such as padded stitching, stuffing and raised embroidery. The dimension is achieved by inserting small objects, such as beads or discs, between fabric layers and hand stitching the object in place, raising the upper fabric surface. A signature element of stumpwork is adding elements embroidered separately with wire inserts; these elements are then stitched to the background embroidery and shaped…

MATERIALS + Hard shell suitcase with a smooth surface + Woven cotton print (amount according to suitcase size plus ½ yard) + Coordinating cotton print fat quarter (appliqué) + Cutaway mesh fusible stabilizer + Thread: bobbin & embroidery + Decoupage glue (See “Sources.”) + 4" decoupage applicator (See “Sources.”) + Decoupage brush set (See “Sources.”) + Disposable bowl & tablecloth + Craft knife + Embroidery designs: appliqué frame (approx. 4¼ "×6") & built-in alphabet (See “Design.”) PREPARE • Roughly cut the fabric yardage to fit the suitcase front and back, leaving 3" excess around each perimeter. • Press the fabric. EMBROIDER • Print the appliqué-frame template. • Position the front fabric panel over the suitcase. Audition the design template over the suitcase front. Once satisfied with the placement, mark the…

Take a visit to the rainforest with this lovely collection. Stitch large-scale monstera, fan palm, banana and bird-of-paradise leaves, then fill in with smaller-scale fern fronds, eucalyptus and ruscus branches. Feature one design at a time to really capture attention or combine them to create a high-end jungle effect. They’re perfect for home décor projects — think pillows and wall hangings in a vacation home living space or towels in an elegant white-and-green guest bathroom. Find the full collection at interweave.com/sewing.…

SUPPLIES + 1 yard of cotton shirting or linen fabric + Thread in coordinating colors + 2 yards of coordinating jumbo rickrack + 1"-wide elastic + Bodkin or safety pin + Tear-away stabilizer + Purchased bow or ½ "- wide grosgrain ribbon in coordinating color + Embroidery design (approx. 4½ " in diameter; see “Designs.”) Notes: It is recommended that you serge or zigzag the seam edges. These shorts have a 3" inseam; shorten or lengthen to your preference. Use ½ " seam allowances unless otherwise noted. PREPARE • Download the Weekend Linen Shorts pattern from cmemag.com/freebies until August 31, 2019. Print, tile and cut out the pattern pieces. • Cut out the pattern pieces from the main fabric. EMBROIDERY • Select a floral design. Print an embroidery design template…

Most pre-quilted fabric that is readily available in stores is three layers — a right side, batting and lining already quilted together. The instructions for this project are written for this type of fabric. That said, sometimes quilted fabric comes without the lining layer, so this layer must be added as part of the construction. This is how the featured sample was made. If you are working with two-layer quilted fabric, purchase two yards of additional lining fabric. To construct per the featured sample, quilt the lining onto the main body before construction. For the pocket and zipper flap, bag the pieces by placing the main fabric and lining with right sides together and stitching the perimeter, leaving an opening for turning. Turn the piece through the opening, press and…

When securing fabric for embroidery, you can often simply hoop it with the stabilizer. But there are some instances when you need added security or the fabric is not hoopable, such as fabric with a heavy pile or nap or that is prone to hoop burn. In those cases, try one of the following. Self-Adhesive Commonly available in tearaway, self-adhesive stabilizer can be a life saver. Simply hoop the stabilizer with the paper side facing up, score the paper inside the hoop and peel away the paper, revealing the adhesive. Then finger press the fabric in place. Fusible For something a little more firm and long-lasting, pick fusible stabilizer. Simple press and fuse it to the fabric wrong side before embroidery. This type of stabilizer stays in place permanently, so…

Tamra Valle’s mom started and built Kreations by Kara. She discovered embroidery in 2008 and fell in love, teaching herself to digitize. When Tamra’s mom asked her to come work for the business, Tamra did and worked with her mom for a few years. In September 2015, Tamra’s mom passed away suddenly of a heart attack. Tamra was fortunate enough to be able to take over Kreations by Kara and continues to enjoy carrying on the vision her mom started. How do you stay creative? I stay creative because I have to! I enjoy designing and dreaming up designs and projects. Not all of them work out, but . . . . What do you love most about your work? I love controlling my own schedule. I like creating and…

Spring is also a time of change, and we have some changes happening here at CME. Due to a variety of reasons, we’re reducing our issues from six to four yearly. Don’t worry, though! You’ll get all the issues you paid for, and we’ll be working hard to make sure we’re bringing you the same great content in each issue and online. Look for the Fall issue in August. Check out the SEW & TELL Podcast, featuring the CME editors! Find it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.…

If you’ve never worked with napped fabrics, there are two tips you should know before you start this project. First, use a water-soluble topper when stitching a design or appliqué onto plush fabrics to prevent the stitches from sinking down and getting lost in the long fibers of the fabrics. Second, be aware of the direction of the nap when placing your fabrics. As a general guide, place your fabrics so the nap runs to the project lower edge. To find the direction of the nap, simply run your hand in one direction of the fabric to see if it flattens the fibers or ruffles the fibers. Also keep in mind that plush fabrics tend to shed when you cut them; keep a lint roller handy. MATERIALS + Mesh cut-away…

Discover a few tips & tricks to create the best fabric-covered suitcase. • Select a hard shell suitcase with a smooth, clean surface without grooves or other design features. • Decoupage glue is sensitive to humidity. Tackle the project on a day with low humidity. • When not using the decoupage brush and glue, store in a plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. • If desired, apply a coat of decoupage glue to small fabric pieces used around hardware or hard-to-reach areas. Once the glue is dry, cut the fabric to size and attach following the project instructions. This creates a stiff fabric that doesn’t fray, however it’s hard to cut with a craft knife.…

DESIGN SELECTION Shoes are usually too difficult to hoop, therefore designs are embroidered as free-standing motifs, and then applied to the shoe with permanent glue. One of the most important factors to consider when adding machine embroidery patches to shoes is the design selection. To achieve the most professional finish, choose a design that supports itself or is freestanding once removed from the stabilizer. Patch embroidery designs work the best; however, this category can be limited. Look for designs that have solid fills and definite borders, such as ones with a satin stitch perimeter. Avoid designs considered light or airy due to their lack of solid fills. These design fall apart once removed from the stabilizer. Designs with thin lettering or elements such as dots or vines that fall outside…

SUPPLIES + 1 yard each of canvas & lining fabric (See “Sources.”) + Cut-away stabilizer + Thread: coordinating all-purpose & rayon embroidery + Sew-in hook-and-loop tape + Temporary spray adhesive + Removable fabric marker + Scrap of fabric & covered button set (optional) + Plastic hat bill insert (See “Sources.”) + Ball cap pattern (See “Sources.”) + Sashiko embroidery design (approx. 5.91"×11.81"; see “Design.”) PREPARE • Print, tile and cut out the paper pattern pieces. Based on your selected design, determine how much fabric you’ll need to embroider. For the featured project, two embroidered panels were needed. • Cut the needed pattern pieces from the lining fabric and the plain canvas. EMBROIDERY • Load the embroidery design onto the machine. • Adhere cut-away stabilizer to the canvas wrong side with…

MATERIALS + Blouse pattern featuring a cutout & panel (such as Vogue 1570, Top View A) + 2 yards of 60"-wide cotton jersey fabric, plus extra for testing (See “Note” below.) + ½ yard of poplin fabric (to match the knit fabric) + Thread: matching all-purpose & 40-wt. embroidery thread (in a color slightly darker than the fabric) + Stabilizer: fusible no-show mesh stabilizer & water-soluble topper + Temporary spray adhesive + Fine-point permanent marker + 5×7 hoop or larger + Removable fabric marker + Stretch machine needle, size 12 or 14 + Allover or quilting embroidery design (See “Design.”) Note: Extra fabric is required to test the embroidery design and for stitching the design onto the pattern piece. PREPARE • Prewash and dry the fabric. • Test the removable…

Got a tricky embroidery task on your hands? Thank goodness, there’s probably a stabilizer for that. Heat-Soluble Heat-removable stabilizers are temporary and disintegrate when heat is applied. They’re available in two types, woven or film, and are used with fabric that’s heat tolerable or non-washable. The stabilizer may also be used as a topper. Mesh Mesh stabilizers are lightweight, soft stabilizers with translucent properties to prevent show-through on lightweight and semi-sheer fabrics. Mesh stabilizer is available in two types: cut-away and water-soluble. The stabilizer is also often used as a topper.…

lisa archer (“In the Hoop: Bunny Softie”—page 23) 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. picklepiedesigns.com colleen bell (“Case Study”—page 30) has a long history of embroidery, first as a young teen in the 60’s with hip embellished bell bottoms to the innovation of the embroidery machine, which has become her passion. the-embroiderist.com nancy fiedler (“Quilt This: In the Hoop Quilt Blocks”— page 16) has served as an Educator for Janome America for 14 years and designs and writes from her studio in Dwight, Illinois, with the help of her cat Jon Snow and dog Beckett. sandra geiger (“Berry Blouse”—page 58) loves to experiment with a variety of fabrics and sewing machines to create…

TRENCH COAT + EMBROIDERY A classic look such as a trench coat makes a great canvas for creating an embroidery masterpiece. There’s just something so enduring about the clean lines of a basic trench, and all it needs is a little bit of machine embroidery magic to elevate it from fashion staple to fashion statement. The Luzerne Trench from Deer + Doe provides the perfect base for creating a fabulous spring “basic” that is anything but. The main challenge in designing machine embroidery for a trench coat lies in the many construction elements. The double-breasted button closure, princess seaming, belt, pleats, lapels and other construction details are all elements that must be taken into consideration for determining the size and placement of embroidery motifs. It’s important that the embroidery designs…

MATERIALS Materials listed are enough to make one 20" square pillowcase. + 1 1/3 yard of white linen fabric + Mediumweight cut-away stabilizer + Thread: all-purpose, bobbin & embroidery + 18" pillow form + Removable fabric marker + Clear ruler + Large-scale foliage embroidery designs (approx. 7.38"×9.59"; see “Designs”) PREPARE • Download the Tropical Greenery Fern Frond embroidery design from cmemag.com/freebies until August 31, 2019. Load the design onto the machine. • From the fabric, cut two 14¾ "×21" rectangles for the back. Set aside. EMBROIDER • Print templates of each design, mirroring them if desired. Cut out each template ¼" from the design edge. Clip into the centerlines of each template and fold back two opposite triangles. • On the remaining fabric, mark a 21" square, making sure there…

MATERIALS + Readymade button-up + Stabilizer: lightweight fusible mesh cut-away & water-soluble + Thread: bobbin & embroidery thread + Eyelet design (See “Design.”) PREPARE • Adhere fusible mesh cut-away stabilizer to the shirt lower edge, extending the stabilizer 12" above the hem, following the manufacturer’s instructions. • Select a built-in scallop satin stitch on the sewing or embroidery machine. The featured shirt uses a 4.0mm stitch length and 6.5 stitch width. Topstitch just above the shirt hemline, beginning and ending at each center-front edge (A). • Carefully trim away the shirt hem as close to the scallop stitching as possible. EMBROIDER • Download the eyelet design from cmemag.com/freebies. Load the design onto the machine. • Measure the shirt approximately 6" from the lower edge, beginning and ending at each center-front…

Although it’s a relatively small project, a baseball cap is a great canvas for creativity. Here are some ideas to take your creation to the next level: • Embroidery all six panels for all-over coverage or every other panel for a whimsical effect. • For a more subtle look, choose thread that’s only a few shades off from your base fabric color for a tone-on-tone approach. • Embroider large-scale designs, like florals, for panels that are completely covered with embroidery. • For an asymmetrical effect, place designs around the cap, closer together in some areas, or a single large embroidery design that spans two panels. • For balance, embroider floral sprays or a similar curved design in a shape that matches the curve of the brim or the curved opening…

TYPES There are several kinds of stabilizer, each with a specific job and designed to create successful stitchouts, no matter the application. Tear-Away Tear-away stabilizers are temporary and are torn away after the embroidery is complete. They’re made from nonwoven materials, so they don’t stretch, and provide excellent stability throughout the embroidery process. Tear-away stabilizer is suitable for most fabrics, except for overly delicate fabrics such as organza, as the stabilizer may shred the fabric when it’s removed. Tear-away stabilizer also perforates from needle penetrations around the design outer edges, so don’t use it with fabrics that contain stretch, such as knit. Tear-away stabilizer can tear in all directions without putting stress on the fabric or design. Use the color that best corresponds with the chosen fabric. To use tear-away…

COAT PATTERN Look for a coat pattern with a lapel and a long silhouette without too many seams. EMBROIDERY DESIGNS Opt for an embroidery design with vines and leaves to tie in the season, and choose gold- and silver-toned threads to make your embroidery shine. FABRIC SWATCHES Choose medium- to heavyweight wool suitable for coats. Opt for a bright color! FINAL TOUCHES Finish off your look with complementary layers underneath for a monotone look. It’s totally on trend to dress head to toe in one color! After the embroidery is complete, add extra glitter by hand stitching sequins and beads over the design for a glam look perfect for date night. Go bold and use your lining as a design feature. Pull a color from your embroidery threads or go…