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    Water-soluble stabilizer in machine embroidery

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 5 comments, 10,559 views
    Original text by Olga Armyakova 
    Broidery Magazine 
    A wide variety of stabilizers is used in machine embroidery. Today we'll dwell on the subject of water-solubles. 
    Given that the only the imported stabilizers of this variety can be found on the Russian market, here's the list of names that you may read on the package or a website: 
    Water-soluble  Wash Away Stabilizer  WSF  Water-soluble film  Dissolve stabilizer  All of the above denote stabilizers that are removed by water. 
    They are commonly used as a backing, just as their cut-away and tear-away counterparts. Equally, this is the only type of stabilizer that can also serve as a topping or as your base fabric without any additional materials.  Water-soluble stabilizers are used when absolutely no traces of additional materials are tolerated. Along with that, they do not contain formaldehyde and, therefore, can be used in underwear and other items where the embroidery is intended to come into contact with the skin.  Water-solubles can be removed the moment the embroidery is completed or while washing. Having finished the embroidery, you can easily cut or tear the extra stabilizer beyond the outlines of the design, and the bits within them are destroyed with steam or damp sponge. If necessary, a water-soluble stabilizer is washed away in the running water or first soaked in water and rinsed afterward.  To dissolve the stabilizer in water, use the temperature between 10 and 40° C: this way the color and other fabric properties will stay intact. Just how long it will take, depends on the manufacturer. The higher the temperature, the quicker the stabilizer will dissolve. I strongly advise against heating the water too much: the stabilizer leftovers may turn into lumps and solidify.  Make sure to read the stabilizer specifications, because they might contain important points on how to work with this particular type.  In general, water-solubles expire in 1 year. Better to keep them in a box in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Once the expiration date has passed, try to use your stabilizer as quickly as possible, otherwise, it will lose all its properties. This is especially true for thin water-soluble film. 
    CHOOSING A WATER-SOLUBLE STABILIZER: 
    In order to choose a right stabilizer for machine embroidery, you need to take into account the following factors:
    The structure of the fabric, type and properties of the fibers  the density of the embroidery and whether the embroidery will come into contact with the skin For a lacy design embroidered with polyester threads two layers of lightweight stabilizer will be sufficient, but the same design embroidered with metallic threads will require a denser one.
    Let's try to sort the wash away stabilizers into categories and describe their fields of application. I will hereafter use the most common names in circulation. 
    WATER-SOLUBLE STABILIZER: DENSITY 
    The principal characteristic of a water-soluble stabilizer is its thickness (specified by the manufacturer in microns) or density (g/m2). 
    Thin, or lightweight stabilizer 
    Thickness: 10 microns 
    Composition: Different manufacturers specify different raw materials: 100% polyvinyl alcohol or 100% modified rayon. 
    The product looks like a thin plastic film. It is used to prevent the stitches from getting lost in heavily textured fabrics. For example, in knitted garments or ones made of terry cloth, also in piled fabrics. First, you create a stabilizer-fabric-stabilizer "sandwich". Then, in case the fabric is thin or you have an outline embroidery design, you hoop it. 
    Medium-weight 
    Thickness: 20 microns 
    Composition: 100% polyvinyl alcohol or 100% modified rayon 
    Some manufacturers' wash away resembles a non-woven cloth, akin to the interfacing material used in sewing, others' is like a thick film. Use it to strengthen the tricky fabrics whenever stabilizer must not be seen. On see-through fabrics, for example. You can use several layers of medium-weight stabilizer spare the fabric. 
    Heavyweight 
    Thickness: 30 microns
    Composition: 100% polyvinyl alcohol or 100% modified rayon 
    This one looks like a very thick greenhouse covering film. It is used for embroidering FSL or 3D designs. Fix it in the hoop without your main fabric. The design should be created in such a way that all its elements are interconnected, in order to prevent it from falling into separate pieces once the stabilizer has been removed. 

    Water-soluble stabilizers in machine embroidery 
    WATER-SOLUBLE STABILIZER: VARIETIES 
    Unfortunately, there are not many brands of water-soluble stabilizers on the Russian market at the moment. Nevertheless, machine embroidery in our country is buoyant. Many consumables, and that includes stabilizers, can be ordered from online shops. For this reason, I'll describe all types of wash aways that can be found these days. 
    First three or four types are non-transparent non-woven fabrics. 
    Adhesive 
    This is a water-soluble stabilizer with a paper backing. A spray adhesive and a stabilizer rolled into one. Pull away the paper to expose the stabilizer's sticky side. Stick it onto the embroidery area before or after hooping. Having done the embroidery, dissolve it in water. 
    This type of stabilizers is used as a backing. 
    Fusible 
    A tear-away, webbing-like stabilizer that is pressed to the fabric with a warm iron. After the embroidery is completed, it is rinsed away with water, leaving no trace. 
    Preventing the fabric from shifting, it is as handy as the adhesive stabilizer, and is, too, used as backing. 
    Mesh 
    Dense wash away stabilizer that is used for FSL and other laces, or heavily textured fabrics such as velvet, corduroy or knitwear, and also diaphanous and light-colored ones. 
    Transparent film 
    Is placed on top of knitwear or heavily textured fabrics. Its main purpose is to prevent the stitches from sinking deep. 
    The film's advantage is that you can see the fabric and the design through it. That allows us to avoid problems that may arise when we join the designs or their parts together. 
    This kind of stabilizer can be used instead of the fabric for such things as 3D designs or FSL. 
    It takes a trained eye to define whether the thin transparent film will be able to withstand the pressure of the design at a mere glance. 
    Liquid 
    Soak the fabric in it prior to the embroidery and let it dry. Embroider your design and wash the design in water. 
    Water removable spray 
    Is sprinkled onto fabric prior to the embroidery. Be certain to let it dry properly before starting the embroidery. It is rinsed away with water once the embroidery is completed. Besides the spray, you can use the starch powder for ironing that comes in aerosol form as well. 
    There are also such domestic methods of firming up fabrics with gelatine or starch, which can be considered the subvarieties of the last one. 
    CONCLUSIONS 
    Every stabilizer has its specifications and user's manual. I advise you to create a special file to keep track of all the stabilizers, needles and threads used in every project. This will make your future choices much easier. 
    Dense water-soluble film. You will easily discern it by sight. It looks very similar to the greenhouse covering material. This stabilizer is used as a backing for laces or, sometimes, as a background fabric. 
    Thin stabilizing film. This type of stabilizer looks like a thin polyethylene bag. It is primarily used as a topping to prevent the stitches from sinking into the fabric. 
    Dense wash away stabilizer. This one is used as a background fabric for laces. It looks like a sewing interfacing material. 
    If the stitches have sunk and the resulting embroidery looks untidy, try choosing another stabilizer or use two layers of the present one, also readjust the thread tension or simply change the bobbin thread and see whether it makes any changes. If nothing helps, blame the design. 
    SOME TIPS 
    When using the fusible stabilizer, make sure that the iron is set at the lowest temperature possible and do without the steam, otherwise, your embroidery will suffer.  Don't throw away the accompanying materials to your consumables. It may contain important information, such what time does it take for a stabilizer to dissolve and at what temperature, the density, the brand name and the item number. Staple this information to the stabilizer's package. In future, it will make the process of choosing a right fabric in a shop much easier.  Don't throw away the stabilizer leftovers after the embroidery has been cut out. In future, they might come in handy: arrange them in the embroidery area of a hooped fabric, and they'll do just as good as a whole piece.  For denser designs and thicker fabrics, another layer of stabilizer may be needed. I recommend testing the design and the fabric first, in order to estimate the required number of layers.  Provide yourself with several pieces of stabilizer that will fit your hoop. It is not too demanding a task; arranging those pieces in the hoop in advance will save you time and fabric.  Before using a water soluble topping, make certain that your fabric doesn't fade.  When embroidering on knitwear with a film on top, don't forget to stick the background material to the underlay – it will prevent puckering.  Small trims can be dissolved in warm water and used as a stabilizer liquid to temporarily fix the tricky fabrics. 

    Embroidering a textile ball

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 3 comments, 4,990 views
    Textile toys can make an unconventional and creative present. They can be given as gifts to the occasion or even without one, just to please someone you love. Today I'll tell you how to make a ball on your embroidery machine. Depending on the chosen fabric, its color, and the design, the ball can become a kid's toy, a decoration or a souvenir. 

    Embroidering a ball. Materials: 
    Sole-colored non-stretchy fabric  Padding Tear-away adhesive stabilizer  Upper thread  Underthread  Scissors Machine embroidery design 
    Embroidering a ball. The making process: 
    If you have prepared the materials, let's begin. Load the design into your embroidery machine, choose the thread color that suits you and matches your fabric. Strengthen the fabric with a tear-away stabilizer. 
    I used a tear-away adhesive here, but you can use a tear-away + temporary spray adhesive combination. 
    Insert the hooped fabric into your machine and hit the start button. 

    In order to create the ball, you'll need to embroider 12 identical pieces. If your embroidery machine has a large frame, this won't take long. In that case, you'll be able to embroider several pieces at once. If the frame on your machine is small – well, arm yourself with patience. 
    In any case, the embroidery is not the most toilsome part of the job! 

    When finished with all the pieces, carefully trim the fabric along the outer outline, leaving 0.5–1 cm for seam allowance. 
    The most difficult part is joining all the parts into a ball. In order to get one, you'll need to carefully sew all the pieces together. Below you can see a picture that will help you to assemble the ball quickly and easily. I found it on the Web and haven't seen anything more useful for the purpose. Join the parts using back stitches in the outer row of the design. You can do that on a sewing machine, but in that case, perfect register and the neat outer look would be harder to achieve. 

    The ball consists of two parts, so to speak, each having a pentagonal bottom, around which the pieces are attached. Then, you join these two parts together. When the item is almost sewn up, you need to add filler. Any one will do: cotton, wool, chlorofibre, polyester batting, underwool, etc. 
    The more carefully you stuff your ball, the rounder and more beautiful it will be. 

    Embroider your own textile ball, play with colors and sizes and surprise your friends! 

    My thread supply system that prevents twisting

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 2 comments, 3,333 views
    Original text by Marina Belova 
    A long time ago I saw Deborah Jones' video on how to prevent metallic threads from twisting if you don't have a special net cover – using a small piece of Styrofoam. You can also couple it with the net cover for the combined effect. Styrofoam is that thing they put in packages to fill in the empty space when the item is smaller than the box, in order to prevent it from crumpling or breakage: 

    Debora's idea stuck in my memory, but I kept thinking why use Styrofoam at all – on commercial embroidery machines a metallic thread travels a long and complicated path and straightens out on the way. Only when confronted a home embroidery machine had I understood the necessity of this ploy, as thread tension regulation on those is a very confused matter, especially if you embroider with something more complex than an ordinary rayon or polyester thread. 
    The tricky thing was to obtain Styrofoam – I haven't received any packages for quite a long time. Suddenly an idea sprang to my mind: why not substitute it for the heat insulator with which I tried (unsuccessfully) to replace 3D Puff? In the end, this very material was used not only to solve the problem of twisting but also to adjust tension for the threads of any quality and structure. 
    As a result, the thread supply system on my home Brother now looks like this: 

    I cut a circle out of the insulator and put it on a spindle used for the small spools: At first, I drew the thread right through the circle by threading a needle and piercing: 

    But then, having grown weary of this, I made a small V-shaped cut and inserted the thread down to the very end. In this way: 

    I didn't register any difference in the quality of thread tension. All these methods work equally well. So, why all the undue effort? 
    Of course, I didn't spend money on special stands for driving threads from big spools to the machine or a machine that rewinds threads from big spools on small ones. All of this can be easily replaced by what is at hand. Instead of a rack, I use a belt hung from a shelf, with a binder clip through which the thread is driven. And the spool sits on the table, simple as that. 
    So much for this little gimmick. Now, this circle has a permanent residence on my machine and helps a great deal. 
    P.S. I think I've seen somewhere a piece of foam plastic used to the same effect. 
     

    Aligning circular blocks: an elegant machine embroidered napkin

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 1 comment, 4,546 views
    Original text by Irina Lisitsa 
    Circular embroidery may cause trouble for newcomers. It is not as difficult as it may seem. The only thing you need to do is to follow instructions that will much simplify the task and speed up the process. This masterclass will teach you how to digitize a design in the embroidery software, properly position it on an item, align circular blocks, then cut the fabric for the future napkin and finish its edges. As a result, you'll get an elegant napkin decorated with Christmas embroidery. 
    Materials: 
    Fabric  Thin sewing interfacing fabric  Tear-away adhesive stabilizer  Embroidery threads  Ribbons for decoration  Water-soluble marker or tailor's chalk  Machine embroidery design from BFC-Creations collection  Let's combine the designs in the embroidery software: 
    Although in this masterclass I use Wilcom software, you can use any one you like. And if you don't yet have any, draw all the lines and marks right on fabric. 
    Using the vector object drawing tools, create two circles of the same diameter as your future embroidery. The diameter of the first circle (marked white in the screenshot) is equal to the inner diameter of an item, and the diameter of the second – to the outer one (marked gray). 
    Using the Straight Line tool, add the center lines and diagonals between them. Using the Rectangle tool, draw an object the size of the embroidery area of a particular hoop. Duplicate the rectangle a required number of times, arranging the objects in such a way that the hoop outlines overlapped. 
    Save every part of the design under the unique name in the same order they will be embroidered. When saving the designs, make sure that the alignment crosses are present in both. This will enable quick and efficient alignment. 


    In accordance with the hoop centers, draw the diagonal lines. Straight lines and diagonals will work as guidelines when you will trace your design onto the fabric. 



    Load the chosen designs into the software. Arrange them in a circle in accordance with the lines. To do that, use the Kaleidoscope tool. 



    In places of joint, put the alignment stitches or crosses. 



    Save parts of the design each under its own name in the same order they will be embroidered. If necessary, adjust the embroidery sequence (objects, flowers) in order to save time. 



    Aligning circular blocks 
    Preparing the fabric: 
    If your fabric is thin, strengthen it with one layer of interfacing of an appropriate density. Print the template and trace the guidelines, alignment crosses, center points and diagonals onto the fabric. 
    Glue the tear-away adhesive stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric where the first design will be placed. 

    Load the design into your embroidery machine and make sure that the fabric is correctly hooped by using the plastic template overlay that comes with your embroidery equipment. If necessary, rehoop the fabric or move the design in the machine, using the Edit option. 


    Embroider your design. Take the fabric out and iron it slightly to remove the hoop traces. 



    Glue a tear-away adhesive stabilizer to the fabric where your second design will be placed. Hoop the fabric in accordance with the marks and the design, already loaded into the machine. Plastic template overlay will aid in correct and quick positioning. 



    If your machine has a fabric recognition option, scan the fabric you've just hooped. 



    Check the design position against the alignment crosses or the scanned image. Embroider your design. 


    Embroider the remaining parts in the same fashion. After having embroidered the circular design, carefully remove the alignment crosses. 



    Embroidering a round napkin 
    Fold the detail in two and draw a line with a water-soluble pen, then fold in the opposite direction and mark it. This will be the center line of your napkin. 



    In order to draw a neat edge, use this simple method. Fold your fabric in four. Pick up a strong thread. Tie one end to the pen and the other – to a nail or a needle. Insert your nail in the center of your future napkin and draw the edge of an item with a pen in the way you'd make a circle with the compasses (you can use a ruler instead). Don't forget seam allowance if you're going to turn-up the edge. 



    If you're going to finish the edges with a border, seam allowance won't be needed. 
    If the fabric sheds, overlock the edge, turn it up and iron it, then add a blind hem on your sewing machine. Finish the openings with the basting stitch or make them into lacing holes. Draw various decorative ribbons through and tie them in knots. 
    Now the edge is finished and the napkin is ready. 



    P.S. You can choose from a wide variety of Christmas designs in our shop. 

    Border frame: An example of usage

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 1 comment, 4,228 views
    Original text by Lisa Prass 
    For Brother embroidery machines, a special border frame can be purchased. It has a somewhat different fixture system that enables quick and precise framing of the material and, consequently, perfect alignment in repeating borders. Brother Innov-is I and Innov-is Ie sewing and embroidery machines have an inbuilt camera that, together with a border frame, can perform miracles. 
    Brother Innov-is Ie border frame 
    I won't describe border designs creation in this article; if interested, you can always ask a question in the community. This masterclass is aimed at highlighting the process of embroidering borders in a frame. The work process includes embroidery machine preparation, construction of a design in the embroidery software and the embroidery itself. If you have a Brother Innov-is I, I suggest consulting the following chapters in the operation manual: 
    "Changing the frame size" (pp. 238–239) – this chapter tells you how to set the 100x180 frame as your default border frame. 
    "Creating repeating borders" (p. 286) – this chapter contains the detailed information on the creation of the continuous motifs. 

    Creating marks for further alignment Set the start and finish points of a design as shown in the picture. A is a start point, B – a finish point. 
    You can find all the information on how to create a design in the operation manual! Stabilizers should be used when using border frame, especially when embroidering on soft fabrics. Of course, if you are a pro, you will be able to afford embroidery without a stabilizer, but if you are a new to machine embroidery, be sure to use it. Border frame will never excuse such a liberty in a novice! 
    Materials: 
    Fabric  Stabilizer (adhesive tear-away)  Upper thread  Underthread  The making process 
    Glue a cut-away stabilizer to the fabric. Draw two guidelines. The first one is to position your design along. The second line is a start point. 



    A side note: This master-class shows how to position a design along the guideline that marks its border. This is not a rule set in stone. In future, after you'll gain the experience of using a border frame, you'll be able to position your guidelines as you wish. 
    Fix the fabric in a frame, aligning the guidelines with the notches on its sides. Place the pattern on top of the hooped fabric and make sure that you've hooped it neatly and evenly. Keep in mind that the guidelines should not go beyond the embroidery area. 


    A side note: In a second photo the lines are placed exactly on the edge of the embroidery area; in case the design is smaller than the frame, it is not necessary to adhere to such arrangement. The guidelines may go beyond the embroidery area. The important thing is to keep them parallel to the grid. 



    Insert the frame into the carrier and activate the camera (the one that shows the needle position, not the one scanning the design on fabric).
    Align the design so that it starts in the right-hand corner and continues along the right side. Make sure that the first stitch in the design (a green cross) falls onto the second guideline that marks the start point of a design. Hit the start button. 
    The machine will stop after embroidering an alignment mark you've decided upon while digitizing. 
    Having finished the embroidery, reframe the fabric, placing the already embroidered piece outside. Maintain the guideline position by aligning it with the notches. Start the camera (not the fabric scanning but the needle position one!) and place the needle above the center of a mark.
    Start the embroidery. 

     
    If did everything in the right way and maintained the guidelines position, the successful embroidery is assured. Repeat this as many times as you wish. 

    It's better to use vanishing fabric markers for drawing guidelines. The tailor chalk I used here didn't come off even after I washed the item with Fairy. 

    And don't forget that the border width should not be over 100 mm and the border length – over 180 mm. Good luck with your embroidery! 
    Discuss in the community 


    Openwork on knitwear

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 7 comments, 6,721 views
    Original text by Katya Ebber 
    Having stumbled upon this jumper on the internet, I simply couldn't pass it by. Creation of the design didn't take much time unlike the choice of the materials and the technique compelled me to try several fabric + stabilizer combinations. A cut-away stabilizer proved the most effective: the embroidery maintained its shape even after washing. 
    This master-class will tell you how to do openwork embroidery on medium density knitwear with the use of a cut-away backing. 
    Materials for this master-class: 

    Spray adhesive  Upper thread  Underthread  Machine embroidery design  Cutaway non-adhesive stabilizer  Filling-knit fabric or ribbed fabric  Openwork: the making process: 
    Hoop the cut-away non-adhesive stabilizer. Sprinkle it with a temporary spray adhesive and press the fabric to it facing up. 



    Insert your hoop into your machine. Load the design, hit the start button and embroider the first color with the running stitches. 


    After that, the machine makes a stop as if for a color change. Take the hoop off the machine and make incisions in the fabric and the stabilizer inside the closed objects using sharp scissors or a cutting blade. Carefully cut the pieces of fabric and the stabilizer out, keeping close to the running stitch. 



    On top of the fabric with the holes, place a layer of the water-soluble stabilizer. Secure it with a basting stitch or with pins. 



    Insert the frame into your machine and restart the embroidery. The machine will stitch the zig-zag stitch and the finishing satin column. The main part is now finished. 



    You only need to remove the basting stitch, tear away the water-soluble stabilizer and cut the backing along the contour, leaving a small allowance. 



    Your openwork on knitwear is ready. 



    Brother VR embroidery machine: embroidery in hard to reach areas

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 2 comments, 4,545 views
    Original text by Irina Lisitsa 
    To succeed in machine embroidery business, it is necessary to have a narrow arm extension that will allow you to embroider virtually any area of an item. Home sewing and embroidery machine lack this advantage and also lack a set of small frames. Brother VR embroidery machine is a unique piece of equipment that has the functionality of both home and industrial embroidery machines. 
    A narrow arm extension, a set of small embroidery frames developed specifically for the embroidery in hard to reach areas – here you find all of that, combined. 

    Embroidery in hard to reach areas: what is it? 
    To begin with, what are hard to reach areas and why machine embroidery in them has its unique features? Look at the picture below. The areas marked red are hard to embroider on a machine with a wide arm extension. If you compare the upper and the lower parts of the image, it'll become obvious that Brother VR allows you to position a design anywhere on an item. 

    Embroidery in hard to reach areas: how to? 
    Trousers are one classic example of a tough-to-embroider item. Cylindrical shape of a trouser leg prevents you from positioning it on a platform of a horizontal shuttle embroidery machine. Unseaming is an option, but what if you have no desire of doing so or your client objects?
    Cylindrical shape of the Brother VR embroidery machine platform allows you to hoop the trouser leg without opening the side seams. Hooping becomes much easier if you attach a stabilizer, hoop the trouser leg and slip it on a narrow arm frame. 

    You can embroider almost any area of an item on a cylindrical frame. 
    With Brother VR, you'll be able to embroider the upper part of a sleeve in blouses and shirts, which is why you need a small frame. The machine is equipped with a wide selection of frames that are suitable for the variety of tasks. For the embroidery on pockets, use a flat frame of a corresponding size, this will allow you to avoid ripping the finishing line and to keep the factory-made seams. 

    Brother VR embroidery machine: embroidery in hard to reach areas made easy! 

    An appliqué eyelet for a terry towel

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 2 comments, 6,076 views
    Original text by Marina Belova 
    Let me switch off from the chevrons and show you how to make an eyelet for a terry towel (or any other towel, for that matter) with an ordinary patched appliqué. Here is a result of my efforts: a vibrant towel. It's a perfect time for it as the spring that keeps failing to come: 

    This time, a well-known Smart Needle website inspired me to do the embroidery, so I decided to try. But I wanted something more delicate for a design. 
    In search for a suitable one, I sifted through a bazillion of variants and settled at last on an Art Nouveau flower to which I added one more whorl for my eyelet. I got this: 

    So I created a pattern. I decided against a double-sided appliqué, which it's commonly used for eyelets. My design is far too complex for that: 

    I chose the fabrics for the flower: thin cotton pieces, something akin to muslin. 

    After that, I proceeded to the most difficult part of the project – to the embroidery. 
    As I was going to embroider at the very corner of a towel – an appliqué, of all things, going beyond its edge, – I wouldn't be able to hoop it. I'd need to glue it to a stabilizer. For that reason, I hooped 2 layers of a thin tear-away stabilizer with long fibers: 

    Loaded the design into the machine and started the embroidery. First, I stitched the guideline in the corner. This is a very useful reference point for the precise positioning of a towel in the hoop: 

    I sprinkled the stabilizer with a temporary spray adhesive and carefully tried to align the corner of my towel with the embroidered line: 

    After that, I started the machine again and stitched a guideline for the appliqué fabrics. This very stitch would also serve for additional stabilization because one cannot rely on the temporary spray adhesive when dealing with terry cloth: 

    I put a piece of fabric prepared for the leaves and stalks: 

    And secured it with a small zig-zag, as it is my custom: 

    Now we've come to the interesting part – trimming the extra fabric along the perimeter:
     
    Terry cloth is not very easy to cut. No matter how good are the scissors: with the duckbill or the rounded ends – there still is a possibility of slashing the loops. Wouldn't it be great if... 
    Having done the trimming, I replaced an ordinary bobbin thread with a green one, the same color I would embroider the stalks: 

    After that, I switched on the machine and embroidered the borders around the stalks and leaves: 

    As I embroidered at the corner of the towel and the hemline was rather thick there, I expected the needle breakage. But there was no such thing. I think that on a home machine this trick will not work, with all these layers. 
    Because of the loops being small and sparse, I decided against a water-soluble film or a plastic bag in order to avoid loops showing through the stitches. It turned out to be a bad decision: the loops still showed through in places where there was no appliqué fabric under the satins.
    Under the appliqué border everything was perfect, but under the embroidery, the things weren't quite so good. It's not exactly a tragedy, but a number of loops managed to come through, especially between the split satins. 
    After that, the machine stopped and I put the next piece of fabric for my flower: 

    I also changed the green bobbin thread for a pink one: 

    I hit the start button and stitched the pink fabric along the perimeter of the flower: 

    Now I trimmed the extra pink fabric: 

    Started the machine again and embroidered the rest of the design: 

    Took it off the machine. The wrong side looks quite decent, the only thing I need to do is to remove the stabilizer:
     
    Here, I tore the most part of it away: The only place where I chose not to tear it was on the eyelet. But inside the eyelet there was a small digitizing mistake: 

    If the stitches ran perpendicular to the edge and not along it, they wouldn't have frayed after I removed the stabilizer. But his can be repaired – all I have to do is to gather the threads and to sew them back on. Let nothing be wasted. 

    Now I need to see how the embroidery will behave after many washings. I'm curious.

    Connectors between the objects and inside them in machine embroidery

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 0 comments, 3,399 views
    Original text by Marina Belova 
    A connecting stitch serves to join different objects or segments of one object in machine embroidery. 
    There are 3 types of connectors: 
    Walking stitch – joins the objects (segments) with a running stitch.  Jump – no visible connection between the objects.  Run – a thread runs between the end of one object and the beginning of another.  I'll tell you a bit about each of these types of connector stitches. 
    Walking (travel) stitch 
    A walking stitch can be inserted between separate objects of one color as well as inside the object of a simple or a complex branched shape. 
    In the picture below you can a walking stitch between the end of one object and the beginning of another – a classic travel stitch between the outlines. The objects are located at some distance. 

    Travel stitches are commonly used when it is possible to hide them under other objects that will be embroidered later. 
    Walking stitches between the objects of one color aim at minimizing the number of trims in the design and reduce the time spent on the embroidery. 
    Notice that this trick won't work if the travel stitch is of a dark color whereas the upper layer of stitches is light-colored because the dark thread will shine through the light-colored fill and you'll be forced to trim. If the distance between the objects is up to 1.5–2 mm, you can spare the trim and use a walking stitch instead. 
    Walking stitches between the segments on one object are shown below. 

    In our days, when the digitizer's work is largely done by embroidery editors a digitizer only enters the parameters of the walking stitches, such as stitch length, the location of the stitch inside the object or at its edge, the amount of overlap between the segments, and the software defines their path. 
    Walking stitches originated in manual punching times when there was no embroidery software. In those days one complex shape was divided into several simple ones depending on the stitch angle. And the simple shape was split into segments in accordance with the start and finish points in it. The puncher connected all the segments with the running stitches. This laid the foundations for today's walking stitches inside the outline. 
    The advantages of walking stitches before jumps and trims 
    the machine works at a higher speed  less thread breakage and thread slipping out of the eye  lesser time and higher productivity  Jumps 
    Jumps are used to connect objects that are located at a distance so that the walking stitch cannot be applied. You get jumps when the machine moves the hoop but does not stitch. Usually, an automatic trim is inserted before the jump if the machine has a trimmer. There are no threads between the objects when using this connector – they are cut. 

    As I stated in my article about embroidery navigation, it's better to minimize the number of trims in the design in order to avoid thread and needle breakage and thread slipping out of the needle. The economic factor should also be considered: every trim adds 7 seconds to the embroidery time and equals to approximately 65 stitches. That is, every trim slows the production. 
    Runs 
    Runs are almost the same thing as jumps. Just as jumps, they are used to connect the objects at a distance from each other. Only in this case, there is a thread between the exit point of one object and the enter point of another, though the machine doesn't stitch. You get this when the trim command has not been inserted. This is how it looks: 

    This way of connecting objects in a design is quick and convenient for a digitizer, for you don't even have to think whether a trim is needed.
    But, in my opinion, it adds the problem of cleaning after the embroidery is completed. Besides, some of the runs get under the objects that are embroidered later. And it is quite a task to clean the embroidery afterward, which is not at all economically efficient if you have line production. 

    Embroidery on handkerchiefs or My "discovery" of Filmoplast

    By Irina, in Machine embroidery materials and technology, , 2 comments, 5,082 views
    Original text by Marina Belova 
    I've long wanted to write about Filmoplast yet couldn't get to it: either there was no Filmoplast or a suitable project. Finally, I figured out what I can do: I'd embroider a monogram on a handkerchief and show you how to use this sticky paper and what purposes does it serve. This article is aimed at those unfamiliar the subject. And yet... 
    Although I've learned how to use this paper a long time ago (or so it would seem), I was somewhat surprised when I visited the manufacturer's website in order to see the first-hand instructions. When you are not swamped with work and stop approaching everything from a professional standpoint, you are suddenly left with the time on your hands for experimenting and education. This makes me infinitely happy. When the work piles around, you rarely get a change to stick your head out and see what's outside. Though I may be the only one who thinks so. 
    But let's call Filmoplast to the stage. 
    Filmoplast is a paper covered with adhesive. You don't need an iron to glue it to the fabric, just hoop it with the checkered side up, tear away the protective skin (the one in checkers) that covers the adhesive and stick everything you like to it. 
    This is how the Filmoplast looks: 

    The checkers, as I take it, are necessary for precise hooping, and after you've removed the upper layer, the leftovers will help to align the item on Filmoplast. 
    This paper is meant to enable the embroidery machine users to embroider on delicate fabrics and other materials, for which hooping might not be a very good idea: velvet, leather, dense corduroy, paper, and so on. That is, the materials prone to the hoop burn or those impossible to hoop simply because of their volume, such as thick terry cloth (the frames on home embroidery machines are too thin and ineffective for this fabric). Additionally, Filmoplast was intended for highly stretchy fabrics that list elastane among their components. Another purpose of using
    Filmoplast is to hold various small size items inside the hoop without any special devices. For instance, cuffs, collars, ribbons, etc. Gunold even suggested embroidering caps with the help of Filmoplast. I didn't try it and, therefore, can't offer any comment. 
    In my opinion, Filmoplast is nothing more than a costlier analog of the good old tear-away stabilizer + temporary spray adhesive combination. I myself prefer the stabilizer + adhesive combo simply because no matter how the German manufacturer praises Filmoplast as a stabilizer, it doesn't really stabilize anything, making it necessary to place something under the hoop so that to avoid embroidery defects. 
    Besides, I utterly dislike the way Filmoplast comes off the wrong side. It either sticks sure as death and then tears off in tiny bits with fibers in them (velvet pile, for example) or it doesn't hold to the fabric and peels off during the embroidery so that you have to reattach it, which causes various mishaps with the outer look of the embroidery. Hence, not every fabric can be embroidered on this paper. 
    So what did surprise me in the instructions on the German website? The way you can save on this rather costly material – it turned out that you only have to hoop a big piece of it once. They show it in great detail with pictures. 
    And I'll show you how I embroidered handkerchiefs on Filmoplast. 
    So I hoop a piece of Filmoplast: 

    Make a cut in the protective skin: 

    Attach my handkerchief to the adhesive, aligning it with the checkers that were left over after I cut out a hole: 

    Embroider the design: 

    Carefully remove the handkerchief so that not to tear the Filmoplast: 

    Cover the hole in the paper with a small piece of Filmoplast which I press to the exposed adhesive: 


    Attach a new handkerchief and resume the embroidery: 

    This process goes on and on, until you've completed all the handkerchiefs. 
    Here are the two of mine: 

    Simple as that. It's never too late to learn. The thought wouldn't probably even cross my mind – I've always hooped a new piece of Filmoplast for every item. 
    To think of it, I've already described a similar technique, which can be regarded as an alternative to using Filmoplast – hooping a double-sided adhesive tape. In this case, I could put it under the hoop instead of sticking another, small piece of Filmoplast. 

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