August 2011 Club - Shadow and Reverse Applique

We had very nice club sessions in spite of the torrential rains.  I showed a video showing the new Babylock Ellisimo Gold sewing/embroidery machine.  Click here for the YouTube link to see the video.

I also showed the newest item from the Babylock family of stabilizers. They have a new product that will protect sensitive skin from irritation caused by the back of an embroidered item.  It is a very soft woven fabric that is fused to the back of a garment.  It is good for baby items and for protecting the skin from a scratchy thread such as a metallic thread.  Call your nearest Babylock dealer for pricing and more information.

 Our overhead camera was on the fritz, so thanks to Cynthia, one of our members, who recorded the club lessons (see below).  Please feel free to send me any comments or suggestions for improving the videos.  I have to admit, video taping was one of the most intimidating experiences I've had.

See what beautiful work our members have done:

Now for the lessons of the month.

Shadow Applique

Shadow applique is a wonderful way to embellish sheer fabrics.  It can be done on any sewing machine capable of doing a simple zig zag stitch.  A simple cording foot makes guiding the thick embellishing thread and keeping it under the zig zag foot as it is couched onto the surface of the sheer fabric.

A bright, colorful fabric is placed underneath the sheer fabric, the shapes are couched on using the zig zag stitch, and then carefully trimmed away from the back of sheer fabric.  First trace your design onto a layer of Dissolvable Mesh stabilizer and place it underneath the sheer fabric. Then place the colorful fabric underneath the other two layers and couch the thick thread onto the surface using a thick or fancy thread (such as YLI Candlelight, cordonnet, or pearl rayon thread).  Confused?  Hope this video helps. 

Reverse/Shadow Applique by Embroidery Machine



Full Neckline Version for the Large Hoop



Smaller 4x4 Design

This kind of applique is perfect for embellishing a plain t-shirt.  The shadow applique technique (sheer piece attached to back of the shirt and the excess is trimmed away from the back of the shirt) allows sheer flower centers.  The reverse applique technique is used (the solid t-shirt fabric is trimmed from the inside of the flower) allows you to see the sheer fabric below. 

The design in pes format is free to Embroidery Etcetera Club members.  Send me an email if you need a copy of the design.  The large design (shown above on the t-shirt) utilizes the large hoop for the Ellegante and the Ellisimo.  A split design is available for machines that have a  5"x7" embroidery field and can be sewn in two hoopings.  In the video below, I used a smaller, one-flower version for use in a 4" x 4" hoop. 

Cording/Piping with the Serger

You can get a cording/piping foot for most brands of sergers and overlock machines.  It makes perfect piping and allows you to perfectly apply piping between two layers of fabric...and...it's so easy to do!  I used 3mm-wide piping for this demonstration. 

The foot has a channel under the foot that allows the piping to easily glide under the serger foot and securely guides the piping for perfect placement and stitching.  The 3mm foot that I used is available for the Babylock Imagine, Eclipse, and Enlighten machines.  A 5mm foot for wider piping is also available for these machines.  Only a5mm Cording foot is available for the Evolve and Evolution sergers.

Check out the video below for a demonstration.  By the way, nerves got the best of me and I had a big goof.  What is the difference between an expert and a novice?  Nothing!  You will make the same dumb mistakes from time to time no matter how long you have sewn.  The expert just knows how to fix them or cover them up.

 

Making Micro Cording with a Pintuck Foot

Micro Cording is piping that is 1/8" wide or less.  It is perfect for adding a fabulous accent to collars, pockets, quilt bindings, etc.  With tiny borders like this, the tiniest of mistakes can really show up.  The pintuck foot makes the process easy and fool proof.  You will need to stuff the piping with tiny cording.  I like to use thick DMC tatting floss for a filler.  It is available in any needlework store or in places like Michaels or AC Moore. 

You will also need a pintuck foot.  They are available for most sewing machines.  It would be helpful to be able to reposition your needle just to the right of one of the pintuck foot grooves.  Use washaway thread in the needle and the bobbin when you make the piping.  If your stitching happens to show when you apply the piping to your garment, it will easily wash or rinse out and no one will ever know your stitching wasn't perfect.  Then use regular thread in the needle and the bobbin when you apply the piping to the garment or quilt binding.  Hope the video makes the process a little clearer.