Posts Tagged ‘Tension’

What to Look for in Embroidery Hoops

April 14th, 2011

Embroidery always points us to Europe. And yes, Europeans are the most stylish dressers of all times and the most elaborate. This is because they are among those that are very meticulous when it comes to dress patterns and styles. And so, they heavily rely to human craftsmanship and less on machines. Just the right attitude as there is nothing better than the work of a hand.

In producing works of art patterns and designs on dresses though, skill is not enough. One should be armed with the right materials for the job. Among are the thread, needle, and frames which are usually termed as embroidery hoops. These frames or hoops for embroidery are very useful in preparing the fabric where the design or pattern is to be stitched or sewn. A craftsman will need a set of hoops, which is usually in twos. There will be a small and a larger hoop in a set.

The large hoop has an adjuster, which will clamp the smaller hoop where the fabric is stretched for easier donning the pattern onto the fabric. The use of these hoops stemmed from its early years, which also used bigger frames since clothing in those early years were a lot enormous and fabulous than in these days.

The use of embroidery hoops is also prevalent even in the most modern sewing machines. The only difference is that these powerful equipments use rectangular hoops or frames. But still, these materials are very effective fabric hold-in-place devices. It keeps the fabric in place so it will not distort at any given time while the pattern embroidery is in progress. It also keeps the weight of the thread used from causing tension on the fabric, making the designing a lot more easy and fast. So it is very important to have just the right embroidery hoops for a chosen needlework. There are wood, plastic, and metal hoops found in local craft stores or embroidery shops. Some of the tips when getting one are:

- 5 to 6 inches or 12.7 to 15.24 centimeters in diameter hoops is perfect for everyday embroidery. Get a set if it is what the task requires like when embroidering handkerchiefs or small pillows.

- there are available embroidery hoops that can feature different sizes, get one that will sustain the needlework if it is in a variety of sizes. This way, one will save a lot of money and effort from a single buy than acquiring a lot of sets.

- See to it that the clamp or adjuster is well functioning. A simple unfastened fabric on the bottom of a hood can truly turn a work of art into a total mess so always look into details when shopping for the right set of hoops.

- Ensure that you are getting the right material for your embroidery hoop. Wood hoops are highly in-demand because these are the longest used in framing fabrics. On top of that, this material is ductile enough to support the needlework. Plastic hoops are also useful but sophisticated. These materials are less durable than the wood and metal. Metals are the most durable but are usually heavy, making it an inefficient embroidery frame.

The choice of materials in as simple as the embroidery hoops is very important in the end product of needlework. So to look perfectly dressed like the Europeans, one must be meticulous enough in choosing needlework partners!

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Heraldic Hand Stitched Embroidery Work by Needle

February 14th, 2011
 Heraldic Hand Stitched Embroidery work by needle
joginder asked:




Embroidery stitches are the smallest units in embroidery. Embroidery patterns are formed by doing many embroidery stitches, either all the same or different ones, either following a counting chart on paper, following a design painted on the fabric or even working freehand. Heraldic Hand Stitched Embroidery uses various combinations of stitches. In Heraldic Hand Stitched Embroidery you find a special name to help identify it. These names vary from country to country and region to region. Some embroidery books will include name variations. Taken by themselves the stitches are mostly simple to execute, however when you put them together the results can be extremely complex.

Heraldic Hand Stitched Embroidery work by needle. The needle is brought to the upside of the fabric. For doing the stitch properly, it is inserted into the fabric and brought back to the surface in one movement. Then the thread is pulled through. The same method is used for plain hand sewing.

A thimble is usually used on the middle finger to avoid minor injury. Once the needle is inserted into the fabric, the hooded middle finger is used to push it through; the thumb and index finger grab the needle at the front as soon as possible and pull at the same time. This can speed up working when the embroiderer is used to it.

This method can be done using an embroidery frame or free-hand, but usually an embroidery frame or hoop is used to make work easier. The technique uses frames that allow for adjustment of fabric tension, as the fabric can’t be too strongly stretched.



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Custom Embroidery Tips

February 20th, 2008
4257386269 318b732eef m Custom Embroidery Tips

There are important considerations you have to bear in mind before creating or ordering your own, custom embroidery designs. For D-I-Y (Do-it-yourself) people, it is easy to get yourself a hi-tech embroidery machine complete with digitized programs, but the quality of your work will depend on your own artistic instincts and knowledge of specific embroidery techniques.

In order to create a high quality embroidery product, there are a few basic, but significant components that you have to watch out for when creating your own embroidery. These include:

The Thread:

The two main types of embroidery threads are Polyester and Rayon. Though the best looking designs are stitched with Rayon, Polyester is much sturdier than the former. This is because Rayon is very thin in comparison to other thread types, which also makes it hard to adjust tension.

The color of the thread also has to complement the colors in the embroidery design, along with the color of the fabric. Remember that threads can also appear to be of different shades of color depending upon the angle from which they are viewed. So choose accordingly. For example, less contrast between the colors of the fabric and the design can hide small flaws.

Stitches:

Fill-stitches form different patterns and stitch directions, and cover large areas. Too many stitches will create small gaps and too few will show through the design. So decide what type of design will be most appropriate for your Fill Stitch. Keep in mind that fabric tends to absorb small stitches, so they should be avoided.

Underlay stitches, though often overlooked, plays an important part in the final embroidery quality and design. This is because they stabilize the material held in the embroidery frame. The method in which underlay stitches are sewn into the material also paves the way for the top stitches.

Backing Materials:

The amount of stability and support provided by backing materials often determines the quality of the finished product. Backing materials like Cutaways and Tearaways should be chosen according to the type of garment or fabric used. For example, cutaway backings are ideal for knit fabrics. Tearaways can be great for those who want work quickly done because they are the easiest to use.

The Topping:

Toppings prevent fibers from getting caught in between stitches on some rough textured fabrics such as Fleece. This is made possible by stitching the embroidery through the topping, the fabric, and the backing material. Topping such as water-soluble films, when laid over stitches-observing fabric types prevent embroidery stitches from sinking into the fabric.

Locations:

The most noticeable area of the garment should be chosen as the central location of the embroidery design. However, this may be modified according to the type of garment on which the embroidery is to be applied. For example, the primary location for Short Sleeve Shirts and Long Sleeve Shirts is the Left Chest, but secondary location for Short Sleeves is more appropriate on the Left Arm; while for Long Sleeves, Center Back location looks better.

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