I would like to know exactly what is meant by the phrase “stipple” designs.  I am looking for designs that can be sewn with heavy threads, such as Sulky 12 weight, and would like to know if stipple designs are appropriate for that thread.  Thank you - Barbara.

Dear Barbara,

There is a bit of controversy about the proper definition of  “stipple” as it applies to quilting. Some quilters say that stipple means a meandering line of stitching that is used to secure (and flatten) layers of cloth and batting together. This line is to be a single row of stitches, looped around in a serpentine design and never crossing over itself. Some quilters call that stitch “meander stitching”. For myself, I call that type of stitch stipple, but am not fanatic about the lines crossing over themselves when creating a “motif” stipple design. A motif stipple has a recognizable shape, such as a flower or heart, that is repeated periodically during the process.

Sulky 12 weight is a hard thread to use with machine embroidery designs as it is 100% cotton (not great for high speeds) and very thick, like a topstitch or buttonhole thread. Some folks I know use a serger needle in their embroidery or sewing machines (as long as the shank fits correctly) because of the increased thread groove depth and the larger eye. I’ve had good luck with that little trick myself! Stipple designs, as long as they are single lines of stitches that do not double over themselves, could be used with this heavy thread. I would slow the machine speed down, loosen the top tension slightly and use a large eyed or metallic needle.

I hope this helps!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

I was wondering if you had any advice on machine embroidering on ribbon.

The hardest part of embroidering on ribbon is stabilizing it. It must be kept perfectly flat and smooth or the results will be skewed. I have used sticky stabilizers with some success, and also temporary spray adhesive and basting. I guess the best results I’ve had were when I sprayed regular tear-away stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive (it doesn’t leave as much sticky residue on the ribbon if you spray the stabilizer) and then machine basting the ribbon along both edges to the stabilizer as well.

To be perfectly honest, I have never been completely satisfied with the results of any of my embroidered ribbon projects. The ribbon always seems to pucker and ripple along the edges after the stabilizer is removed. I think that is caused because a satin ribbon (just like satin fabric) is an unstable environment for embroidery to begin with, and grosgrain ribbon is not much better.

I hope you have better luck than I’ve had!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

Hi, I am currently embroidering velour towels and using wash-away on top.  The problem is I don’t want to have to wash the towels to remove.  Is there another way to do this? Ta - Marg

Hi Marg,

Are you using a clear film wash-away on top? If so, there is no need to remove what remains under the stitching after you have ripped away the excess. Especially if the towels are for sale or to become gifts. The first washing will remove the remaining stabilizer…no need to wash it until it needs it! If you are using a cut-away fabric type wash-away you can try spraying the back of the towel lightly with water directly on the embroidery. The water will travel along the stitching line to the top of the towel and melt the stabilizer enough that you should be able to remove the excess cleanly from around the design. I wouldn’t suggest using a fabric type stabilizer for towels though. A clear film will work better…or a permanent vinyl topper such as DrycoverUp by Hoop-it-All.

Hope this helps!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

I am trying to do redwork which has scripture (words).  Which stabilizer should I use tear away (and weight) or cutaway.  I have trouble with the words coming unstitched.  Should I leave back stitches in tact?  Thank you - Linda

Hi Linda!

I’m not sure what project fabric you are using, but for most fabrics I’d use Sulky’s iron-on tear-away. This brand of tear-away is very easy to remove and you will stand less chance of disturbing the stitching. When tearing away the excess, put your fingers on the stitched portions of the design and tear away the stabilizer up to your fingers. Leave a little around the stitching. If it is possible to leave the stabilizer intact on your project (and it won’t hinder the finished look from the front…for instance, on a pillow top or framed embroidery) use a fusible mesh stabilizer over the whole project back and don’t remove it. My personal favorite is Lite & Sheer Mesh Fusible from Terradon Embroidery.

Do not clip the jump threads between the lettering on the back of the fabric. Just clip the front jump threads and any long tails of colored thread on the back. Use a tiny drop of seam sealant, such as FrayChek, to help secure the beginning and ending of each knot on the wrong side of the project. (Do a spot check first on a scrap of your project fabric to be sure that it will not show when completely dry…some fabrics will mark.) Depending on what your project is, it may even be advisable to use a fusible webbing, such as Wonder Under or Steam a Seam, to adhere a piece of interfacing permanently to the wrong side of the embroidered fabric. This will definitely help prevent those stitches from unraveling…but will also give the fabric stiffness, not always desirable!

Good luck!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

Hi, I am embroidering about 30 squares for a quilt group that makes quilts for veteran hospitals. All my designs are patriotic. A lot of them are puckering. I am using tearaway stabilizer, have tried cutaway and sticky. Also loosened the thread tension and did not pull the fabric after putting it in the hoop. They are still puckering. Some of the designs are dense. I am using cotton squares and #11 or #14 needle depending on the design. HELP!!!!! Hope you can set me on the right path. Thank you, - Susie

Dear Susie;

Aren’t you just the sweetest person to be making quilts for veterans!!!!

Sounds like you have a “design unsuitable for the fabric” problem. That means, the fabric weave is too light and not tightly woven enough to support the stitches in the design, causing them to push the fibers apart instead of resting on top of the fibers as they should. Which makes puckers around the design! Here’s a good test…hold your fabric up to a strong light, look at the light holes coming through it. Do you see large patches of fabric that look brighter? Do you see unevenly spaced light holes with some larger than others? If so you probably have a piece of fabric that was woven of inferior cotton thread. Spinners would call it “seconds.” While seconds is okay for most sewing projects, embroidery doesn’t always do so well on it. Look for a high thread count, 200 or so and a nice thick, sturdy feeling cotton.

Sounds like you are stabilizing just fine. I would recommend that you always adhere the stabilizer to the fabric, regardless of it’s type. You can use temporary spray adhesive if you’re not using a wet and stick or an iron-on stabilizer. After the stabilized fabric is in the hoop, slide another piece under the hoop while it is in the machine for those especially dense designs.

Another option would be to try using editing software to reduce the stitch count. If you happen to be using some free designs from sites that offer lots of freebies by various folks you might have designs that have been automatically resized when they were converted and have not had their stitch counts adjusted. No matter what you do, those designs will pucker.

Good luck! Let me know how you do!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

I have an embroidery font that I love to use on towels and other items but recently I purchased several beach bags made of nylon-type fabric.  I’ve embroidered several using my favorite font with varying results…some turn out fine but a majority get real messy looking!  The design will stitch the line(s) of the letter and then when it does the stain stitch to cover the initial stitch line, it is “way off”.  (I hope this makes sense!!).  The design ends up looking like it has one or two single rows or stitching above or below the satin stitching.  I’ve tried different types of stabilizers and needles but can not determine why some look great and others look so bad. I am reluctant to give them as gifts!  Any help or suggestions you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks, Sara Dennis (Alabama)Hi Sara;Sounds to me like your slippery nylon fabric is shifting in the hoop during stitching. Have you tried using an iron-on stabilizer or a stick-on stabilizer? Even using temporary spray adhesive to adhere the stabilizer to the back of the fabric should help. Just be sure the stabilized portion of the fabric is totally in the hoop. I think I’d try a light-weight cut-away if the fabric is very thin or a regular weight tear-away if the fabric is sturdy, either adhered with temporary spray adhesive. It might be a good idea to use one of the “rejects” to practice a bit on.

Hello, my questions are:

Thank you - Brenda

 Hi Brenda;

Everyone seems to have their favorite way to embroider towels…and with a little trial and error you may find your own favorite way…so bear in mind that while this method is what I like to use personally, it’s not by any means the only one!

I start with a base layer of a fabric-type wash-away stabilizer, sprayed generously with temporary spray adhesive. (I like 505, it’s stickier than most brands. Yes, it will get your inner hoop sticky, but that can be easily cleaned with denatured alcohol. Then I apply the towel to the hooped stabilizer. Once the hoop is in the machine then I slide an additional piece of light-weight cut-away stabilizer under the hoop “floating” it behind the design area. Next I apply a layer of permanent topper over the design area on the top of the towel. (A permanent topper keeps the monogram looking nice after it has been laundered as it helps prevent the terry loops from poking through the stitching.) Next I baste through all layers using the built-in basting stitch found on my machine. (You may also do this by hand, if your machine does not have that feature.) I like to use a size 90/14 embroidery needle as most monograms have wide satin stitching, which is stressful for needles.

When the design is complete I remove the basting stitching, cut away the excess topper and cut-away stabilizer and soak out the wash-away stabilizer. I try not to pull away any of the excess wash-away stabilizer that is stuck to the back of the towel for that may disturb the terry loops and cause them to unravel…instead I just cut away what I can and soak out the rest.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

I have a single letter in satin stitch that I’m putting on baseball hats. I have a major problem, I can’t figure out how to tie off at the end and my design keeps unraveling. Please help! - Deb

 Hi Deb;

Yep, that can be aggravating. Some fabrics just don’t want to hold the tie-off stitching. Here’s what I’ve done when that’s happened to me:

Turn off the end thread cutter, if possible.

Before beginning to stitch, once the needle is in the correct place (at the beginning of the letter), drop the needle into the material and pull up the bobbin thread. Pull two nice long tails of both top and bobbin thread. Hold those out of the way as you stitch the design.

If you can turn off the end thread cutter, raise the needle at the end of the letter and remove the hoop, pulling nice long thread tails of both top and bobbin thread again. If you cannot turn off the end thread cutter, stop the machine before it cuts (usually there will be three or four tiny stitches in one place at the very end of a satin stitch column…let the machine stitch one or two of those, then stop the machine), raise the needle, and pull long thread tails.

Thread a hand sewing needle with the bobbin and top thread tails at one end of the letter. Sew several tiny stitches in place at the edge of the satin stitching, hiding the stitches behind the letter. Don’t let the stitches show through to the top, let them hide under the satin stitching on top, but do catch the fabric under the bobbin stitching. Repeat for the other end of the letter.

Clip off the excess tail threads and, for good measure, apply a tiny drop of seam sealant (Fraychek works great) to the hand stitching.

When I really want to be sure something won’t unravel in the wash later, especially if it is going to be getting a lot of wear-and-tear, I coat the back of my embroidery with a thin layer of fabric glue and stick a piece of non-woven interfacing over that.

Hope this helps!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch

A Bit of Stitch has a new Summer Blooms collection of gorgeous 3D flower designs. Make each bloom part in the hoop, then a bit of hand sewing completes the construction. Evy’s complete step-by-step instructions with lots of photos are among the best we have seen - anyone can follow them! Use these pretty flowers as corsages, or add them to other projects for a lovely “fresh from the garden” look. All purchases of $10 or more will also receive a free collectible  Baby Quilt Square plus bonus Rattle Stipple Half-Square design.

I love the idea of using free standing lace designs, but need advice on how to attach them to projects. Do you stitch them down? use a fusible? or something else? Thanks - Tara Diana

Hi Tara,

Free standing lace is fun, but I enjoy it best when it’s part of another project too. I have used both permanent spray adhesive, fabric glue and both hand and machine stitching to apply FSL to my projects. Check out my Pansy Lace Collection.  The tissue box, frame and greeting card are decorated with freestanding lace that was applied with glue. I used permanent spray adhesive, Super 77 by 3M (you can find this glue online at Art Supplies Online. The pin cushion and lingerie bag’s lace was applied by hand stitching. The lace on the tea towel with the pale purple pansies was also applied by hand, but since making that towel I’ve made others and used a loose, narrow machine zigzag stitch to apply the lace. Lots faster!

When sewing by hand, I try to catch the lace only around the edges and match my thread color to the lace color, even if it means I have to change thread colors. When sewing by machine I also sew only at the edges, keeping all the stitching on the lace and matching thread colors to the lace. I suppose one could also use invisible thread, I just don’t like the shine of it, myself. The lace on the little votive candle holder is attached with Beacon’s Quick Grip glue. This is a great glue to use when sticking things to a slick surface. I applied the glue to the back of the lace using the pointy end of a bamboo skewer so that I could put the glue only on the lace to keep it neat. Some of these projects will be featured in the July/August Volume 51 issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery if you want a closer look.

I hope you have some fun with free standing lace!

Evy
A Bit of Stitch