Embroidering a shawl collar

[Jo]

Well...not really a shawl collar, but close enough.
I'd like to embroider something on the lapel (does it count as a lapel?!), but I'm not sure what, how big and what color.
I kind of narrowed it down to this pack. But which one?! Do I do the same one on both lapels? Different ones? Do I do just one of them?
Argh, so many decisions!
What would you do?
My initial idea was to embroider on a corner, but the corners fall at the waistline, and if I wear a belt or something to tie it, it will cover the design.
Or maybe leave the front simple (it is pretty full with all the folds) and embroider something on the back?
What would you do?

[Acorn]

Oooh!   

I would do different designs on each side, but keep the rough amount of embroidery fairly balanced, but that's just a personal preference. 

If you print out the designs at their actual size you could pin them to the lapel to get some idea - or do a trial run on spare fabric and pin them in place.  The embossed-style designs from Urban Threads are very good indeed.

[charlotte]

I would do one design on one side (probably the left but no idea why), higher up on the lapel (away from the corner/waist).

[Ohsewsimple]

I'm not sure the corners are the right place on this design.  People,s eyes tend to look higher up and the embroidery will be missed.  I'm usually all for asymmetrical when I do embroidery. I'm not a lover of symmetry in general but in embroidery I have learnt that it is easier not to try and line stuff on two sides!   .    Perhaps a design on the back as well, either at the top in the centre or on one shoulder?   Just my thoughts. 
The coat looks great Jo.  And I don't think it,s too big at all.  This style needs some extra ease I think for a swooshy ( is that a word?)  effect at the front. 

[Acorn]

How about something on the shoulders, maybe something that appears to come from the back (or really does) and probably comes down on the front unequally on each side.

I'm thinking more and more that you need to pin either printouts or sample embroideries to the coat!

[Jo]

Can't really do anything that goes over the seams. They are flat felled and the fabric is rather thick, so I'm pretty sure it won't embroider well. So I'll have to do something on the back or the front (no sleeves either, I've already serged them and feel too lazy to undo )
I'm gonna try a sample tomorrow and see how it embroiders. The only thing I'm afraid of is the lapel being too rigid if I pick a dense embroidery like the roses.

[Morgan]

An example for placement idea if you want floral

[UttaRetch]

These could work.

[Iminei]

I like the last design in the pack. What fabric is the cardi made of ?

[jen]

I like the higher placement idea, asymmetric, and have a preference for the designs which are angled at about 45°. Alternatively, something near the bottom of the sleeves would be nice.

[Jo]

Morgan, that is a LOVELY idea! I might actually atempt to open the sleeve for that
Imi, I'm not sure what it's called but it sort of looks like a washable wool.
I'll also take a look on emblibrary.com, maybe I'll find something less dense.

[Acorn]

That is lovely - I like asymmetry that is balanced like that (although I would probably have done the other sleeve instead).

You are right, Jo, that the embossed Urban Threads designs will make the fabric stiff - especially if you use a stay-in rather than wash-away stabiliser, which I think you would probably want to in this case.