The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Embroidery and Embellishment => Topic started by: datcat23 on April 11, 2018, 03:34:17 AM
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This is the first trial, with water soluble stabiliser. The fabric is quilting cotton.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/876/40664537564_01882b6b82.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/24XoohC)Test stitch out with soluble stabiliser. (https://flic.kr/p/24XoohC) by Dani (https://www.flickr.com/photos/datcat/), on Flickr
I am a little concerned with the impact of the wetting of the fabric. The initial wash has had the fabric shrink and bubble. I will see how the finished design looks once dry and pressed. I can see that for future designs, if I want to use the soluble, I am going to have to prewash the fabric first.
I have plans for putting this particular design onto a christening gown I have in the cupboard. The gown is a rich gold with lilac ribbons, but its a bit plain. I plan put this design, in gold and lilac, along the hemline of the gown.
I think the fabric is silk satin (op shop find). Should I prewash the gown before stitching? WDYT?
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This is the piece, after washing to get rid of the stabiliser:
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/870/27510345258_b4fa60d63d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HUZHcy)After washing (https://flic.kr/p/HUZHcy) by Dani (https://www.flickr.com/photos/datcat/), on Flickr
A close up on the swirls:
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/820/40666800254_75b53e7432.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/24XzYUw)After washing. (https://flic.kr/p/24XzYUw) by Dani (https://www.flickr.com/photos/datcat/), on Flickr
So have to figure out the shrinking:
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I use water soluble stabiliser as a default, but I haven't tried it on anything finer than a medium weight cotton (prewashed unless I am absolutely confident that it won't shrink).
As I'm sure you realise, it's no good trying to just gently rinse away the stabiliser because if you don't wash it away completely you will get a starched effect.
I have no idea whether silk satin is likely to shrink - or to wash well. Oh dear. >< How frustrating not to have a sample to test.
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I have had this conundrum today ...would you believe it?
I was up in the bedroom with Elvis (well a girl can dream) stitching the label for the cushion cover swap and it was not at all as the test stitch and I think the reason is the fabric I used for the CC label was a more open weave and the stitches kinda sunk in.
I think I should have used WSS on top of the fabric, but I dont have any.
Anyhoo its done now, I just hope its good enough for ****
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30629614_1721776751239271_3638587763642597376_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=93532833165393857c12927e0f4683af&oe=5B5B4870)
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Do try different types of water soluble, my favourite for most things is the one that is more fabricy and not like plastic. I find it much easier to cut away and wash off for general embroidery, you can get lots of different makes, I generally use Avalonplus.
Talking about stabilises does anyone have a good way to store them, they drive me mad, I have quite a collection but they all come on different sized rolls or flat etc.?
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@Iminei I always do any test on the same fabric with the same stabiliser and thread. That way you shouldn't get any nasty surprises. :P
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The stabiliser I have is the "fabric'ey" style one, it sort of looks like interfacing. I do have the plastic type one in my sample pack, but I was left with the impression that this was more a floating use one, to go over stitching on towels.
I had another test stitch out, this time on a piece of linen blend, well prewashed. I still get the puckering, but it seems like the thread is shrinking this time, rather than the fabric. How on earth do I stop that?
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What type and make ofthread are you using?
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You may need to adjust the tension settings to work with the design because long stitches and curving lines is an ideal combination to generate pull / pinching.
Other things that help are, secure hooping with both fabric and stabiliser hooped together to prevent any fabric slippage or flexing rather than just hooping stabiliser and floating fabric on top, plus stiffening the fabric with spray starch before hooping.
Using wondertape on your hoops is a great aid to secure hooping - see here (https://www.emblibrary.com/EL/ELProjects/pdf/PR1138.pdf). I use wondertape on all my hoops. If it's a bit too sticky at first, just reduce the tackyness by placing it on some craft cotton and lifting it off a few times. It lasts for quite a long time.
Also avoid over tightening the hoop because that is one of the causes of fabric slippage because the it bows the sides.