Black & White with a Dash of Pink! Easy Breezy Blouse by Joanne Banko
What's Black and White and read all over?!? The latest issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine!!! It's become somewhat of an annual tradition for Editor Eileen Roche and Managing Editor Denise Holguin to call upon embroidery designers and writers to submit an offering for an eye-catching black and white issue. Once again I had the privilege to contribute. I'd like to give you a few more details as to the design and construction of this blouse.
As a true fan of this classic color combo it didn't take much to get me going. A pretty pattern from Folkwear inspired the blouse you see here.
As a true fan of this classic color combo it didn't take much to get me going. A pretty pattern from Folkwear inspired the blouse you see here.
I love working with Folkwear patterns! Their styles are so unique and the potential for creative embellishment is almost endless. This pattern is super simple to stitch up with many options for customizing the length and the look. In the article you won't see the full view but I opted for a mid thigh tunic style with side vents like the ones on the dress variation.
This makes for a great style with slim pants, skinny jeans, or capri leggings. The tunic length would also make a perfect swimsuit cover up since there is a nice amount of fullness and added ease in the pattern. I've found that this top is pretty when nipped at the high hip too! I'm in the process of completing one in white eyelet for a super cool summer blouse.
Suggested fabrics on the pattern envelope include cottons, linen and linen blends, rayons, and more. Many of these materials are suitable for light weight embroidery designs, cutwork creations, bobbin work, the list could go on and on! I chose a crinkled white rayon from my stash.
Straight sleeves and front and back yokes are an opportunity for rows of added embroidery.
For those who wish to skip the embroidery altogether, a fashionable choice would be Indo Batiks rayon batik like the fabric used for my Beautiful Batik Shawl on the cover of Wrapped in Embroidery.
Straight sleeves and front and back yokes are an opportunity for rows of added embroidery.
For those who wish to skip the embroidery altogether, a fashionable choice would be Indo Batiks rayon batik like the fabric used for my Beautiful Batik Shawl on the cover of Wrapped in Embroidery.
Read the article and you'll see that all of the designs on the yokes, sleeve borders, and even the circular ruffle trim originated from built-in Frame Shape Patterns included in the Brother Dream Machine.
These versatile frame shapes are a standard feature in the Brother line of embroidery machines. A firm believer in making the most of my machine, I've found these frame designs to be a constant source of inspiration. So much so that I could quite literally fill a book with ideas and possibilities!
Basic steps for the blouse are as follows:
- Trace off the front/back yoke pattern and cut an oversized piece of fabric. Create a repeat border pattern and stabilize fabric with fibrous water-soluble. Stitch front and back yoke designs with a narrow border hoop for best results.
- Cut an oversized piece for the sleeve and stitch borders in the same manner as the yokes. Be sure to add enough motifs to cover most of the sleeve and then use the pattern to cut the sleeves to size. Tip: DiME Target Stickers are a wonderful substitute for chalk and pen marks. You can use a ruler to line them up in a straight line and then align the cross hairs with the template grid for precision placement.
- Embroider circles to create ruffles, hem ruffle edges, and insert into the front and back yoke seams.
- Finish the blouse following the pattern instructions and you'll be wearing your beautiful blouse in no time flat!
One more quick tip: When fabric is semi transparent you want to avoid unattractive threads showing through from the wrong side. These are especially obvious with dark threads. While automatic jump cut is a wonderful time saving feature it does result in a "fuzzy" knot each time it cuts. Turning off the jump cut feature results in a much neater finish on the back side. The stitch will still tie off but the tip will drag to the next position instead of being automatically trimmed. Trim top tails as you stitch and then clean up the back tails after embroidery is complete. I like to trim excess water-soluble stabilizer at the same time so the wash out process is more streamlined.
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I encourage you to get your own copy of issue #99 so you can view the whole process and see the how easy it is to embellish a breezy summer blouse. You're sure to learn from the many tip boxes included in the article with advice you can use for many other embroidered items. Let me know if you decide to try any of these techniques.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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