Is it possible to embroider
with Aunt Lydia?
with Aunt Lydia?
You'll find the answer to this question in the March/April 2015 issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine. This very same skein of classic crochet cotton is featured in an article I wrote for DIME Volume 91. My upcoming article is designed to show the beauty of bobbin work with machine embroidery. It is quite an easy technique when you use the right tools and select an embroidery design specifically suited for bobbin work. The design highlighted in the article is built into several Brother embroidery models with bobbin work designs as part of their standard menu.
Do you think it's possible to embroider with Aunt Lydia?!?
These special designs are quite unlike most embroidery designs. They are made up of a simple straight stitch outline and have no knots or tie off stitches at the beginning or the end of the design. You'll find motif No.014 featured in the article as a neckline design. Stitched with variegated crochet cotton, the result mimics embroidery done by hand. In addition to the neckline, I used this design as an all over pattern on the blouse front and back, adding color and texture to otherwise ordinary and plain white fabric.
Thin silk ribbon and even fine yarn will work. I have used all of these "threads" with great success. The yarn and thread you see below was featured in a previous article from Volume 70 of Designs in Machine Embroidery. The ball of yarn is a fine, soft bamboo blend and the spool you see is YLI Candlelight Metallic, designed for use in the serger. Check with your local sewing machine dealer to purchase YLI and similar serger style threads. Decorative serger threads are economical and great starter threads for this technique.
To use an unconventional thread like this for embroidery, it's necessary for the thread to feed from the bottom (meaning the bobbin), instead of the top, (meaning the needle). Since the featured decorative thread is in the bobbin, bobbin work embroidery designs are stitched upside down. Many decorative threads that would never go through the needle are the perfect candidates for bobbin work. There are some important thread rules to follow. The thread must be smooth, relatively strong, and thin enough to reel out of the bobbin case easily. I find threads that are designed for decorative serging to be the most foolproof. However, as I said at the beginning, even ordinary crochet cotton will work. Pearl cotton is a good choice too.
Your sewing machine dealer will also be able to tell you if this technique is possible with your sewing machine model. A specialty bobbin case is needed or an alternative bobbin case that is set with a looser than normal tension. This may be an optional accessory that's available for your machine.
Since bobbin work designs are light and airy, they work especially well for garments. The article features a breezy batiste blouse made from a tunic style pattern. Personally, I would rather embroider on flat fabric than on ready-made garments. Yet, if you choose to sew a garment "from scratch" with the addition of embroidery motifs, you may be a little apprehensive at the start. If you are anything like me you probably dislike investing time sewing a style that may not work for you. While the addition of embroidery makes a custom garment more unique and valuable, it's a heartbreak if the time invested turns into an unflattering finished garment. Here are some tips to avoid a situation like that:
Experiment with the pattern prior to making the embroidered version. Make a “muslin” or a mock up garment in similar fabric. Before you choose a pattern shop ready to wear and try on similar styles. Bring a tape measure and note overall length, width at the hemline, etc. Do this before you commit to purchasing pattern and fabric, then find something similar at the fabric store. Today patterns are much more in keeping with the times and reflect current trends. Select a pattern that has multiple choices to get the most for your money. A pattern like the one below provides many opportunities for embellishment of any kind. You could also consider other lightweight embroidery motifs in place of bobbin work designs. You can never go wrong with embroidery near the neckline. Multiple rows of decorative stitches from the sewing side of the machine would be ideal accents on the neck and sleeve facings as well. A style like this is begging for some sort of embellishment. Look for Volume 91 locally or visit www.dzgns.com. If you read the article I'd love to hear your comments!
Experiment with the pattern prior to making the embroidered version. Make a “muslin” or a mock up garment in similar fabric. Before you choose a pattern shop ready to wear and try on similar styles. Bring a tape measure and note overall length, width at the hemline, etc. Do this before you commit to purchasing pattern and fabric, then find something similar at the fabric store. Today patterns are much more in keeping with the times and reflect current trends. Select a pattern that has multiple choices to get the most for your money. A pattern like the one below provides many opportunities for embellishment of any kind. You could also consider other lightweight embroidery motifs in place of bobbin work designs. You can never go wrong with embroidery near the neckline. Multiple rows of decorative stitches from the sewing side of the machine would be ideal accents on the neck and sleeve facings as well. A style like this is begging for some sort of embellishment. Look for Volume 91 locally or visit www.dzgns.com. If you read the article I'd love to hear your comments!
Want to see more tips and techniques for embroidering bobbin work designs? CLICK HERE to Watch Episode 602 of It's Sew Easy TV where I demonstrate bobbin work on a pashmina scarf. Bobbin work embroidery is beautiful. Quick to stitch too!
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