| Denim is a twill weave and runs diagonally and any | | | | you want it! It's usually best to try it on & look in |
| diagonal weave is difficult to control, whether you are | | | | the mirror.) Since this was for my daughter I had to |
| attempting construction sewing or machine embroidery. | | | | wing it! |
| Twills are designed to give the wearer ultimate | | | | ~ PREPARING THE FABRIC OR GARMENT ~ |
| wearing comfort by the natural "give" it has. That's | | | | I laundered the coat to shrink it to prevent any warping |
| why we all love our chinos & jeans! However, this | | | | or puckering which would have happened after it was |
| comfort quality presents a real problem for machine | | | | laundered the first time. Next I steam pressed the front |
| embroidery enthusiasts. | | | | of the jacket to its original flat state by applying Magic |
| It is essential to keep fabric "blocked" while cutting, | | | | Sizing and heavy steam. Now the key here is the |
| assembling, and stitching either regular seaming or | | | | word press - not iron! If you iron (move the iron in any |
| machine embroidery. From cutting out pattern pieces | | | | direction while bearing down) denim will be stretched |
| to hooping denim for embroidery, you will experience a | | | | and distorted. |
| challenge of keeping the fabric "blocked" squarely. If | | | | After allowing the coat to dry completely after this |
| you're a quilter, you know exactly what blocking is. If | | | | process, and making sure of the design placement |
| you're not a quilter it simply means keeping the grain of | | | | previously decided, I then applied the fusible medium |
| the weave, in both cross & straight directions, | | | | tear away backing to the back side, using a dry iron |
| straight or square. | | | | set at the polyester setting, making sure that the |
| Denim is difficult to block because of the diagonal | | | | backing straight grain was running with the coat cross |
| weave and, generally, denim is a heavier weight than | | | | grain. Again - press the backing not iron it. To avoid an |
| most other fabrics are. I recently stitched an ankle | | | | armor look, I chose the soft tear away backing as the |
| length, heavy, denim duster coat using a very large | | | | second layer which was placed straight grain to |
| design down the front edge of the coat opening, near | | | | straight grain. A light spraying of 505 temporary |
| the hemline. This meant I had to keep the design | | | | adhesive was applied to keep it from shifting. |
| running straight in 2 directions at once. The outcome | | | | ~ STABILIZING ~ |
| could have been quite unsightly if I hadn't taken extra | | | | My choice for the "hooping" backing was wonder solv |
| precautions to make sure the design was placed | | | | - a water soluble, fabric-like stabilizer, which will support |
| squarely and that the stabilizing was adequate to | | | | any number of stitches. I hooped a piece in my Brother |
| prevent the puckers and warping that result from the | | | | jumbo hoop, which has a 5 X 12 inch stitch area. I then |
| pull of a machine embroidery design while it is stitching. | | | | sprayed the wonder solv with a heavy coat of 505 |
| Since I had chosen a rather dense assortment of | | | | spray. |
| designs to combine for a scene, I knew that I had a | | | | I set the jumbo hoop on my Hoop Mate to insure that I |
| difficult, but not impossible, task. First I had to determine | | | | could get the front edge of the coat straight with the |
| what would keep the twill from becoming distorted | | | | curved edge of the hoop. Then, making sure that the |
| during the stitching. Second, I knew it would be next to | | | | hem edge was kept straight as well, I pressed the |
| impossible to hoop the coat - the denim was as heavy | | | | entire backed portion of the coat to the hooped |
| as any work jeans I've seen. | | | | wonder solv. I placed the plastic grid template over the |
| I immediately knew that I wouldn't be able to hoop the | | | | "hooped" fabric to double-check the placement Whew |
| coat, therefore it was a matter of first stabilizing the | | | | - the worst part of the project was accomplished! |
| denim then finding a way to create a method of | | | | ~ FINALLY! READY TO STITCH ~ |
| hooping a backing that would hold up under a high | | | | After locking the hoop to the embroidery arm, I placed |
| stitch count design and remove easily when the | | | | a sheet of web solvy on top to prevent the stitches |
| stitching was completed. Given the factors I couldn't | | | | from sinking into the denim. The first thing I stitched |
| change - the weight of the fabric & the heaviness | | | | was the basting outlines in all three areas of the jumbo |
| of the group of designs - I wanted to use a "formula" | | | | hoop. It takes a bit of time, but is well worth the effort. |
| of layers which wouldn't create a stiff effect when all | | | | This secures the fabric/garment to the hooped |
| was done. The front edge of a coat does flip open - | | | | backing helping to insure the least amount of |
| this could be considered a lethal weapon if one is not | | | | movement during the actual design stitching. |
| careful! | | | | I proceeded by stitching the top design first, then the |
| ~ DESIGN PLACEMENT ~ | | | | bottom design and finally the center design. By moving |
| The first problem to overcome - can you imagine the | | | | around the hoop in this fashion you are preventing |
| bulk of all this fabric when attaching the hoop to the | | | | excessive pull in any one area, which can cause |
| machine! Since the bulk of the fabric must be to the | | | | distortion of the fabric and unsightly puckering. |
| left of the machine so as not to constrict the | | | | ~ FINAL RESULTS ~ |
| movement of the embroidery "arm" and hoop, the | | | | I'm happy to report that the entire scene was straight |
| design had to stitched upside down! To accomplish this | | | | square with the front and hemline edge of the coat, |
| you simply flip the design/s first vertically then | | | | there were no puckers, no warping and no "off " |
| horizontally. | | | | outlines! The coat was no stiffer after the designs |
| Using a printed image of the design and the plastic grid | | | | were applied than it was originally. My daughter now |
| for the hoop, I decided exactly where I wanted to | | | | proudly wears a lighthouse to ocean-floor scene on |
| place the design. (Always stand about 3 feet away | | | | the lower edge of this spring / fall weight coat! |
| from the garment to make sure the design is where | | | | |