Fashionable Embroidery Embroidery Project

Like any great artist, your embroidery must start with a blank canvas. In the embroidery industry, this is called a blank. Common blanks that are readily available to the commercial industry include T-shirts, golf shirts, caps, aprons, uniforms and much more. But often, we're looking for blanks that are more fashionable, more original. Machine embroidery is a wonderful tool for making a personal statement, updating a plain wardrobe or showcasing your talent. Let's take a closer look at blanks.

What to look for in a blank
As a general rule for purchasing blanks, look for high quality fabrics, open areas to place the embroidery and few tailored details. Always purchase the highest quality garment you can afford. A cheaply made garment will not look any better with embroidery. Garments with open areas present fewer challenges to the embroiderer and embroidery tends to improve the overall appearance of such garments.

Avoid garments that have welt pockets, flat-felled seams, curvy princess seams, and impossible to detach linings and facings. The multiple layers of fabric that make up welt pockets and flat-felled seams can be difficult to hoop, as they do not allow the even distribution of tension in the hoop.

The use of adhesive stabilizers enables you to hoop garments with welt pockets and flat-felled seams; however, professional results are achieved when stitching on a single layer of fabric. Avoid placing embroidery on the bulky areas and in fact, keep the embroidery a safe distance from the multiple layers so that the embroidery foot does not get caught in the bulk.

Curvy princess seams are quite flattering on many figures but the curvier the curve, the harder it is to press the fabric flat so that the embroidery can be stitched. It's possible, but challenging.

Turn the garment inside out and examine the lining and facing. Does the lining hang free at the hem? If so, it's the perfect candidate for embroidery since you can easily hoop the garment while keeping the lining out of the design area. If the lining is attached at the hem, see if removing a few stitches at the hem will enable you to separate it from the garment.

Check the facing. Can you pull it away from the body of the garment, enabling you to hoop one layer? Can you maneuver around the permanent stitching of buttonholes?

Skirts Look for: A-line or straight skirts Free hanging lining Focal points on pieced skirts, yoke waistbands and gores Hem: straight border areas or ruffles Avoid: Circle skirts: so much fabric calls for hours of embroidery Bias skirts: dense embroidery can hinder the gentle drape of a bias skirt

Pants Look for: Flattering fit: the most important feature of a great pair of pants. Flat front for midriff embroidery No pockets Side or back opening Faced waistbands Removable linings Avoid: Flat felled seams on the outside of the leg Novelty details such as sewn-in belts and buckles Rivets

Jackets Look for: Open areas Unlined or detachable linings Interesting lines Sleeve cuffs Generous collars Avoid: Welt pockets Two-piece sleeves Excessive topstitching Curvy princess seams

Cardigans

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Sweatshirts, Blouses and Pullovers

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Dresses

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If you're interested in more information on embroidering on everyday, fashionable garments, purchase Eileen's latest book, Contemporary Machine Embroidered Fashions, complete with a FREE CD-ROM with 32 designs.