Embroidery

Description

Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins.
A characteristic of embroidery is that the basic techniques or stitches of the earliest work—chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, cross stitch—remain the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery today.
Machine embroidery, arising in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, mimics hand embroidery, especially in the use of chain stitches, but the "satin stitch" and hemming stitches of machine work rely on the use of multiple threads and resemble hand work in their appearance, not their construction.


Origins

The origins of embroidery are unknown, but early examples survive from ancient Egypt, Iron Age Northern Europe and Zhou Dynasty China. Examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period (5th-3rd century BC).

Thread Breakages

Thread Breakages

• Thread breakages not only affect the quality of embroidery but also cost extra working time, i.e. low productivity. These mostly happened due to punching skill, thread quality and machines.

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Color Changes

A good digitizing should be with fewer stitches, less breakages, less color changes, softening embroidery works and vivid effects. To improve embroidery productivity, an experienced  digitizer should pay more attention at below points.

Color Changes 

• Flat head machines need much more time to change needles than round one. The color changes should be less as possible as you can.
• For flat head machines,  avoid change from most left needles to most right needles to reduce color changing time. Optimizing needle change time will improve production efficiency.

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Hungry Fish - How to control embroidery machine trimmings?

Trimmings

• Fewer trimmings not only shorten working time but also reduce the risk of thread breakages.
• Some machines now can eliminate very short stitches and lock well automatically. For others, “Tie In” and “Tie Off” are required seriously.
• In some cases, a trimming point can be covered skillfully with next color stitches instead of “Tie off”. Try to reduce tie stitches as possible as it can be.

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Appliqué Embroidery

When you download an appliqué design, you'll find two files: a die line (which begins with the letters DL) and the full embroidery file (which begins with the numbers 25). You'll use the die line file to cut the appliqué fabric to the exact shape for the embroidery. You won't sew the DL file on a garment - you'll just use it to cut the fabric. Begin by opening the die line file in your embroidery software, and printing it. If you don't have embroidery software, or cannot print from it, then you can sew the die line file to make a template. To do this, hoop a piece of paper. Load the die line file into the embroidery machine and embroider that file. You can use an unthreaded needle, and the needle will perforate the paper. For the example to the left, there is thread in the needle. A die line is a simple running stitch outline, so it only takes a moment or two to sew. Once the die line file has finished sewing, set the paper aside and prepare your appliqué fabric. You can use almost any fabric for appliqué. We're using lightweight cotton, so we are backing the fabric with one piece of cutaway stabilizer. Spray the stabilizer lightly with adhesive. Smooth the appliqué fabric on top. Spray a bit of adhesive on the backside of the paper template, and smooth that on top of the appliqué fabric and stabilizer. Then, cut the shape from the fabric and stabilizer “sandwich”. Remove the paper template from the fabric and stabilizer (sandwich). If you are planning on using the appliqué design again, you can store that paper template with the color change sheet for a future use. Next, back the garment with stabilizer. Hoop both fabric and stabilizer firmly. Begin embroidering the design - the full embroidery file, the one that begins with the numbers "25." This file consists of three main parts. The first part is the die line. This running stitch outline traces the shape of the appliqué fabric. Once the die line has finished sewing, spray the backside of the fabric and stabilizer "sandwich" with adhesive, Place the appliqué piece in the sewn die line. Continue embroidering the design. The next thing to sew is the tack down stitch. This is a zigzag stitch which binds the appliqué fabric to the garment. You’ll also see a satin stitch border sew. This gives the appliqué fabric a nice, smooth seal. The appliqué design might have other elements that embroider, too. This bunny has ears, eyes, nose, and a tail. You'll find the color change sheet is helpful when embroidering, as the fields are labeled with convenient descriptions. Appliqué embroidery is a wonderful way to add your favorite fabrics and patterns to your embroidery. Let your imagination run wild!


(Note: you can choose almost any fabric for appliqué embroidery. If you're working with a high-pile fleece or fur, it may be necessary to trim the nap at an angle (angling inward) after the shape has been cut to avoid fuzz peeking through the satin stitch border).

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How to do Cap Embroidery?

Embroidering hats. It can be easy and fun with the right tips and techniques so let’s get started on the subject of cap embroidery.

Are you getting a professional, crisp result when you machine embroider on caps? We’ve all had a problem from time to time getting the design to lay nicely on the front or back of a cap but with a little knowledge you will soon be putting out the perfect production with half the stress and in half the time. When we talk about embroidery on hats, it is usually in the context of embroidering using a standard or wide cap frame. The designs are usually digitized from the center working out to the sides and from the bottom of the design (closest to the bill) up to the top of the cap. If the design you are machine embroidering is high in detail, it’s best to work it in segments, working out from the center.  If you follow this technique, there is less chance of design distortion.  While there will always be movement when sewing a cap on a tubular frame, working from the center out should keep it to a minimum.  Backing is also important in reducing design distortion.  It serves to decrease the movement in the frame, and in doing so improves design quality. Try not to be skimpy on the backing.  A nice long piece to reach from side to side will help to stabilize the cap in production.  These are the frames that require the most specific digitizing in order to minimize the amount of movement within the frame and, consequently, the amount of distortion. Embroidery on the back of caps is usually placed on an arc and sewn in a flat frame.  Although some embroiderers sew cap backs on a standard cap frame, it doesn’t hold the cap as firmly as a flat frame. When sewing flat, the frame that I use is a round 12mm frame, and the letters are placed on a 3-inch arc. New clamping frames have hit the market, which are specifically designed to tightly hold the cap during this process. They really save time and effort and should be considered.Where the 5-panel cap, the one with a solid front, is the easiest to embroider on because you don’t have to deal with the seam in front, it is the least in demand. Old fashion is what I hear from most of my cap customers. The 6-panel cap is the most popular and the structured (the one with support in the front) 6-panel cap is the most popular in my store.  Working with the 6-panel cap may be a challenge in itself because of the seam in the front. If it posses a problem with your design, add a column of zigzag stitches in the front where the seam will fall and that should hold the design up and out of the seam. You will want to put a new, sharp (as opposed to ball-point) needle in each color needed for any cap embroidery because of the thickness of most hats. This will reduce the number of thread breaks and keep your letters crisp and neat. The head wear market is constantly changing; new products are being added as other products are retired, all in an effort to keep pace with the ever-changing fads and fashion. Adding these products often requires a quick course in framing techniques and new products. Make sure you keep up on changing products, accessories and framing devices because these are the tools that prepare you and keep you ready to tackle the new challenges constantly coming your way.

So from one embroiderer to another, “Lets put ‘em in stitches!”

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How to Choose an Embroidery Digitizer?

Embroidery Digitizing is the art of transferring an image or picture into a digitized format that a computerized sewing machine can understand. Once the design is sent to the sewing machine, the sewing machine takes care of all of its creation needs. Not only does the sewing machine save you hours and hours of time and energy, it also makes a perfect piece. The sewing machine will do exactly what the pattern tells it to do-it's not going to miscount or forget to put in certain stitches. With the embroidery digitizing machines, perfection is easy to achieve.

Now, some of your results will be links to companies that sell embroidery digitizing software. If you have no interest in trying to digitize your own embroidery patterns, then you have no need for the links to the software companies. Ignoring those will bring down the number of companies that you can consider when you choose an embroidery digitizing company.

Where you will want to start with your comparison of the embroidery digitizing companies is with the prices and the turnaround. Some companies will offer a fast turnaround (starting at 24 hours). Some will not advertise a turnaround at all for their embroidery digitizing services. You may need to email the company to find out what their turnaround rate is.

The next place you will want to look is at how much the company is charging for their embroidery digitizing service. Prices can vary greatly, and you need to decide on what you feel is a fair price for you to pay. You will probably want to comparison shop to come up with the price you are willing to pay. In some cases, you may get a bulk discount.

The final thing you will want to look at when choosing an embroidery digitizing company is at the quality of their work. Most companies have examples of the items they have digitized on their website. If their examples aren't up to the standards you want for your digitized embroidery pattern, then you should probably look at a different embroidery digitizing company to digitize your embroidery pattern.

Keep in mind, once you decide on the company that you are going to use for your current project, you may still want to comparison shop each time that you have another embroidery pattern digitized.

All in all, choosing an embroidery digitized pattern can be a fun, satisfying experience. It is a great way to encourage individuality and leadership. Who knew that there could be so many benefits from a simple work of art? The effect of embroidered art, however, is far from simple. The effect is has can inspire emotions from all over the spectrum.

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