Blog posts tagged with 'ith'

Appliqué is a very versatile machine embroidery technique. Creating free-standing ornaments and gift tags is fun and easy! With a basic appliqué tag design, you can add your own lettering or merge in other designs to create exactly what you want.

Skill Level

Basic embroidery skills. Novice or beginner skills with customizing software.

These instructions assume that you already know how to work with templates printed on fusible tearaway, a method I use most often for machine embroidered appliqué. If you’ve never used this technique, detailed instructions are included in the Appliqué Basics pdf that is included with most Lindee G Embroidery appliqué collections.

What You’ll Learn

• How to use simple yet creative techniques to expand your embroidery options
• How to make double-sided free-standing designs with appliqués
• How to customize designs with lettering
• How to resequence a design in customizing software to better suit your project

Selecting a Design

This technique works best when the satin cover stitching that finishes the appliqué sews last, as it so happens in the gingerbread designs on Gingery Christmas and is almost the case with this design. However, if we customize the tag with lettering, we’ll need to do a little extra work if we want a nice clean finished back with a satin stitched edge.

For this project, you’ll use the Gift Tag (lg002016) and add some lettering. There are two lettering designs in the collection that work perfectly. One is “Santa” (lg002025) and the second is “Holiday Greetings” (lg002017). Or, you can choose to add in your own lettering.

What You’ll Need

• Small scraps of fabric for front and back of appliqué
• Cutaway stabilizer (medium to heavy weight)
• Washaway stabilizer (fiber, not film)
• Light-weight tearaway stabilizer for printing templates
• Double-stick (pressure sensitive) fusible web for appliqué (Steam-A-Seam II or Pellon Easy Steam II)
• Gift tag design from Gingery Christmas by Lindee G Embroidery with templates
• One of the lettering designs or add your own
• Suitable embroidery threads
• Regular embroidery bobbin thread
• Bobbin of matching thread for the outer gingerbread color (last color in these designs)
• Temporary embroidery spray adhesive (“TESA”)
• Short length of ribbon or cord
• Eyelet cutter
• Customizing/Editing software (I used Embrilliance Enthusiast; it will also work in Embrilliance Essentials.)

Edit the design.

Open the design in customizing.

Merge in another design or create your own lettering.

2. Resequence the design

In this program, objects can be dragged to the order you like or you can right click on a object and choose from the menu

Save the file for your machine.

3. Alternative method.

Simple resequencing such as we just did in software is not difficult to do at your machine and works best with machines that have visual displays.

Load the gift tag into memory and then merge in the lettering design. Sew the gift tag up through color 8, then advance 2 color stops and sew the lettering. Finally, back up 2 color stops and sew the tag’s last 2 colors. Don’t forget to stop sewing after the tag’s last color!

I’ve seen people do amazingly complex resequencing at the machine to avoid using a computer. It requires close attention to keep track of what you’re doing. Me? Give me software!

4. Prepare templates

Print templates onto fusible tearaway and loosely cut around shapes to separate. (See technique in the Appliqué Basics instructions if aren’t familiar with this process.

5. Prepare fabric

Fuse a piece of cutaway to the back of each piece of appliqué fabric using fusible web. Press one template to front of one fabric and one to cutaway of other fabric to make a reversible ornament.

While the cutaway isn’t strictly necessary, it adds extra body and dimension to the design.

Cut out appliqués just to the outside edge of the pattern lines

At some point you’ll need to use the eyelet punch to cut out the hole in the tag. The first 
sample I made my punched eyelet lined up perfectly. The second time it didn’t. Because 
the satin stitching was designed to go over the punched edge, if you punch afterwards, 
you will be cutting thread. You can still make the hole later, but you’ll need to use some 
other method.

A better method is to slow down the machine when it gets to the eyelet. A running stitch 
sews just before the satin and you can manually stop the machine, remove the hoop, and 
punch the hole at that time.

6. Set up to sew

Hoop 2 pieces of washaway stabilizer. Sew the first color of the design (placement outline).

7. Place top appliqué.

Mist back of top piece with TESA. Remove the template from piece and position in the hoop 
within outline

8. Sew the tack down (zigzag) stitch and stop the machine.

Inspect the design to see if any areas extend beyond the tack down and trim off.

9. Sew design up until next to last color

Don’t sew last two colors! These two colors attach the back of the ornament

10. Place back appliqué

Remove the hoop from machine. Spray cutaway side of back appliqué with TESA, remove paper template, position appliqué in place, reset the hoop, replace the bobbin with the matching thread, and sew last color

11. Remove project from hoop and finish.

Trim off excess stabilizer close to the stitching. Remove remaining bits with damp paint 
brush or sponge. It is not necessary to soak out the remaining stabilizer

You’ll notice that the eyelet hole on the back is not satin stitched. This design was 
digitized well before the project was conceived. While I could have redigitized it, the intent 
of the projects is to show how to work with stock designs that are already digitized. Could 
you resequence in editing software? Absolutely! Is it worth the effort? That depends.

Looking for More Tag Style Designs?

Look for designs for badges and borders. These are often digitized as appliqué and work well 
with the techniques described here. Two collections you might look at are:

• Monogram Frames, which include some frames along with some coordinating borders. 
  Look for the designs that include appliqué.
• Badges, a collection of 40 appliqué-style “patch” designs that all work well for combining 
  with other designs.

If you want an eyelet, just extract those parts from the gift tag design in your editing program, 
paste into the badge or border design and resequence as we’ve done in this project.

Begin to look at your designs as elements that can be taken apart and recombined in new and creative ways

Journal and book covers are quick and easy projects and are perfect for showing of your embroidery! They also make great gifts and can be customized for almost anyone of any age.

PROJECT NOTES

For these samples, I used designs from Victorian Crazy Patch in the Hoop. Related YouTube videos are available for stitching the designs and making the cover:

• How to Sew a Journal Cover
• How to Stitch Victorian Crazy Piecing In-the-Hoop

These links were correct at the time of this writing. If they don’t work, please visit my YouTube channel to locate them: https://www.youtube.com/ lindeegvideos

These covers were made for standard composition books but you can make them for just about any book by changing the measurements.

Mine are just basic covers with sleeves on the inside to secure the book covers. I’ve added a ribbon for a book mark, a narrow elastic to secure the book closed, and a wider elastic loop to hold a pen.

The inside sleeves ofer more real estate for extra pockets and personalizing. Plan for any extra embroidery because you may need to complete that before final cutting to size.

SUPPLIES

• Fabrics for project (you’ll need to determine what you need based on how many fabrics you use and how large your book is)
• Cove
• Lining
• Sleeves
• Pockets
• Interfacing. I just used Pellon ShirTailor for mine but you may want something stifer.
• ¾” wide elastic (or a fabric loop) for the pen holder (~2½” or circumference of your pen plus ⅝”)
• ¼” wide elastic to hold the journal closed (height of book + 1”)
• Ribbon for book mark (about 3” longer than height of book)
• Optional: charm for bottom of ribbon
• Basic sewing supplies

START BY MEASURING

You’ll need several measurements:

• Height of your book cover
• Width of book measured around the circumference of the closed book from front edge around the spine to the back edge (not a full circumference)

This book is 9¾” tall by 15½” wide. Add 1” to both the height and width for your cutting size. Cut one piece for the cover and a second one for the lining.

Although we’ll only be using ¼” seams, we’ll need a little extra room for ease. When cutting the front cover fabric, I added a 2” extension to the right side for hooping and an extra ½” on the other sides for squaring up after stitching.

• Inside sleeve depth, which will depend somewhat on how wide your book can open and how thick your book is. The wider your sleeves, the more difcult it will be to get the cover on your book. Also, you need at least a 3” space between the sleeves along the spine to turn the project right side out. (More if your fabrics are thick or heavily interfaced.)

I cut my sleeves to 14” wide by 10¾” tall. Fold each sleeve in half, wrong sides together for a 7” x 10¾ size, then edge stitch along the folded edge.

INTERFACING

While not strictly required, interfacing will make your project look more professional by adding structure and will help it wear longer.

Fusible interfacings are easy to use. Be sure to follow the pressing directions included with your project.

I interfaced the outer cover with Pellon ShirTailor, which is a medium light interfacing, before embroidering. I also interfaced the lining piece and one side of each sleeve. I didn’t interface any of my pockets.

The striped pocket was cut 10” wide and folded just like the sleeve and top stitched along the edge. The top pocket is narrower and was stitched to the striped pocket to form several smaller pockets. (Pockets weren’t interfaced.)

On other journal covers, I’ve just placed one small pocket for business cards. Consider making a larger, clear vinyl pocket for an ID pocket if you’re making a cover for a student.

PREPARING TO SEW

Cut all your pieces to size, interfacing as desired. As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to complete any embroidery before cutting to make sure you have enough fabric for proper hooping. Also, embroidery can distort your fabric so having extra fabric to square up is a good idea.

Sleeves and long pockets are folded in half right sides together and edge stitched along fold. Attach any pockets to the sleeve panels.

Patch pockets are edge stitched in place. Pockets that extend into the seam allowances can be stay-stitched into place.

If you want curved corners, use your book to trace the corners in place. Remember to trace them on the seam line and not just around the book itself.

ASSEMBLING

When I took these step-by-step photos, I was working from the front cover. However, in the video, you’ll see me working from the lining side.

Working from the lining side seems a little easier because you are layering all the elements face up with only the outer cover face down. Plus, you can do all the stay stitching in just one pass. It really makes no diference to the fnal project which way you work.

STAY STITCHING

Stay stitching is another thing the pros do to reinforce various areas that are likely to get more abuse, such as the bookmark ribbon, elastics and pockets.

Stay stitching is done within the seam allowance. On the ribbon and elastics, I stitched forward, back and then forward again for extra security. On the pockets I just stitched them down once Stay stitching in this manner has the added beneft of holding everything in place when you have so many layers to stitch through.

Place your ribbon pretty side face down if applying to the front, face up if working from the lining side.

I only inserted one piece of elastic to hold the book closed. However, you could add a second to the back and then use the elastics to hold the book open to a specifc page.

Finally, layer on the lining, face down and then stitch around the outside edge using a ¼” seam allowance, leaving an opening on the bottom edge between the sleeves for turning.

Trim the corner seam allowances to reduce bulk. Turn right side out through the opening, taking care to push out the corners smoothly. Press well, tucking in the seam allowances at the opening; edge stitch closed.

WHOOPS!

Did your sleeves or pockets end up on the outside instead of the inside? Don’t panic! This can happen during turning. Simply flip them over to the inside.

OPTIONAL

Add a small charm or bead or just tie a knot at the end of the ribbon.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

Now all we need to do is dress our book. Fold back the covers and slide them into the sleeves, then pull on the cover.

NOW THAT YOU’VE MADE ONE, MAKE ANOTHER!

Once you’ve got your measurements worked out, making multiples for books of the same size is pretty speedy.

Having an embroidery machine along with some basic sewing skills makes it easy to make a gift stash so that you always have some little something on hand. Finger tip towels, kitchen towels, and journal covers are perfect for stocking that stash because they’re small, quick and easy to make, and can appeal to a wide range of people without having to deal with sizes!

Detailed instructions and patterns are not included with individual design fle downloads. Please refer to the color sequence information for a basic guideline for stitching. You can print the design using any embroidery software to make a template. For a fully illustrated step-by-step tutorial formatted for printing along with actual size printable patterns, please purchase the full collection. Free instructions can be found in the following blog posts:

• One Hoop Wonder: An In-the-Hoop Zippered Accessory Bag
• How to Make a Quick & Easy ITH Mini-Zip Bag
• How to Customize A Basic In-the-Hoop Project to Make Your Own Designer Bag

HOW TO DETERMINE FABRIC SIZES FOR ANY BAG IN THIS SERIES

1. Using your embroidery software, print the design at the actual size. You’ll use this as a pattern to cut all your pieces.

2. If you don’t have any software, then stitch out color 1 on the cutaway to use as a template and add the same seam allowances.

3. I added an extra quarter inch to the sides and top and an extra half inch along the bottom for seam allowances. Precision cutting is not required, just don’t make them too small

4. The outer line is the initial placement line, and the final seam allowance is a mere 2mm inside this line so cutting them larger than I did for the photo sequence makes the final steps easier. The measurements listed here and shown on the cut-out pattern pieces to the right are sufficient and will work for the other bags that use this construction technique.

5. Batting may be cut slightly smaller than the placement lines to reduce bulk in seam allowances. Batting is only cut for the front pieces and as a single layer (not on the fold)

Who doesn’t love new accessories to start a new school year? Even in 2020, the “year of COVID-19,” with school being all weird, you can make it a celebration with the accessories included in this set.

The Back-to-School Accessories set has 6 projects:

• 2 projects for 100x100mm sewing fields
• 3 projects for 130x180mm sewing fields
• 1 project for 200 x 300mm sewing fields

Two of these are the zipped pencil case designed for stitching with woven fabric. The 4 other projects are intended for vinyl, cork, leather, or felt.

This PDF covers the vinyl projects, which includes:

• lgp03201 - Pencil charm (4x4 hoop)
• lgp03202 - Pencil snap tab (4x4 hoop)
• lgp03203 - Pencil name tag/lip balm holder (5x7 hoop)
• lgp03204 - Pencil hand sanitizer holder (5x7 hoop

Although all these items are shown with additional personalization, the included design files are blank and can be customized as you desire either in your software or at the machine.

The zip bags are covered separately

Skill Level

These projects are all very simple and once you know how to do one, you know how to do the others.

The larger two projects have pockets on the back side. While pockets were not used on the smaller ones, you can add one the same way we’ll do it on the larger projects.

Another difference is that the charm uses an eyelet instead of snap. Since snaps, rivets, and other hardware are not part of the embroidery process, you can finish your project any way you choose.

You may want to watch this YouTube video first: ITH Monogrammed Lip Balm Holde

Please read through all instructions before starting your project! This project, while complex, is not really difficult because the embroidery takes care of all the construction. Cut and place carefully and you’ll have a successful result!

What You’ll Need

• Tearaway stabilizer
• Fabric: Vinyl is recommended but felt and leather are other options. Here’s a link to the yellow vinyl I used
• Note 1: The front and back can be different colors and different weights.
• Note 2: Consider using 12-gauge clear vinyl for the pocket to reduce thickness if your machine has trouble with 3 layers of marine vinyl
• Matching bobbin thread colors are recommended. I used these.
• Tape
• Heavy scissors for final trim
• Optional bag hardware of your choice
• Suitable embroidery threads

Getting Started

Print out the corresponding worksheet for the project you’ll be stitching. Here you’ll find dimensions for cutting your pieces along with brief sewing instructions. Once you understand how these are made, you can just use those notes instead of this PDF

About Embroidery on Vinyl

You’ll notice that the fills on these designs is more open than standard designs and you will see fabric peek through.

Wovens and knits have “breathing room” between the fabric’s fibers. Vinyl and leather have no such space. Packing in too much thread into such a product can cause warping and possibly enough needle damage to create “cutwork” instead of embroidery.

Personalizing the Vinyl Projects

All four of the vinyl projects can be personalized with either a name or monogram. While this can be done at the machine, it’s much easier in software. Since all software is different, here’s a quick overview.

The process is relatively simple in most any embroidery program that can add lettering:

1. Open the design in your software
2. Add your lettering,
3. Move it into place and rotate if necessary (Some designs were rotated to allow them to fit a smaller hoop.)
4. If your software allows you move the lettering, more it to sew right before the last color.

If you can’t sequence it properly in your software, you can still sew it by skipping and colors at your machine:

1. Sew up to the final outline.
2. Advance to your additional elements and stitch them.
3. At this point, you’ll be at the end of your design so you may need to advance through all the colors one more time to get to the original last color.

Process Overview

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Cut your vinyl to the sizes mentioned on the worksheet.
• Hoop one layer of tearaway.
• Sew color one directly onto the stabilizer for a placement line.

• Position the front fabric over the placement line.

• Color 2 attaches the front fabric.
• Sew the remaining colors up to the last color

• Remove the hoop, position the back fabrics on the bottom of the hoop, and secure.
• The back fabric is laid first, face up

• The pocket is placed second with the top edge at the placement marks.

• NOTE: Because of how the last color attaches everything, you can add/omit/move pockets on any vinyl design in this set
• Sew the last color to secure everything.
• Remove the hoop, tear off stabilizer close to the stitching.
• Trim around the project a few millimeters outside of the stitching line.
• Add a closure such as a snap or Velcro to secure each project

Summary

These projects work up very quickly and require minimal amounts of fabric. Personalize them and make them as easy gifts