presents

4FREE CUTWORK PROJECTS

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cmeEbook TOC_COV.indd 1 1/25/11 12:48:19 PM 4FREE CUTWORK PROJECTS

While cutwork designs may seem complicated, they’re actually very simple and provide a stunning finish on both home-dec items and garments alike. Most cutwork designs follow a similar three-step process. First, the design outline is stitched. After the outline is complete, the hoop is removed from the machine, and then the fabric inside the outline is trimmed away. After the trimming is complete, the hoop is placed back onto the machine to stitch the remaining design. The four projects included in this e-book are sure to get your creative juices flowing. Create a stylish blouse in “A Cut Above,” an adorable Easter table runner in “Bunny Trail,” a sassy asymmetrical top in “Fashion Forward” and a cute bag in “Simple Chic: Straw Flow- ers.” These four inspiring projects will make you a cutwork pro in no time!

Happy embroidering!

Colleen Exline Associate Editor, CME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Cut Above Shannon Dennis ...... PAGE 3

2 Fashion Forward Stephanie Corina Goddard ...... PAGE 5

3 Simple Chic: Straw Flower Annette Bailey ...... PAGE 8

4 Bunny Trail Diane Kron, courtesy of Baby Lock ...... PAGE 10

cmeEbook TOC_COV.indd 2 2/15/11 4:01:27 PM by Shannon Dennis

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CCMEP-cutabove.inddMEP-cutabove.indd 3 11/14/11/14/11 4:29:374:29:37 PMPM Cutwork embroidery provides a beautiful finish for garments, giving the illusion that you’ve spent days in the sewing room. But cutwork designs can be embroidered with minimal effort, so you can embellish a ready-made top in no time.

area over the stabilizer. Use the perimeter-baste SHOPPING LIST function to secure the shirt to the stabilizer. Embroider Step 1. † button-down shirt • Using blunt-end scissors, cut away the shirt fabric † coordinating polyester embroidery thread from the cutwork areas. Trim as close as possible † lightweight tear-away stabilizer to the outline running stitch (A). Use the design † small, blunt-end scissors template, instruction booklet or other visual aid † cutwork embroidery design to determine the cutwork area locations, if de- sired. Be very careful not to cut the stabilizer. Instructions • Embroider Step 2. Make sure the cutwork areas have clean edges. Trim any thread tails or fraying Most cutwork designs contain three steps. Step one edges. Embroider Step 2 again, if needed. is a running stitch that creates the design outline. • Embroider Step 3. After the embroidery is Step two is a reinforced running stitch and/or a complete, remove the shirt from the hoop. narrow zigzag that secures the fabric edges. Step Carefully remove the remaining stabilizer and three is the satin stitch, or embroidery work, that clip any jump stitches. Press the shirt from conceals the raw edges. the wrong side. • Load the cutwork design onto the embroidery machine. Many designs show the three steps in one color. To better identify each step, change each step to a different color in the embroidery machine or in embroidery software. • Hoop two layers of lightweight tear-away sta- blizer. • Print a template of the design and audition it on the shirtfront. The featured cutwork design was positioned along the upper-right shoulder. Keep in mind that the cutwork will expose some skin, so make sure bra straps or excessive skin won’t A Trim close to outline running stitch. show when planning the embroidery placement. Or plan to wear a shirt underneath for a pop of DESIGN Cutwork design: Pfaff Collection #392, Grand Dream Richeliu, Design #13; color and strategically place the embroidery to (800) 997-3233, pfaff.com or myembroideries.com achieve the desired look. SOURCE • Unbutton the shirt and position the embroidery Hilos Iris supplied the embroidery thread: hilosiris.com or theninaline.com/iris.

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fashionforward By Stephanie Corina Goddard

L.J. Designs Annapolis Spice up single-color cutwork with a scattering of beads on a breezy asym- metric top.

Supplies

 Asymmetric pullover top pattern of your choice  Fashion fabric according to pattern envelope, plus 1⁄ 4 yard extra for rough-cutting the front neckline and sleeve hems  Mesh water-soluble stabilizer  Embroidery, bobbin and monofila- ment thread  Size 75/11 embroidery needle  Pattern tracing supplies, including dressmaker’s tracing carbon and ruler  Assorted beads  Hand beading needle  Cutwork embroidery design of your choice Preparation  To support the weight of the beads and the open areas in the cutwork, choose woven cotton, linen Ken Clubb Illustration or/blend fabric. Because some of the garment sections will need to be soaked after embroidery, be sure to prewash the fabric. Tissue-fit the pattern and make any adjustments necessary. Determine the finished sleeve length and draw it on the pattern piece. Omit the front facing pattern piece.  Print or stitch templates of the embroidery motifs. The motifs must be mirror imaged for embroidery on each side of the neckline. Be sure to include all cross marks and hoop marks on the templates.

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 On the pattern front, draw a line to ric above the front shoulders and below  Cut a piece of mesh water-soluble stabi- indicate the center front. Use the tem- the sleeve hems for hooping. lizer larger than the hoop. Mark a cross- plates to audition the motif for a pleasing  Cut out the front and back pattern mark onto the stabilizer using a ruler. arrangement around the neckline. pieces; rough-cut the front neck and Hoop the stabilizer matching the hoop (It’s OK if some of the embroidery runs shoulder area for hooping ease. Before notches with marks on the stabilizer. off the removing the pattern, slip dressmaker  Begin at one shoulder. Position the fab- shoulder.) Motifs must meet at the center tracing carbon between the layers. Mark ric onto the stabilizer; aligning the marks front. the shoulder stitching and cutting lines. on the fabric with the marks on the stabi-  Tape the template in place on one side Mark the center and cross marks for each lizer. Lightly pin in place. of the neckline pattern. Mark the center motif (A).  Make any positioning adjustments and crossmarks onto the pattern. Flip  Repeat to audition and mark the fabric necessary. Pin or baste (by hand or the template over as if mirror imaging at the sleeve hem edges (B). machine) the layers together outside the motif and mark the other side of the the stitch field. neckline. Embroidery  Following the digitizer’s directions,  Pin the pattern to the fabric following  Wind a bobbin with a thread color to begin the embroidery process. When the guidesheet layout, allowing extra fab- match the embroidery thread. directed to trim the continuous edge,

C A B Begin cutting at upper edge of fabric, Mark shoulder stitching and cutting lines. Mark fabric at sleeve hem avoiding seam allowance at shoulder and Mark center and cross marks for each motif. edges. angling to dot.

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CMEP-070400-074076.indd 6 1/21/11 7:06:31 PM remove only enough basting stitches to free the fabric for cutting.  Begin cutting at the upper edge of the fabric, avoiding the shoulder seam allowance and angling to the dot (C on page 75). Trim the fabric close to the stitching line; do not cut the stabilizer. Pin the excess fabric away from the stitching area.  For cutwork areas within the motif, trim out fabric areas close to the stitching line.  Continue embroidering the design until all the satin stitch areas are complete on the first design. Construction together, with the garment front shoulders sandwiched between (F). Skip through any stitch-  Re-pin the front pattern piece to the  Stitch from shoulder to shoulder, pivot- es falling beyond the embroidered front and cut out the shoulders. At the neck edge, remove the ing at the neckline. Reinforce each pivot seam allowances or sim- remaining front neckline seam allowance point by re-stitching the corner for about 1 ply allow them to stitch above the cutwork (D). ⁄ 2” on either side, using a short stitch length. Trim and clip the neckline edge.  out on the stabilizer. Construct the garment following the Turn the facing and press all seam allow- pattern guidesheet, substituting the ances toward the back. Understitch the following directions for the shoulder  Repeat to embroider the other half of back neck facing as much as possible. and back facing. the neckline. Be sure to mirror image the  Complete the remainder of the garment  motif. Pin the shoulders right sides together, according to the pattern guidesheet. aligning the cut edges at the armseyes.  For each sleeve hem, repeat to embroi-  Hand stitch beads as desired using the There should be 5⁄ 8” empty space at der in the same manner as the neckline. the front neck edge. Stitch but do not hand beading needle and monofilament   Following the manufacturer’s directions, press (E). thread. soak the fabric in warm water and allow  Interface the back neck facing and the pieces to dry. Press from the wrong Cutwork design: Husqvarna Viking, Disk clean-finish the longer edge. #155, design 6 side.  Pin it to the back neckline, right sides Convert to sewing mode and satin stitch to bridge any gaps in the cutwork. Use matching embroidery thread to satin stitch.

F Pin to back neckline, right sides together, D Remove remaining front neckline seam E Pin shoulders right sides together, aligning cut edges at the armseyes. with garment front shoulders sandwiched allowance above cutwork. between.

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CMEP-070400-074076.indd 7 1/21/11 7:06:32 PM simple chicEmbroidering details with style

Makeover a plain, ready-made straw bag with Straw embroidered cutwork. By Annette Bailey

cmemag.com Flowers CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY 8

CME-0706-SIMPLECHIC.indd 8 1/21/11 7:12:49 PM Choose a simple appli- qué design and use only the placement stitching. Remove the satin stitching in editing software or simply skip past it. Because faux suede is a non-raveling fabric, there is no need to finish the raw edges. Supplies

 Ready-made straw bag or bag with straw front  Large scrap of faux suede  Cut-away stabilizer  Three to six 1⁄ 2”-diameter sew- on buttons  3⁄ 4 yard of 3⁄ 8”-wide flat trim  1 yard of eyelash trim with header  Embroidery, bobbin and mono- filament thread  Temporary spray adhesive  Chalk marker embroidery process.  Glue the eyelash trim around the outside  Beads  Embroider the designs, stitching only three edges of the bag.  Hand beading needle the appliqué placement outlines. Un-hoop  Repeat these steps to embellish the bag  Clear-drying fabric glue but do not remove the stabilizer. back, if desired.  Rotary cutter, ruler and mat  Use small, sharp curved scissors to cut  Flat toothpick Flower centers  Floral appliqué design of your just inside the stitching line on the designs choice and stabilizer. This creates the cutwork Using the hand beading needle and mono- effect. filament thread, sew beads to the Construction  Measure and mark the rectangle long top of the sew-on buttons. Thread a needle edges on the faux suede wrong side with with monofilament thread and poke it  Use software to combine several designs the dimensions recorded earlier. Center through one of the holes in the button in one hooping, if available. Otherwise the cutwork in the rectangle, measure from the wrong side; thread a bead on re-hoop as needed. 1 1⁄ 2” above and below the design edges; top. Poke the needle back through a  Measure the front of the bag from side mark. different hole in the button and knot the to side and record the dimensions. Cut a  Use the rotary cutter, mat and ruler to end securely on the underside. Continue rectangle 7” by this dimension, plus an carefully cut out the rectangle. in this manner until several beads are in extra 2”. place at the button center. Glue the button  Using a flat toothpick, dab fabric glue  Print or stitch a template of the design at the center of the flower.  on the wrong side of the embroidered and mark the fabric for placement, rectangle perimeter edges. Carefully place beginning at the center of the rectangle Daisy design: Creative Machine Embroidery, it on the straw bag front, and matching and working your way toward each long Big Daisy; quiltandsewshop.com upper edges and sides, finger-press the edge. Hoop cut-away stabilizer, spray with fabric in place. Dab glue under the edges temporary adhesive and adhere a rectan- of the flower cutwork and finger-press in gle of faux suede cut larger than the hoop. place.  For this project embroider only the  Cut the flat trim to fit the width of the outline stitching on the design. Use editing purse. Glue in place where the faux suede software, if available, to remove the satin and straw meet (use the photo as a guide). stitching or simply skip past it during the 9 CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY cmemag.com

CME-0706-SIMPLECHIC.indd 9 1/25/11 12:51:38 PM Bunny

TRAILBy Diane Kron, courtesy of Baby Lock

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CMEP-100400-BTR-028031r1.indd 10 1/21/11 7:24:29 PM Create an adorable table runner just in time for Easter.

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CMEP-100400-BTR-028031r1.indd 11 1/21/11 7:24:31 PM Cut SHOPPING LIST Finished table runner size: 16"x48". • From the home décor fabric, cut one 17"x49" † 1½ yards of home décor fabric rectangle. Cut each short edge at a 45° angle, † ½ yard of white fleece forming points (A). † embroidery software (with digitizing capabilities) † eight ½"-wide pom-poms † 1½ yards of jumbo rickrack 45º 45º † water-soluble stabilizer † fabric glue 17" † thread: all-purpose & embroidery 45º 45º † rotary cutting system † appliqué scissors 49" A Cut short edges at 45º angles, forming points.

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CMEP-100400-BTR-028031r1.indd 12 1/21/11 7:24:34 PM B Apply triple stitch C Draw intersecting to form outline. lines in bunny body.

D Apply appliqué E Apply satin stitch satin stitch to to bunny head each paw outline. and body.

Digitize Embroider a piece of fleece over the appli- qué placement line. Embroider • Open a new page in the software • Print eight templates of the bunny the second design color, securing program. Load a bunny clipart design and audition them along the fleece to the table runner. image. For best results, use a the fabric rectangle perimeter. black-and-white image with Position each template approxi- • Once the embroidery is complete, little detail. mately 2" from the table runner remove the hoop from the ma- chine and trim the fleece close • Select the line drawing tool and lower edge and 6" apart. Once to the placement line. Place the outline the bunny. Select the satisfied with the placement, mark hoop back on the machine and shape tool and apply a triple each design center. embroider the third design color stitch to the outline (B). • Hoop a piece of water-soluble to finish the paws. • Draw diagonal intersecting lines stabilizer with the fabric, centering • Embroider the bunny mouth, nose inside the bunny body (C). Leave one design center in the hoop. and eyes. Once the embroidery is the paws free. Choose a satin • Position the needle over the design complete, cut away the stabilizer. stitch and set the width to 1.5mm center. Embroider the bunny outline. Rinse to remove the remaining and the density to .03. Apply the Once the embroidery is complete, stabilizer in warm water. satin stitch to each line. remove the hoop from the ma- • Repeat to embroider each remain- • Apply an appliqué satin stitch to chine. Using appliqué scissors, ing bunny. each paw outline (D). trim away the fabric close to the outline stitching, being careful not • Draw a nose, mouth and eyes on to cut the stabilizer. Finish the bunny. Apply a satin stitch to each feature. • Place the hoop back onto the • Turn each table runner edge ½" machine and embroider the inter- to the wrong side; press. Position • Apply a satin stitch to the bunny secting lines. rickrack on the table runner right head and body (E). • Embroider each paw. The first side along the perimeter; stitch • Save the design in the appropriate design color embroiders the ap- down the rickrack center to secure. format. pliqué placement line. Once the • Using glue, adhere one white embroidery is complete, position pom-pom to each bunny nose.

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EMBROIDER YOUR HEART OUT with Creative Machine Embroidery as your guide!

Once you try machine embroidery for the first time, you’re sure to get hooked. You’ll want new ideas, inspirations and techniques to expand your skills and to get the very most out of your prized investment—the embroidery machine. Look to Creative Machine Embroidery magazine to provide you with what you need to successfully embroider anything and everything your heart desires.

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