presents 4FREE CUTWORK PROJECTS 2 3 4 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 3 CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY cmemag.com CCMEP-cutabove.inddMEP-cutabove.indd 3 11/14/11/14/11 44:29:37:29:37 PPMM 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. cmemag.com CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY 4 CCMEP-cutabove.inddMEP-cutabove.indd 4 11/14/11/14/11 44:29:40:29:40 PPMM Part 1 of 6 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. 5 CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY cmemag.com CMEP-070400-074076.indd 5 1/21/11 7:06:29 PM d 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. cmemag.com CREATIVE MACHINE EMBROIDERY 6 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.