Posts Tagged ‘embroidery’

Tote Bags, Start a Craft Business, and Save the Planet One Bag at a Time

Friday, January 1st, 2010

With everyone thinking “green” these days, the tote bag has become popular once again. In our Grandmother’s day, they would always carry their own shopping or tote bags, but then came the quick and easy throw away plastic bag.

Now we are turning the tables again, and the tote bag is here to stay. Even the grocery stores are offering them for sale. This is a great place to start for a craft business.

If your passion, is painting, sewing, quilting, appliqué, embroidery, or even stamping, then you can create the most gorgeous tote bags, for yourself, for unique one of a kind gifts, or to sell at craft shows or online. They are lightweight, and strong, and they really are an open canvas.

With all the latest and greatest craft supplies out there now, you can get printable fabric that you can put in your computer printer. You can print a photograph from your computer, right onto this fabric, which you could then appliqué to the tote, it is washable. This could be a great craft business idea. This works well with pet photos. Everyone loves their pets, and would love to show off their pets picture done up nice on a tote bag.

Make one for yourself and make sure to use it everyday, and you will get people asking about your tote. This is great free advertising.

Stamping also works well on blank totes. The ideas are endless, but make sure and take a picture of your original totes and keep in an album for potential customers to see. Tote bags are a great form of usable art, and pretty soon you will see your artwork on display everyday as tote bags. What a great feeling that would be.

If you love this idea, then why not get your tote bags in bulk?.. Some craft store sell them, but I find them to be most affordable online. You can purchase all different styles depending on what artwork you will put on it. Go ahead, and make some useable art and help keep the planet green.blank tote bags online now

All About Aida Fabric

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

 

While Aida fabric can be considered and evenweave since it has an equal number of threads running horizontally and vertically, in cross stitch it stands alone. Aida is always made from cotton and consists of four strands grouped together both horizontally and vertically and woven to create uniform blocks.

 

These uniform blocks are what give Aida fabric it’s count, available in 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22. When working with Aida, each stitch is worked over one block of weave.

 

Aida is perfect for new cross stitchers because it is strong, durable and handles repeated washing when needed. Since it is made especially for counted stitch work, like cross stitch, the grid on a cross stitch pattern will correspond to the grid on Aida fabric perfectly.

 

As with any cotton fabric, Aida can stain easily and so care should be taken when working with it. Washing hands before stitching, using needles and scissors dedicated to the project so there is no chance of anything else getting on them, and cleaning hoops well prior to use. It is also important to store projects rolled up instead of folded so creases aren’t created. An easy way to do this is to keep the cardboard tube from a finished paper towel roll and to wrap your work around it.

 

If a stain does appear on a piece of Aida, it is important to try to remove it immediately. The most practical way to be assured that the stain will come out will be to take the piece to the dry cleaner’s. If this isn’t possible or practical, follow normal stain treatment procedures; cool water for blood, hairspray for ink, etc.

 

Aida is a wonderful standard fabric upon which to create either simple work or masterpieces of cross stitch. It is available in a rainbow of colors and can be ordered in any size.

 

 

Choosing the Correct Embroidery Stabilizer

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Choosing the right embroidery stabilizer can take time and some experimentation. Before you start trying out the various stabilizers it is a good idea to understand what is available and what purpose the different stabilizers serve, and which fabrics they are best used on. Armed with this knowledge you should be able to make an informed decision and save quite a bit of time and money.
Embroidery stabilizer can be divided into four major categories: Tearaway, Water Soluble, Heat Removable and Cutaway. Cutaway stabilizer attaches itself to the fabric that you are working with, while Water Soluble, Heat Removable and Tearaway come off when you are finished sewing. Fusible stabilizers are joined to cloth by warming them with an iron, and sticky stabilizers use an adhesive to join to the fabric.
These four types of embroidery stabilizer come in a variety of sizes that are designed to fit various hoops. All of these types of embroidery stabilizers have their purposes, and within these groups there are subtypes, like fusible and sticky, for different fabrics and uses.
As the name would indicate, Tearaway Stabilizer is torn off of your embroidery when you are done sewing. Some tearaway stabilizers tear off easily, while others require more work and possibly the use of tools. Often it is better to stack tearaway embroidery stabilizers rather than using one thick one. Tearaway stabilizer is used on thicker, solid fabrics, such as denim or towels.
Water Soluble Stabilizers will dissolve when washed. If you need continual support for your embroidery project it is important to be aware that they will not stand up to being wet, so you will need to choose another type of embroidery stabilizer. Water Soluble Stabilizers are often used as a topping (on top of your embroidery) or in the hoop. When used on textured, high pile, or knit fabrics, water soluble can be utilized as a topping and will help you to not lose your stitches. Water soluble stabilizers are useful on sheer, delicate fabrics like silk or lace.
Heat Removable Stabilizers will flake away when they are ironed. Some fabrics cannot get wet, like wool, satin, and velvet, so Heat Removable Stabilizers are a good choice for these fabrics. They may also be used as a topping.
Cutaway Embroidery Stabilizers come in a range of thicknesses; the thicker your fabric is the thicker the cutaway stabilizer should be. Cutaway stabilizers are useful on projects where you are afraid of losing your stitches, and can be used when you are creating emblems or patches. They can be used on fabrics as thick as upholstery, or on more common thicknesses.
When you have found the right stabilizer for your projects you will want to keep samples and notes, so that months or years later, when the same job or a similar project comes up you will be ready with the right products. The correct combination of thread, stabilizer, and fabric will take time to figure out; you won’t want to repeat the process. You may want to bag a sample of the fabric with a piece of the best embroidery stabilizer that you have found to work with that fabric.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Retail or Wholesale T Shirts, Golf Tee Shirts and Polo Shirts in Tampa FL

Friday, December 11th, 2009

With the onslaught of natural disasters worldwide due to climate change, ecological responsibility is the new buzz word among individuals, organizations, institutions and companies. Even in seemingly ordinary purchases like retail or wholesale t shirts, golf tee shirts and polo shirts for uniforms or as promotional items in Tampa FL, choosing eco-friendly t-shirts, whether printed or with embroidery, is recommended. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of choices available in Tampa FL.The eco-friendly t-shirts, golf tee shirts and polo shirts for sale in Tampa FL are mostly made from materials that are of modal, recycled polyester blend, bamboo and bamboo charcoal technology or organic cotton.Modal material is made out of native beech wood. This is considered a highly renewable source since native beech wood does not need a lot of fertilizers and pesticides in its propagation. Because of this, it is classified as an eco-friendly fabric. Among its benefits for the wearer are the material’s being resistant to odor, its ability to regulate heat and its being very soft and very absorbent. Modal is also known to be color fast, as well as resistant to shrinkage and pills.Material made from recycled polyester blend is considered eco-friendly because it does not require new production and therefore uses less oil while decreasing the output of pollutants. Recycling the polyester also means less waste and more extended use of existing materials. Among its benefits for the wearer are the material’s being breathable while having resistance against wind and rain.Material made from bamboo is produced using high heat in bamboo charcoal technology. This is another highly renewable source that will not deplete the world’s natural resources. It is also considered very ecologically safe since bamboo grows very fast even without need for harmful chemical pesticides. In fact, bamboo grows by as much as one foot every day. Among its benefits for the wearer are the material’s high resistance to UV rays and its ability to regulate the wearer’s body temperature. This is also because it is breathable and can wick out moisture, keeping the wearer comfortably dry. Furthermore, it is antimicrobial and, therefore, prevents the development of body odor.Material made from organic cotton needs certification from a governing agency to prove that the cotton has indeed been grown organically on land that has not been treated with any form of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides in the previous three years. Soil renewal should have been achieved through crop rotation and fertilizers used should be limited to manure. Among its benefits for the wearer are the material’s having all the qualities of traditional cotton, including its being highly absorbent, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, machine washable and machine dryable.Among the eco-friendly shirts you can buy as uniforms are Port Authority Ladies Modal Soft Touch Shirts, Port Authority Recycled Polyester Soft Shell Jackets, Port Authority Recycled R-Tek Fleece Vests, Port Authority Recycled Jackets, Port Authority Long Sleeve Bamboo Fine Stripe Shirts, Port Authority Bamboo Camp Shirts, Port Authority Bamboo Pique Sport Shirts, District Threads Organic Cotton Tees, Red House 100% Organic Cotton Pique Polos, and Port Authority 100% Organic Sport Shirts.You can also avail of the following as promotional items: Port Authority Bamboo Sandwich Bill Caps, Port Authority Bamboo Towels, Port Authority 100% Organic Grocery Tote, Precious Cargo 100% Organic Infant and Toddler Tees, and Precious Cargo Infant One-Piece garments.You will definitely not have any problems sourcing eco-friendly retail or wholesale t shirts, golf tee shirts and polo shirts, both for custom embroidered t shirts and printed shirts, as well as promotional items in Tampa FL. There is, therefore, no excuse for any company, institution or organization not to opt for eco-friendly shirts for uniforms or give-aways.

Various Printing Options on Your Outfits

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

If you are searching for things such as children’s apparel, sports apparel, and other types of clothing, online clothing stores have various items available that can be personalized.  Now how do you get started with ordering your product?  With online clothing stores, you have several options available to you in order to customize your product.  Here’s how it works.

One such method that is probably the most commonly used is called screen printing.  Screen printing creates somewhat of a tiny inscription into the clothing in which the color ink is filled into. It can be applied to most every color of clothing, whether it’s white, black, or anything in between, and will not be affected by the garment’s colors.

Transfers are also popular, though used less frequently than screen printing due the fact that they’re less resistant to washing and fading.  Transfer paper is a thin sheet of paper which the object is directly printed onto.  The paper is placed face down on the garment, and the object is transferred via large amounts of heat.   A press is one way of doing this, and involves a large device that creates extreme amounts of heat and pressure to relay the image onto the garment.  Of course this can also be done by simply using a household iron as well, though it will likely take a bit longer.

Another method of creating personalization on garments is direct-to-garment printing.  Direct-to-garment is very permanent, and highly resistant to washing, fading, and other forms of discoloration.  The downside is that this can only be done on lightly colored fabrics, as darker colors will affect the color of the ink being used.

Another such method of personalization and likely the most exquisite is embroidery.  Embroidery stands out where the other methods of personalization do not, as embroidery is done with different colored threads.  Usually the embroidered design is created by a type of sewing machine, which in most cases is computerized.  Consequently, the detail can be quite stunning, and 3-dimensional.  Items that are commonly embroidered into clothing can include logos (i.e. business logos), sports team names, etc.

Online clothing stores offers personalization on most of their products, whether you’re buying sports wear, children’s wear, or anything else.  Products that can be customized are noted with a button at the virtual checkout counter, which allows you to determine the method of personalization, color, type, etc.  You’ll be given a variety of different options to choose from, in some cases including things such as size, location of personalization (on the garment), and other pertinent items.

Embroidery can be quoted instantly and directly on the site by using the embroidery calculation.  You may find this link directly from the online marketing stores home page.  The calculator offers discounts at various levels of purchase (i.e. 100 items), which will allow you to determine an exact quote.

Needlework Patterns and Accessories

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Needlework is another term for the handicraft of decorative sewing and textile arts.

Needlework includes

Patchwork

Patchwork or “pieced work” is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeat patterns built up with different colored shapes. Patchwork embroidery has been in vogue for decades and gained immense popularity during Great Depression, as it was the only method to recycle worn clothing into warm quilts. This embroidery has traditionally been sewn together by hand, but with the change in technology and to cash on the benefits of mass production. Patchwork is most often used to make quilts, but it can also be used to make bags, wall-hangings, warm jackets, skirts and other items of clothing. Some textile artists work with patchwork, often combining it with embroidery and other forms of stitchery.

Knitting

Knitting is a craft by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. may be done by hand or by machine. Flat knitting, which is done on two straight needles, produces a length of cloth, while circular knitting, which is done on circular or double-pointed needles, produces a tube of cloth. Knitted cloth is made out of yarn, a length of continuous fibres. Yarn for knitting can be made from any number of natural or synthetic fibres. Most knitting needles (also called knitting pins) are long, slender sticks with either one or two tapered ends used to hold and bring the working yarn through active stitches.

Embroidery

Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery stitches are the smallest units in embroidery, embroidery patterns are formed by doing many embroidery stitches, either all the same or different ones, either following a counting chart on paper, following a design painted on the fabric or even working freehand. Blackwork Embroidery is a simple form of embroidery, stitched in black thread on white or off-white fabric.

Cross Stitch

Cross-stitch is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture. Cross-stitch is the most popular form of hobby embroidery in the western world. It lends itself well to recreational use, as it is easy to learn and very versatile. Traditionally, cross-stitch was used to embellish items like dishcloths, household linens, and doilies. Modern cross-stitch designs often make extensive use of colours in many shades. When using fine fabric and thread this can create very realistic effects, almost like paintings, if that is desired.

Tapestry

Tapestry is woven by hand on a weaving-loom. Most weavers use a naturally based warp thread such as linen or cotton. The weft threads are usually wool or cotton, but may include silk, gold, silver, or other alternatives. is commonly (though incorrectly) applied to embroidered items made in canvas work such as needlepoint. Canvas work can look very much like tapestry.

What is Needlepoint?

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

One of the most confusing aspects of needlepoint is defining the different terms used in needlework. The term “needlework” is the broadest term used to describe any form of creative endeavor that is worked using a needle. Among the many varieties of needlework exists the term “needlepoint”, but we will get to that in a moment… Embroidery, quilting, rug making, knitting and crocheting are also covered under the enormous umbrella of the term “needlework”. In this article; we will be discussing needlepoint, embroidery, and tapestry.

First of all, let us get tapestry out of the way. The term “tapestry” is often misused in connection with needlepoint and embroidery. This is not a form of needlework. It is, however, a form of “textile art”. Tapestry is a woven fabric, created by hand or machine. The design is created through an intricate weaving process. Needlepoint and embroidery works are often confused with tapestry work because the finished products closely resemble each other. In the simplest terms, needlepoint and embroidery are worked ON the canvas or fabric, whereas tapestry IS the fabric.

Now let us move on to embroidery. Embroidery is the art of embellishing or decorating textile fabric. Almost any fabric may be embroidered. The two most common materials for embroidery are cotton or linen. Throughout the centuries, clothing, furniture and a large assortment of other day to day items have been embroidered. Almost any type of thread may be used for embroidery, floss being the most common. Believe it or not – in the past human hair was used to embroider. Personally, I prefer to keep my hair attached to my head and use floss for my embroidery projects. Often, objects may be embroidered into a piece. Decorative stones, beads or shells can be worked into a fabric using embroidery. Until the 19th century embroidery was referred to as “canvas work”. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries the term “petit point” was commonly used to describe embroidery. Today, petit point refers to needlepoint that is worked on canvas that is 16-mesh or smaller. There are two different methods of classifying embroidery. The first method divides embroidery into two groups: surface embroidery and, as previously mentioned, canvas work. Surface embroidery encompasses any design that is worked on top of the fabric. Canvas work consists of any design that is stitched into the canvas. These two terms are very broad and not very enlightening. I prefer the second method of classifying embroidery. The second method divides embroidery into two groups that are easier to understand: counted thread embroidery and free embroidery. Counted thread embroidery consists of any piece that is worked using a pre-determined pattern. The pattern may be printed on the fabric or not. Counted cross stitch and needlepoint are the two common types of counted thread embroidery. Yes, I said needlepoint is a form of embroidery. I will get to that in a moment… Free embroidery is a form of embroidery that does not worry about the foundation fabric. A free embroidery piece is worked without counting or design. Each stitch is placed independently, hence the name. Crewel work is an excellent example of free embroidery.

Finally, we come to needlepoint. What is needlepoint? Needlepoint, as I stated earlier is a form of embroidery. Remember, embroidery was commonly referred to as “canvas work” before the 19th century. Today, canvas work is called needlepoint. While embroidery is worked on either cloth or canvas, needlepoint is worked primarily on canvas. Woolen yarns are used for stitching needlepoint projects. Needlepoint stitches are “patterned” stitches. That is to say, stitches that have pre-determined counted patterns. There are literally hundreds of needlepoint stitches. Many of these stitches started out as embroidery stitches and have been adjusted for needlepoint canvas. Some of the more common needlepoint stitches are: cross stitch, bargello, gobelin stitch, basketweave, tent stitch, continental stitch, back stitch, chain stitch, and diagonal stitch. These are just a few of the many needlepoint stitches available today. For a more comprehensive list of these stitches, with instructions and diagrams, visit Stitchopedia….an encyclopedia of needlepoint stitches.

These are the definitions of tapestry, embroidery and needlepoint in the most simple of terms. Basically, tapestry is the art of weaving the design into a fabric, thus becoming the fabric itself. Embroidery is the art of embellishing and decorating an existing fabric. Needlepoint is the art of working the design into canvas. Whichever type of needlework you choose to engage in, all have the capacity to give many hours of creative pleasure to you.

Embroidery applique and custom tee shirts

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Members of sports teams and exclusive clubs often want an emblem of their membership that they can wear. The easy answer is digitised pictures. Embroidery applique digitizing allows for clothing shops to take a specific image, like the logo of a specific sports team, and embroider it onto a chain of sweatshirts or tee shirts. Because of this, shops can mass-produce many items of clothing that still appear totally unique to explicit clubs or groups. These groups often get a discount for ordering a giant number, allowing the sweatshirts ( or whatever kind of clothing they order ) to be inexpensive enough for every member of the team to purchase. every team and club wants to have its own image and its own identity. Embroidery applique digitizing permits for that. They can put any image they need, from easy text to the Grim Reaper to the sickle-and-hammer of the Soviet Union. Because of the development of machines, computers, and general technology, just about every club has the ability to cheaply produce such images on clothing that they are happy to wear in public. This technology permits them to feel unique without needing to go through the agony of individually embroidering each single item of clothing-a cost that’s probably not equal to the benefit of having team sweatshirts with the school logo. Embroidery applique digitizing, in making this process less expensive, has also authorized for more creativity to go into the field of clothing. Many individuals have the tiny amount required to make their own creative image or slogan, upload it at the clothing store, and print off a dozen tee shirts with their unique image. With more and more minds behind the design of clothing, people are beginning to see more creative and cleverer slogans and tee shirts. Rather than everyone wearing the same identical Yankee flag tee shirts from Old Navy, virtually everybody has a singular collection of tee shirts that reflect their collaboration in any number of clubs or events. people are beginning to essentially read each other’s tee shirts more often. The front of somebody’s shirt leads to a creative zinger on the back, and it could be the sole shirt like that you see for months. Some tee shirts are designed particularly for events as particular as your roommate’s twenty-first and a 3rd birthday party, or a company picnic. Embroidery applique digitizing leads to people have keepsakes and reminders of individual events, giving them a physical token of what was hopefully a meaningful or delightful experience. At the same time, the present simplicity of making tee shirts can also lead to issues. Particular phrases that companies would never throw on their clothing are simply typed up and slapped onto custom tee shirts. Embroidery applique digitising allows for bigger liberty of expression. However [*COMMA] the freedom of expression this technology brings means that people are likely to express nearly anything, and they are likely to ultimately express something offensive. Some people may even create custom tee shirts to make fun of other custom tee shirts, duplicating the same design and twisting it in mockery. in the final analysis, this technology creates a field of opportunities for America’s increasingly creative and clever culture. Particularly with a generation so used to the liberty of expression authorized by the Internet, custom clothing only seems sensible and will likely grow in renown. Most Embroidery applique has become a vital part of our times, and reflects the concerns of the present generation, even when those concerns are crammed with swear words. Custom clothing will often remain a delightful and delightful part of our culture for years yet to come.

Embroidery applique and practice

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Embroidery applique, the stitching of specific patterns or images into clothing, began in ancient civilizations as old as that of ancient Egypt and Zhou Dynasty China. It makes regular clothing look much fancier and far more interesting. It has remained popular for both its ability to stitch intricate patterns and images into clothing as well as its value as a pastime. From the activity’s origins, the poorest peasant to the richest queen has had the ability to embroider clothing as long as they have time, needles, cloth, and string.For this reason, some of the most beautiful clothing has been crafted by the incredibly destitute. Like many artistic crafts, the greatest work comes from an individual’s determination, patience, and practice. Many people have found themselves sitting down for hours and whiling away the afternoons with needles and cloth. Embroidery applique takes time, patience, diligence, and practice, but the final result is gratifying to the person who spent all that time to create such an intricate image. Those who embroider take satisfaction from the fact that they are able to take something usual and normal, such as regular clothing, and then improve upon it and make it their own through hard work and skill.Embroidery applique relies upon someone knowing a variety of different stitches with which to create an image or pattern. Amazingly, some of the most common and popular types of stitches today were used just as often in the activity’s first years, as evidenced by surviving relics of the period. Students of the craft learn the different stitches one by one, and through muscle memory, eventually master them. Soon enough, the ambitious embroiderer will be able to use many different stitches for the same cloth, allowing them to create more and more intricate designs.Today, virtually all patterns and designs in store-bought clothing come from the effort of machines, not of individual people. Computers are able to create many patterns over and over again, duplicating the same image and using machines to embroider them into the clothing. This method saves time, money, and manpower, but it also distances the art of embroidery applique from its humble, simple beginnings. Instead of a person seeing a finely woven image or design on a shirt and knowing that a master craftsman made it, we see mass-produced designs and dismiss the images as a simple function of computers. Embroidery, over time, has lost its human element.With fewer people knowing how to embroider and even fewer finding any reason to learn, we are coming to see fewer and fewer hand-woven masterpieces. In a culture so obsessed with saving time and making the most of time, it makes sense that fewer people are willing to learn and interested in learning. Additionally, our society is being saturated with thousands of copies of the exact same images and patterns because of the cheapness of mass-producing clothing with duplicate images. Embroidery the applique began with unique patterns being created by individual people, and because it was people who embroidered, the clothing itself varied according to the individual embroiderers. The clothing we wear today becomes less and less a symbol of our own individuality and more and more a symbol of society’s ownership of us. And with fewer people even aware of how to embroider, we are more than likely to see this trend continue. Another ancient craft begun by humans will be taken over by machines in the name of cost and convenience. Individuals who choose to learn and practice this craft will feel empowered by their ability to modify and create, and feel more in touch with their inner selves.