A simple bodice becomes the focal point of the garment when it is adorned with embroidery! Use this project for inspiration of how you can create yardage of embroidered fabric and then turn that into collars cuffs pockets or anywhere else you want to draw an eye.
Download the project instructions here.
Special Note: Before you begin please read through all the directions so that you are familiar with the “lace making” process. All embroidery is stitched on two layers of organza with a layer of Dissolve Away Mesh stabilizer from Baby Lock. No other embroidery stabilizer will need to be used!
Supplies
- Baby Lock Vesta or Baby Lock Flare
- 8”x12” Embroidery Frame
- Organza
- Dissolve-Away Mesh Stabilizer by Baby Lock
- Madeira Embroidery Thread
- Vogue Pattern V1484 (currently out of print and some changes were made during construction; didn’t add the collar nor did I use the sleeves)
- Exclusive Design from the Floral Collection in the Vesta or Flare
- Traditional sewing supplies: scissors pins seam gauge thread bobbins needles suitable to the fabric you will be sewing on Embroidery needles and embroidery bobbin thread.
Instructions
To begin:
- Remove the pattern pieces from your pattern that you want to focus on in your project.
- Cut a piece of organza large enough to generously accommodate the pattern pieces as well as enough to hoop within the embroidery frame.
- Double the organza fabric so that you have two layers (this will ensure that you will have the stability you need to support the stitches)
- Hoop the fabric and a single layer of Dissolve-Away Mesh stabilizer in the largest hoop for your machine.
- If your pattern piece shows that it is cut on the fold take time to trace the pattern piece onto a folded piece of pattern tracing material so that you can cut a single layer of the full pattern piece. This was done for the front bodice which makes it much easier than trying to fold the embroidered fabric and cut the pattern piece.
At the machine:
- Place embroidery unit on your machine with the power off!
- Turn the machine
- Go to the Exclusive’s Menu>Floral>Design 009
- Touch the design and then touch Set.
- Touch Add and go through the same process until you’ve added 3 more of the floral designs to your workspace
- Each time you add a design it will go on top of the one before.
- Click on each one and Move it on screen so that it isn’t stacked on top of each other.
- Rotate your design and even Mirror several of the designs to create a pleasing arrangement.
- Pay close attention to making sure your designs don’t overlap!
- When Finished touch Edit End.
- Touch the Color Sort Key. This feature groups all the like colors together so that you reduce the amount of color changes – a real time saver!
- You may even want to save the combined designs to memory before you get started stitching.
- Touch Embroidery and then stitch.
- When you are finished stitching reposition your hoop and continue stitching until you’ve embroidered enough fabric to accommodate your pattern pieces.
- You may even want to choose your 4” x 4” hoop for a single design at a time.
- After all the embroidery has been stitched remove the excess stabilizer with a small pair of sharp scissors. Take care not to cut your fabric!
- Fill a small pail with warm water and soak the fabric to remove all the excess stabilizer. This process is critical to the final product. Rinse and exchange water several times until you are certain all the stabilizer is removed.
- Press the fabric between a layer of thick towels to remove excess water.
- Let air dry.
- Cut out pattern pieces and continue construction per pattern directions.
