This last weekend, we exhibited at The Embroidery Tradeshow in Columbus, Ohio - The National Network of Embroidery Professionals were the hosts of the show. And all I can say is WOW, This was a tremendous show!
I was flabbergasted by the people I met and talked with. All different people from home sewers & embroiderers to screen printers to new business ventures to...the list goes on and on. I had the pleasure of speaking with many different people about embroidery applications, tips, techniques, and even talking about adapting certain jigs or frames for lasers. It was so much fun just brainstorming with everyone!
I also was lucky to see some of our wonderful customers (friends) and speak with them about their businesses and what they are currently working on - and of course, talking about our personal selves :)
In addition, it was really interesting to speak to people breaking into the business and what they want to do with embroidery. For example, I met a very wonderful family that created custom genuine leather golf grips and putter covers. This family wanted to see the machine in action and embroider on the leather. They were prepared and brought in their logos and leather to embroider. We were able to digitize their logo and embroider the leather on the spot - it was fun :)
Many people came to linger and watch this application. We didn't have all the resources we needed so we compromised a little bit. Instead of using the mighty hoop, we used the largest hoop that is with the machine. So...this is what we did -
I hooped up 2 layers of cutaway in the largest hoop (I didn't have any other type of backing). Then, we took the leather and sprayed the back of it with a light tack spray. After it was sprayed, I layed it down on the cutaway. After laying it down, I took a very very small amount of oil and lightly rubbed it on the area to be embroidered - this helps lubricate the needle as it goes up and down through the leather. You can also put down a piece of wax paper under the hoop (while it's on the machine - "floating it" under the backing). After all that, we put the hoop on the machine and lined it up.
As for the embroidery digitizing, I had optimized it for leather - increasing stitch lengths to decrease the amount of stitches - with leather, we have to limit the amount of stitch penetrations as the needle makes holes in the fabric. I changed the underlay to an edge run underlay instead of a tatami. I also lightened the density to remove unnecessary needle penetrations.
The embroidery on leather turned out fantastic - even though we did not have all the devices we needed. It's fun improvising :)
So - leather can be embroidered!
Keep Pushing the Limits -
Andrea - "The Embroidery Nerd"
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
How a Stitch is Made
Many people often wonder exactly how a stitch is made. I found this great little animation on how it works. Pretty cool...
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Needles, Backing, & Thread, OH MY! (Part 1)
When trying to first understand embroidery, it seems so simple - the machine just does it all for you... Right? Wrong. If it were that easy, there would be many many more embroiderers in business than there are now.
There are many aspects to embroidery and in this section, I am just going to mention 3 of them - needles, backing & thread. These are all consumable items that are used on the machine itself. Let's talk about the first one - needles.
What does a needle actually do to your garment? Well - it passes through your material to meet the hook to create a knot (the stitch) - whether is is separating the fibers or piercing through. When this happens, displacement happens and the fabric moves ever so slightly with each needle penetration. Each fabric will react differently and, most importantly, it will depend on needle size and type.
Needles come in varying sizes as well as point types (some even come coated in titanium or teflon). When referring to a needle size, many use 2 numbers - the most common size being 75/11. What do these sizes mean? Well, the 2 numbers mean the exact same thing. The first number (IE: 75) is the Number Metric - it is the diameter of the needle shaft in millimeters multiplied by 100. So, the diameter is in fact .75 mm. The second number (IE: 11) is it's US counterpart. This is a standard that was set by Singer. Needle sizes can vary from 60/8 up to 120/19. The smaller the number, the smaller the size. This also means that the hole of the needle (where the thread passes) becomes smaller. So, then, the larger the number, the larger the size and the larger the hole of the needle (where the thread passes).
We have to find a balance between the needle and thread (as well as design aspect & other factors - we'll talk about that later) when choosing size. With an embroidery machine moving at a fast pace, the thread needs to pass through the needle smoothly and without any friction. If the thread does not pass through freely, you will experience fraying of thread and thread breaks - and in turn, will frustrate anyone trying to run a design that keeps "messing" up. So, with 40 weight standard poly thread, most people use the size of 75/11. When it comes to finer detail work in your design - many will use a smaller needle such as a 70/10 or even 65/9 with a thinner thread - such as a 60 weight poly thread. With a thinner thread, you can use a smaller needle - the hole doesn't need to be as big. In addition, this will help with detail work because it is making a smaller hole in your fabric (less displacement). On the other side of things, you may want to use a larger needle for metallic thread or specialty thread - metallics feel rougher and some may feel "wire-y." They can be coated & fibrous and it is probably better to use a larger needle - such as a 80/12 to help the thread pass through easier.
Then, you have the needle point type - ball point, sharp point, and wedge point are the most common. A ball point needle is more rounded at the tip and has less cutting action. Because of this rounded tip, the needle will try to separate the fibers rather than cut through them, which decreases the risk of damage. A sharp point needle has a sharp pointed tip and has more cutting action than a ballpoint - they are designed to pierce the fabric rather than separate the fibers. The sharp point is used primarily for tightly woven materials such as canvas, denim & sturdy fabrics - and most ball caps. Finally the wedge point has a wedged shape to help reduce friction while piercing the fabric - they have a cutting edge to penetrate non-woven materials such as leather and suede.
Now - changing the needle. Needles will wear down - and that will affect your embroidery machine performance. If a needle is worn down, has a burr in the eye or has become more blunt, it can drastically effect the way the thread lays on the garment. Changing the needle often is a good idea - many people base it on how often they use a needle (such as the needles assigned for black and white - most used). You will want to change those more often than a color such as chartreuse.
There are guidelines on what needle to use when, but there is not one fast/hard rule about what needle to use on each garment type - mostly because there are so many other aspects that have to be considered. My advice is to understand and experiment - know what needle types & sizes mean and then choose a needle that you think would best accomodate your thread, garment, backing, design & hooping style. Experiment with different needle types and use what you see fit for your embroidery. Make sure to take notes!
Prior to embroidery, I never ever thought that much about needles...
-Andrea
There are many aspects to embroidery and in this section, I am just going to mention 3 of them - needles, backing & thread. These are all consumable items that are used on the machine itself. Let's talk about the first one - needles.
What does a needle actually do to your garment? Well - it passes through your material to meet the hook to create a knot (the stitch) - whether is is separating the fibers or piercing through. When this happens, displacement happens and the fabric moves ever so slightly with each needle penetration. Each fabric will react differently and, most importantly, it will depend on needle size and type.
Needles come in varying sizes as well as point types (some even come coated in titanium or teflon). When referring to a needle size, many use 2 numbers - the most common size being 75/11. What do these sizes mean? Well, the 2 numbers mean the exact same thing. The first number (IE: 75) is the Number Metric - it is the diameter of the needle shaft in millimeters multiplied by 100. So, the diameter is in fact .75 mm. The second number (IE: 11) is it's US counterpart. This is a standard that was set by Singer. Needle sizes can vary from 60/8 up to 120/19. The smaller the number, the smaller the size. This also means that the hole of the needle (where the thread passes) becomes smaller. So, then, the larger the number, the larger the size and the larger the hole of the needle (where the thread passes).
We have to find a balance between the needle and thread (as well as design aspect & other factors - we'll talk about that later) when choosing size. With an embroidery machine moving at a fast pace, the thread needs to pass through the needle smoothly and without any friction. If the thread does not pass through freely, you will experience fraying of thread and thread breaks - and in turn, will frustrate anyone trying to run a design that keeps "messing" up. So, with 40 weight standard poly thread, most people use the size of 75/11. When it comes to finer detail work in your design - many will use a smaller needle such as a 70/10 or even 65/9 with a thinner thread - such as a 60 weight poly thread. With a thinner thread, you can use a smaller needle - the hole doesn't need to be as big. In addition, this will help with detail work because it is making a smaller hole in your fabric (less displacement). On the other side of things, you may want to use a larger needle for metallic thread or specialty thread - metallics feel rougher and some may feel "wire-y." They can be coated & fibrous and it is probably better to use a larger needle - such as a 80/12 to help the thread pass through easier.
Then, you have the needle point type - ball point, sharp point, and wedge point are the most common. A ball point needle is more rounded at the tip and has less cutting action. Because of this rounded tip, the needle will try to separate the fibers rather than cut through them, which decreases the risk of damage. A sharp point needle has a sharp pointed tip and has more cutting action than a ballpoint - they are designed to pierce the fabric rather than separate the fibers. The sharp point is used primarily for tightly woven materials such as canvas, denim & sturdy fabrics - and most ball caps. Finally the wedge point has a wedged shape to help reduce friction while piercing the fabric - they have a cutting edge to penetrate non-woven materials such as leather and suede.
Now - changing the needle. Needles will wear down - and that will affect your embroidery machine performance. If a needle is worn down, has a burr in the eye or has become more blunt, it can drastically effect the way the thread lays on the garment. Changing the needle often is a good idea - many people base it on how often they use a needle (such as the needles assigned for black and white - most used). You will want to change those more often than a color such as chartreuse.
There are guidelines on what needle to use when, but there is not one fast/hard rule about what needle to use on each garment type - mostly because there are so many other aspects that have to be considered. My advice is to understand and experiment - know what needle types & sizes mean and then choose a needle that you think would best accomodate your thread, garment, backing, design & hooping style. Experiment with different needle types and use what you see fit for your embroidery. Make sure to take notes!
Prior to embroidery, I never ever thought that much about needles...
-Andrea
Friday, February 1, 2013
Embroidery never ceases to amaze me. (Really?) Yes, really - it really does. There are so many aspects of embroidery and embroidery technique that I never stop learning.
I used to think embroidery was boring - I mean, who doesn't, right? It' all about the grannies with coke bottle glasses, sitting in their rocking chairs with a needle and thread. Not so much - there are so many facets of embroidery that intrigue me. So much so that I catch myself being a complete "nerd" about it and passionately describing it to my peers. Some call me "The Embroidery Nerd," but I love it - hand embroidery, home sewing/embroidery machines, industrial embroidery machines, zig zag machines, large format machines, specialty machines, chenille machines... all of it!
Immersing myself in the industry, I have networked with so many great people. I love listening, teaching, learning, and being challenged. And, I want to share it with you.
So, with the first blog post, I want to let you know who I am, what we do, and share with you different experiences, tips, tricks, techniques, stories and more. I hope you follow the blog and I would love to hear feedback.
Sincerely,
Andrea
"Embroidery Nerd"
I used to think embroidery was boring - I mean, who doesn't, right? It' all about the grannies with coke bottle glasses, sitting in their rocking chairs with a needle and thread. Not so much - there are so many facets of embroidery that intrigue me. So much so that I catch myself being a complete "nerd" about it and passionately describing it to my peers. Some call me "The Embroidery Nerd," but I love it - hand embroidery, home sewing/embroidery machines, industrial embroidery machines, zig zag machines, large format machines, specialty machines, chenille machines... all of it!
Immersing myself in the industry, I have networked with so many great people. I love listening, teaching, learning, and being challenged. And, I want to share it with you.
So, with the first blog post, I want to let you know who I am, what we do, and share with you different experiences, tips, tricks, techniques, stories and more. I hope you follow the blog and I would love to hear feedback.
Sincerely,
Andrea
"Embroidery Nerd"
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