Tips on Embroidery Stitches

Tap to Read ➤ Paramita Ghosh

Are you interested in embroidery stitching? Read on to know some useful tips about the same.

Though a very old art, embroidery stitching is still very popular with those who enjoy making creative pieces of art. No matter how advanced your embroidery machine might be, the basis of great embroidery lies on your own creativity and some useful techniques.

Once you have made up your mind to try your hands at it, and give an expression to your creative flair, it is important for you to know some basic things that would help you enhance your art work. Before you start off, keep a note on the given components which play a vital role in the quality and beautification of your embroidery work.

Stitching Design

Different types of designs have different types of look, appeal, and effect on the finished work. Be it too many or too few, either can affect the overall quality of the product, so you need to careful while selecting the pattern and design of fill-stitches.

Stabilizer Selection

It is very important to choose the right kind of stabilizer in order to bring the desired effect to your work of art. Stabilizers help in reducing distortion of the fabric as and when you are stitching. The way you attach the stabilizer to the fabric also influences the extent of fabric distortion, and thus, the overall work quality.

Remember that the stabilizer needs to be tightly and densely attached to the fabric so that it keeps moving while you are stitching on it. You may use adhesive sprays or hydro-sticks to help the fabric remain tightly attached with the stabilizer. Different types of fabrics may require different types of stabilizers to bring the best results.

Thread Selection

The two primary types of threads used in embroidery stitching include rayon and polyester. While rayon has a thin texture, polyester is stronger and durable.

However, in spite of being thin, rayon is used for some of the most beautiful works. Thus, you need to decide on the type of thread you want to use depending on the design. Make sure that the color of the thread matches with the pattern of your embroidery. Choose colors which are visually appealing and yet blend in with the design patterns.

Trimming the Threads

Keep trimming the thread jumps whenever there is a change of color to help you avoid stitching over jumped threads at the end of your finished work.

Hooping Method

The hooping method determines the alignment of your stitching with the design and its outlines. The fabric and the stabilizer need to be hooped in such a way that they are as tightly secured as possible.

Always ensure that there are no wrinkles on the fabric while you are hooping. Wrinkles would make the fabric move, affecting the alignment of the stitches. Also, note that varied fabrics might demand different types of hooping methods, so apply your hooping method accordingly.

Area Selection

Proper selection of the stitching area is an important factor in the enhancement of appeal of the embroidery work. Usually, to maximize the appeal, the area of the garment which is most visible is chosen for displaying the work of art.

There can be exceptions to this rule, depending on the length and use of the fabric or personal choice. Thus, choose your embroidery area accordingly.

Stitch Rehearsal

Before you start stitching on the actual fabric, test the different aspects of stitching on a rough piece of cloth, similar to the actual one.

This will help you get an idea of the thread tension, stabilizing problems, look, and feel of the design, and you will know what adjustments to make while working on the actual fabric.

Adjusting Thread Tension

Too much or too less thread tension can affect the quality of the finished work. While excessive thread tension can be the reason of breaking threads, inadequate tension may lead to loosening of the bobbin thread. Thus, adjust and see that the thread tension is maintained at an appropriate level so as to ensure a smooth stitching flow.