free motion embroidery - Preparing your fabric

In my last blog I wrote about getting your designs onto your fabric.

This blog is about getting your fabric ready to start stitching out.

When I first started free motion embroidery I knew what I wanted to create - but it looked an absolute mess. I had sketched my design out onto the fabric, I had my design idea, but it had completely puckered. My lovely design had puckers all around the edge and I couldn’t figure out why. It had to go in the bin.

I then carried out some research, I needed to have stabilised my fabric, just as I would using an embroidery machine.

The stitches are really close together, and were drawing the fabric in with nothing to give them that stability.

To prep your fabric you will need to decide on what stabiliser to use. The one in the picture above is a stitch n tear stabiliser. To adhere it to the fabric I lightly spray the stabiliser with 505 temporary fabric adhesive, (follow the instructions on the can), and I then press the stabiliser onto the wrong side of the fabric and smooth the fabric in place. This is now all ready for stitching.

There are a number of different stabilisers on the market, and the one above is a stitch n tear stabiliser, and it does exactly that. Once you have stitched out your design you tear the stabiliser away.

There are also water soluble stabilisers which are great if you are creating something that will show the stitching on both sides, for example a napkin. For the water soluble ones you soak your fabric in water and the stabiliser will disappear.

As you can see from the picture above. I have stitched out my design and this is the back of the fabric and stabiliser. I have just pulled this stabiliser away and as the stitches are close together, there is no damage to the fabric or the stitches.

I will be writing lots more short blogs on FME, so please do subscribe to my newsletter as I always mention a new blog in there first.

The Free Motion Embroidery Club will be starting soon. If you are interested sign up to the wait list.

Happy stitching,

Tracy

xx