Richelieu Roman Blind Instructions

Instructions for Applique

There are many ways of doing applique, but I've found that most of
them out there, are just conversions of the original hand method.
They all work, don't get me wrong, but because of the hoops our machines take,
some adjustments needed to be made to make it easier to do.

Programming (digitizing)

The first adjustment was to the programming on the design itself.
In hand applique you either bond stitchwitchery, or some other
double-sided bonding backed stabilizer to either your fabric, or
pre-cut pieces. Place them where you want before ironing them in that
position, and then sew them on. Here you are working with a flat
surface and lining up is easy. If your cutting is not too great it
won't matter as you're going to be following the edge.

Not so easy when working with a hoop and preprogrammed outline.
So firstly we need to trace the applique fabric. Pretty much like
you would for handwork with a pencil, only this time we'll do it
with our machines. The reason for the first outline in running stitch.
You will also use this line to know where to attach the applique pieces.
Now duplicate it. Why? To sew the piece into position (iron it on).
Now you're ready to do the satin stitch outline. Go ahead and do so
in whatever method suits you best. Your design is ready for applique.

Changing preprogrammed designs

A lot of pre digitized designs can be converted to be applique designs,
after all, all we need is a satin stitch outline. So, if you don't
want to digitize your own, bring up the design you like in your software.
Follow the outline, with a running stitch and a color that's not being
used, try staying in the middle of the satin stitch outline. Highlight
it with your pointer tool, and duplicate this changing the color again.
Now, if you know how to sort colors in your software, place these two
lines at the beginning of your color range. If you don't, don't let
it worry you, you can do this with your machine. You are ready to
write to card, or floppy, or send to machine.

Embroidery machine Applique

If you want to use stitchwitchery or paper backed fusible ironed on,
then iron it on first and hoop both. Leave the paper on, it's a great
stabilizer. Hoop the applique fabric and sew the first running stitch
outline. If you haven't sorted the colors, skip over the satin colors
in your machine to the color of the outline and sew the first one.
If the applique shape is small, then you can do more then one outline
in one hooping. Then remove the material from the hoop, and at your
leisure cut this out 1mm from the sewn outline. No problems with pulling
the material out the hoop accidentally.
I haven't found fusible iron on necessary.

Now when you're ready and all the pieces are cut out, hoop the main
fabric. Call up the design and do the outline again where ever you'd
like this embroidered. Take your cutout applique fabric and spray
temporary spray adhesive on and place it over the outlines in your hoop,
gently rub it down. With fusible backing iron it on at this point. Then
just sew the second line that holds this down and in place. Then the
satin stitch out line and other details if any. Voila!

This way makes the cutting much, much easier, and you can take your
time doing it. Then it makes the appliquéing on a large project a lot
faster and more accurate for placement as you can measure and mark the
center points of your designs on a flat surface, before hooping.

I was asked once if I could make the satin stitch look like hand
applique, well sure you can. Why you would want to, I don't know,
but anyway, what was requested was more of a zigzag stitch. Play
with the stitch density to achieve this, making the stitches further
apart. This of course can only be done if you digitize the design
yourself. You can also substitute blanket stitch for satin or zigzag.



Wing Needle Designs

Instructions for Wing Needle Designs

When testing and on the Table center, I starched the fabric
twice and did not use any stabilizer.

I used cotton thread with the wing needle and set the tension
to 1 notch more then for normal sewing.

Then for the second part I changed the needle to a normal 12,
turned the tension down for embroidery, 1 to 2, used embroidery
thread and did the satin stitching.

I did my center on organdie, but then did the same on plain
polycotton material (See below) and was very pleased with the results.

What's so great about these designs is that they take so little
time to stitch out. I think the longest one takes only 15 min.

Please don't rotate the designs as you may get unusual results,
you may mirror vertically or horizontally with no problems.

Enjoy!!!





By kind permission of Kim Goodwin here is a helpful hint
for positioning designs with placement lines

They are for the Bernina Artista, but the technique can be used with any software

As many have already stated, the easy way is to add a placement line.
Here is another tip that has worked for many in my classes:

First set your hoop setting to "manual" position

To make the placement line, set your artista software for a single outline
stitch and use the open curve tool. Make your placement line a complete
different color that will not be used elsewhere in the same design. Then
when your machine comes to this color, just "skip" it so it does not sew.
If your machine will not "skip" colors, just make this the last color
change and then do not stitch it.

Also, I make the placement line from the lower left corner to the
upper right corner (diagionally) across the hoop. This will "set" the
outer boundaries of the sewing fields, so the hoop will not shift the
design into the center of the frame.
I make these placement lines (I call them anchor lines) in the
diagional corners of each of the multiple hoop sewing fields that
you will use.

Then select the sewing field for each of the multiple sewing fields
(draw a select box aroud the sewing field to select it)....
Click "copy"
Click "new" file
Click "paste".
There is no need to set the new hoops to "manual position" or re-
position the design, as the anchor lines will snap to the edges if
you'd done it correctly.



Using templates and positioning designs