Did you happen to read the June issue of Printwear magazine? If you work with performance wear, or if you are afraid to take on this challenging fabric, we recommend that you read this article: "Six Tips for Stitching on Stretch". Written by our own product specialist Nancy Mini and award-winning digitizer Pat Williams, they troubleshoot how to embroider on this popular fabric the correct way! Visit http://read.uberflip.com/i/69552 and turn to page 78 (page 72 if you're reading from the physical magazine) to read the full article.
In the vast sea of embroidery that only uses a 40 weight Rayon or Polyester thread, an easy way to stand out from the crowd is to incorporate metallic threads into your embroidery repertoire. A good introductory metallic thread would be a 50 weight, such as our FS #50.
Pat Williams used FS #50 Gold 3 and FS #40 Astro - to achieve her elegant "Fit for a King" design.
The "FS" in our FS metallic stands for "fine silver", referring to its actual metallic content. A thin metallic thread, FS #50, is the easiest to run, and often can be substituted in a design digitized for a 40 weight thread. It is capable of impressive shading and can produce letters down to 4mm high - perfect for small lettering on logos, fine monograms and filigree embroidery.
"Gold Fish" created using FS #50 and Classic Rayon #40 by Rich Medcraft, a digitizer in Washington.
Tips on experimenting with metallic threads:
If you're new to running metallic threads, start with our FS #50 and incorporate it into any design that's been digitized for 40 weight.
For FS #50, we recommend using a #75/11 large eye needle, although you may also use a #75/11 standard eye needle if you'd prefer.
Reduce the tension on your machine slightly and drop the speed down to 600-650spm.
Avoid designs with lots of small detail.
To learn more about running our FS #50 embroidery thread, feel free to request a FS #50 Recipe Card. Madeira's 22 Specialty Thread Recipe Cards will be released throughout the year. Click here for additional information.
The longer daylight hours of summer can be harsh on embroidery that's exposed - unless you're running Madeira's Frosted Matt!
If you didn't already know about our Frosted Matt 40 weight thread, it's the only truly matte finish polyester embroidery thread on the market. It contains a ceramic ingredient that provides extreme color fastness, making it extremely resistant to fading from sunlight.
Embroidery design byAytül Küçük, Turkey
Its matte finish gives embroidery enhanced clarity, making it great for fine lettering and details. Also works well with shading and tone on tone affects. Being a polyester thread, it can withstand commercial laundering.
Frosted Matt is a general use 40 weight thread and runs similar to our other 40 weight threads, however you should keep in mind the following:
Frosted Matt is a #40 weight thread, but slightly thinner than a normal #40 weight so it is recommended when filling in large areas that you adjust the density.
For best results digitizing for Frosted Matt, set the punch parameter to 3.5 or .35 to maximum 4.0 or .40 stitch density.
A #65/9 or #75/11 needle is recommended.
To learn more about Frosted Matt, please check out our latest video.
So, stand out from the crowd with this unique embroidery thread and to the summer sun, we say Bring It!
Madeira is proud and excited to introduce our NEW Thread can...help campaign! Throughout the first months of 2012, Madeira USA is contributing a portion of the sale of each Madeira Thread Can filled with 6 cones of Classic Rayon #40 or 100% polyester Polyneon #40 to Paws With A Cause®!
Paws With A Cause® is a national, not-for-profit organization that was founded in Michigan in 1979. The agency is dedicated to serving people with disabilities by training and placing Assistance Dogs, which include: service dogs for people with physical disabilities, hearing dogs for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, seizure response dogs for people with seizure disorders and service dogs for children with autism, for families living with autism. To learn more about the organization and to purchase a filled thread can, visit http://www.madeiramart.com/thread-can-help
Looking to add another creative touch to your embroidery projects? How about trying your hand at appliqué?
Click on the image above to view a larger image
Appliqué is a technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto another piece of fabric to create designs, patterns or pictures. Appliqués personalize your embroidery with your favorite fabrics, prints, and patterns and offer an unlimited number of looks and textures on an embroidery design while reducing the stitch count.
Insider Tip: All appliqués must be backed with a Heat Seal or Fusible backing. This forms a bond between the base fabric and the appliqué to keep the two fabrics from shrinking and causing the design to pucker.
For a tutorial on how to appliqué, click here for a PDF of our T.H. Read Instructional sheet. To view other helpful hint/tutorials, please visit our T.H. Read page under the Resource Library tab on madeirausa.com
