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Question: I am just starting out making gymnastics leotards in stretch lycra for my grand-daughter. I want to know what products are best to use to applique stretch cut-out designs onto stretch lycra. I figure I need a water-soluble "glue" sheet which will allow the fabric to be flexible when it is worn, and also a water soluble "stabilizer" for when I am sewing on the applique - is this correct? (from Magaret Neith - VIC)
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Suggestion 1: You need to use applique wonder or visafix to the piece of fabric that is the cut-out. Make sure you have an applique mat when you are ironing the applique to the main garment. You must use a needle to suit stretch fabric and sew slowly. There won't be any stretch in the applique piece as the glue will become a little stiff. the needle is very important as the use of an incorrect one will result in small holes and ladders will appear. I hope this will help. (Helen Senior from Glenroy, VIC)
Suggestion 2: I have tried several techniques. The most successful (though time-consuming in the extreme) was to cut out the applique and spray it with embroidery spray on the back, place it on my fabric then lightly iron on (and pin) a tear-away stabilizer on the top, then zig-zag sew the edges through the stabilizer. This seemed to hold the lycra without any stretching. The most time-consuming bit was pickikng out the tear-away from between the stitches. I also tried the same technique but pinning a water-soluble fabric on the top of the applique instead then zig-zagging - this was OK, but did lead to a bit of "waviness" on the lycra. (Magaret Neith)
As rayon thread is made from a natural fibre, it must be stored correctly to protect it and to extend the life of the threads. The main problems areas are heat, light, moisture and dust.
There are several ways to store your threads and most are valid - with some provisions. The type of storage depends on the number and sizes of your threads and how often you need to access them. This article covers three ways to store threads that I have used successfully and one more I haven't tried. But there are doubtless many more ways and you may already used a better one.
It is important to secure the thread ends before you store the reels. You can tie a know but thread nets are much better and stop the thread from unravelling. I also use self-clinging tape (that sticks only to inself) but, under no circumstances, use sticky tape.
These are relatively cheap and can hold a good number of threads. They are handy because the cases are portable and you can move them around as you need to. You can put all your pinks/reds in one case and all your greens in another. On the down side, they can be too short for some reels and some don't provide the betst protection against light. This method works best when you have only a small number of threads as it can get pretty exprensive to keep buying more cases. The cases can have one or more compartments.
A good (and cheap) way is to store your Marathon thread is in the boxes they come in. You can write the colour name on the box to keep them organised and the threads always fit into the box. Plus, the boxes are free! On the downsides, you can't see your threads at a glance, e.g. when you have several boxes of greens.
Drawers are great for storage as they keep out the elements and the dust but can be expensive to purchase. This option suits embroiderers with a lot of the threads. The big advantage is that drawers hold a lot of threads so all my pinks and reds fit into one drawer and my blues in another - I just have to open one drawer to see all my threads in that colour group.
Furniture can take up to a lot of space so see if it can be incorporated with your sewing table. I use 'table legs' from Ikea that consists of five draweres - two drawers fit the 1000m reels and thread drawers suit the 5,000m reels and general embroidery notions. I use two of these table legs with a tabletop as the stand for my embroidery machine. They are really deep, so hold a lot of threads and essential notions. The drawers come in a flat pack and have to be assembled (always a pain unless you'r gifted in that area) but are easy to move around, if required, as the table legs are not attached to the tabletop. I have a third unit that I place to my right (as I'm right handed) where I place the threads that I'm using in my current project.
This image of the Vika Curry table leg is used with permission from Ikea. Ikea did not provide any assistance (financial or otherwise) for this article.
The drawer don't have to be new - look for second-hand desks and chest of drawers.
This is the option I have not tried and I don't know if Marathon thread reels fit. It does make the threads easy to see and access but leaves them exposed to heat, light and dust. If you have a thread rack on a wall or stand, keep it out of direct sunlight and cover it when not in use to keep out the dust.
Here are other great tips from Embroidery Library.
By Elaine Raahauge - Business writer and home embroiderer
Choosing the right needle for the job and using it correctly is as important as stabilizing and hooping your embroidery. If you are having problems with thread breaks, skipped and uneven thread the first thing to do is to change your needle.
There are many types of needles suitable for machine embroidery and it is best to have a selection on hand and choose the right one for the job. Needles blunt easily with use (especially with stabilizers) and it is important to change them frequently (about every 100,000 stitches). A sharp needle will penetrate the fabric cleanly and will result in a well-stitched design. A blunt needle can catch on the fabric or the embroidery and ruin your work.
The larger the needle number - the larger (and stronger) the needle. Sizes range from 60/8 to 110/18. Always choose the smallest possible needle for the design, fabric and thread you are using. The thread should easily pass through the eye of the needle - if it doesn't, use a larger size needle. All needles produce holes in the fabric as you sew and using an unnecessarily large needle will weaken the fabric around and underneath the design.
If you are having problems with the thread breaking or shredding, the first thing to do is to change your needle – either to a larger size or to a brand new needle.
* Embroidery. This is the most common and frequently used needle for machine embroidery on everyday material. It is designed for rayon, polyester and fine cotton (50wt) thread. It has a slightly larger eye and the eye is smooth so it reduces the chance of the thread breaking or shredding as it passes through. Start with a 75/11 and, if the thread breaks or shreds, go up to a 90/14. * Gold embroidery needle. These needles are coated with titanium which resists adhesives and penetrates course and densely woven material better. The needle has a slightly rounded point and a large eye. They last way longer than normal embroidery needles – up to twice as long. They are available in 75/11 and 90/14
* Metallic. These needles are designed for use with metallic thread. They have a large, elongated eye and a grooved shaft so the thread moves through the needle and fabric better. This reduces the heat and friction and results in less thread breaks. They come in the two sizes - 80/12 and 90/14. Because of the abrasion the eye of these needles receive from metallic thread, they have to be changed more frequently than ordinary needles – around every 50,000 stitches. If your metallic thread is fraying then change the needle.
* Jeans (also called denim needles). They have a strong shaft and a very sharp point. The eye is bigger than usual so they are suited for embroidering on heavier materials such as heavy fabric, canvas, tin foil and leather. These come in many sizes - 70, 80, 90, 100,110 and in assorted packs. * Microtex (also called sharps). These are used to sew on tightly woven fabric. These needles are very sharp and cut through the fabric as you sew: resulting in a smooth edge to your embroidery. They come in various sizes including the 60/8, which is the smallest needle available.
* Quilting. These needles are designed for machine quilting as they are sharp and can penetrate through many layers. Their eye is not as smooth as embroidery needles so they are not the best choice for machine embroidery. They come in two sizes – 75/11 and 90/14.
* Twin embroidery. This is a specialist needle mainly used in heirloom embroidery. They come in 2.0 and 3.0 and the size relates to the distance between the two needles. Follow your machine’s directions on how to thread them.
Beautiful Marathon Embroidery threads have been available in Australia for more than 26 years now, supplying commercial embroiderers and people who simply love creating beautiful designs with machine embroidery at home.