Hello all, new to embroidery here

Stitching for long periods under a lamp will also tend to" heat set" the marker solution and it will not always wash out, some detergents will also tend to set it, so wash it in cold clear water to remove the marker solution then wash the fabric with a mild soap. ruby

Keith you can buy fusible backing in a packet with instructions for your applique, I have seen it used on several occasions on sewing shows however have not used it personally. It bonds the applique shape to the fabric so that sewing around it is a breeze. I really like the designs you have chosen, nice and simple.

Edna in sunny Sydney

In the example piece, it looks like the edges of the applique were covered in the same stitch that was used to do the outlines. I don't know that the applique would be a lot easier than embroidering those sections; however, I think it will *look* better and be more true to the style. It makes it look more like period stained glass.

Best wishes, Ericka

But if he is going to wash the finished curtains, he must leave *plenty* of room for shrinkage when cutting the panels (and wash the linen and the lining before sewing them together, since they will probably shrink at different rates). Probably not an issue if he plans to dryclean them. On the other hand, I have sometimes washed linen before embroidering on it and haven't had significant difficulties as a result.

Best wishes, Ericka

According to the text that accompanies Keith's samples, it's not applique, but stencils. Should be easier to do, but I don't know how durable they are.

Elizabeth

--

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'm so glad you read that it was stenciled too. For a while I thought I was hallucinating. lol

Lucille

I would expect with the right fabric paints, they would be quite durable. That would also make it easier than trying to find exactly the color you want in the right fabric too ;-) Dharma Trading has a nice selection of fabric paints and dyes.

Best wishes, Ericka

Interesting. It has never happened to me. Although, (1) I have never used it on silk, just new, unwashed, tightly woven linens and cottons, and, (2) as I mentioned, I keep the pencil sharpened to a very fine point and draw very lightly, just to indicate the line.

Don't know if these two things make a difference.

Olwyn Mary > Olwyn Mary wrote:

Silk floss seems to suck up the graphite. My piece was totally ruined. The graphite was imbedded in the floss and would not come out.

Also, even on linen and cotton, graphite often won't wash out. So if you make a mistake, you're stuck with the mark.

I think there's a product on the market that gets rid of pencil marks on fabric. Have never tried it or looked into it. Just was made aware of it.

Don't laugh, but I have used a very fine Micron pen to mark a design. It was completely covered with embroidery and I was pleased with the result. But for those people who can't trace well, I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Lots of people have a lot of trouble tracing patterns. That's one of the reasons not much embroidery is being worked these days: no iron-on transfers. That came about in the late 1800's (I can't remember exact date) and made a huge impact on the embroidery scene. There's transfers out there, but not for a varied market. I have some lovely ones from Italy.

Dianne

Lots of people have a lot of trouble tracing patterns.

If you are interested, Dover Books has lots of them - three pages worth. Just go to

click on Crafts, then click on Large Size Transfer books, and browse away. Plenty for every taste.p.s. I think the general shops stopped carrying transfers because people stopped buying them when needlework went out of fashion for a while there.

p.p.s. If I make a mistake when I am drawing designs on linen with a pencil, I just erase it with an ordinary soft gum artist's eraser.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Olwyn Mary said

I've seen the Aunt Martha line locally but they're not my cup of tea.

Those transfers I looked at, seemed to be just that. Iron on a picture. Not an outline for embroidery.

Deighton Transfers were the nicest but they are not too active anymore and only producing a fraction of what they used to and they are hard to come by.

I have used pencil to trace around backing forms on silk gauze pieces which were mounted in jewelry settings. I didn't notice any spreading of the graphite. It most likely wasn't a problem in my case since I immediately cut the pieces out just inside the marked line. I used a

0.3mm mechanical pencil with HB lead as I recall.

Probably be okay for that use, but I agree with Dianne, I have had problems from time to time. Mine were on linen but the trouble is, you don't know when it's going to happen. I think the fact that you are holding and working through the fabric is partly the culprit, using it as you do, it can remain clean.

If needed i use Seamstress Chalks , they come in several colors and erase with time or with a soft rubbing,,,, mirjam

That's different than tracing an outline for a design and, using silk floss, embroidering over that line. I was sick at heart what a normal, No. 2 pencil did to my floss/piece. It was totally ruined. And I didn't make hard lines, just lightly penciled.

Dianne