December 2013 — Heirloom Creations hosted an Anita Goodesign embroidery cutwork workshop. In the workshop students learned how to make cutwork embroidery on their embroidery machines. Done many years ago by hand with lots of stitches, this beautiful technique is easily accomplished with an embroidery machine.
During four days of workshops we had over 48 people in attendance. Some were just enjoying a day with their embroidery machine and others were trying out an embroidery machine for the very first time. If you would like to have this much fun, check out our schedule on a website for upcoming embroidery workshops or ask one of us which class would be best for you.
When you attend an Anita Goodesign workshop at Heirloom Creations everything is provided for you – the tea towel, thread, stabilizer, metallic thread for the ornaments and even thread stands to help out with the metallic threads. Most people just have to bring their embroidery machine, a full bobbin of bobbin thread, new needles and some scissors. How simple is that?
To create easy cutwork with the embroidery machine start off by hooping the project fabric, such as the tea towel, with a layer of wash away stabilizer. We used the Inspire brand Aqua Mesh.
The design first stitches an outline of the tree. When it’s done appliqué scissors are used to trim out the fabric from the tea towel inside the stitched area. If the stabilizer gets snipped during this process just add a piece of stabilizer taped with blue painters tape to the back to contain the stitches in the next step.
The next step, the machine will stitch the heavy cutwork satin stitches over the cut areas and through the water-soluble areas. When the water-soluble stabilizer washes out those heavy stitched areas will be slightly loose. But they are stitched heavy enough that they will act as stand-alone lace stitches.
Next, choose the decorative fabric you want to have show through the cutwork design. Tape it with blue painters tape to the backside of the fabric to hold in place. These designs will next stitch a small detail line to help attach the fabric to the project. You will see it is the metallic stitching inside the heavy satin stitched area. When finished remove the hoop from the machine and use appliqué scissors to trim the decorative fabric from the backside down about a 1/4” from the stitching. Continue with the rest of the design as other fabrics and areas are stitched with this same cutwork technique.
This Christmas Cutwork Tree design adds metallic stitched ornaments and a metallic star at the top to complete the project.
Remove the project from the hoop and cut the excess water-soluble stabilizer away from the back. Wash the project to remove all the extra water soluble stabilizer. Remember it’s always best to iron a tee towel flat when if when it is slightly damp.
This design is from the Christmas Reverse Cutwork design collection from Anita Goodesign. There are many additional designs in this collection that are just as beautiful. Designs are for the 5”x 5”, 6”x 10”, and 8”x 12” hoops. You can order this design from our website.
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