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How can I tell which Charles Craft products are suited to machine
embroidery?
 On the website, just look for the "ME" icons superimposed on
the product
photos. Machine-friendly
products
are also icon-coded in
our current catalog. An icon ensures that a product can be readily
installed in, at minimum, a 4-inch hoop. Many items will fit easily in
larger hoops. Of course, all of our cotton or linen fabrics can be
machine embroidered and incorporated into a project of your own
choosing. |  |
What is the fiber content of Charles Craft blanks and fabric?
 | Most are 100% cotton.
Exceptions
include those
items featuring Royal
Classic Aida which is a poly/cotton blend specially formulated to be
soft, wrinkle-free and stain-resistant. Another
exception is our pre-cut 100% Irish linen. |  |
What about fabric weaves?
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Because Charles Craft products are suited to both hand and machine
stitching, the fabrics have a relaxed weave and the grain is very
apparent. Evenweave is uniformly consistent
throughout;
while Aida has waffle-like squares. |  |
What types of designs can I machine embroider on Charles Craft blanks
or
fabrics?
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Fill stitch, satin stitch, applique, crewel, redwork and (of course!)
cross stitch will work on any of our fabric products. Before machine
embroidering cross stitch on Aida, be sure to read the tips given
below. |
What do I need to know about hooping Charles Craft blanks or fabrics?
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Because the grain is so apparent, the best results are achieved when the
fabric is installed squarely in the hoop. Hooping only the stabilizer
permits easy access for fine-tuning fabric positioning. Hoop either a
self-stick stabilizer, or a tear-away stabilizer that's been treated
with temporary spray adhesive. After drawing the cross marks on the
fabric, fold it into quarters on the cross marks. With the folded corner
at hoop center and the folded edges aligned with the center notches at
the sides of the hoop frame, lightly place the fabric and then open it. |
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At each side of the inner hoop, turn back the fabric
against the frame to see if the grain is parallel to it.
Straighten the fabric as needed, then finger-press it in place. If your
machine has a basting function, sew it to see if the stitching falls in
line with the grain. To make adjustments, clip the
basting stitches needed to lift an edge or corner for re-positioning. |  |
Can I machine embroider a cross stitch motif so that it looks like it
was done by hand?
Cotton and linen Evenweave need only to be hooped on grain as
described
above. The count of the embroidery design should be close to the count
of the cloth (over one strand or over two), but need not be a perfect
match. A fool-the-eye phenomenon occurs when the fabric is hooped on
grain. (If the counts happen to match, follow the tips given below for
fine-tuning the needle position of the first stitch so that it falls
between threads.)
Aida requires a bit of extra care. For best results, match the
embroidery count to the fabric count. When a stitch file doesn't match
the fabric count, it's easy to make adjustments in customizing software.
Open the stitch file and set the background grid for 1-inch increments.
Zoom in on a compact area of stitching within the motif. Without
changing the number of machine stitches, reduce or enlarge the
design
until the correct number of crosses fits within the grid.
When high color contrast occurs between the fabric and bobbin thread
colors, the waffle-like texture of Aida may allow dots of bobbin thread
to peek through the holes. (Example: white bobbin thread beneath darker
colors of Aida.) There two ways to prevent this from happening. One is
to wind a bobbin with regular sewing thread to blend with each
embroidery thread color. Another method is to baste a color-matched
piece of lightweight cotton beneath the Aida; and then treat the fabrics
as a single layer. After embroidering, remove the tear-away stabilizer
and then trim the cotton close to the stitching, just like a cut-away
stabilizer.
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After ensuring that the fabric is hooped on grain as described above,
advance the needle to the first stitch location. Lower the needle toward
the fabric and then use on-screen positioning functions to fine-tune the
needle position until it falls over a hole between squares. Once the first stitch is set to fall in a hole, the others will
automatically follow. Be realistic! The larger the design, the more
potential for a cross stitch pattern to stray out of alignment with the
squares. Fortunately, on-grain stitching alone tends to fool the eye. |
NOTE: Step by step photos compliments of Stephanie Goddard. Machine
embroidery designs compliments of Vermillion Stitchery (www.VSCCS.com),
Tina's Cross Stitch (www.TinasCrossStitch.com), John Deer's Adorable
Ideas (www.AdorableIdeas.com), Cactus Punch (www.CactusPunch.com),
Husqvarna/Viking (www.husqvarnaviking.com), Designs by Juju
(www.oregonpatchworks.com), and Oklahoma Embroidery Supply & Design
(www.embroideryonline.com).
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Machine Embroidery
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