ImagesMagUK-July-2020

A s business starts to pick up again, learning a new embroidery technique will allow you to broaden your appeal to both current and potential customers. 3D foam embroidery is an eye-catching technique that has big appeal and is not as difficult or labour-intensive as decorators might think, according to Lisa Craddock of Barudan. "3D embroidery transforms your regular 2D ‘flat’ embroidery and gives it the ‘pizazz’ that your customers will love!" she points out. Which products work best with 3D embroidery? The most suitable garments and accessories for 3D foam embroidery are those that do not require regular laundering, such as baseball caps, bags and jackets. As 3D embroidery is slightly heavier than flat embroidery, due to the use of the foam and the extra weight due to the higher stitch density, heavier fabrics are also preferred. It's best to use a satin stitch rather than a tatami ‘fill’ stitch, Lisa advises. "A satin stitch drops the needle in at either side of a column, which creates a satin-shine effect. A long satin stitch will give the best raised effect without flattening the foam." Digitising for 3D Wilcom's Embroidery Studio e4 software contains seven free 3D fonts specifically digitised for 3D embroidery. "If you outsource your digitising, ensure that the digitiser is fully aware of which parts of the design need to be digitised for 3D," says Lisa. If digitising is done in-house, take these parameters into account: ■ A stop function for the placement of the foam ■ Capping off all ends ■ Heavier stitch density ■ No underlay stitches ■ Shortening stitches and fractional spacing switched off ■ Extra stitches to cover the possibility of the foam showing through If there is flat embroidery in the design, stitch this out first and follow with a stop function to allow the operator to place the foam onto the design. If the design has no flat embroidery, the foam can be placed at the very start of the process with no stop functions required. Capping columns Cap off the ends by digitising a small block of satin stitches at the end of a satin column. "These small capping columns are digitised underneath the finished stitches so that they not visible on the finished garment. The satin stitch density is closed up by at least 100% so that the needle perforations cover the foam and ‘cut’ it at the same time, making the excess foam easy to tear away at the end of the embroidery," Lisa explains. Underlay stitches are removed as any unnecessary stitches could flatten the foam, while travel stitches are set longer than usual at 4mm, again to prevent flattening or cutting of the foam. TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 42 images JULY 2020 Lisa Craddock of Barudan explains how to create 3D embroidery designs that truly stand out Raise your game