ImagesMagUK_March_2022

www.images-magazine.com 64 images MARCH 2022 TIPS & TECHNIQUES To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger, Dominic Bunce of digitiser David Sharp uses sustainable thread and light densities to create a delicate sketch of the big cat T he Sensa Green thread, which Madeira launched last year, is ideal for sketch-like embroideries thanks its thinner weight and soft, subtle nature, as well as when stitching regular artwork for logos. Made from Tencel lyocell, which is derived from trees grown in sustainably managed forests, it is naturally strong and smooth, and has a soft handle. It can be a little more fluffy than rayon or polyester, which is something to bear in mind with stitch densities, as you can experience a build-up of lint. We kept our density light on this design in order to aid the sketch-like look, with satins around 0.55mm stitch spacing density and tatami at 0.50mm stitch spacing density, with run stitches each 2.5mm in length. On the tiger, we used an auto-split of 4mm – this places a step in the satin stitch, resulting in a rippled effect that has the look of fur. While these are the settings we used specifically for this design type, you would normally want to increase your density to 0.35–0.37mm, but this will vary based on column widths and stitch types. This type of thread requires extra density for standard designs, but due to the sketch effect we wanted to achieve, this wasn’t used. Joining up as much as possible will ensure a clean, fast run – keeping trims to a minimum is key to a quick output with minimal user intervention. When digitising, take time to look at your design – plan your path, link up as much as possible and minimise machine movements and trims. This will greatly reduce your run times. Increasing your manufacturing ability through machine efficiencies is key to keeping your production floor running at its optimal levels without your machinists complaining about things taking too long. This 246mm by 207mm design on a Kustom Kit Hunky Tee (KK500) comprised 41,839 stitches and 10 trims, and took around 50 minutes to complete. www.davidsharp.co.uk Wild about being sustainable Light densities are needed for sketch-like designs An auto-split of 4mm gives the tiger’s fur a rippled effect Black Sensa Green was used for the design, with a white Sensa Green underthread