This month, Carolyn Brown is “Behind the Stitches”.

Carolyn, when did you learn how to sew, and embroider? 

I learned to sew at school in England; I think you call it Home Economics here. I was 11 years of age. I did learn to embroider by hand first and hated it. I wanted to sew garments. I was raised in a working class family with no extra money for “fashion clothing.” My father said: “If you want stuff like that - learn to sew.” 

When did you start using an embroidery machine? 

I bought my first embroidery machine in 2004. It turned out to be a lemon and drove me crazy. I considered (as I was an experienced quilter and sewer) it would be a piece of cake to learn. Boy was I wrong. I knew nothing about stabilizers and less about machine embroidery. To be honest I bought it thinking I would Monogram the odd item. I was so wrong! 

We can all probably relate to that frustration but glad we stuck it out. 

Yes, I got so hooked, once I had figured it all out. But it was tough at first. My dealer was of zero help, so I was on my own, I did not even know there were groups that helped. I made the most delightful bullet proof garments, in the beginning. Then I found a very helpful employee at an online embroidery design shop. She very kindly helped me with one design I purchased from them. Light bulbs did not begin to flicker- they were now on at full luminosity. I embroidered everything in sight, still made some horrible errors, but as my confidence grew, I was so doomed to have to have this machine on, in every spare hour I could find.  

What are your favorite projects? 

My favorite things to do are to embroider pictures and frame them. I love working with silk dupioni. Of course if I wear something, it always has to have some embroidery on it. I love oriental designs and cannot never have too many of those.  

You must be very good, because I wouldn’t even think about embroidering on silk for fear of making a big mistake. 

Many are scared of embroidering on any type of silk, after all, it is expensive. It is no more difficult to embroider on than cotton, as always stabilization is the key. Silk Dupioni is probably the easiest of silks to embroider on. It has texture with the slub as it is hand woven. It does not slip or slide like other silks or satins. Take into consideration the design you are embroidering; you should choose stabilizers for the design if at all possible and not the fabric. 

If I am multi hooping and making a large picture, I also use Armoweft fusible on the back of the silk. This is really an interfacing so you will still need a stabilizer but it will help tremendously to stabilize the silk.  

For a design on a silk blouse, consider a soft and sheer poly or nylon for three reasons. First, most will hold up to quite dense designs. Second, it is soft and not ridged like many tearaways, so the garment still drapes nicely. Third, it does not pucker when washed.  

If you have a really slippery silk I would recommend hooping the stabilizer, then use a tad of 505 or similar spray. Then press the fabric onto the top of the hoop (the fabric is not hoped). Some silks and satins may leave a hoop mark burn if hooped. Pin or machine baste if you wish, but be sure needles are not in the design needle path. Begin with a new needle; I use an 11/75 sharp. Next, attach the hoop to your embroidery arm. Now relax and loosen that girdle all will be fine. This is fun, enjoy!  

Note: if you do hoop and get hoop marks, do not worry - spray with magic sizing and leave it alone, they will disappear.