Soluble stabiliser

[Phillipa]

I am ready to brush one of my cats really hard...

The bookmarks for the wedding gifts...saga continues..

Last night I stitched out two as a trial run. They dont look too bad, considering I didn't know what I was doing and couldn't read the colour chart. something I am going to rememdy this morning, the one on the right was 'let it t stitch and see what happens'

My quandary. I bought water soluble stabiliser but it is plastic. it doesn't say if it is heat activated to stiffen the fabric. i placed it on the back of the bookmark on the right, two layers. The left hand bookmark, I used a heavy stabiliser and then put a layer of the watet soluble stabiliser film on the top, then stitched it out.

Are there different types of water soluble stabiliser? I can't see how using this film type would be suitable for lace, because you would be stitching straight on the film.

I have read the label of the packagingg of the stabilider I am using and I can't gind anything that says heat activated#It is Gutterman Solvy and is used for embroidering on fleece and towels

[skipper]

Phillipa, There is many different types of water soluble stabiliser. Here is the main types. First type is just for topping. It looks like it has a lot of little holes in it and it tears easly. Then there is heavy plastic looking. It works great for most embroidery. Then there is a web type which looks like fabric. It also works well for most embroidery. This is my favor type. I usually buy it at Walmart. You can use one to two layers depending on the stitch denity.
I hope this will help you.

[Phillipa]

[/quote] Then there is a web type which looks like fabric. It also works well for most embroidery. This is my favor type. I usually buy it at Walmart. You can use one to two layers depending on the stitch denity.
I hope this will help you.[/quote]

Hi Skipper,

It must be the web type that I need. As we don't have Wal-Mart over here I am going on a search mission to see if I can locate this type of stabiliser. I am now having a dislike relationship with brother threads. It's taken me three hours to sew out a bookmark which should take 39 minutes. I checked the thread and it has lumpy bits and very fine bits , not one reel but all the reels in the Country range. I am not a happy camper about this. You can see where the thread broke on the scroll and being a complete novice with this embroidery lark, it took me a bit to figure out how the back space the machine, by the time I figured this out, I was nearly finished the eaves. grrr... I am learning all the time.

[la_cole]

Phillipa, Embroidery Library has a tutorial on making bookmarks. Maybe this will help.

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/project...oject_bookmark

I like to prepare my fabric Wonder Under fusible webbing (by Pelon) before cutting. It helps prevent edge frays even if not being fused to a second piece of fabric.

[Phillipa]

La Cole,

I will have look at this tomorrow, have seen a couple pf tuts on how to do it, but not having the correct stabiliser and trouble not having a sewing supply store near here makes it even more frustating, we don't have a fabric either, have to drive about 20 miles to find one who has a reasonable supply of fabric

[gartner]

Phillipa

It sounds like you are looking for a stabilizer for your bookmarks that would make them stiff.
Is this right?

Do the bookmarks that you are trying to do come with instructions that tell you what stabilizer to use?
Does it say to use water soluble stabilizer?

You could use a cut away and it comes in a regular form and a fusible form.
You would cut the excess stabilizer away when you cut the excess fabric away before doing the final satin stitching around the edge.

Or maybe you could use a medium Tear Away in regular or fusible.
This also you could tear away or cut the excess from around the edge before doing the final sartin edge stitching.

Denise in Calgary

[Phillipa]

Hello gartner,

the instructions are as follows: Pansy bookmark:
Hoop fabric and water soluble vilene. Stitch the first 2 colours, using the same colour. (The second colour, grey, is to force the machine to stop). Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the outside of the stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully remove the excess tear away, trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove vilene.
Blossoms bookmark:
Hoop fabric and water soluble vilene. Stitch out until the last colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the outside of the stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the final colour. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Gum bookmark:
Hoop fabric and water soluble vilene. Stitch out the first colour. Trim back the fabric to the stitching line, replace hoop and complete stitching out. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully remove the excess tear away and rinse in warm water to remove vilene. When dry, gently tease out loose stitches from ends of gum leaves. There may be a few of these. Trim these off. The remaining stitches do not unravel, but if you want to be absolutely sure, you can add a small dab of fray stopper to the ends.
Herron bookmark:
Hoop fabric and water soluble vilene. Stitch out the first colour. Trim back the fabric to the stitching line. Stitch out remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove vilene.When dry, gently tease out loose stitches from the sides of the lily pads. There may be a few of these. Trim these off. The remaining stitches do not unravel, but if you want to be absolutely sure, you can add a small dab of fray stopper to the ends.
Yellow Flower bookmark (Except it's mauve!)
Hoop fabric and water soluble vilene. Stitch out the first colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the outside of the stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Iris bookmark:
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the inside of the diamond stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the next two colours using the same coloured thread (the colour change was to force the machine to stop). Continue stitching out the iris colours.The next colour is grey. Use the same purple as for the latticework for this colour change - it is coloured grey to force the machine to stop. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop and trim the fabric back to the outside of the bookmark outline. Replace the hoop and stitch out the final colour. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Violets Bookmark:
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the inside of the diamond stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the next two colours using the same coloured thread (the colour change was to force the machine to stop). Repeat the process for the top lattice piece. Continue stitching out the violet flowers & leaves.The next colour is grey. Use the same purple as for the latticework for this colour change - it is coloured grey to force the machine to stop. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop and trim the fabric back to the outside of the bookmark outline. Replace the hoop and stitch out the final colour. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Bell bookmark
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first two colours. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the outside of the outline. Replace hoop and stitch out remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Gold bookmark
Use same colour thread throughout. Colours have been added to force machine to stop.
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first two colours. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the inside of the inner outline. Replace hoop and stitch out to the final colour change. Trim fabric back to the outside of the bookmark. Replace hoop and complete stitching.Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Blanks: Combine with your favorite design to create unque bookmarks.
Blank 3
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the inside of the diamond stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the next two colours using the same coloured thread (the colour change was to force the machine to stop). Repeat the process for the top lattice piece. Continue stitching out the violet flowers & leaves.The next colour is grey. Use the same purple as for the latticework for this colour change - it is coloured grey to force the machine to stop. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop and trim the fabric back to the outside of the bookmark outline. Replace the hoop and stitch out the final colour. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Blank 2
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first colour. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the inside of the diamond stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out the next two colours using the same coloured thread (the colour change was to force the machine to stop). The next colour is grey. Use the same purple as for the latticework for this colour change - it is coloured grey to force the machine to stop. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop and trim the fabric back to the outside of the bookmark outline. Replace the hoop and stitch out the remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.
Blank 1
Hoop water soluble vilene and fabric together. Stitch out the first 3 colours. Remove the hoop from the machine but not the fabric from the hoop. Trim back the fabric to the outside of the stitching. Replace hoop and stitch out remaining colours. Remove hoop and unhoop fabric. Carefully trim back the excess vilene and rinse in warm water to remove remaining vilene.

Without the vilene I am really trying to compromise

[gartner]

Phillipa

These bookmarks you are doing are from Elllen Jaye Designs.

The Vilene is a fabric looking, fibrous type of Water soluble.
You can see a video about this stabilizer by going to the Sick Design Website and find the Wash Away Fibrous Stabilizer on this page.
If you watch the video you will see what the stabilizer looks like.
Click the link here and scroll down to the Wash Away Fibrous Stabilizer and watch the Video.
http://www.designsbysick.com/backings.php

You may be able to find this in stores under other names such as Aqua Magic, Vilene Water Soluble, H2O Gone.
You will just have to make sure it looks more like a light, light weight Tear Away stabilizer not like plastic or film like such as solvy.

Now if you go to the link below on the Ellen Jaye Website on the p[age for the Bookmarks.
Scroll down as there are 3 sets on the page but inbetween the sets she has some instructions about the bookmarks.

http://www.ellenjayedesigns.com/inde...kmarks_-_FSL_+


On the page she mentions that you can add a piece of fabric to the back of the fabric applique bookmarks and I don't see that in the instructions you just listed here.

This would be on the first ones you showed here in your pictures.

Adding fabric to the back would give the bookmarks a bit more body so they would be a bit stiffer.

Vilene is not heat activated. You really should not iron it.
You should soak all the Vilene out in water and dry the bookmarks before pressing them with an iron.

You might be better to use the Wonder Under that La Cole mentioned and adhere it to your fabric first and this will give your fabric stability and more body.

Then hoop the fabric and the Vilene Water Soluble and then start to stitch the design.
You might want to try and email Madeline.

MadelineScully <madelinescully@yahoo.com.au>

who owns Ellen Jayes Designs and ask her for better instructions about when to add fabric to the back of the bookmarks.

I think you may be able to use Tear Away Stabilizer instead of the Vilene for the ones done on fabric but you couldn't use it for the ones that are all FSL.
You would just cut the excess Tear Away stabilizer away where the instructions tell you to cut away the excess Vilene away.

If you use the Tear Away stabilizer for the fabric ones then you may have to carefully cut out the hole at the top of the Bookmark where you would want to attach a ribbon.

If the Bookmark was done on Vilene the hole at the top would be open once the Vilene was soaks out.

Denise Calgary

[Phillipa]

Good morning Denise,

Thank you for this info, yes I did buy the bookmark set from Ellen Jayeand I have looked at video, my problem is being a ble to purchase this stabiliser. i live in the Fens in East Anglia and machine embroidery is not common here, the supplier I buy from has a limited stock of the most popular stuff purchsed in the area, this is why i can only get Solvy, for him to order what I need is going to be a hassle, because of the amount he has to buy, he might have the stock on his shelves for some time, so it is not a viable option for him to hold this stock. My other option is to purchase on the internet, I did this once and ended up with an order which was not I wanted, they substituted things, this is how I ended up with Brother thread that keeps breaking. I so am envious of people able to go and purchase just what they need. Today we are going out on another hunt to find a decent fabric supplier and hopefully find a supplier of machine embroidery consumables Everyone I have spoken to on the phone has not heard of water soluble vilene, they keep telling me solvy is the same thing..grrrr...

I was using fabric to teach myself how to do make the bookmarks.#]
Thank you for the advice I am so willing to learn

[gartner]

Good Morning Phillipa

Perhaps you should post a new thread under Embroidery asking if anyone in England knows where you can find the Fibrous Type of Water Soluble and other Embroidery Supples in areas around where you live.
This may help you find the stores you can buy from!

The other option is ordering from the US.

If you need to find it in the US I can give you a couple of vendors that you can order the stabilizer from by the yardage you would like.
I do know thart many will ship to England and other places outside the US.
I buy mine from the US and have it mailed to Canada.

Let me know if you find it or not.

Also never hesititate to email a digitizer that you purchased designs from to get better directions on how to do their designs. Most are very willing to help so that your embroidery turns out right.

Denise in Calgary

[Phillipa]

I am back from a wasted day trying to buy the Vilene. There are no stores in this area, so it is nearly a fifty mile drive to where I thought I might be able to get it. I have checked the web and they sell it in by the metre at £3.51 a metre x 90cms. it is useless buying in metre batches. I have emailed a comnpany in Texas who sell it in 25 yard rolls, so I will see how much it costs to ship it over here. The bit I am worried is the customs import duty on it.

[gartner]

Phillipa

Here is another place (Allstitch) to order The Vilene from in the US.
You can order different sized rolls here.
See if the price is better or worse!
Click the link.

http://www.allstitch.net/department/...agic-10009.cfm


When I buy Vilene I buy it by the yard but it is 59 inches wide.
I find this is the cheapest way and pay around $3.90 to $4.50 US dollars by the yard depending who I buy it from.
I cut the Vilene in Strips to fit my hoops that I have and just roll it up in rolls.

Next time I order I will buy a very large roll of 131 yards x 59 inches wide and ship it to Canada.
That should last for some time! LoL!

Yes there will probably be Customs Duty on it and shipping costs.

It would be nice for you to find it somewhere in England so that you do not have to pay so much shipping or the Cusrtoms Duty on it.
All though these costs will be buried in the price of the product that the vendors set!

Vilene is the name of a whole product line of sewing Interfacings and stabilizers.
The Water Soluble Vilene has the product number D0102


Denise in Calgary

[gartner]

Designs by Sick sell it but in small sized rolls!

Denise in Calgary

[gartner]

Perhaps you could talk Dunelm Mills into ordering the Vilene Warter Soluble for you or bring it it to sell to custromers.
If they are in the Drapery business this is great stabilizer for emboidering on sheer drapery fabrics!
Perhaps there is also a great number of embroiders like yourself that would purchase the water soluble from them too.

You could give them the product number and see what they say!
Just an idea!
Denise in Calgary

[Phillipa]

Hey ho, I have been busy. Read all the suggestions and approached a couple of places over here without much luck. Dunelm Mills only has a small craft section and no plans to expand, same with the Garden Centre whish also has a crafts section. They say it is not economical viable for them as I am the first person who has made this request. On the upside Top of Texas has answered my email regarding supply of the vilene.

I am not one to be a at a loss for long, so this is what I have done with the bookmarks and I have gfour nearly perfect ones completed.

I backed the fabric with Solvy and then tear away stabiliser. I followed the instructions , took a deep breath and cut away the fabric as instructed, my machine did it's job. When finished I unhooped the first bookmark and with bated breath tore away the stabiliser, everything remained intact, so on with the next one, I got more confident and went ahead and made two more bookmarks. I am so pleased with myself. Now I have to get some narrow ribbon to thread through the loops, to finish the bookmarks.

We went over to St Neots on Saturday and I went looking for some fabric offcuts, the store sells curtaining and in a basket was a pile of curtain fabric, you know the kind, the samples from the curtain makers. I am always thinking laterally. I was given bag and told to fill it. I picked all the neutral coloured samples and have come home enough fabric to keep me happy while I practise making odds and ends. This fabric is perfect for bookmarkers, towel hangers and the like. Thank you all so much for your help with my problem