Impressions - October/November 2011 - (Page 52)

EMBROIDERY >> HANDS ON Technique By EMBROIDERY Deborah Jones, Contributing Writer HANDS ON ITAL DECORATING >> HANDS ON CREEN PRINTING >> HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON Today’s embroidery thread types run the gamut, from rayon to polyester and everything in between, giving embroiderers opportunities to create truly one-of-a-kind sewouts. Add Appeal to Embroidery with Specialty Threads >> DIGITAL DECORATING HANDS ON SCREEN PRINTING HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON While appearing white in normal indoor lighting, solar color-change thread colors spring to life when viewed in sunlight. Thread of this type is made with specially treated polyester and can be handled in the same manner as any 40 weight polyester thread. Xxxxx In the 1960s, Art Gruber of Robison-Anton Textile Corp. began developing a line of rayon thread speciﬁcally for multihead embroidery machines. This new thread was a spin-off of the company’s popular yarn for large Schifﬂi loom machines that produced lace, emblems and allover fabric embroidery. Designated as 00/2 rayon, it was engineered to be stronger than the softer, lightly twisted yarns used by the Schifﬂi embroidery looms. After many versions, the thread was perfected and became the mainstay in the automated embroidery world for several years. 52 Impressions >> October/November 2011 As embroidery machine speeds got faster, further reﬁnements were needed. The 00/2 thread variety was thicker, yet weaker than the 40 weight thread commonly used in computerized embroidery today (see “Thread Size Basics” on p. 55). Polyester thread also was developed as a stronger alternative to the natural cellulose ﬁber-based rayon. The earliest polyester threads lacked the high sheen of rayon and looping during stitching was an issue for this stretchy thread type. Today, high-quality thread is available in both rayon and polyester ﬁber types, and both are popular among computer- ized embroiderers. In addition to these basic thread varieties, manufacturers have developed other specialty threads that create special embroidery effects. Among these are threads that have metallic appearance, ﬁre-resistant properties and even glow-in-the-dark or color-changing characteristics. These innovations give embroiderers a broad range of decorating options. Here are some ways specialty threads are being used by clever embroiderers. GLOW-IN-THE-DARK Embroidery on pajamas for children is one impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - October/November 2011

Impressions - October/November 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conference Program 2012: Designed for Success
Laser Etching on Performancewear
On the Move
It Pays to Take Shirt Design Online
The Digital Difference
Technique
Production
For Screen Printers Only
Online Directory
Tech Tips
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - October/November 2011