Impressions - March 2015 - 30

An embroidery laser is
the most production-friendly way
to create the popular distressed
look in appliqué. Different fabrics
create different looks. This shirt,
created by The Graphic Edge,
Carroll, Iowa, was made using
an off-white sweat shirt material
with the ﬂeece side facing down
for a super frayed look. Photos by
Henry Bernstein.

are removed from the outside edges, creating that ragged-edge look.

REVERSE APPLIQUÉ
This is another technique that, until
the embroidery laser came along, was not
production friendly. To create this look,
the appliqué fabric is placed inside the
garment. The laser then cuts out a shape
or letter from the garment itself, allowing
the inside fabric to peek through. It can
be done cleanly with the edge neatly sewn
down or it can be sewn down, leaving the
edge raw if a distressed look is desired.
Depending on which garment fabric is
to be cut, a distressed look can be created
either by decreasing the power so it does
not cut cleanly (which creates fraying when
pulled away) or the cutline can be digitized
to be uneven, creating a ragged edge.
One difference in the reverse appliqué
production process versus those discussed
earlier is that the appliqué fabric must be
inserted and hooped with the garment. It
is not laid on top inside the hoop. In most
cases, a stabilizer is not required for the
inside appliqué fabric.
Once the garment and appliqué fabric are hooped, the embroidery machine
sews the outline of the shape and the laser
cuts it out. If the edge is to be distressed,
it's done. If it's not, the embroidery machine then sews a border along the edge.
Another desirable look is to use only a
running or bean (triple) stitch without a
border stitch covering the raw edge.
30

Impressions | March 2015

Reverse appliqué most often is used to
create large, front-chest designs, but some
other innovations have appeared. One example is using the laser to create slits, but
not actually cutting out a hole. So when
the garment is worn - depending on the
wearer's movement - these slits pop
open, revealing the appliqué fabric underneath. And the raw edges look distressed
over time.
Another variation is to only partially
cut the outline of the shape. For example, only cut the top half of a heart shape
so it ﬂops down, revealing the appliqué
fabric underneath. In this case, the piece
would not even have to be weeded. It's
just an open ﬂap that, when washed,
would look distressed.
This particular technique is one of the
latest innovations in the use of embroidery
lasers, and it promises to make a signiﬁcant impact in garment embellishment. It
currently is being used in ﬂoral designs to
create loose petals.

For reverse appliqué, you generally can
choose a soft fabric - such as a T-shirt
knit, cotton quilt material or patterned
fabric - that easily can be cut by the laser.
Cotton twill also works well.
For a sexier look, lace, netting or sheer
fabrics, like organza, also are used. Blinglike fabrics that have glitter or are iridescent also can make a design look ﬂashier.

INTRICATE CUT
The unique properties of an embroidery laser also make it possible to do more
complex and ﬁne-line cutting than ever
before. Tree branches, a soccer ball net,
snowﬂakes and delicate ﬂowers are just
some of the many examples that this technique has been used to create.
The fashion industry has made the
best use of this technique today by creating intricate patterns of ﬂowers, as well as
abstract and irregular lines, to create designer looks. Using fabrics of different textures and thickness also enables designers
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Impressions - March 2015

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