Getting Some Stability Back In My Life

Lots of sewing lately and I feel like some sewing posts, so prepare yourselves. I suggest a hot drink with a candy cane stir stick. The candy softens nicely for chewing and the drink seems happier too.

I've had these embroideries from Embroidery Library (Christmas Boutique) for some time and they seemed like the classic sort of thing I might like for me. So I made me 4 new cushion covers. I like the idea of redressing the couch cushions from time to time. No one likes to wear the same thing every day.

I have A LOT of a raw linen that I used for the family room curtains. It's a huge bolt I got for nothing at an auction. Perfect for these cushions. I've been right into embroidery lately, but lower stitch count and lighter cloth. Time to experiment and figure some things out!

What stabilizer to use? It's a cushion, so let's err on the side of caution and go with a cut away that gets left in. It won't show and the stitch count is high (80,000+).

First I went with a semi fusible mesh.  You fuse it but it peals back off for trimming. I hooped a light tear-a-way and then basted (in embroidery mode) the fused fabric to that.

The linen has some good beefiness and I noticed that the embroidery foot was actually 'massaging' it as it stitched. Fabric got pushed around. Between that and the high stitch count I had some rumples. I had seen this before when stitching on knits, and had used a wash-a-way topper with some success. This might have helped the foot to glide better over the heavy texture. Raising the pressure foot pressure might have been an idea, but I didn't go either route (this time).

Now because the linen presses and steams so well I was not worried as I figured it would press out. (It did.)

But I had 4 cushions and room to experiment. Next I tried Whisper Web mesh and a light tear-a-way. This basically gave me the same result. Time to rethink, methinks! Cushions 3 and 4 got heavier tear-a-way and a stitch point cut away. Lots of oomphy stabilizers! Better results but still a bit of rumpling. Barely noticeable however and probably hard to avoid when you have heavily stitched areas surrounded by open fabric.

Next let's assemble the little darlings. The last thing I need right now is another UFO.