[HNW] Embroidering garments

[Laren]

At 12:29 AM 6/10/2003 -0400, you wrote:
><snip>
> >   Ideally the fabric should be stretched on a frame so
> > that the needlework will not distort the fabric and
> > thus distort the fit of the garment. You will be much
> > more satisfied with the results of your embroidery
> > this way.
> >
> > Martel,
> > SCA, Barony of Bright Hills, Atlantia
>
>    I hate to be disagreeable, but - I disagree. Strongly. (Sorry about
>that!)  In my experience with embroidering on clothing (and mind you, this
>would be clothing meant for washer and dryer so that may make a difference),
>I find that stretching the fabric while working a design almost inevitably
>results in distortion after the fabric is washed and dried. I *never* use
>any form of stretcher for my work.

But is this because putting the material on stretcher bars or normal 
shrinkage that would occur with washing? Was the fabric where this happened 
pre-washed before embroidering? If it wasn't, I would say the puckering 
occured because of not pre-washing the material before embroidering.

At this point, after about 9 years of
>embroidering garb, I actually forgot where my stretcher bars and hoops were
>and ran across them gathering dust a couple of weeks ago. I finally cleaned
>them out of a drawer (kept my two favorite) and gave them away in a mad "get
>rid of what you don't use" phase.
>    Which, of course, means that there's no One True Way to do things... (If
>it matters, I have been embroidering with DMC perl cotton #8 and $12, or
>else with "Splendor" silk thread. I've rarely used wool or any other medium
>since I distrust the long term effects of washing and drying).

It might also be choice of thread. Perle is pretty thick. I find it hard to 
work with as its like trying to embroider with rope. I use wool to 
embroider with as well, I would think it would survive just as well as 
cotton or silk.

>Rosine
>SCA too, Baroness of Marinus, Atlantia

Cheers,
Jane