Cord Work Ebroidery Made Easy

' This is so intricate' would probably be your first thought when you see the images above and the next would be ' It probably take ages and looks very difficult! ' Right? Well you are wrong :-) If you can do a running stitch in your sewing machine and follow a line, then this is as easy as eating a pie!

I searched online to see if this technique is documented and found to my amazement that it wasn't! I wondered why as my mom has been using this method ages ago.

It would look lovely on clothes, cushions and table cloth. The red is a shawl that was done using this method 10+ yrs ago!

As this instruction wasn't available anywhere I thought to enter it in the 'Teach It' Contest as I felt it was a new skill and technique I could teach my fellow instructable members. So if it's a new skill you have learned today by reading this instructions I would be grateful to have your valuable vote! :-)

Step 1: Design and Thread

Supplies

A sewing machine

Crochet thread or small cord. - not too thick that it cant go through the bobbin hole.

Matching thread

A continues embroidery pattern to make life easier.( feel free to copy the design above. It was done by Shazni. and she has no issues with it)

Step 2: ​Preparations

Transfer pattern on the wrong side of your fabric. You can either use a light box to do it or use a carbon for fabric.

Fix the fabric to a frame and pull tight. Remove the machine foot.

Fill bobbin with cord.

Place bobbin in shuttle and pull the thread through. Usually here the thread will come loosely in normal sewing, but not too loose. Now you have to adjust the tension here so that it would have the same tension as in the top thread when sewing the usual way.

The tension in the top should be loosened so that it should be like the the shuttle tension in the usual stitching mode.

No put the shuttle and pull the thread out.

Do a test stitch and check if all is right.

Step 3: Run With Your Stitch

:-) Well, all you have to do now is follow your pattern. It's easy if you have a continues pattern. If not, just stop, jump to next position and sew away. Remember you would be sewing on the wrong side of the fabric.

Once done, turn to the right side and cut the cord where it's not necessary. Like where you did your jumps :-)

You can do fillings like this to by filling with running stitch.

Step 4: Easy and Lovely

Isn't it like super easy and really lovely?

Have you ever done it before?

Why not try it and how me a sample :-) I would love to see it.

Thank you for reading my instructable. Hope you found it useful :-)

Any feedback would be most welcome.

Comments

[BLASTFEMI]

I love it! So beautiful!

[shizy25]

Thanks! I'm so happy that people find it beautiful and useful even though it didn't win any contests :-)

[thundrepance]

totally amazing!! :D

[shizy25]

Thanks!

[Zeena94]

WooWW its Just Mesmerizing !! :)

[shizy25]

Thanks!

[fluffydragon]

Very nice. I've been driving myself insane looking for a way to reproduce a couched cord for a costume, I don't think this will work for my purpose, but it probably will for future uses/ideas. The cord that I need to use looks too thick to go through my bobbin slot. Assuming I can find the right cord.

[iamsewcrazy]

Fluffydragon, you can tape a piece of a drinking straw to center of your presser foot in front of the needle, thread the cord through that, and then zigzag over the cord with a clear monofilament thread. It works really well for couching thick stuff down if it won't go through your bobbin case.

[fluffydragon]

Yay, it ate my comment.

I'll probably give the straw thing a shot for the first row of cord, but

http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/purple/dtg3.jpg

I'll probably have to switch to hand stitching for the other three rows, but any time it saves me would be awesome. I suppose I *Could* try it with the foot up and free handing it.

[shizy25]

Thanks! any cord that can go through a bobbin is good to go :-) good luck with your project. Sounds very interesting!

[DeandrasCrafts]

Just beautiful!

[shizy25]

Thank you so much :-)

[somethink_different]

This looks awesome! I'm a little slow, apparently... to clarify, this is just regular sewing with thicker thread, and without feed dogs up to pull the fabric through? I want to try it!

[shizy25]

Thanks! you are absolutely right in understanding it :-)

Any thick cord which can go through the bobbin is good to go!. Please give it a go and show me the out come!

[HagridsMom]

wow - very impressive!! I've done a little bobbin work but it certainly didn't look llike yours! I think mine was more for couching and quilting so no hoop.Thank you so much for sharing this technique. What type of machine is that? Looks big and old - so much fun!!

[shizy25]

Thanks! it's a juki, It's my mom's :-). She has an old Singer too which is more than 100 years, also a NICCHI ( which you can't find parts anymore!)

[HagridsMom]

I used to sell sewing machines and it's amazing how they follow you home ... Found a white featherweight covered in glitter nailpolish at a goodwill big store where you pay for item by the pound - best $7 I ever spent. The nail polish came off without hurting the finish! I also have older machines that would come in to be worked on and then left ... have a lipstick rose pink straight stitch Morse, treadles. etc. I just love sewing machines. There are some yahoo groups that deal with old machines - have you checked for the necchi group?
Thanks again for a great tut!

[shizy25]

You are welcome!

[Mielameri]

Wow! Simple and stunning! Voted :)

[shizy25]

Thanks you so much! Need all the votes I can get! competition is so tough :-)