How To Embroider On Chiffon Using An Embroidery Machine

Machine embroidery is a great way to add unique embellishments to your clothing and accessories. But what if you want to embroider something thin like chiffon? Don’t worry. It’s not as hard as it seems. You can embroider on chiffon with a few tips and tricks, just like any other fabric.

Chiffon embroidery has never interested me. Until I saw the beautiful work done by Liz Lindsay and Mandel on the dots. Liz recently used her embroidery machine to order a chiffon veil for a friend, and boy, is it a work of art.

Of course, I had to ask how you did it. Lucky for me (and you!), he agreed to share his process and everything he learned. But before we get into Liz’s specific project, let’s talk about gauze and why it’s a challenge for machine embroidery.

Basics Of Machine Embroidery On Chiffon 

What is chiffon?

Chiffon is a light, transparent fabric commonly used in evening and wedding dresses. It is made of synthetic fibers such as silk or polyester. Chiffon is known for its delicate appearance and ethereal properties.

Why Embroidery On Chiffon?

Chiffon is indeed a beautiful fabric that can add an elegant touch to any project. Because it is so transparent, chiffon embroidery can give your designs a unique 3D look.

Why Is Machine Embroidery On Chiffon Is Challenging?

Chiffon embroidery digitizing can be a challenge for even the most experienced seamstress. Chiffon is a thin, translucent fabric that tears or frays easily. In addition, machine embroidery puts a lot of pressure on the fabric, so be careful when working with gauze. One of the main challenges you’ll encounter when embroidering chiffon is the smooth finish and lightness. This means that it is difficult to prevent it from moving while embroidering. If the fabric moves too much, your design will become distorted.

The transparency associated with gauze is also a challenge. For example, you don’t want to be embroidered with a stabilizer that shows.

How To Embroider On Chiffon

Seeing Liz’s results were amazing, considering all the challenges Chiffon faces. The chiffon wedding dress she made for her boyfriend wasn’t just a touch of embroidery. Beautiful embroidered colorful flowers adorn the outer edge of the veil. Tasty!

Why Embroidering On Chiffon Can Be A Fun?

“My friend Diana asked me to make her wedding veil in a Mexican floral theme. Together we went to Jo-Ann Fabrics for fabric samples and chose light peach chiffon and light blue organza. Then I took the time to learn best practices and study. chiffon embroidery making floral embroidery designs.” Sewn with care.”

Choosing Embroidery Designs For Chiffon

Avoid Dense Designs

When an embroidery machine stitches a very dense design, it creates many holes in a small space. The proximity of all these holes basically spoils your texture. Liz explains that she has many embroidery designs. So he just went through his collection and found flowers that looked decent but weren’t too bushy either.

Why You Should Avoid Long Stitches.

As Liz says, “long stitches are not good, and it is better to design with short stitches (no more than 5mm).”

Remove the Backing.

If you want to use a heavily embroidered design, Liz recommends removing the backing. Embroidery designs usually include underlining to ensure good coverage. But with gauze, it is crucial to significantly reduce the density and eliminate the filling.

Always Try Designs On Your Fabric.

Always test your designs on the actual material you will be working with before embarking on a project like this. Liz tested her flowers on a piece of gauze to ensure they sewed correctly.

What type of embroidery digitizing machine do you own? Do you need a particular type of embroidery machine to be able to embroider on chiffon?

You don’t need a special type of embroidery machine to embroider on gauze. However, if you are doing such a large project, an embroidery machine with large hoops will make your process faster. The

multi-needle embroidery machine will also come in handy because you won’t have to readjust your embroidery machine every time you change thread colors. It’s a huge time saver! It will be faster if the number of colors in the design does not exceed the number of stitches on the embroidery machine.

Luckily, Lz has a multi-needle machine, the Janome MB-7, with a large embroidery frame and seven needles.

Do You Need A Special Type Of Needle To Embroider On Chiffon?

Yes, you need a special type of needle to embroider on chiffon. Delicate fabrics require finer embroidery needles. You will have to choose a scale of 70/10 or 65/9. Avoid using ball-point needles as they can catch delicate tissue and cause dripping.

What Type Of Stabilizer Should Be Used When Embroidering On Chiffon

“Because the fabric is sheer, you can’t use standard stabilizers. Regular stabilizers are cut 0.25” from the seam, creating a visible outline on the front. For chiffon it’s made with Vilene or a water-soluble stabilizer.