ABC Jumper Design

By Joy Welsh

This A, B, C design makes this embroidered inset as easy as 1, 2, 3! 

When I think of back-to-school season, I think of classic A-line jumpers made in denims, corduroys, plaids and ginghams, all embellished with darling embroidery. This project fits that bill perfectly. To create it, you’ll combine your favorite jumper pattern with a machine shadow work inset. The inset is actually a “fake” inset, in that it is not sewn into the jumper with seams, but laid on top of the jumper and topstitched in place.

The cute school-themed, ABC design (a shadow work design for machine embroidery) is available in two sizes, so choose the one that works best for the size jumper you are making. You’ll be stitching the “shadow” stitches onto quilter’s cotton instead of the typical organza, while the outline stitches will be sewn onto lightweight fabric, such as Imperial Batiste from Spechler-Vogel. The wash-away stabilizer and quilter’s cotton will then be hooped together, with the wash-away stabilizer on the bottom. Once the shadow stitches are sewn, you’ll place the lightweight fabric on top to complete the design (this is not hooped).

Note: This design can be found in our Autumn issue.

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Prep Work:

  1. Before you get started, prepare your fabrics and pre-wash them, if necessary. The embroidery thread will not shrink, but your fabrics may, which could cause some puckering once the garment is washed. It’s best to get the shrinkage out of the fabric first.
  2. You will also get better results if you spray starch the fabric blocks as well. Press the blocks nice and flat once the starch is dry.

  3. Fold the fabric in half and press crease lines near the fabric edge. These creases will be used to match to the hoop’s center marks.

    Pro Tip: 

    If you’re using a strong color or print for your jumper and you find that the jumper fabric shows through the layer of cotton and top fabric, you can use a lightweight interfacing on the back side. This would be added after the embroidery is complete.

To make this design by Joy Welsh of Applique for Kids, you’ll need the following items:

Supplies

For machine shadow work inset:

  • Water-soluble mesh stabilizer.

  • Your favorite jumper pattern.

                Pattern used on samples: red corduroy jumper— “Lucy” by Children’s Corner                 and the denim jumper is “Janie-Belle” from A Wink and a Nod. Both blouses are             from A Wink and a Nod.

  • Good quality quilter’s cotton in white; light to medium weight. You need a piece large enough to go across pattern’s chest area and big enough to be hooped. It is a good idea to add 2- to 3-inches to the length of the fabric block for safety measures. Be sure it is on grain.

  • Light-weight white fabric, such as Imperial Batiste, Lawn or cotton Piqué. Same size as the quilter’s cotton but this will not be hooped. Be sure it is on grain.

  • 40-weight embroidery thread, using your choice of colors

  • Double-sided scotch tape and/or fine pins or temporary adhesive spray

  • Piping or trim to finish edges of inset.

  • Actual-size print out of the embroidery design is always helpful. Be sure to print the cross marks so you can easily see where the center of the design is. It is also good to print out the JPG steps file so you can follow along at the machine.

  • General sewing and embroidery supplies

Follow these steps to create the shadow work embroidery:

ABC diagram 1

  1. Hoop the wash-away stabilizer with the quilter’s cotton, matching centers. Place hoop on the machine for the shadow stitches. This will stitch a total of 6 items: the B, book, the A, apple, crayon and then the C. Once these have stitched, remove the hoop from the machine and place flat on a table. NOTE: It is a good idea to have the JPG steps file printed so you can follow along at the machine.

    ABC Diagram 2

  2. You can place double-sided scotch tape close to the design or spray the back side of the top fabric with the temporary adhesive spray—or use both (the goal is to not have the fabric move out of place). Making sure you are centering the fabric block, smooth it in place. I like to use fine pins, keeping them out of the sewing field. The pins are like having an inner hoop that keeps the fabric from shifting out of place.

  3. Put hoop back on machine to complete the design. Once it is finished, remove it from the hoop. Trim as much of the wash away stabilizer as you can—do NOT trim either of the fabrics. Remove the tape and pins if you used either of them. Soak the fabric in very warm water. I like to change the water a couple of times.

  4. Once the stabilizer is gone, let it dry and then press fabric. Press from the wrong side on a towel or wool pressing cloth, then press from front.

    Completing the Inset:

    ABC Diagram 3

    1. Decide how wide you want your inset to be and where you want to place it on the jumper. Draw straight lines on the inset along the long sides with a water-soluble pen, checking that they are straight and an equal distance from the embroidery all along the way. Be sure to add the seam allowances. Mark the centers. NOTE: On the red jumper, the inset was placed 21/4″ down from the cut edge of the jumper & was 31/4″ wide; seam allowances were 1/4″.   

    2. Baste the two fabrics together along both long sides just inside your marked cutting line. Cut the inset out on your marked cutting line.

    3. Apply piping, rickrack or trim of your choice to the two long sides. Press this seam under.

    4. Cut the jumper out according to the pattern instructions.

    Diagram 4

    5. Place the inset onto the jumper front, matching centers and where you decided it would go from neck down. Top stitch in place.

    Diagram 5

    6. Trim inset to match the cut jumper front and follow pattern instructions to complete jumper.

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    You can get Joy’s design and how-to instructions on our downloads page.

    With purchase of the issue, you will get access to all Autumn pattern and design downloads.

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    Subscribe today to get exclusive access to downloads in every issue, or if you purchase this Autumn edition as a single issue, register to get the pattern here.

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Classic Sewing Autumn 2017 cover

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