Welcome back to our PFAFF® 160th Anniversary Sew-Along! We are thrilled that you are here! We are creating this beautiful Christening gown or child’s dress, designed by Alicia Welcher, assistant editor of Classic Sewing magazine.
In this second lesson, we will be completing the optional machine embroidery, creating the upper portion of the bodice and assembling the lace fancy bands for the skirt. While you may use any machine, our sew-along instructions will feature the fantastic new PFAFF® creative icon™ 2 sewing and embroidery machine. We will be taking advantage of the new features, including projection of embroidery designs, decorative stitches and a grid; and scanning of the embroidery hoop. You also have a chance to win a new PFAFF® creative™ ambition™ 640 sewing and embroidery machine! Visit our sew-along homepage to enter to win and to catch up on Lesson 1 of our sew-along.
Project Downloads
Note: For best results, please download the files on a computer and NOT a mobile device.
Note: The project patterns and machine embroidery designs are included in Lesson 1.
Notes
1. All step-out photos were taken during the design process. The alignment and size of the blocks may not exactly match yours.
2. Measurements given are for the Christening gown. Dress measurements (where different) are in parentheses.
Machine Embroidery
1. Spray the Bodice Front Block and the Embroidery Block generously with Terial Magic and let dry. Press well. Do not worry if the fabric has a few wrinkles as long as they aren’t pleats. Alternately, spray lightly with starch and press until dry. Repeat several times until the fabric is the consistency of lightweight paper.
2. On your computer, log into mySewnet™. In your cloud, create a folder and label it (I labeled mine PFAFF® 2022). Then upload the two embroidery designs, Bodice Rose and Skirt Rose, into the folder.
3. Print the two embroidery templates, included with the embroidery designs, in actual size.
4. Center the full bodice pattern under the Front Bodice Block and trace the embroidery center only.
5. Hoop the Front Bodice Block and one layer of fibrous water-soluble stabilizer in a 120×120 hoop, aligning the marked embroidery center with the registration marks on the inner hoop.
6. At your PFAFF® creative icon™ 2, ensure that the machine is connected to your Wi-Fi network and that you are logged in to your mySewnet™ account. Pull up the Bodice Rose embroidery design via mySewnet™. Change the hoop size to 120×120, if needed.
7. Insert the size 75/11 embroidery needle and thread the machine with white 40wt. embroidery thread and embroidery bobbin thread.
8. Use the built-in projector to position the design as follows:
a. Press the projection button above the needle.
b. Attach the hoop when prompted by the machine.
c. On the fabric in the hoop, you will see a partial design projected (photo 1). To see the entire design, use the Move Hoop control wheel that is on the screen to move the hoop down (photo 2). NOTE: You are not moving the design at all at this point, all you are doing is moving the hoop and the projected design to a position where it is directly under the projector and can be seen. This design is small enough to fit within the projector area. Larger designs will still be shown, but only partially.
d. Compare the position of the projected design in relation to the drawn crosshair against the printed template. Move the design as needed using the control wheel under Edit Design. Do not use the Move Hoop control wheel.
9. When the projected design is centered properly on the crosshair, touch Go and OK to enter Embroidery Stitch-Out. The hoop will move into position and you will be ready to stitch the embroidery design.
10. You can leave the projector turned on or you can touch the projector button above the needle or the projector icon on the screen to turn it off. NOTE: The lights of your machine will remain off as long as the projector is on.
11. Embroider the design (photo 3).
12. Remove the fabric and stabilizer from the hoop. Trim the excess stabilizer close to the design.
13. Rinse to remove all remaining stabilizer and let dry. Starch lightly and press well face down into a padded surface. Set embroidered bodice block aside.
14. Mark the Embroidery Block with a temporary fabric marker as follows (photo 4). NOTE: A black permanent marker was used to mark the sample in the photograph for clarity.
a. Draw a line down the vertical center of the block. Draw a line across the horizontal center of the block.
b. Measure 2-1/2″ to the right of the vertical center and draw another vertical line. Measure 2-1/2″ to the left of the vertical center and draw another vertical line.
c. Measure 4-1/2″ above the horizontal center and draw another horizontal line. Measure 4-1/2″ below the horizontal center and draw another horizontal line.
d. You will be stitching 6 roses, one in each of the outside intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines. If desired, draw an X through each of the center intersections so that you remember to not embroider there (see photo 4).
15. Hoop sticky fibrous water-soluble stabilizer in the 360×260 hoop. Score and remove the paper from the inside of the hoop, exposing the sticky surface.
16. Adhere the marked Embroidery Block to the stabilizer, right side up, aligning the original vertical and horizontal center lines with the registration marks on the inner hoop (photo 5).
17. Pull up the Skirt Rose embroidery design via mySewnet™.
18. Change the hoop size to 360×260. While you still have the Hoop Options screen open, scan the fabric that is in the hoop and place your designs as follows:
a. Touch Start Hoop Scan. Touch OK. Attach the hoop when prompted by the machine. Touch OK.
b. The machine will then begin scanning the hoop.
c. Once the scan ends, close the Hoop Options screen by touching Hoop Options at the bottom of the screen.
d. You will now see the scanned fabric showing on the screen behind the design. Move the embroidery design to one embroidery center. Do not spend a lot of time trying to get the design exactly centered – ish is ok here.
e. Touch and hold the embroidery design until a pop-up shows. Touch Duplicate. Move the new design to another embroidery center. Repeat this step until you have six embroidery designs on the screen, each on top of an embroidery center (photo 6). Again, do not spend a lot of time trying to get the designs exactly centered. The most important thing is that the squares around the designs do not overlap.
19. Once the designs are all positioned, touch Go. In the Welcome to Embroidery Stitch-Out screen, touch One Color under Color Options, then touch OK to enter Embroidery Stitch-Out. The hoop will move into position and you will be ready to stitch the embroidery design. Your screen will no longer show the scanned fabric in the background and the design should be all dark grey, showing that the color stops have been removed (photo 7).
20. Embroider the designs.
21. Touch Embroidery Edit at the bottom of the screen. Touch Hoop Options. Touch Scan Hoop under Background and change to Background Color. This will remove the scanned fabric from the Embroidery Edit screen.
22. Remove the fabric and stabilizer from the hoop. Trim the excess stabilizer close to the design.
23. Rinse to remove all remaining stabilizer and let dry. Starch lightly and press well face down into a padded surface.
24. Cut each rose into a 4″ square with the rose centered by cutting on the stitched square around each design. Set embroidered rose blocks aside.
The Upper Bodice
NOTE: Refer to the Heirloom Sewing Techniques document from Lesson 1 for details on all heirloom sewing techniques.
1. Place the full bodice pattern under the embroidered Front Bodice Block, aligning the center of the embroidery with the marked embroidery center on the pattern. Trace the bodice outline and the lace shaping lines onto the Front Bodice Block using a temporary fabric marker (photo 8).
2. Cut a 15″ piece of 5⁄8” lace insertion (18″ for dress).
3. Place the marked Front Bodice Block right side up on a lace shaping board or other padded surface.
4. Starting on one side, shape the lace insertion as follows:
a. Align the top header of the lace with the top drawn line of the lace shaping lines, allowing 1/2″ or more of the lace to extend outside the drawn bodice shape. Pin the header to the Front Bodice Block with the pin stabbing the padded surface at an angle as shown, following the lace shaping line. Pin generously on the curve. You will have excess lace opposite the pins around the curves. When the curve changes direction, move the pins to the outside of the curve and pin the header in place. Continue around the next curve. Again, move the pins to the outside on the final curve (photo 9).
b. At one end of the lace, poke a pin through a hole in the outside scalloped edge of the bottom lace header about 1/2″ from the end and remove the header thread from the lace from the pin to the end of the lace. Gently pull the loose header thread. This will pull up the excess lace so that it can lie flat. Continue to pull until that section of lace lies flat. Repeat on the other end of the lace.
c. To remove the excess lace from the middle section, poke the pin through a hole in the top scalloped edge somewhere near the center of the bodice. Using the pin, gently pull the outside header thread until the lace lies flat in the center section. Stab the pin into the padded surface at an angle to keep the loop of header thread taut (photo 10).
d. Lightly starch the fabric and press until dry with a dry iron.
e. Remove the pins from the outside of the lace and replace some of them to attach the lace to the fabric (photo 11).
5. Thread the machine with 60wt. thread and insert a size 80 microtex needle. With lightweight tear-away stabilizer underneath, zigzag the top header of the lace to the fabric (ONLY the top header). See the technique, Lace Along a Fabric Edge, for illustrations.
6. Remove the stabilizer and complete sewing of the top of the lace using the technique, Lace Along a Fabric Edge as follows:
a. Trim the fabric away from the lower edge of the bodice approximately 3⁄8″-1/2″ away from the zigzag. Take care to not catch the lace. Clip the curves up to the zigzag stitching.
b. Press the trimmed and clipped fabric toward the upper bodice. Zigzag the header of the lace again. Trim the excess fabric away close to the second zigzag.
7. Set the upper bodice aside.
Lace Fancy Bands
NOTE: Lightly press (without stretching) the laces and entredeux before proceeding.
1. Cut four pieces of 5⁄8” lace insertion, two pieces of 5⁄8” lace beading and two pieces of entredeux to 90″ (72″ for dress). Mark the right sides of all pieces with a red sticky dot.
2. Trim one seam allowance of the entredeux to 1/4″. Trim the other seam allowance completely away.
3. Lay the lace and entredeux on a flat surface, right side up, as follows. Align the holes of the beading and the pattern of the insertion as desired. You may want everything to match within the sets and between the two sets or you may wish them to be random. The patterns and holes within the laces on the sample gown were not lined up – they were all random.
Set 1
• Entredeux with the seam allowance on top.
• Lace Insertion below the entredeux.
• Lace Beading below the insertion.
• Lace Insertion below the beading.
Set 2
• Lace Insertion
• Lace Beading below the insertion.
• Lace Insertion below the beading.
• Entredeux below the insertion with the seam allowance at the bottom.
4. If needed, move the red sticky dots to one end of each set.
5. With a temporary marker, draw lines across each set every 6″ or so. You will use these lines to ensure that you are not stretching your lace as you sew.
6. Attach the Narrow Edge foot and engage the IDT™ system. The Narrow Edge foot has a flange in the middle of the foot that helps to align the edges of the laces and entredeux in the center of the foot as you sew. The IDT™ system helps the laces and entredeux to feed evenly as you sew.
7. Using the technique Lace to Lace, sew the insertion to each side of the beading. Keep the drawn lines matched as you go (see photo 12).
8. Using the technique Entredeux to Lace, sew the entredeux to the insertion. Keep the drawn lines matched as you go (photo 12).
9. Set lace fancy bands aside.
That’s all for Lesson 2! Join us next week for Lesson 3, where we will complete all of the pintucks and decorative stitching and finish up the fancy band.
More About the PFAFF® creative icon™ 2:
The creative icon™ 2 sewing and embroidery machine marks a revolutionary step for sewists. A world first in the home sewing industry, artificial intelligence and voice control features give you the ultimate connectivity, enabling you to reach new levels of your craft, effortlessly.
