16. Wildcard Week - Digital Embroidery

Goals

Assignment:

  • [x] Design and produce something with a digital process
  • [x] incorporating computer-aided design and manufacturing)
  • [x] not covered in another assignment
  • [x] documenting the requirements that your assignment meets
  • [x] including everything necessary to reproduce it

Tools Used

TLDR; Nice images

Individual Project - Make a Draw String Embroidered bag

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We were hosting a student in the fablab who is really into sewing so I took the opportunity to learn how to make a draw string bag from them.

We looked at several design options but ultimately decided to go with a simple 2 piece design that would be easy to make and would look great.

Once we had the design I made a rectangle in Rhino just to get a sense of the overall shape of the bag.

I then used offset to create an allowance for the seam of the bag

I then used the rectangles as a guide for the nicer curve shape.

I used export to create my cut files as a .dxf file.

I took my company logo into inkscape and exported as a raster image that is sized to fit the bag.

Note: It is key that the image is not compressed as the embroidery file is using the colour of the pixels to create the stitching pattern.

We use inkscape to send the files to the laser. The key here is to make sure the cut lines are set to hairline

It can be difficult to focus the laser on fabrics. We use a thin piece of plastic to help the plunger of the laser focus.

I ran a test file at the following settings:

  • Power: 20%
  • Speed: 90%
  • Frequency: 25%

Then used the camera to position the cut file and used the settings above.

I used the mould from week 13 to check the sizing of the bag

The seam allowance is marked with a crayon.

I have never used a sewing machine before so it was useful to have someone to guid me!

I just used simple running straight stitched for the seam and the draw string pocket.

The first step was just to join the two pieces of fabric together on one side.

I used dress makers pins to hold the fabric in place while is sew.

Make sure to place the pins with the head pointing towards you as you are sewing. This means that you can remove them as you go.

Repeat this step when you fold over the draw string pocket and sew it all the way across.

Now that the the bag is part sewn, this is my last chance to do the embroidery. If I was to complete the bag I would not be able to get the part in the embroidery frame.

The software for our Brother VR Embroidery machine is called PE Design.

The image is imported and I use the auto punch wizard to create the embroidery.

For the stick settings I used the following:

  • Undersewing - On
  • Density - 4.5 line/mm
  • Straight fill pattern -90 deg

I used the auto threader on the machine to put in the thread.

The machine has a built in help menu that can be accessed wit the ? symbol.

Its great as I always forget the direction for the bobbin thread.

This shows the path of the thread, it just requires you to follow the numbers on the machine.

Embrodery in progress…

As this is a single needle machine it is necessary to re-thread for each colour change.

Completed logo

I cut a quick draw string on the laser with some scrap cotton.

I used the same setting and just drew a rectangle in inkscape for the cut line.

Completed sewing the other sides of the bag

When its finished if is flipped inside out and …

The completed bag!

In Summary

This week was fun. It was a new skill and a comparatively simple project.

Things I would do differently next time

My sewing was very basic. If I had more time I would have been a bit neater, keep’t my lines straighter, and maybe used some hardware to make the bag more durable.

A thought I had was 3D printed eyelets.

See below link to to files created this week:

Week 16 Files

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