Learn new and exciting techniques to dissolve, melt, and distort fabric, both before and after stitching with Stitch, Dissolve, Distort with Machine Embroidery. A new world of creativity is opening up with the arrival of innovative materials on the market, and artists Valerie Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey explore some of these intriguing options.

Some of these new fabrics and materials can be dissolved, melted, punched, slashed, and distorted to achieve interesting effects. This book explores these various techniques with clear photos, easy-to-follow steps, design tips, and diagrams. All the methods are safe and without the need for specialized equipment. Stitch, Dissolve, Distort with Machine Embroidery is fantastically illustrated with work samples created by Valerie and Maggie plus a selection from fellow textile artists.

A photograph of a plastic toy for a bird cage. It was scanned in to create the black images above left. This design was then scanned into the sewing machine and digitized.

The book is broken down into three themes. “Stitch” takes on all the stitch techniques, including free-machining, marks and stitches, painted stitches, tone and texture, and pin tucks. “Dissolve” first teaches the materials and methods for dissolving fabric then moves on to the intricacies of wash-away film and fabric, sticky soluble stabilizers, water-soluble paper, and how to combine media for interesting effects. “Distort” also addresses materials and equipment, how to “attack” the fabric, melt the fabric, and eventually shape it into its final form.

Thermogauze was used to form a layered background in this embroidery. It was laid over painted fabric and stitched with a random pattern before being painted and zapped. A further piece of Thermogauze was stitched with a satin-stitch pattern, painted, and zapped and then machined on top.

Stitch, Dissolve, Distort with Machine Embroidery examines some of the new and exciting methods and materials for embroiderers to use on fabric but keeps the focus on the most important element—the stitching.

Paperbound, 8½ x 10¾, 128 pages
100 photographs
ISBN 1-978-59668-050-0