Advanced Embroidery Techniques – Cutwork

Cutwork embroidery is a needlework technique where portions of fabric are cut-away resulting in reinforced holes that are decorated with satin stitches creating lace-type patterns.  This ancient art, also known as punto tagliato, traditionally uses linen or cotton to form elegant openwork for garments, linens, and decor, blending cutting and stitching for texture and depth. Modern methods also allow for machine embroidery cutwork, adding precision and speed using special needles that cut out the design using your embroidery machine.

Supplies needed: Machine and all accessories in good working order. You will need Cut Work needles for this class and at least 1 Cut Work design. We have the Cut work kit with a set of 4 different sizes of cutwork needles and 5 cutwork designs for Pfaff for 15% off $75.99. These designs can be exported to any file format if your machine doesn’t have VP3 format. If you have a cutwork design and just need the needles we have a set of 4 needles for #35.99 – 15%.

I have done the design on the hem of jeans, so we will talk about how to prepare your jeans for embroidery. You can also buy a cotton Tea Towel for $4 if you wish to learn the technique on something easier. Another option is to bring something from your home to put the cutwork on. It does work the best on natural fibers, not knits.