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Embellishment Explosion #18 
-- Decorative Braid
By Pauline Richards, Total Embellishments

Suitable for any simple dress or jacket, this basic design can be used with any flexible, decorative cording or 1/4" braid. Before you purchase a trim, test it to make sure that it will work properly. Position the trim on the embellishment design following the gentle turns. Cording should bend easily without distortion around the curves; 1/4" braid must mold well and remain flat without buckling up at the inside of the curve. Use the design to embellish a dress or jacket yoke.

If you have an OmniStitch machine, use the appropriate cording finger if applying cording or the braid foot if you choose to use flat braid,k If you'll be using a conventional machine, use the cording foot for applying cording or the applique foot if applying 1/4" flat braid.

The trim you select should require the same care as the base garment fabric.

This design can easily be applied to a ready-made or pre-made garment by opening up the seam allowances and inserting the trim end at each starting and stopping point. Machine or hand stitch the openings closed when trim applications is completed.

Materials Needed:

--1 yard of medium weight tear-away stabilizer
--33/4 yards trim (If you'll be increasing or decreasing the design size, measure your design and multiply that measurement by 2 to determine the yardage needed. Note: if you wish to create an asymmetrical design, you'll need half the yardage.)
--Thread to match the trim

Preparation:

1. Copy the design onto tear-away stabilizer. This design will be used in positioning the trim on the jacket right front shoulder.

2. Make a mirror image copy of the pattern. This design will be used in positioning the trim on the jacket left front shoulder. (Skip this step if you're embellishing only one shoulder.)

3. Position the design on the garment front and secure with pins. If you're making a symmetrical design, make sure that the designs are evenly placed.

4. Place another layer of tear-away stabilizer against the garment wrong side, directly under the embellishment design and pin to secure.

5. Secure the appropriate attachment and thread your machine. Set your machine for a regular length straight stitch.

6. Position the trim directly over the design guidelines and begin stitching.

7. When using a cording foot, lift the presser foot as necessary to turn a corner and create a flower petal. Note: Don't pull on the trim. If you apply tension to the trim, you'll draw it up and possibly distort the base fabric.

8. Carefully remove the excess stabilizer from the top and back of the base garment. Make any corrections necessary and complete the garment according to the pattern directions.

Click here for pattern

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