Mortem's Tricks or Treats: Copy Bat Strikes Once More.

'Tis our season, my pretties! There is no inspiration quite like the first glimpse of a jack o' lantern smiling back at you when you enter any shop, or the whiff of piles and piles of candy and pumpkin pie pervading the grocers; the harbingers of joy to many creepily inclined souls.

Nothing gets me in the mood to craft faster than the slew of delightful materials available to me during this time. I could spend a couple million in a day, no doubt, during this joyous time of year.

Regular function

This year has inspired me to finally test out the embroidery function of my beloved Brother SE400. I already knew I loved my machine, but after the past couple days did I realize I am completely and irrevocably smitten over my machine. It's true, it may not be built to last like its much older relatives that are still sought after today, and it may need more babying too... but let not its modernesque detract you from its capabilities. It just may surprise you.

Embroidery machine formed up and ready to stitch out!

After drooling for what feels like the thousandth time over the embroidery designs at Urban Threads, wondering if my machine was even capable of quality stitched embroidery designs, I finally had enough and just took the plunge.

I purchased their Gothic Lace Bat design. $3.00 seemed a lot to spend on something I wasn't even fully confident would work, and it's not like it's tangible data... if it didn't work out, it would just be a folder stored forever in my external hard drive. $3.00 could buy me a cone of much needed black thread!

It's funny, but what spurred my plunge is yet another moment of longing, but waiting for the right moment to buy.
I love those gothic rockabilly cardigans with the embroidered shoulders, you know the ones; you've probably seen a few of your favorite bloggers sport them with pride.

Source: Sourpuss, currently unavailable

The problem with waiting is that when that "right time", that moment when you've finally convinced yourself that it is worth it to you to spend the money (even though it would blow your entire crafting budget out of the month), when it all finally comes to a head... suddenly it's gone, and ebay might be your only way to obtain it from a seller you've never bought from before, thus perpetuating the cycle.

I was fully intending on buying this cardigan... but now that it's gone from my clutches, its released my inner copy bat from the deepest depths of my being; the closet wants, what the closet needs.
So I must make do with my ingenuity.

I shopped around my closet for things I haven't worn in a few years, and dug up a tired looking cardigan that is 8 years old for myself, but likely older since it was thrifted those many years ago.

The subject

Pretty basic, but fit the bill for my needs! So, I had the design, and the foundation cardigan... next was to shop around work for what I needed.

Stabalizer, machine embroidery thread, buttons, hoop, and scissors.
The markings of a great time.

Since the shoulder area is too narrow to hoop, it was in the best interest of my project to make little lace appliques. Because this is lace, I couldn't just use any type of stabilizer, or I would risk having too many white flecks within the scrollwork of the lace when trying to remove regular stabilizer. So I bought a roll of water soluble stabilizer by Sulky.

The most essential tool in machine lace making. It really does dissolve in water, and it only takes a minute or two to completely dissolve away.

Something that always makes me nervous when it comes to machine embroidery is the thread. Most people who sew know the tyranny embroidery thread holds onto our sanity. It's so pretty to look at, but an utter pain in the ass. It wiggles and squirms the opposite way you're trying to direct it, it doesn't like being handled roughly in the slightest, in fact it hates any type of needle but top stitch and embroidery, and to add to all that, it's the most expensive kind of thread there is because it's normally made from silk in the finest weight.

I wasn't ready to waste my purple thread on something untested... so I used some off white spool I had purchased a few years back with the machine (because I thought I would use this function soon than later).

I had my stabilizer hooped, and my machine prepped (after reading the manual over at least 3 times).
It was the moment of truth.

When I selected the design, what looked like a Rorschach blot vaguely resembling a bat appeared on the screen of my machine... not the best sign, to say the least.

*Whirr* went the machine.

After I engaged the machine, it began doing its thing... which also started to resemble the Rorschach blot in the beginning...

When the machine finally beeped finished (20 mins later), to my shock and thrill...

It actually looked exactly like what I wanted. Not a single stitch out of place.

The pride I felt was nothing short of high.

Naturally, I had this seething desire to embroider this bat onto anything plain and a little uninspiring... but that seems a little excessive. It wasn't easy sticking to the original plan, but I managed it

It's amazing what a few pieces of applique and a change of buttons will do to an otherwise plain and boring article of clothes. This is precisely why I never throw or donate any of my clothing, because somewhere in time I will find a way to breathe new life into... but it also doesn't help my closet space problems, just adds to it...

I do intend on modeling this, but I would like to complete the dress that I feel would go so well with it first!

Time to buy more embroidery designs!