Behind the Scenes - Design Challenge

If you're thinking of entering our design challenge, I thought it might help to show you how I go about creating one of my designs from concept through the finished garment.

First you need to come up with the design and draw it out.  I use simple broad strokes using a chubby felt pen such as a Sharpie (although, as you can see, mine are a cheap version - I get mine from Home Bargains for about a fifth of the price!)

I then scan it and open the image up in Photoshop where I can play around with the design to make sure it will transfer well to the software I use for embroidery.

Once I'm happy with the design, I load it onto the digitising software that goes with my embroidery machine and choose the colours I'm going to use for the different parts of the design.

It's then just a case of copying the file onto a stick and transferring it to my machine.  All that's left for me to do is to sit back and watch whilst the machine gets on with the hard work of stitching my design.

 Once completed, it's simply a case of cutting out the design to create my motif .....

... and stitching it on to whichever garment it's been made for, in this case a sleepsuit with matching cotton cap.

I hope this helps you to see the type of designs we're looking for in our challenge.  

Here's the link again to the website where you can see how to enter.  And remember ...

• Keep it simple - use broad single strokes.
• Keep to an outline and don't include shading and tonal changes.
• Try not to use too many colours - think cartoon!
• And don't forget, the design must be your own original work.

Closing date is 31st May 2014. And .... good luck.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk