These days it seems the question is always "How small can you go?" Pushing the boundaries of the embroidery medium we are assisted by the new products that have come out. We use to say .16" or 4mm height was the minimum size but now we need to qualify that by saying "depending on fabric and design" Sometimes it is possible to reduce the letters down even smaller. The 60wt thread enable us to go smaller than the 4mm but sometimes we need to understand the construction of the letter to know how small it can be. When sewing those little stitches we do not want the needle making holes in the fabric instead of stitches.

It's important to recognize that the size desired can work with the font chosen. If I check the help menu for serif letters there are many serif options and the recommended size is given. A serif can be created by using a stitch that is across the end like the sample of the Goudy Bold New font. The left is in 3D and the right as a normal screen view. Personally I am not a fan of the 3D and prefer to work with it off.

 The other way to create a serif is to do it as a section of satin stitch like the Evening News sample. Their are two problems with this style at the smaller sizes. The serif itself is so small that it would be sewing a stitch less than 1mm, not good. The other problem is like the area of where the curve of the S and the serif are so close they will close up and the visual integrity of the letter will be loss. By that I mean it won't look like an S anymore but a blob of stitches.

If I was to check the recommended size for these two fonts, Goudy Bold will go to .25"/6mm and the Evening News is recommended for .39"/10mm. That means if I want a square type serif in a smaller size Evening News is the wrong way for it to be sewn. I need to use a combination of the two styles if like the sample below.

That way I can make the letter .16" or 4mm and still have the square shaped serif on my small letters. Much like software that provides many ways to do the same thing, there is usally more than one way to sew the same thing. It's more a question of what works best for the size you are doing even if it is pushing the limits. Please feel free to leave any comments on this or any of my blogs. I am new to this and input is always appreciated. Let me know if there is something you would like to hear about.

The Embroidery Dinoseur

Beverley Field