The birthplace of tulle is France. The material is named after the city in which it was invented and first used. Having “penetrated” our homes, he firmly established himself there. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine home decor without tulle. We have great success with tulle nylon.
Curtains or curtains made of tulle, organza and other thin “capricious” materials should be hemmed with special care.
Well-chosen tulle is one of the most important decorations in your kitchen, living room, bedroom or hallway. It's quite light. At the first stage of choosing tulle for your home, we pay attention to the color, pattern, and quality of the material.
This is a very thin and delicate fabric that requires delicate handling.
Tulle is a light, transparent material. It can be made from natural fabrics, synthetic, or a mixture of different fibers. It can be cotton, linen, silk and other materials.
In the design of modern rooms, tulle of various colors and sizes can be used.
You have chosen the material, now you need to bring it into the form of a finished product.
You need to decide on the length and width of the curtains.
Let's consider the following options for arranging tulle.
It is advisable to give this length to products in children's rooms. This is convenient and solves some problems. For example, a very small child crawling on the floor will not get confused in the product.
Hemming tulle correctly on your own is not an easy task due to the nature of the material.
- The height of the tulle is to the floor.
This is a classic option. The length of the product reaches the floor. The tulle completely hides the wall and does not reveal the baseboard.
When creating comfort in a home, curtains play an important role, and this is no coincidence. After all, the absence of curtains makes the windows “naked”, and in some cases even defective.
- Standard tulle height.
The most common type of product. It is attached from above, the lower part is two or four centimeters higher than the floor. This option is very functional. When moving, contact with the floor is excluded. The product is less susceptible to contamination and is not subject to friction on the floor, which increases its service life.
In order to best satisfy the needs and desires of each customer, manufacturers produce wide canvases.
- Slouchy tulle.
A very nice option. Waves of tulle lie on the floor, completely covering the bottom of the wall and baseboard. The waves are laid on the floor by hand. The length of the overlap is fifteen or twenty centimeters.
When purchasing ready-made tulle, it must be hemmed to give the curtain the required dimensions.
Please note that such a product will look great in spacious rooms with high ceilings. And it is absolutely not suitable for arranging small rooms with low ceilings. The product visually reduces the size of the room.
When modeling and sewing a product, do not forget about the standards for filling width. The finished product should look beautiful and rich.
The best filling is 1:2. The product will look good. This option is perfect for material with a large pattern. Please note that with less filling, your tulle will look more than modest.
The most optimal filling is a ratio of 1:3. The product will look rich. In this case, you need to take tulle as a basis with or without a small pattern on the bottom.
If the fabric has a beautiful coupon figured part, then the bottom of the product is left as is, immediately moving on to the side cuts.
The third method of sewing on braid
- This is an insert between two layers of fabric. At first glance, the braid acts as a decorative element. However, it additionally strengthens the seam
Additionally, stitching is done: 1. to fix the seam allowance 2. to fix the second side of the braid
3. fixation on both sides - in this case, a tunnel is formed between the lines. And such tunnels are perfect as a drawstring.
Materials and tools
The choice of equipment with which you implement creative ideas plays an important role in the quality of embroidery. Every craftswoman who decides to learn ribbon embroidery must purchase the following items and materials for this:
- needles;
- fabrics;
- ribbons;
- markers for marking;
- hoop.
If their quality leaves much to be desired, then so does the appearance of the final product.
It is best for beginning craftswomen to purchase ready-made embroidery kits, which will contain all the necessary materials in the required quantities. And what remains after completing the embroidery can always be put aside for the next product or your own experiments - the set contains enough ribbons to spare.
Ribbon embroidery workshop
Of course, you won't always find exactly the design or pattern that you like, although the variety of sets is impressive. In this case, you can come up with and draw what you want to do yourself. Here you will have to independently select and buy the necessary accessories and materials for the work. To make it easier for you to navigate the huge variety of offers and options, below we have provided a detailed list of what you will need.
Needles
In something like embroidery, you can’t escape without a needle.
Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to the selection of this important tool. It would seem that all needles are the same and are suitable for any materials, but this is not so. Regular needles are not suitable for ribbon embroidery. You will need to purchase needles with a wide eye that you can easily thread the ribbon through. Needles are selected depending on the width of the ribbons so that they do not twist, but at the same time do not slip. For example, a needle number 18 is ideal for ribbons about 7 millimeters wide. The larger the number, the thinner the tape. This is the basic rule for marking needles.
The needle for embroidery with ribbons should be moderately sharp so that it can easily pass through the fabric, but not too sharp so as not to spoil it.
Textile
Since you are just starting to do ribbon embroidery, it is better to use Aida canvas from 11 to 14 as the basis for embroidery. In general, a variety of fabrics are used - cotton, linen, wool, fleece or felt. It is important that your material is not transparent, as all the seams will be visible.
Ribbons
When choosing them, it is important to consider one point: there are products that cannot be washed.
These are decorative ribbons and they are made of light and thin materials. They are used to decorate tablecloths, handkerchiefs, and curtains. But there are also more durable “bases” made of satin and silk with an edge. They can be washed an unlimited number of times, and they will retain their rich and rich shade. Satin ribbons
Silk ribbons
Not all ribbons are equally suitable for this type of needlework. It is better to purchase special ribbons for embroidery, because they have a certain width. Choose soft ribbons and do not forget that all the colors of the future product should be combined and harmonized.
Markers
Using markers for marking, you will draw an accurate sketch of the future image. There are two types of markers on the market: disappearing and water-washable. If your embroidery speed is slow, then you will constantly have to apply a disappearing marker to the fabric. There is a high probability that you will get confused in the little things, and the drawing will turn out far from ideal. In this case, it is better to choose water-washable markers. They are easy enough to get rid of when the product is finished.
Hoop
Another necessary tool for this type of needlework is a hoop.
They are needed to ensure that the fabric is stretched tightly when embroidering. Then the thread and needle pass better and the pattern lies much smoother. You can use both round and frame hoops. But make sure that your fabric is not overstretched, otherwise it may damage the design and the material itself. When choosing a hoop, you should pay attention to the following points:
- The hoop or frame (base) must be smooth and free of defects. A smooth surface will not damage your fabric or embroidery, but the slightest defect can ruin the entire work.
- It is better to choose a wooden hoop, as the fabric is held tightly by the wood, unlike plastic hoops.
- Pay attention to the clamps. Good clamps are attached fairly tightly to each other and do not allow the tension of the fabric to weaken.
- You should not choose products painted in bright colors. The fact is that poor-quality painting can ruin the appearance of your product.
- And the main rule is that you should not select a hoop larger in size than your design, this will only be disorienting.
Video: Materials and tools for ribbon embroidery
How to cut tulle evenly with your own hands
Attention! Please read the instructions below before cutting your tulle.
When sewing a tulle product, it is very difficult to trim the edge of the product evenly. The reason is that tulle is a thin and delicate fabric. The canvas constantly slides; any inaccurate movement leads to the formation of puffs and small holes on the surface.
In order to fold the canvas in half and join the edges symmetrically, you need a hard, flat surface. Our apartments are not equipped with industrial tables for cutting tulle and nylon fabrics, so we have to use improvised material. In this case, you can use the floor of the apartment. You may need the help of another person.
How to shorten tulle? We recommend several methods for cutting fabric.
- Pull out the cross thread.
Lay out the fabric on the floor. We mark the desired length by placing marks at a certain distance from each other with a pencil or a piece of chalk. We make a small cut in the fabric, pick up the thread from the edge and pull it along the entire length of the fabric. We observe the formation of a strip along the length of the fabric. We make a cut along the strip. You can use a utility knife or regular scissors, but they must be sharp enough.
Please note that when cutting, the fabric strip laid out on the floor should not slide. To reduce slipping, you can place a cotton base under the canvas or secure it with masking tape.
To process tulle fabric, a simple technique is used: a thin thread of fabric is carefully pryed in the right place and pulled out.
After this, the material is carefully cut along the resulting “path” with scissors.
This bending method is considered the simplest and most reliable.
- Making cuts on the material
Fold the fabric in half, carefully aligning the edges. We make a small cut in the place where the edges diverge. Then again, very carefully fold the material in half. The fabric must be constantly smoothed to avoid fractures and unevenness. Again we make an incision where the previous marks can already be traced. Please note that the cuts must be symmetrical. Then, making sure that the fabric does not move, we unfold it back.
How to prepare an atlas for cutting?
Before cutting, satin fabric must be decated - washed and ironed to prevent the future product from shrinking.
Like other silk fabrics, satin requires the same careful care. For example, experts recommend washing the fabric for the first time in cool water, using regular shampoo instead of detergent. If the water is hard, then you need to rinse the fabric in water with vinegar added. This ensures that the color of the product is preserved and prevents streaks from appearing after drying. It is better to dry the fabric away from heating devices and direct sunlight. Iron slightly damp, on a setting suitable for silk. If the fabric contains elastic threads, it is advisable to iron the satin along the warp thread or through a special fabric - an iron, thanks to which the iron will not stretch the fabric when sliding over the surface.
If the satin cannot be ironed on the mode intended for silk, it means that it was washed in too hot water, so it will no longer be ironed, or vinegar was not added to the rinsing water to soften the fabric. It is very difficult to iron completely dry satin.
Beginners should not sew from this material.
Weighted tulle, hemming methods and processing
Weighting agents are used to give the lightweight material its shape. They are produced in the form of cords or plates. They give the air product a completed look and establish its shape.
If the fabric is equipped with a weighting agent, it becomes difficult to adjust the length.
There are two options for resolving the issue: trim the material from above or rearrange the weighting material. Basically, housewives choose the first option, because it is difficult to rearrange the weighting material, or rather, it is difficult to make the seam with which the weighting material is sewn. Not every housewife can repeat such a seam.
What to do if the material is wide and you need to remove part of the width? You will need to shorten the weighting material. We move the overstitching, exposing part of the tip of the weighting material, and cut off the excess part. After the manipulations, we move the stitching to its original place. If the pattern on the fabric allows, we perform the intervention only on one side; otherwise, similar actions must be repeated on the other side of the material.
If the tulle has a special weighting or decorative treatment at the bottom that you want to preserve, then hem the curtain only on the sides.
Adjust the length of the curtain from above.
Method 1. Processing the edge of the tulle by attaching fishing line
Can be used to process carnival costumes, fluffy dresses or ballroom skirts. After processing, the fabric gracefully lies in ruffles, which gives the item a decorative look. This method can be used to decorate the edges of tulle, silk, chiffon and other materials.
You will need
- A skein of fishing line of medium thickness (it should hold its shape).
- Product made of tulle.
- Sewing machine.
- A skein of thread.
- Jar or other container.
Work progress
We decide on the size of the shuttlecocks. The resulting shuttlecocks depend on the shape of the winding. For example, for large shuttlecocks a standard skein is suitable, but for smaller “lambs” it is recommended to wind the fishing line around the neck of a small jar. The tip of the fishing line is tied in a knot at the neck. The diameter will depend on the size of the neck of the container. This could be a bottle cap, a mug, a large coffee can, etc.
The container with the wound fishing line is fixed on top using ordinary thread. Place a pan of water on the stove. Let it boil, lower the jar there for 10 minutes. After boiling, cool the fishing line in cold water. The “hardened” fishing line holds its shape on any fabric, even a coat.
So, prepare a skein of fishing line with the diameter you like. We remove the end of the fishing line, placing it between two layers of fabric. We stitch with a zigzag on a sewing machine (setting the mode to two or three). We continue to do the same along the entire length of the product.
If desired, different diameters of fishing line can be combined during operation. For beauty, the edge should be trimmed on top with bias tape in bright colors. It will be just right for a girl's party dress. For example, pink, yellow, mint or another shade.
We attach a ribbon along the edge. This technique is often used for ballroom dresses, costumes or dances.
Finishing the edge with fishing line can be done on any fabric. The main thing is to choose the size of the zigzag so that it covers the fishing line wrapped in fabric. In this case, the fishing line should not fall out, but should be reinforced with stitches.
How to process the edge of tulle
Systematizer forum Season. From: Donetsk Thank you said: 56976 times
Open albums Member From: Moscow Thanks said: 4 times
This photo shows the fabric itself and a sketch of a blouse made from it. I’m racking my brain on how to process the neckline and middle of the shelves. Is it correct to process the side cuts with an overlocker, or is it better as on chiffon fabrics? The fabric is not loose, like thin tulle
. Its edges are a little biting, just a little bit at all. Participant From: Moscow Thank you said: 4 times
Thanks for the advice.
