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Fabrics 101: Embroidering on Hemp
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Fabrics 101: Embroidering on Hemp
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A new store recently opened
in my neighborhood that only
carries products and items
that are eco-friendly. Their
price tags are even made
from recycled cereal boxes!
Knowing that 'going green'
is a widely discussed topic
these days, it got me
thinking about fabrics that
are environmentally friendly,
and how they can help reduce
our carbon footprints. One
of these fabrics is hemp.
Hemp is the most durable of
all of the natural fiber
fabrics. Its strength and
comfort makes it a great
choice for items of all
seasons, for both the
indoors and outdoors.
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Hemp usage dates back to the
Stone Age - over 10,000
years ago. Artifacts found
in Taiwan and China show
that it was used in pottery,
clothing, ropes, and shoes.
In the 1400's, hemp was more
widely used than linen, and
by
the 1700's, it was as common
as cotton is today. The
reason for this, beyond its
durability, was the ease of
growth.
Since hemp
flourishes without the
assistance of herbicides,
fungicides, or pesticides,
it is an easy crop to grow.
It requires little water and
has a deep root system that
helps to prevent soil
erosion, removes toxins, and
aerates the soil to the
benefit of future crops.
These factors play a large
role in the conservation of
the environment. Better yet,
every part of the hemp plant
is processed - there is no
waste! |
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Not only is hemp
eco-friendly, but it is also
people-friendly too. It is
healthy to wear against the
skin because it is
hypo-allergenic, breathes
well, and provides
unparalleled UV protection.
It is
very resistant to
degradation from mold,
bacteria, salt water,
sunlight, abrasion, and
chemicals, while also being
fully biodegradable. Hemp
wicks perspiration away from
the skin, and insulates
against the cold in the
winter and remains
cool and comfortable in the
summer. With all of these
qualities, hemp diapers are
becoming increasingly
popular for babies.
And, even with repeated machine
washings, hemp softens
naturally over time and
retains its natural strength
and resilience.
Recent technology
advancements have made it
possible to soften hemp
fibers to an increasingly
wearable texture, so the
range of hemp weights and
textures are vast. When
combined with cotton, linen,
or silk, hemp remains
strong, yet soft. Heavier
weight hemp fabrics are more
coarse and resemble canvas.
Garments such as shirts,
skirts, and dresses can be
made from lightweight,
linen-type hemp fabric,
while the heavier weight
versions work well for
jackets, totes, and home
furnishings.
Since there are variations
in the techniques used for
embroidering on the
different weights, I have
included examples of light
and heavyweight hemp
stitching below. For any
weight, if starting from
scratch and not using
pre-shrunk hemp fabric,
always wash it before
beginning your project. Also
keep in mind that the seams
of 100% hemp tend to ravel
easily, so surging or
finishing the seams will be
necessary. |
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When stitching on heavy
weight hemp, such as
this messenger bag,
use a 75/11
sharp sewing needle. The
fine point will help to
perforate the tougher-than- usual fabric.
Your options for
choosing an embroidery
design are endless as a
design of any complexity
will work with the
sturdiness of this
fabric. I did not have
any issues with draping
or puckering.
I thought the Art
Nouveau designs would
look great for this
project because of their
pretty colors and
interesting detail. |
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Art Nouveau floral designs added
a delicate and
colorful touch to this
pre-made messenger
bag,
purchased at my local eco-friendly boutique. |
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I chose cutaway
stabilizer, which I
adhered to the fabric with a light
coat of spray adhesive. It is
possible to use tear-away stabilizer
as well, but the cutaway will ensure
the stitches of designs with small
detail will be nice and crisp. |
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Soft,
lightweight hemp fabric,
when used for
tablecloths and napkins,
will outlast cotton
linens. But when
embroidering on
linen-style hemp, the
techniques differ
slightly from the
heavyweight
instructions.
I continued to use the
75/11 sharp sewing
needle, as it was already
in my machine. But an
embroidery needle can
also be used, as the
fabric has a looser
weave than the
heavyweight hemp.
Choose
light to medium fill
designs for this
kind of hemp fabric. A more complex
design will negatively affect the
draping of the material.
For this hemp cloth
napkin, I stitched out
the Simple Treasures
Tulip
Swirl design which has
plenty of open space and
drapes beautifully.
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The
Tulip
Swirl design looks fabulous in the
corner of a hemp napkin. |
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Generally I use cutaway
stabilizers with lighter
fabrics, and tear-away
stabilizers with heavier
fabrics. I was expecting
to use a cutaway
stabilizer with the
lighter hemp, but I
noticed that there
really isn't any stretch
to the fabric. I decided
to use tear-away
stabilizer based on two
facts: one, hemp doesn't
stretch, and two, the
design I used was
simple, and light. The
results were great!
If you are working with
a lightweight hemp, and
start to see the
stitches of a design out
of place, then switch to
a cutaway stabilizer.
But generally, a
tear-away will be fine
with this type of
fabric. |
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Like linen, hemp will soften
the more it is laundered.
Dry cleaning or machine
washing are both fine
options. If using your
washing machine, wash with
cold water and do not use
chlorine bleaches. Since
hemp is not always
colorfast, make sure to
separate light and dark
items or use a dye catcher
sheet. Allow the garments to
air dry. Drying them in the
dryer can cause wrinkles and
shrinkage. Hanging the
garments will help eliminate
wrinkles, although touch up
ironing is also an option.
Hemp fabric on the bolt is
becoming increasingly more
available, although I was
disappointed that I couldn't
find any at my local fabric
stores. I did find two
excellent hemp websites:
www.hemptraders.com,
and
www.hemp-sisters.com.
Note that some of the hemp
fabric available online is a
blend, so you might find
that yours has more of a
"stretch" factor. If so,
using a medium-weight
cutaway with temporary spray
adhesive will get the best
results. |
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Needle |
75/11
sharp needle; an embroidery needle
may also be used |
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Stabilizer |
Cutaway
(2.5 ounce) |
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Design
Choice |
For heavier hemp fabric, any design
will work. For lighter hemp fabric,
use light-to-medium weight designs. |
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