Machine embroidery is all about embellishing and adornment, adding decoration or creating wonderful effects, and the use of vanishing fabrics takes the application of embroidery techniques one step further. Instead of working onto a background of fabric, the embroidery is worked on a vanishing fabric, which is then removed, leaving the stitches to form a new fabric which can be as airy or as dense as the embroiderer desires.

There are many vanishing fabrics in the market place today including boiling water, hot water, and cold water soluble, as well as heat disintegrating, but it is the development of The Shakespearean Trio which is now revolutionising the machine embroidery world.

Romeo The heaviest of the trio at 80 microns(which is more than 4 times the thickness of Solvy), Romeo is a super quality cold water soluble film of exceptional strength and thickness - it feels like a plastic table cloth. You only need a single layer. The picture to the right is an example of silk fibres and machine wrapped cords placed on a single layer of Romeo and freely stitched. Try it thus: • Without a hoop to simply stitch on or lay fibres (eg silk or wool) on top and stitch or lay metal pieces/fabric scraps/ribbon/wool etc and stitch. • Use for computerised laces eg Criswell lace designs - you will appreciate the crispness of the design compared with using other solubles. • Use through bubblejet printers (using a carrier sheet) to print out computer designs and then stitch onto the design. • Paint designs onto the surface (eg use a printing block and acrylic paint) and stitch on these for motifs or lay over fabric and stitch for 3-D results. • Use your stitched work to mould shapes.

The picture to the left shows acrylic paint printed on Romeo, stitched, washed out and restitched onto black felt.

This shows a design printed onto Romeo by a standard inkjet printer - the leading edge of the Romeo needs to be taped (clear sticky tape, cellotape) to a sheet of A4 paper. A 2nd design to the right has been stitched on.

Here is a Criswell Lace pattern stitched onto a single layer of Romeo. All that remains to be done is for the Romeo to be dissolved away.

The bowl, below, was stitched onto Romeo using thread scraps and silk fibres. It was only lightly dissolved and whilst still gooey, was moulded over a bowl.

Guliette Guliette, the middle weight of the trio, is 40 microns and again has excellent strength. Try it these ways: • Use with a hoop for appliqué • Use it without a hoop holding the fabric reasonably firmly. (I find it easy to do this because it does not "sweat".) • Use for computer embroidery designs with 1 layer or 2. • Lay fibres (eg very fine layers of silk) between two layers and stitch all over freely (eg choose circles, squares etc as in the pic on the right) or use your automatic patterns. • Use in beading or felting. • As with Romeo, you can easily print onto Guliette with paint.

Verona Verona is only 20 microns (slightly thicker than Solvy) and again with a strength and coating as the other two. It is gossamer fine and requires a little more care. Try it for: • Heirloom work. • Mending, beading, felting, quilting. • Velvet or towelling to keep the nap from laying down under the embroidery.

I lay it over velvet and stitch with automatic patterns on top of the velvet, and then I find that the stitches sit on top of the surface rather than sinking into the pile.

This is an art to wear piece by Dale. The coat consists of silk fibres spread over a single layer of Romeo and lots of free stitching. The dress and headpiece are silk paper

To dissolve the fabrics: -
Dissolve out in cold water. For a soft fabric, leave in the water bath for up to 10 hours.

Try either of these -
• Agitate in a bowl of cold water - you may need to soak for a while if you have plenty of stitching.
• If making braids or stitching on painted motifs pin the work onto polystyrene and run cold water over it.

The main point to remember when stitching on any of the vanishing fabrics is that the stitching lines must cross to form an interconnecting net. If they do not, when the fabric is vanished the new fabrics will simply unravel into one long line of stitches (you may like this!) Finally - remember that the threads you use will affect the final result - metallic threads are especially exciting and will hold their shape. Have fun and enjoy using all of these Shakespearean delights!

More details of these, and other vanishing fabrics can be found in the 'Vanishing Fabrics' section of the catalogue.