Dusting off the embellisher

A couple of years ago I bought a Jamome embellisher. It looks exactly like a sewing machine, but doesn't take thread. Instead in place of your sewing needle, it has a unit of 6 needles which are barbed.  You press the foot peddle, just like a regular sewing machine and the needles go up and down through your fabric and the barbed needles felt your fabric.

When I first bought it I made a few book covers and a wall hanging, using recycled sari ribbons, which give great results. Since then it's had a rest while I have worked on other projects.

I made this sample with it today, inspired by some colour block pieces in my futuristic research. I used a backing fabric of burlap, and in stages added wool tops and fabric strips, embellishing one section until it was fairly secured in to place, then adding the next. When the area I was working on was covered. I worked over the whole piece to felt it more securely, this also helps blend the fibres together, making it look more like one piece of fabric.  Depending on the fabric, I may not work a certain area as much, for example, silk roving, I tend to lightly work those areas as I like the feel of those parts.  I especially like degummed silk cocoons for those lighter areas.

You can also flip your sample and work from the back, this means the backing fabric will pull through to the front slightly. It gives and interesting effect. Especially when working with textural opposites like silk and burlap. Or use the back as your front!

The fibres are not permanently attached, if you wanted you could pull them apart. If you were creating a piece to be used as a book cover, I would recommend some hand or machine stitching to help secure it. Just in case.