SHADOW WORK F-SW
Shadow work is a traditional embroidery technique
where the base fabric and appliqués will get muted out,
or “shadowed,” by covering them with a layer of sheer,
lightweight cotton, commonly called batiste. To create
shadow work, the start of your block will generally feature
appliqué or embroidery, or even a combination of the two,
perfect for incorporating bold and vivid colors. You will
then place your sheer fabric or batiste over the design
and tack it in place. The thread and appliqué colors
will become a faint “shadow” as they are seen through
the front of the sheer fabric. Decorative 3-ply stitches,
referred to as bean stitches, are then digitized over the
batiste to help further emphasize each motif. Shadow
work embroidery can be done by both machine and
hand stitching and can be used for a variety of projects,
such as t-shirt designs, pillows, hand towels, and more!
MATERIALS LIST
☐ No-Show mesh stabilizer ☐ Batting ☐ Base fabric ☐ Appliqué fabrics ☐ Batiste (or other lightweight, sheer material) ☐ Embroidery threads ☐ Curved tip embroidery scissors ☐ Ruler ☐ Rotary cutter and mat ☐ Embroidery hoop ☐ 75/11 Needle
SHADOW WORK | FUNDAMENTALS | 66