This personalized veil is a delicate and elegant way to showcase a bride's personality and style.

Design by Dorothy Martin
Delight the bride with a unique veil that complements her dress and expresses her personality! You will be pleased to discover that veiling is "forgiving" and pleasant to work.

Materials

• Bridal illusion veiling in desired length (see above)
• 4 spools rayon or metallic machine-embroidery thread for monogram and edging finishes
• Polyester or metallic bobbin thread to complement the reverse side of the monogram and edge finishes
• Buttonhole twist or cordonnet thread to gather veil
• Medium- and heavyweight water-soluble fabric stabilizer
• Embroidery and/or metallic sewing machine needles
• Computer sewing machine with large hoop (approximately 240mm x 150mm)
• Compatible computer program to print paper test design to determine size and placement
• Combs or completed headpiece
• Hem clips, long hair clips or smooth clothes pins to hold veiling
• 1/4-inch-wide quilt-marking tape or other removable marking device
• Optional: pearls, rhinestones and/or beads to further embellish the veil and monogram
• Basic sewing supplies and equipment

Project Note: On model project, the "A" is 3 1/4 inches wide and 7 1/4 inches high, the "K" is 3 3/4 inches wide and 10 inches high, and the "M" is 4 1/2 inches wide and 8 1/4 inches high. The three took two full bobbins and 3 1/4 hours to stitch out. The font is Per Gothic on the Husqvarna Viking 3D Embroidery System.

Cutting

Use electric cutter to give smooth edges.

From bridal illusion veiling:

• Cut veiling as shown in Figure 1.
• Use quilt-marking tape to mark veil with monogram placement (Figure 2).

Embroidery

Use embroidery thread in needle and polyester bobbin thread in bobbin.

1. Place veiling in embroidery hoop as a sandwich with heavy water-soluble stabilizer on the bottom, covered with the veiling, with placement marks aligned to hoop horizontal and vertical points.
2. Connect hoop to embroidery unit and key the needle to center starting point (Figure 3). Remove tape at this time.

3. Spray mediumweight water-soluble stabilizer lightly with temporary adhesive, and place over the hoop contents. Note: If the humidity is high, consider using two layers of stabilizer. Machine-baste around the hoop.
4. Stitch monogram.
5. Remove from hoop, cut away extraneous stabilizer, and repeat the above steps for second and third letters.
6. Remove hoop from machine. Remove basting and clip thread ends. Apply seam sealant prior to trimming stray threads.
7. Remove the remaining stabilizer with water, as per manufacturer's directions. Towel dry. Press with cool iron.

Veil Edging

Trim the veil corners into gradual curves (Figure 4). Edge-finish the circumference of the veil using one of the following methods:

Notes: With most styles, embroidery thread is used in the needle as well as in the bobbin to give the full effect of the finish.

It may help to guide the lightweight veiling through the stitching process by holding the folded edge taut but not stretched.

Sparkle Scallop (shown on model project)

• Needle: metallic thread
• Bobbin: metallic thread
• Stitch: blind, mirror image if needed, 0.7 length, 6.0 width. Fold to wrong side 1/4 inch. Stitch 1/4 inch from edge and allow single zigzag stitch to go over folded edge. The folded edge will be pulled into a scallop.

Lace Trim

• Needle: construction thread
• Bobbin: construction thread
• Stitch: straight stitch, 2.5 length

Join narrow lace to veiling edge around circumference

Floating Flowers

• Needle: rayon embroidery thread
• Bobbin: rayon embroidery thread
• Stitch: select from built-in motifs of flowers and leaves, .5 length, 6.0 width

Cut strips of heavyweight water-soluble stabilizer and place under edge of veil. Stitch motifs around circumference; trim veiling and stabilizer close to stitching. Rinse away stabilizer. Press.

Couched Multiple Metallic

• Needle: metallic thread
• Bobbin: metallic thread
• Stitch: multiple step zigzag, length 0.7, width 6.0
• Couching threads: feed five flat metallic threads through 7-hole or similar foot.

Note: To assist the five flat metallic threads to flow smoothly to the presser foot, place them in a jar on the floor. Thread the ends through a short straw taped to the machine table in front of the needle and then through the presser foot.

With strips of heavyweight water-soluble stabilizer under the veil edge, couch-stitch the five glossy flat metallic threads 1/4 inch from veil edge. Trim veiling and stabilizer adjacent to stitching, rinse away stabilizer, and press.

Assembly

Veil Without Blusher

To gather the headpiece edge of veil, fold under 3/8 inch. On top of the fold, zigzag-stitch over buttonhole twist or cordonnet thread across the width of the veil. Note: Use approximately 1.0 length and 3.5 width stitch settings. Draw up the twist or cordonnet into gathers to fit cap. Secure ends.

Veil With Blusher

Mark the fold line with 1/4-inch quilt-marking tape. Stitch gathering line as in above technique (but without a fold) along the marked line, removing the marking tape as you go. Pull gathers up to fit cap or combs. Join veil to headpiece or combs by hand. Hand-stitch additional flowers or ribbon.

Optional Veil Embellishment

Apply rhinestones or beads as desired. For the designer effect, back each rhinestone with another rhinestone so that when the veil billows out, the reverse side will not look as if it has black spots.

Final Press

The fiber for veils is usually nylon or polyester and requires a warm, not hot, iron. Test iron with sample prior to proceeding with final press.

Copyright © May 2008 Sewing Savvy magazine. All rights reserved.