Layers of Meaning

Babylock Embellisher

Earlier this summer, I purchased a new machine made by Babylock called the embellisher. Babylock is marketing it as a threadless sewing machine and showing it with a variety of 'crafty' objects. This really does not do justice to the machine. The embellisher is designed using "the European art of machine needle felting. The Embellisher meshes fibers together, using... 7 Special barbed needles" to create surface embellishments. Unlike traditional felting, you can use most any fibers. My current favorite technique is felting silk onto a dark rayon velvet. Since the fabric tends to move and gather in unexpected ways, the techniques lends itself most easily to abstract imagery, though realism is possible, as well.

Babylock is finally realizing the artistic potential of the embellisher and has a site with a flash movie showing a variety of items made using the embellisher. Unfortunately, there is no commentary, just photos. I can tell you that the gold fabric with the gorgeous texture is created by running a flexible fabric, such as a silk dupoini, under the embellishers' needle, using a grid pattern. Needless to say, the embellisher can be combined with tradition quilting, embroidery or art fiber techniques to create visually rich art works.