Embroidery is one of the most popular decoration techniques for clothing and accessories, and it's probably way older than you think.
When most people think of old school embroidery, they think of their grandma hand stitching a pillow. But in reality, embroidery dates as far back as 30,000 BC!
This art form may be ancient, but it has evolved in many ways. Beside the high-tech machines we use that can do 6-8 pieces at once, the craft now has new techniques including 3D embroidery.
3D embroidery, also known as puff embroidery, is a bold new technique that makes pieces stand out.
This type of embroidery uses a piece of foam to raise the design from the garment. The foam should be puffy and have some strength to it, considering it will be repeatedly punctured by the embroidery needle (and many designs have 5,000+ stitches!).
As the needle repeatedly punches the foam, it forms into a new shape that mimics the design, which causes the embroidery appear 3D.
Puff embroidery creates an incredible, unique effect, but is best used only with simple designs. Think of it like this, if you took a basic triangle and puffed it out a little bit, you would still be able to tell exactly what it is. But if you took an intricate outline of the Taj Mahal and tried to really push it out, you would lose detail and the design would look crammed.
Ultimately, puff embroidery is cool. Plain and simple. It draws attention to your design, and it something you don't see every day. We are proud that we offer this service, and love how it grows the brand awareness of those who use it for their decorated apparel!
Check out this video to see some behind the scenes of this process in our warehouse!