Embroider leathers, silks, synthetics and chiffons successfully every time! When you love to machine embroider, you can't wait to add your special touch to clothing, accessories and decorative items. For many fabrics, your tried-and-true methods work fine. But what about those other fabrics? You know, the ones that pucker and run...buckle and stretch...break your thread...or bury your embroidery in mounds of plush pile? With the expert advice in Machine Embroidery on Difficult Materials, you can embroider even the most challenging materials with consistently beautiful results. Deborah Jones has embroidered it all, from slippery synthetic sheers to the thickest velvet. In this authoritative reference, she unlocks the secrets to embroidering on 18 of the most tempting yet challenging materials: Unstable fabrics: Lightweight knits, stretch knits, bulky knits, gauze Densely woven fabrics: Lightweight nylon, coarse nylon, polyester satin and acetate, silk charmeuse Pile and napped fabrics: Velvet, terry, fleece, faux fur Sheers: Natural-fiber and synthetic "Unfabrics": Vinyl, faux suede, leather This complete reference puts everything you need at your fingertips: Which needles, stabilizers, marking and hooping methods work best for each fabric Clear, empowering explanations, so you'll know why these challenging fabrics behave (and misbehave) the way they do 18 beautiful projects (how many embroidery designs and how many projects) Bonus CD-ROM with more than 20 fabric-specific project designs in 12 file formats