MAKING A DECORATIVE DESIGN WITH DECORATIVE ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN FREELY MOVABLE FASHION

Abstract

Decorative elements are sewn, with a first-type sewing thread, to a base member in accordance with a first pattern. One surface of the base member is covered with a see-through cover member, and an embroidery sewing operation is performed on the superposed base member and cover member. Then, the sewing thread, sewing the decorative elements on the base member, is removed from the base member. The embroidery sewing operation is performed in accordance with a second pattern surrounding the decorative elements sewn on the base member in accordance with the first pattern. Thus, the decorative elements are freely movably accommodated in a space defined between the base member and the cover member, so that they can freely move within the space in response to movement of the base member. Such a decorative design with the movable decorative elements can be made on the base member easily and efficiently.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to decorative-design making methods and apparatus for providing or decorating a to-be-decorated base member with a decorative design using decorative elements, such as sequins or beads. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making, on a to-be-decorated base member, a decorative design comprising decorative elements attached or arranged in a freely movable fashion.

It has heretofore been known to provide a to-be-decorated base member with a decorative design, comprising a variety of patterns and figures, by using decorative elements, such as sequins and/or beads. Among the conventionally-known methods for attaching such decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member is one in accordance with which decorative elements, such as sequins and/or beads, are sequentially fed out one by one to a to-be-decorated base member (also referred to as “to-be-embroidered member”), set on an embroidery machine, in response to sewing movement of a sewing needle, so that the decorative elements are sewn to the to-be-decorated base member or directly attached to the to-be-decorated base member by an adhesive agent, heat adhesion or the like. Examples of such a method for attaching decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-167097 which corresponds to US 2006/0011116 A1 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. HEI-10-33857.

According to the aforementioned method for attaching decorative elements such as sequins and/or beads by sewing or adhesion (including heat adhesion), the individual decorative elements are fixedly attached to positions of the to-be-decorated base member that correspond to a predetermined pattern. However, because the individual decorative elements, such as sequins and/or beads, made of a light-reflecting substance are fixedly attached to the to-be-decorated base member and thus are not movable from their respective attached positions, they can always achieve only a limited esthetic effect by light reflection etc. and hence cannot provide an interesting effect.

To address such an inconvenience, a special method for attaching decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in such a manner as to achieve an interesting esthetic effect has been proposed, according to which two to-be-decorated base members superposed on each other are sewn together by embroidery sewing or the like with one or more decorative elements, such as sequins, freely movably sandwiched between the two to-be-decorated base members. With this proposed method, a user or human operator has to manually sew together the to-be-decorated base members with the one or more decorative elements sandwiched therebetween; however, such a manual sewing operation cannot be performed efficiently because the decorative elements tend to scatter. Thus, there has been a need for a more sophisticated decorative-design making method and apparatus which allow a human operator to easily and efficiently realize the aforementioned special method for attaching decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in a freely movable fashion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing prior art problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved decorative-design making method and apparatus which allow a human operator to easily and efficiently make, on a to-be-decorated base member, a decorative design that can create an interesting esthetic effect by attaching one more decorative elements to the base member in such a manner that the decorative elements can freely move in response to movement of the base member.

In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an improved decorative design making method, which comprises: a first step of temporarily attaching one or more decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in a first pattern; a second step of covering one surface of the to-be-decorated base member, having the decorative elements arranged thereon, with a see-through cover member, and sewing the cover member to the to-be-decorated base member in a second pattern, the second pattern including a closed pattern surrounding the one or more decorative elements temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member; and a third step of removing temporary attachment, to the to-be-decorated base member, of the decorative elements effected by the first step.

According to the present invention, one or more decorative elements are temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in the first pattern, and then the cover member is sewn to the base member in the second pattern including the closed pattern surrounding the decorative elements temporarily attached to the base member. Such a closed pattern allows the one or more decorative elements to be easily enclosed in a closed space defined between the to-be-decorated base member and the cover member. After such enclosing operation, the temporary attachment, to the to-be-decorated base member, of the decorative elements is removed so that the decorative elements are freely movable within the closed space. Thus, according to the present invention, there can be provided a unique decorative design where a figure, pattern, etc., comprising the decorative elements freely movable within the closed space, can be visually recognized via the see-through cover member. Further, the present invention allows a user or human operator to readily and efficiently make, on the to-be-decorated base member, such a unique decorative design. Besides, because, in the thus-made decorative design, the decorative elements are freely movably accommodated in the closed space, the decorative elements can move freely within the space in response to movement of the base member. Such a moving decorative design can achieve a more interesting esthetic effect.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved decorative design making apparatus, which comprises: a sewing mechanism; a feeder device for feeding decorative elements; and a control unit for controlling the sewing mechanism and the feeder device to temporarily attach one or more of the decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in a first pattern and to sew a see-through cover member, covering one surface of the to-be-decorated base member having the decorative elements arranged thereon, to the to-be-decorated base member in a second pattern, the second pattern including a closed pattern surrounding the one or more decorative elements temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member.

Thus, the present invention can provide an apparatus which can automatically perform the operation for temporarily attaching the one or decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in the first pattern and the operation of sewing the see-through cover member to the to-be-decorated base member in the second pattern. In this case, an operation for removing the temporary attachment, to the to-be-decorated base member, of the decorative elements may be performed manually by the human operator or automatically by a particular device added for that purpose.

As an example, the operation for temporarily attaching the one or decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in the first pattern may comprise temporarily sewing, with a soluble thread, the one or decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member. In such a case, the operation for removing the temporary attachment, to the to-be-decorated base member, of the decorative elements can be performed with ease by dissolving the soluble thread.

The following will describe embodiments of the present invention, but it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and various modifications of the invention are possible without departing from the basic principles. The scope of the present invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a decorative design making method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a ground fabric in a state where sewing, to the ground fabric, of sequins has been completed;

FIG. 3 is a view showing the ground fabric on which embroidery sewing has been performed with a tule fabric placed over the ground fabric;

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a completed ground fabric provided or decorated with a desired decorative design;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a manner in which the sequins move in response to movement of the ground fabric;

FIG. 6 is a view showing another example of the completed ground fabric provided with a decorative design having a communicating portion in a closed area; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram conceptually showing an embodiment of a decorative-design making apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a decorative design making method of the present invention. At first step S1, as preparations prior to the start of an embroidery operation, a user or human operator sets a to-be-decorated base member, such as a fabric (called “ground fabric”) on an embroidering frame of an embroidery sewing machine, sets a decorative element strip—in this case, a sequin strip having a multiplicity of continuously-connected sequins (also called spangles)—on a sequin feeder device, and also sets a liquid-soluble (dissolvable) (e.g., water-soluble) thread for use as an upper thread that cooperates with a lower thread for sewing sequins to the ground fabric. The following description will be given assuming that only the upper thread is a water-soluble thread while the lower thread set in a bobbin is a non-liquid-soluble ordinary thread, although, in some case, the lower thread too may be a water-soluble thread similarly to the upper thread.

At next step S2, the human operator activates the embroidery sewing machine and temporarily sews the sequins to predetermined positions of the ground fabric in accordance with temporarily sewing data having a predetermined sewing pattern (first pattern) registered therein; namely, this step S2 is a temporary attachment step of sewing, with the sewing threads, one or more decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member in accordance with the first pattern. In the embroidery sewing machine, as known in the art, sequins fed out to a sewing position of the machine sequentially one by one are cut off from the sequin strip, and the thus-cut-off sequins are sewn onto the ground fabric with the sewing threads. FIG. 2 shows an example of the ground fabric in a state where sewing, to the fabric, of the sequins has been completed through operation of the embroidery sewing machine.

In FIG. 2, the ground fabric 1, which is the to-be-decorated base member, is set on the embroidering frame (not shown) of the embroidery sewing machine. In FIG. 2, the sequins 2 are sewn on the ground fabric 1 in a matrix pattern (in this case, two-column-three-row matrix pattern comprising six sequin groups), each of the sequin groups comprising a multiplicity of the sequins 2. The temporary sewing data defines, for each of the sequin groups, the number of the sequins 2 and respective sewn positions of the sequins 2. In the illustrated example of FIG. 2, each of the sequin groups comprises 48 (forty-eight) sequins 2 sewn, by continuous sewing threads (upper and lower threads, i.e. sequin attaching threads), on the ground fabric 1 in a right-column-six-row matrix configuration. The temporary sewing data contains data defining six such groups as to the number of the sequins 2 and respective sewn positions of the sequins 2.

At next step S3, a tule (cover) fabric 5, which is for example a finely-meshed fabric formed of fine threads of cotton, silk, nylon or the like, is placed over one surface of the ground fabric 1, on which the sequins 2 have been sewn for each of the groups in accordance with the temporary sewing data, from above the one surface of the ground fabric 1; thus, the one surface of the ground fabric 1 is covered with the tule fabric 5. Then, from above the tule (cover) fabric 5 placed over the ground fabric 1, embroideries 6 of desired patterns, figures and/or the like are sewn through the tule (cover) fabric 5 onto the ground fabric 1 in accordance with a second pattern defined by embroidering data different from the above-mentioned temporary sewing data and by use of a second-type sewing thread, such as a flat embroidering thread, prepared separately from the above-mentioned sewing (sequin attaching) threads. Namely, this step S3 is a step of performing a sewing operation with the second-type sewing thread, separate from the sewing threads (first-type sewing thread), in accordance with the second pattern that surrounds the one or more decorative elements sewn to and arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in accordance with the first pattern. FIG. 3 shows the ground fabric 1 having the embroideries 6 sewn thereon with the tule fabric 5 placed over the ground fabric 1, i.e. sewn thereon through the tule fabric 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the embroideries 6 of figures, patterns and/or the like are performed on the base member 1 and the tule fabric 5 (i.e., on the base member 1 through the tule fabric 5) for each of the groups of multiplicity of sequins 2 in accordance with the second pattern surrounding the group. Each of the figures, patterns and/or the like, surrounding the multiplicity of sequins 2 included in each of the sequin groups, defines a closed area. Namely, the second pattern includes closed patterns each surrounding one or more decorative elements temporarily attached to the base member, and such a closed pattern defines the closed area or space. Note that the tule fabric 5 may be or need not be sewn along its entire edge to the ground fabric 1. With the tule fabric 5 thus placed over and sewn onto the ground fabric 1, the sequins 2 having been sewn to the ground fabric 1 under the tule fabric 5 can be seen or visually recognized through the tule fabric 5. Namely, in the instant embodiment, the tule fabric 5 is a see-through fabric.

Upon completion of the sewing of the embroideries 6, the flow of FIG. 1 proceeds to step S4, where the ground fabric 1 is removed from the embroidering frame and the thus-removed ground fabric 1 is immersed in liquid, such as hot water, contained in a container, or sprayed with liquid, such as hot water; namely, this step S4 is a temporary attachment removal step of removing, from the base member, only the sewing thread (upper thread in this case) sewing the decorative elements to the base member. In this way, the upper thread 3, sewing the decorative elements to the ground fabric 1, is dissolved with the liquid to permit removal, from the embroidering frame, of the ground fabric 1. However, needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned scheme of using liquid, such as hot water, to dissolve the upper thread 3, and the upper thread 3 may be dissolved in any other suitable manner as long as the upper thread 3 can be dissolved without damaging the ground fabric 1, sequins 2 and tule fabric 5; for example, the upper thread 3 may be dissolved with gas, such as vapor or steam. Namely, the dissolution scheme to be employed here depends on a form of solubility possessed by the upper thread 3.

At following step S5, the lower thread (not shown) remaining on the ground fabric 1 after the dissolution of the upper thread 3 is removed. Because the upper thread 3 has already been dissolved to be removed by that time and thus there is no entanglement between the upper thread 3 and the lower thread having so far sewn the sequins 2 to the ground fabric 1 in cooperation with each other, the remaining lower thread can be easily removed from the ground fabric 1. If the lower thread is made of a liquid-soluble material similarly to the upper thread 3, then the lower thread can be dissolved to be removed together with the upper thread 3 at step S4 above, and thus, no separate operation for removing the lower thread is required. Once the lower thread is removed at step S5, the ground fabric 1 is dried, so that the ground fabric 1 provided with a desired decorative design comprising the sequins 2 is finished up or completed. In the decorative design of the thus-completed ground fabric 1, the multiplicity of sequins 2 are freely movably accommodated in each of the closed spaces defined between the ground fabric 1 and the tule fabric 5.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the completed ground fabric 1 provided with the desired decorative design. In the completed ground fabric 1, the multiplicity of sequins 2 are freely movable in a same direction, in each of the closed areas defined by the embroideries 6 sewn according to the second pattern, in response to movement of the ground fabric 1. If, for example, the user or human operator holds a right upper portion (i.e., right upper portion in FIG. 4) of the completed ground fabric 1 to lift up the completed ground fabric 1 and then swings the lifted-up ground fabric 1, the multiplicity of sequins 2 accommodated in each of the closed areas defined by the sewing of the embroideries 6 move by gravity toward a left lower bottom portion of the closed area as the ground fabric 1 slants downwardly with the right upper portion located higher than the remaining portion, as shown in FIG. 5. In the aforementioned manner, the instant embodiment can provide the ground fabric 1 with a decorative design that allows the sequins 2 to move in response to movement of the ground fabric 1, and such a decorative design can achieve a more interesting esthetic effect than the conventionally-known counterparts where sequins are fixedly attached.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the completed ground fabric 1 having a decorative design made in accordance with the decorative design making method of the present invention. The decorative design shown in FIG. 6 is a design generally imitating the shape and operation of a sand clock; particularly, the decorative design has a narrowed middle portion.

The example of the completed ground fabric 1 shown in FIG. 6 is made in generally the same manner as the example of the ground fabric 1 shown in FIG. 4. Namely, the example of the completed ground fabric 1 shown in FIG. 6 is made as follows. First, a multiplicity of sequins 2 are sewn, with upper and lower threads, onto predetermined positions of the ground fabric 1 (see step S2 of FIG. 1). Then, a tule fabric 5 is placed over one surface of the ground fabric 1 having the multiplicity of sequins 2 sewn thereon, and then embroideries 6 and 7 are sewn, in accordance with a pattern (second pattern) surrounding all of the sewn sequins 2, onto two areas (hereinafter referred to as “two design areas”) of the ground fabric 1 in such a manner as to form a shape of a glass container of a sand clock with a communicating portion (waste or narrowed portion) 4 between the two design areas as well as shapes of upper and lower end plates of the sand clock (see step S3). Then, the upper thread having sewn the sequins 2 onto the ground fabric 1 is dissolved with hot water or the like (see step S4), and then the ground fabric 1 is dried after removal of the lower thread (see step S5).

More specifically, in the example of the completed ground fabric 1 shown in FIG. 6, the embroideries 6 are sewn onto the two design areas with a flat embroidering thread to form a pattern corresponding to the outline of the glass container of the sand clock, and the communicating portion (narrowed portion) 4 having a width at least enough to permit passage therethrough of at least the sequins 2 is formed as a pattern corresponding to the middle narrowed portion (waste portion) of the sand clock. Therefore, the embroideries 6 may be referred to also as “decorative design outline parts”. Thus, as the user or human operator swings the completed ground fabric 1 while holding one end portion of the completed ground fabric 1, the sequins 2 move between the two design areas imitating the glass container of the sand clock through the communicating portion 4. In this way, the design areas on the completed ground fabric 1 of FIG. 6 can create an interesting esthetic effect capable of presenting movement of the sequins 2 similar to movement of the sand in the sand clock. Whereas the example of the completed ground fabric 1 of FIG. 6 has been described in relation to the decorative design where the communicating portion 4 is formed between the two sand-clock-imitating design areas, such communicating portions 4 may be formed between adjoining ones of three or more sand-clock-imitating design areas. Further, a plurality of the communicating portions 4, rather than just one communicating portion 4, may be provided between at least one pair of the design areas.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram conceptually showing an embodiment of a decorative-design making apparatus of the present invention. The decorative-design making apparatus shown in FIG. 7 comprises: a machine unit M including at least a holder device H, a sequin feeder device K, a sewing needle N, etc.; and a decorative-design-making control unit 10 including at least a first acquisition section 11, a first control section 12, a second acquisition section 13, a second control section 14, a removal section 15, etc.

The holder device H is the embroidering frame that is capable of holding the to-be-decorated base member A alone but also capable of holding the to-be-decorated base member A together with the cover member B placed over or covering the base member A. The feeder device K sequentially feeds sequins (decorative elements C), one sequin at a time, to a needle drop position in accordance with the sewing operation of the sewing needle N. The sewing needle N performs the sewing operation on the base member A (and the cover member B) held on the holder device H by moving in a vertical direction in the figure. Of a plurality of threads prepared in advance, a sewing thread Da is used for sewing the decorative elements C to the base member A, while am embroidering thread Db is used for sewing a decorative design onto the base member A and the cover member B (more specifically, onto the base member A through the cover member B). Needless to say, a plurality of sewing needles N, i.e. one sewing needle N having the sewing thread Da set thereon in advance and another sewing needle N having the embroidering thread Db set thereon in advance, may be provided so that any one of the plurality of sewing needles N can be used depending on whether the decorative elements C should be sewn onto the base member A or the decorative design should be sewn onto the base member A through the cover member B.

The first acquisition section 11 acquires the above-mentioned temporary sewing data (i.e., first pattern data). The first control section 12 drives the sewing needle N in the vertical direction while moving the holder device H and the sewing needle N relative to each other in such a manner that the decorative elements C are sewn onto predetermined positions of the to-be-decorated base member A, held on the holder device H, in accordance with the acquired temporary sewing data (first pattern data). At that time, the sewing thread Da is used. In this manner, groups of the sequins can be provided on the to-be-decorated base member A in the pattern as shown in FIG. 2. Namely, the functions of the first acquisition section 11 and the first control section 12 correspond to step S2 above; that is, the first acquisition section 11 and the first control section 12 implement a step of sewing, in accordance with the first pattern, one or more decorative elements C onto the to-be-decorated base member A with the first-type sewing thread Da.

The second acquisition section 13, on the other hand, acquires the above-mentioned embroidering data (i.e., second pattern data). The second control section 14 drives the sewing needle N in the vertical direction while moving the holder device H and the sewing needle N relative to each other in such a manner that a decorative design is sewn, in accordance with the second pattern, onto predetermined positions of the to-be-decorated base member A, held on the holder device H, through the cover member B (i.e., together with the cover member B). At that time, the embroidering thread Db is used. In this manner, the decorative design can be embroidered, for each of groups of a multiplicity of the decorative elements C, in such a manner as to surround the group. Namely, the functions of the second acquisition section 13 and the second control section 14 correspond to step S3 above; that is, the second acquisition section 13 and the second control section 14 implement a step of performing an embroidery sewing operation on the base member A with the second-type sewing thread Db, separate from the first-type sewing thread Da, in accordance with the second pattern surrounding the one or more decorative elements C sewn on the base member A in accordance with the first pattern. Note that the aforementioned first acquisition section 11, first control section 12, second acquisition section 13 and second control section 14 may be realized by a computer-implemented software program.

Further, the removal section 15 removes, from the to-be-decorated base member A, only the sewing thread Da sewing the decorative elements C on the base member A. In the instant embodiment, the sewing thread Da is a water-soluble (or dissolvable) thread, and the removal section 15 removes the sewing thread Da from the to-be-decorated base member A by immersing the base member A (and the cover member B) in hot water or spraying the base member A (and the cover member B) with hot water. Note that, if the sewing thread Da is not a water-soluble thread, the removal section 15 may remove the sewing thread Da from the base member A by cutting a part of the sewing thread Da and pulling the cut end of the sewing thread Da from the base member A. By the removal section 15 removing the sewing thread Da from the to-be-decorated base member A in the aforementioned manner, the to-be-decorated base member A can be placed in the completed state, i.e. in the state where a space is defined between the base member A and the cover member 5 and a multiplicity of the decorative materials C are freely movably accommodated in the space. Namely, the function of the removal section 15 corresponds to step S4 above; that is, the removal section 15 implements a removal step of removing, from the to-be-decorated base member A, only the sewing thread Da sewing the decorative elements C on the base member A.

According to the embodiments of the decorative-design making method and apparatus of the present invention, as described above, the cover member (tule fabric 5), constructed to allow the decorative element (sequin 2) to be seen therethrough, is placed over the to-be-decorated base member (ground fabric 1) having the decorative elements (sequins 2) sewn thereon with the first-type or soluble (e.g., water-soluble) thread, then embroidery sewing is performed on the to-be-decorated base member (ground fabric 1) through the cover member (tule fabric 5) with the second-type or non-soluble (e.g., non-water-soluble) sewing thread different from the first-type or water-soluble thread, and then the first-type or soluble thread is dissolved to be removed from the base member (ground fabric 1). In this way, a closed space is formed between the to-be-decorated base member and the cover member so that a multiplicity of the decorative elements (sequins 2) are freely movably accommodated in the closed space. Thus, there can be made a unique decorative design where the decorative elements (sequins 2) that are freely movable in the closed space in response to movement of the to-be-decorated base member can be seen through the see-through cover member (tule fabric 5). The freely movable decorative elements can achieve a more interesting esthetic effect than the conventionally-known counterparts where sequins are fixedly attached. The present invention allows the user or human operator to readily and efficiently make, on the to-be-decorated base member, a decorative design capable of creating a more interesting esthetic effect with the individual freely movable decorative elements (sequins 2).

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not so limited and may be modified variously. For example, whereas the preferred embodiments have been described above in relation to the case where the tule fabric 5 is used as the cover member covering the sequins 2 sewn on the ground fabric 1, the present invention is not so limited, and any other suitable cover member, such as a lace fabric, may be used as long as the sequins 2 sewn on the to-be-decorated base member (ground fabric 1) can be seen through the cover member. Further, if the to-be-decorated base member is a member that permits passage therethrough of liquid, such as hot water, and gas, then the cover member need not necessarily be a member that permits passage therethrough of liquid, such as hot water, and gas. Furthermore, the cover member may be of any desired color.

It is preferable that the ground fabric 1 be a fabric, such as a satin fabric, having a smooth surface and small skid resistance rather than a type of fabric, such as a knit fabric, having a fuzzy surface and great skid resistance. Further, the to-be-decorated base member need not necessarily be a fabric and may be a leather-made member or the like.

Furthermore, whereas the preferred embodiments have been described above employing, as the decorative elements, sequins 2 having a flat shape, the present invention is not so limited and the present invention may employ decorative elements having a three-dimensional shape, such as resin- or glass-made beads.

Furthermore, whereas the preferred embodiments have been described above in relation to the case where the decorative design outline parts (embroideries 6) for defining, on the ground fabric 1, the closed area surrounding the sequins 2 is provided by embroidery sewing using a flat embroidering thread as the second-type sewing thread, the present invention is not so limited. For example, the decorative design outline part may be provided by any other type of decorative cord sewing, such as cord sewing or tape sewing using a cord or tape as the second-type sewing thread.

Furthermore, the preferred embodiments have been described above in relation to the case where the sequins 2 are mechanically sewn onto the ground fabric 1 by means of the embroidery sewing machine (machine unit) and the decorative design outline parts are mechanically embroidered onto the ground fabric 1 through the tule fabric 5 placed on the ground fabric 1 by means of the embroidery sewing machine (machine unit). Alternatively, either or both of the aforementioned operation for sewing the sequins 2 onto the ground fabric 1 and the aforementioned operation for embroidering the decorative design outline part may be performed manually by the user or human operator.

Furthermore, in the aforementioned temporary attachment step of temporarily attaching one or more decorative elements onto the to-be-decorated base member in the first pattern, the decorative elements may be temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member by means of a soluble adhesive agent rather than by means of the soluble thread. In such a case, in the aforementioned temporary attachment removal step, the adhesive agent only has to be dissolved by predetermined liquid or the like.

This application is based on, and claims priority to, JP PA 2011-091987 filed on 18 Apr. 2011. The disclosure of the priority application, in its entirety, including the drawings, claims, and the specification thereof, is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A decorative design making method comprising:

a first step of temporarily attaching one or more decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in a first pattern;

a second step of covering one surface of the to-be-decorated base member, having the decorative elements arranged thereon, with a see-through cover member, and sewing the cover member to the to-be-decorated base member in a second pattern, said second pattern including a closed pattern surrounding the one or more decorative elements temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member; and

a third step of removing temporary attachment, to the to-be-decorated base member, of the decorative elements effected by said first step.

2. The decorative design making method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first step comprises temporarily sewing, with a first-type sewing thread, the one or more decorative elements to the to-be-decorated base member in the first pattern, and

said third step comprises removing the first-type sewing thread from the to-be-decorated base member.

3. The decorative design making method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first-type sewing thread is a soluble thread, and said third step comprises dissolving the first-type sewing thread.

4. The decorative design making method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closed pattern includes at least one narrowed portion.

5. The decorative design making method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more decorative elements are one or more sequins.

6. The decorative design making method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more decorative elements are one or more beads.

7. A decorative design making apparatus comprising:

a sewing mechanism;

a feeder device for feeding decorative elements; and

a control unit for controlling said sewing mechanism and said feeder device to temporarily attach one or more of the decorative elements to a to-be-decorated base member in such a manner that the decorative elements are arranged on the to-be-decorated base member in a first pattern and to sew a see-through cover member, covering one surface of the to-be-decorated base member having the decorative elements arranged thereon, to the to-be-decorated base member in a second pattern, said second pattern including a closed pattern surrounding the one or more decorative elements temporarily attached to the to-be-decorated base member.