How We Made Unicorn Broderie Fabric

Did you spot the incredible Unicorn Broderie pieces in our Unicornia High collection?

The reason this fabric is so special – and the reason we’re so excited to tell you all about it – is because it’s a totally customised, made-specially-for-us, unique BlackMilk embroidery with a design you definitely can’t find anywhere else. 

We’re kinda obsessed.

We actually didn’t start out intending to make our very own embroidery – we were on the hunt for an existing embroidered fabric that featured unicorns or other magical creatures. Turns out that doesn’t actually exist. Who would have thought?

In true BlackMilk fashion, we weren’t about to let our dream of embroidered prancing unicorns die that easily. So we collaborated with a factory that has these incredible, giant embroidery machines to make it ourselves.

As always, the first step was to come up with the design. One of our super talented graphic artists, EJ, created a few different versions of these adorable little unicorns and gardens. Since this was the first time we’ve ever created an embroidered fabric, it took a bit of trial and error. One of the things she had to consider is that the design would have to be joined in one continuous line because the embroidery needles have to follow those lines as they stitch.

With the final design in place, it was off to the embroidery machines to be brought to life. 

This is a really incredible process to watch. The giant machines work on 15 metre wide runs of fabric at once, with individual heads stitching each strip of pattern at a crazy fast speed. It’s a super specialised technology not found in many places around the world – each and every stitch is digitally programmed, so it’s totally precise to the very millimetre. 

Even at this speed, it takes a long time to create this fabric compared to our usual printing – but the end result is totally worth it.

We’re pretty excited to have this technology available to us, so we’re already working on more embroidered designs – goth embroidery, anyone…?