Floriani offers embroiderers a new way to decorate apparel with the Floriani 3-D Embroidery by the Fuwari technique. The process, developed by Koma-Tech Ltd., Osaka, Japan, uses a conventional single or multihead embroidery machine and a special cutting machine to produce velour-like designs in which the threads stand upright instead of laying flat.

Abe Hayakawa, president of Osaka-based Shiro Int'l Corp., which serves as the manufacturer's rep for Fuwari technology, says the Fuwari designs are first digitized using conventional digitizing software, however, special training is required to master the technique that produces the 3-D embroidery. Floriani, a division of Knoxville, TN-based RNK Distributing, offers Fuwari equipment, supplies, and training and is located at 3939 B. Papermill Dr., Knoxville, TN 37909, 865-426-8435, fax: 865-330-0053, Web: www.rnkdistributing.com.