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From: natred2
Date: 05-15-2005, 08:10 PM (1 of 16)
I am going to do a simple name embroidery on a sweatshirt for my brother in law. I haven't done anything on sweatshirts before and I am a little  nervous about messing his up. What is the right stabelizer for a sweatshirt?
Don't be so open minded your brains fall out.
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User: natred2
Member since: 04-09-2005 Total posts: 81 
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From: Chrysantha
Date: 05-15-2005, 09:24 PM (2 of 16)
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Put some sticky on the hoop...DON'T hoop the shirt...float some cutaway underneath. (2-3 layers of med...depends on how dense the design) and put some solvy on top (so the stitches don't disappear into the fabric). (I do a LOT of knit embroidery...this always works for me..) Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: Zabelle
Date: 05-16-2005, 10:03 AM (3 of 16)
Thank you Chrysantha, that's very useful info. Like natred I'm pretty nervous about embroidering on knits and haven't dared attemping it so far. Now I'm just about ready! 
English sewing journal: Kitty Couture
In French: Journal d'une cousette |
User: Zabelle
Member since: 02-25-2004 Total posts: 98 
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From: natred2
Date: 05-16-2005, 10:17 AM (4 of 16)
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Oh boy... hoopless makes me nervous...I am just getting the hang of hooping. Ok Chrysantha back to the store I go for more stuff  I have a couple of things I can practice on before I embroider on my brother in laws shirt.  ...It is just a name, how hard can that be right?...lol
Don't be so open minded your brains fall out.
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User: natred2
Member since: 04-09-2005 Total posts: 81
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From: m616
Date: 05-18-2005, 10:39 PM (5 of 16)
| I'm hoping to do some sweatshirts, too, so I'm very interested in all the advice! Chrysantha, when you say "sticky" do you mean the stabelizer you hoop and then peel back? Then you float the cut away under that? Do I have that right? Thanks in advance! |
User: m616
Member since: 04-24-2005 Total posts: 11 |
From: natred2
Date: 05-22-2005, 04:22 PM (6 of 16)
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Ok- I hooped I did not float.. I was a little nervous, but I hooped very carefully and did not stretch and it turned out perfect. Of course I practiced on a sweatshirt that I had of the same weight first before I attempted Tommy's. The hardest part was in the hooping, since I was working with a shirt and not a flat peice of fabric like I usually do. The soft cutaway was different for me too, but I find I like working with it. I only needed one layer for the name. It would never have occured to me to use a solvy on top if you had not said. I never thought of a sweatshirt as having a "pile", but I always use it with terry. I have been doing a nmber of baby bibs lately and what a difference it makes. I will have to practice floating so I can stop being chicken about that too...lol Don't be so open minded your brains fall out.
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User: natred2
Member since: 04-09-2005 Total posts: 81
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From: Zabelle
Date: 05-22-2005, 04:33 PM (7 of 16)
Yeah! Well done to you! 
English sewing journal: Kitty Couture
In French: Journal d'une cousette |
User: Zabelle
Member since: 02-25-2004 Total posts: 98
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From: mamadus
Date: 05-25-2005, 03:26 AM (8 of 16)
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the polymesh stabilizer works well with knits... I have done sweatshirts both ways.. hooping the polymesh and then spraying with 505 and then laying the sweatshirt on top.... and the other way is to spray the polymesh, adhere it to the inside of the sweatshirt, then carefully hoop both... MO life is too short, not to explore
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User: mamadus
Member since: 12-31-2004 Total posts: 492 
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From: ohgal
Date: 06-10-2005, 11:11 AM (9 of 16)
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Hi Ladies.....Can a newbie ask a question? You're using terms I'm not familiar with, can you tell me what they mean? Sticky on the hoop Floating And how do you sew a design without hooping? Thanks for educating me. |
User: ohgal
Member since: 03-20-2005 Total posts: 14 |
From: paroper
Date: 06-11-2005, 10:06 AM (10 of 16)
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Floating is just laying a loose piece of stabilizer some place..usually under the hoop. I don't float the stabilizer under the hoop because it doesn't stabilize the fabric but it doesn't hurt anything. It only makes the stabilizer denser. I only float stabilizer if I use tear away and it gets damaged (like with a dense design) and starts to weaken or pull away from the tear away stabilizer...then I float stabilizer to give it additional support and keep the stabilizer from tearing more...which means that I add it while I am stitching, not at the beginning...but that is MY choice. Although I haven't seen how and why she does it, I do know that Nancy Z. floats stabilizer when she is embroidering. The only way to stabilize your design is to attach it to something...and that is the hoop whether you are sewing by machine or by hand which not something new...we've done it for years for fine hand embroidery. Instead of floating, I use two layers of stabilizer and hoop those. The second layer is very good because the machines use so much more force in their movement than we ever did by hand and it puts a lot of strain on the stabilizer. It is best if you lay the pieces in oposite directions when you hoop because there are some directional differences in all stabilizers. Hoopless is when you hoop your stabilizer (as always) but you do not hoop the project you are embroidering. Your stabilizer should be very taunt. (It reminds me of a military bed where you can bounce the coin.) Then, spray with an adhesive spray..505 is very good and doesn't gum up your needle. There is a new spray maketed through OESD that I haven't used yet but it is repositionable...although I have repositioned with 505 just fine. It will wash out if you spray lightly. ALWAYS spray ONLY your stabilizer..if you spray your fabric it probably won't completely wash out. Anytime you have layers, you need to spray...and I often spray between my stabilizer layers too...it keeps one layer from walking away from the other. Once you've hooped and sprayed, you position your project over the hoop and stick it down. Then, using a pretty solid line of pins around the perimeter or basting your project before you embroider, you stabilize your project...and then proceed. The advantages? It is much easier to hoop and get your project straight, no hooping marks on your fabric, and it is better for your hoops which can loosen over time when you hoop bulky items. This is an excellent method for heavy fabrics (towels, sweat shirts) and it is very good for lighter weight fabrics which can damage like satins. Sticky? I think you are referring to the sticky stabilizers? There are two that I am familiar with, one you lightly dampen and it becomes sticky then you apply your project...the sticky replaces spray adhesives. I haven't used it yet but you should be able to apply it either to the project first and then hoop or you should be able to hoop, spray and then apply your project hoopless. The other is rather like contact paper. It comes as tear away and as cut away. You can stick it to your fabric and then hoop or you can use it on a non-conventional hoop like a hoop it all where there is no top portion of the hoop and the stabilizer sticks to the hoop then you apply your fabric and stick it down. I haven't tried the cut away but the tear away is rather stiff. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: chris b
Date: 06-11-2005, 01:37 PM (11 of 16)
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I do not like going hoopless unless I'm force to by size or somthing like velvet which will burn.It is not the ideal way to embroider.You get better results if you learn to hoop.I had the advantage of working in a sewing embroidery factory so got to learn from the pros. My recipe for perfect sweatshirts is to first use an iron on stabilizer.Either cutaway or tear away both will work equally as well.If using tear away iron on,use 2 layers of cutaway in the hoop.If using a cutaway iron on you will only need one layer of cutaway in the hoop.I don't float anymore either,it really doesn't do anything but make you feel better. Hooping is an art,treat that screw only as a loosening device.Only loosen it enough to get it over the item being hooped.It should snap over,just like hooping for handwork.If you have to tighten the screw more than a turn after it is hooped,it is too loose and needs to be done again. Pfaff 2170,Pfaff 7570,Elna 945
Singer 301A,Singer Redeye,Singer 15 HC Simplicity 2/3/4 Pfaff Creative 3-D digitizing,3-D Fabric Decorator Pfaff PCDMac2.2 StitchBunnyPro,FlutterWhumper Embird,Studio,cross stitch, EQ5....and adding all the time! |
User: chris b
Member since: 01-10-2001 Total posts: 109 |
From: stitchmaniac
Date: 06-13-2005, 02:00 PM (12 of 16)
| I used to hoop everything. Now I only hoop when necessary. I know how to hoop, I just do no agree that it is always necessary. I have done many, many, many sweatshirts. I did 20 for a company for Christmas, hoopless and not one failed because I did not hoop. They all came out perfect. I like the iron on stabilizers, but have no problem floating a piece of cut-a-way either. I like a piece of WSS on top. Just another opinion. We all do what works best for us. |
User: stitchmaniac
Member since: 11-05-2002 Total posts: 43 |
From: chris b
Date: 06-14-2005, 01:00 PM (13 of 16)
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If the "Sewing and Quilting Expo" comes through your area and Lindee Goodall of Cactus Punch is still teaching classes take her hooping class!I took it way back in 1998 when I was a beginner and between working around the big machines and her class.I learned alot.
Pfaff 2170,Pfaff 7570,Elna 945
Singer 301A,Singer Redeye,Singer 15 HC Simplicity 2/3/4 Pfaff Creative 3-D digitizing,3-D Fabric Decorator Pfaff PCDMac2.2 StitchBunnyPro,FlutterWhumper Embird,Studio,cross stitch, EQ5....and adding all the time! |
User: chris b
Member since: 01-10-2001 Total posts: 109 |
From: chris b
Date: 06-17-2005, 11:35 AM (14 of 16)
So how did it come out? 
Pfaff 2170,Pfaff 7570,Elna 945
Singer 301A,Singer Redeye,Singer 15 HC Simplicity 2/3/4 Pfaff Creative 3-D digitizing,3-D Fabric Decorator Pfaff PCDMac2.2 StitchBunnyPro,FlutterWhumper Embird,Studio,cross stitch, EQ5....and adding all the time! |
User: chris b
Member since: 01-10-2001 Total posts: 109 |
From: ohgal
Date: 07-04-2005, 01:48 PM (15 of 16)
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Floating Hoopless Sticky? Pam - I want to appologize for taking so long to thank you for your reply and very thorough expantion of terms for me. I must confess this was one of the 1st message boards I registered on and I completely forgot I had posted a question. Thank you soooooo much. |
User: ohgal
Member since: 03-20-2005 Total posts: 14 |
From: paroper
Date: 07-04-2005, 06:34 PM (16 of 16)
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You're welcome anytime!
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
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