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From: GFranklin
Date: 11-18-2006, 12:10 PM (1 of 15)
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I have just made my first attempt to embroider a towel and I am not pleased with the results. So, I hope you would give me some guidance. I used two layers of tear-away underneath, and a layer of super solvy on top. (Hooping was a nightmare.) I ran a fix stitch around the design area. The problems are: outline stitches not meeting the design edge and the satin stitches not covering the terry cloth. I had combined two fish designs (total of three images in my combined design) from Viking software package "Out on a Whim." What caused the problems? Should I have used less dense designs or perhaps not combined the designs but hooped and stitched them separately? Are there designs more suited for towels, and, if so, what are they? And, finally, what is the best way to hoop towels? Thanks! Gayle Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 11-18-2006, 12:36 PM (2 of 15)
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Use spray adhesive instead of hooping. Hoop your stablizer then spray the stablizer with temp spray adhesive you can get the at Joann's or Hancocks then stick your towel to the stablizer. I always iron my towel where the design goes to hold down the nap. Also make sure your topping is tight against your towel. If you have to baste it on that way it will hold down the loops. I always keep a few wash towel in my sewing room when I do towels to try out my design on that first to make sure it's not too dense. If the design is dense it might not stitch out well and on the other hand if it's too sparce then it gets lost in the nap of the terry. I buy the packs of 18 face towel at WalMart for 4.00 and do my design those first. I can always use them for rags if they don't come out right.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118 
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From: GFranklin
Date: 11-18-2006, 03:59 PM (3 of 15)
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I stitched the design again, this time using the hoopless method. This time, the design looked better, but there are still little loopies of terry cloth sticking out that bother me. Apparently I didn't have the topper tight enough. I hadn't thought about ironing the towel first. I will try that next. I am using an inexpensive towel (name brand, just got it at a discount place for next to nothing) and since the first design was no where near what I would want to give, I will use the towel for practice. Thanks for your help.
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: paroper
Date: 11-18-2006, 06:18 PM (4 of 15)
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The design being off is usually a matter of the stabilzer not being tight enough OR the project not being firmly attached to the hoop (all the way around), allowing the design to draw up. You don't notice that the design is off when you are doing satin stitches because these usually overlap but when you do the outline, which is thin, it shows terribly. Chances are that your outline will also be closer to the design in some areas than others. Because your towel was hard to hoop the first time it was probably difficult to tell that they whole thing was not hooped tightly.
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: GFranklin
Date: 11-18-2006, 09:13 PM (5 of 15)
Pam, you are absolutely right! The first hooping/stitching, the hoop seemed like it was on correctly, but when I took it off the machine, it literally dropped off the towel. The second time was better, but still not quite what I wanted. However, after ironing the towel nap first (brilliant idea  ), hooping the stabilizer, lightly spraying it with KK2000, placing the towel on the stabilizer and then lightly spraying the topper and running a fix stitch, the design looked much, much better! I have a hoop-it-all hoop (the newest one from Viking) but couldn't get it to work with the towel any better than the regular hoop. This hoopless method works really well. So, tomorrow, I will do the real thing. No matter how much I read, this machine embroidery is still a learn as I go project and I don't know what I would do without resources like this board.
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 11-19-2006, 02:48 AM (6 of 15)
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Glad we could help. I remember when i first came here and everyone was so nice. Well it's been since 2001 I think and I'm still here. Great Boards and all kinds of information.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118
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From: GFranklin
Date: 11-19-2006, 04:17 PM (7 of 15)
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One more thing. Do you put two layers of tear-away under the towel? And, if you do, do you hoop both of them, or hoop one and slide the other between the machine bed and the hooped towel?
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: paroper
Date: 11-20-2006, 10:35 AM (8 of 15)
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The purpose of the stabilizer is to stabilize the fabric. THe way this is done is to hoop the stabilizer. If that were not the purpose, you wouldn't have to hoop anything. A lot of times the purpose of the stabilizer is confused with making the design denser or heavier. However, that is not what you are doing. You are fighting the natural physical problem that comes from stitching and causing the fabric to draw. So...the answer is simple. If the purpose is to stabilize the fabric, the stabilizer must be hooped. I usually use Aqua Mesh under the towel for a couple of reasons. One is that I have a hard time getting the tear away out of the designs and two because the Aqua Mesh does not cut or tear away while it is being stitched. The tear away is designed to perforate and fall away as it is stitched. According to the rep from OESD, as the tear away perforates, it not only tears away where you can see it, it also no longer supports the design within the product. It is also designed to dissolve and disappear with multiple washings so in short, many people use the tear away thinking that it will continue to support the design after it is finished when in fact, it does not. Now, that I've said all that and it seems to have little to do with your question, there is one excellent reason that on occasion, as you are doing a tear away, you may need to float a piece under the design. As you work and the tear away perforates, it sometimes will tear away before you are finished. If that happens, you can take a small piece, float it under the hoop and allow the stitching to catch that piece. Doing that will somtimes support the stabilizer and prevent it from further tearing, which in turn can keep your design outline from being "off". If you use a tear away, OESD recommends that you hold the design as you tear the stabilizer away from the design and tear away the stabilizer slowly. This can prevent damage to the stitches as it is removed. 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: GFranklin
Date: 11-21-2006, 01:56 PM (9 of 15)
Thanks for such a detailed response. I am so glad that you gave me all of that information. I did know about the tear-away perforating during stitch-out. But, I hadn't thought about using the aqua mesh. I do think that the next attempt I make, though, on a towel, I will use a cut-away stabilizer underneath along with the dissolve-away on top. There are so many choices and so many differing opinions, depending on what book I read. But, I get the best advice from people who are actually working on this. And, from my own mistakes .
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: Spinnersilver
Date: 11-22-2006, 08:36 PM (10 of 15)
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I haven't embroidered on towels but I sure have a LOT of fleece, the heavy kind. According to directions, I use sticky tear away on the bottom of the hoop then stuck the fleece to the stabilizer.I did not hoop the fleece. It worked great and I had no hoop burn. Hope this makes a little sense. |
User: Spinnersilver
Member since: 07-15-2006 Total posts: 8 |
From: GFranklin
Date: 11-22-2006, 08:40 PM (11 of 15)
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It makes perfect sense. I have not used the sticky stabilizer--do you perforate a portion of it and peel the backing away only where the design will go? How do you remove the edges that aren't stitched on?
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 11-23-2006, 08:53 PM (12 of 15)
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It's temporary.........and it peels right off if you use the right kind. Not the kind you iron on.... use the kind that is like sticky paper. You hoop it....then score it with a pin and peel back the top shinny paper and it's sticky under the peeled off paper then after you stitch your project take it out the hoop and tear the rest away from the fabric and design. This is if the kind you are using is the kind I'm thinking you are talking about.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118
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From: GFranklin
Date: 11-24-2006, 07:50 PM (13 of 15)
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That's the kind I am talking about. I have some, but I have never used it. There was a sale on Sulky notions not too long ago, and I bought several different types of stabilizers to try out. So, the next towel project I do I will try that. Thanks!
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
From: Andrea62704
Date: 12-09-2006, 12:58 AM (14 of 15)
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Gayle, With the Sticky Tear Away stabilizer I hoop the stabilizer and use the fix button with no thread in the needle so it will be perferated where the top paper needs to be removed. I learned most of the things I know from trial and error. I have lots of reminate fabric I bought for next to nothing from JoAnns so I could practice on different types of fabrics. Oh ABC embroidery systems has a product call hide it. It is a plastic toper that tears away from the finished project but remains under the stitching even after washing. That will help with the nap coming up during while embroidering on towels. Here is a link where you can get it http://www.allbrands.com/products/abc1414.html Happy embroidering, Andrea |
User: Andrea62704
Member since: 11-29-2006 Total posts: 9 |
From: GFranklin
Date: 12-12-2006, 12:58 PM (15 of 15)
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Thanks! I hadn't heard about hide it. I was thinking about using clear 'n melt instead of disolvable on the top, though. And, what a great idea to use the fix feature to perforate the paper.
Gayle
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User: GFranklin
Member since: 07-04-2004 Total posts: 101 |
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