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Embroidery design stabilizing Lesson 4
Embroidery design stabilizing for sweatshirts & other knits
~ Knits in General ~
Embroidering on knit seems to be the biggest feat for most new
embroiders'. There's no real mystery to stitching an embroidery design on a sweatshirt
or any knit top. Always remember that the greatest amount of stretch is on
the cross grain. As with any embroidery design and fabric you must determine how
to best "block" the fabric. It's a bit tricky for the more relaxed fabrics that
are meant to move with the body because the more comfortable the fabric, the harder
it will be to stabilize!
~ SWEATSHIRTS ~
How to stabilize sweatshirts is our most frequently asked question.
The key to success and first things to consider to determining what backing/s to
use is the weight of the sweatshirt and the embroidery design you wish to stitch
on it. You must first determine the overall finished look you want. If the shirt
is to maintain the natural look that a sweatshirt usually has - soft and drape-able
- then the best choice are a group of smaller, less dense embroidery designs. A
heavier weight shirt will support a larger and/or denser embroidery design, with
the appropriate backing. A lighter sweatshirt or t-shirt requires a smaller, less
dense embroidery design and lighter backing to avoid a look of armor. If you have
a large and/or dense embroidery design that you must have on a sweatshirt, you can
successfully stitch it. However, you will have to be prepared for a stiff or heavy
look when it's finished.
~ PREPARING THE FABRIC OR GARMENT ~
Always launder the sweatshirt or t-shirt before attempting to
stitch embroidery on it! The consequences of not doing this are not worth the minimal
amount of time it takes to do it. Any knit will have shrinkage occur after it is
laundered, regardless of the fabric content. In order for your embroidery designs
to maintain the beauty of a "fresh" stitch out, it is essential that the fabric
beneath them doesn't shrink. If the fabric shrinks or moves in any way, the design
will warp.
~ STABILIZING ~
My choice for backing any fabric is to always fuse a base layer
of fusible tear away. This is even more important for a knit fabric. (Of course,
there is always the choice of using a cut away but I prefer not having the edge
that is left around the embroidery design when a cut away is trimmed.)
For a heavy sweatshirt I would choose fusible medium for the
base layer, turned straight grain to the cross grain of the knit. The subsequent
layer/s will depend on the embroidery design size and density. The larger, denser
embroidery designs will require another layer of fusible turned straight grain to
straight grain.
Smaller or less dense embroidery designs will work great using
soft tear away (affixed with 505 spray) as your remaining 2nd and/or 3rd layers.
This will result in a more relaxed finished look and is more comfortable to wear
next to the skin.
Always use a soluble topping (I prefer the web solvy) to prevent
the stitches from sinking into the knit. The reason I prefer the web over a film
soluble is that it removes more easily and leaves little to no residue that can
cause the sweatshirt to feel stiff/scratchy and/or dulls the sheen of the embroidery
thread. Of course, this goes away after several launderings, but who wants to wait
that long!
Adding a basting stitch as the first sewing sequence, before
the embroidery design is stitched, is also a great way to help insure that all layers
of the backing are securing the "block" of the knit. It is also a great way to keep
the soluble topping in place!
~ TO HOOP OR NOT TO HOOP ~
Whether to hoop the shirt or not depends on the bulkiness. Heavier
shirts are more easily done by using the non-hoop method described in Lesson #1
on heavy denim.
If you choose to hoop the shirt, make sure that the screw in
your lower hoop is loosened sufficiently to allow the shirt to go in without stretching
it. If you try to force the shirt in while the hoop is positioned for lighter weight
fabric, it will probably cause the dreaded "pop out" that most everyone has experienced.
In addition, the knit will become distorted. After the design is stitched, the knit
will spring back to it's original shape and the design will have the puckers or
appear skewed.
Either way you choose is best for you, the easiest way to stitch
a sweatshirt is inside out! Work within the "hole" that's created when it's turned.
This is especially true for the smaller children's garments. (If these are toddler
or infant size you'll probably need to split the garment at the side seam & re-sew
when the embroidery design is finished.)
~ T-SHIRTS & LIGHTER WEIGHT KNITS
~
Use the above described method, substituting fusible light for
the base layer. Add additional layers of soft tear away as needed for the design
being used. If by chance you are placing a larger, more dense embroidery design
on a t-shirt, use a 2nd layer of fusible light. The final layer should always be
soft tear away for comfort and suppleness.
~ FINISHING ~
Whether my sweatshirts are meant to wear next to the skin or
are open down the front, I always apply the finishing backing to give them a professional,
comfortable look and feel.
~ FINAL RESULTS ~
The only time I've had warped embroidery designs with off outlines
is when I have varied from the method described above. When I use the above method,
the results are always the same - never an off outline, never a sparse look, never
any warping or curling after laundering and never a look of armor!
To Get Good Results - You must use good products
and use the right methods -
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