embroidery stabilizing lessons

We want to Help You get the absolute best possible results
from your home embroidery equipment and our embroidery designs !

      Ask yourself the following questions - -

1~Is the fabric around your designs pucker-free ?
2~Do your designs warp or curl after laundering the garment ?
3~Do you experience more than a few "off " outlines ?
4~Do the designs appear to "fall apart" after repeated laundering ?

If so, you are NOT using adequate or appropriate stabilizers and/or methods !

    After 3 years in this business and viewing numerous stitched samples sent to us, I can tell you that many of you are accepting far less from your investment that you should! We would like to help remedy the problems that many of you are experiencing. We want you to obtain the best results possible results from all your effort - after all; you deserve nothing less than the very best!

    Since stabilizing is one of the biggest mysteries for home embroidery enthusiasts, we are dedicating this space to help you obtain the best possible results on your projects. We sincerely hope that it will be of help.

~ LESSON # 1 ~ STABILIZING HEAVY DENIM ~

    Although most of you who embroider think of denim as one of the easiest fabrics to stabilize, it is actually one of the most difficult to do correctly! Denim is a twill weave and runs diagonally. Any diagonal weave is difficult to control, whether you are attempting construction sewing or machine embroidery. Twills are designed to give the wearer ultimate wearing comfort by the natural "give" it has. That's why we all love our chinos & jeans! However, this comfort quality presents a real problem for machine embroidery enthusiasts.

    It is essential to keep fabric "blocked" while cutting, assembling, and stitching either regular seaming or machine embroidery. From cutting out pattern pieces to hooping denim for embroidery, you will experience a challenge of keeping the fabric "blocked" squarely. If you're a quilter, you know exactly what blocking is. If you're not a quilter it simply means keeping the grain of the weave, in both cross & straight directions, straight or square.

    Denim is difficult to block because of the diagonal weave and, generally, denim is a heavier weight than most other fabrics are. I recently stitched an ankle-length, heavy, denim duster coat using a very large design down the front edge of the coat opening, near the hemline. This meant I had to keep the design running straight in 2 directions at once. The outcome could have been quite unsightly if I hadn't taken extra precautions to make sure the design was placed squarely and that the stabilizing was adequate to prevent the puckers and warping that result from the pull of a machine embroidery design while it is stitching.

    Since I had chosen a rather dense assortment of designs to combine for a scene, I knew that I had a difficult, but not impossible, task. First I had to determine what would keep the twill from becoming distorted during the stitching. Second, I knew it would be next to impossible to hoop the coat - the denim was as heavy as any work jeans I've seen.

    I immediately knew that I wouldn't be able to hoop the coat, therefore it was a matter of first stabilizing the denim then finding a way to create a method of hooping a backing that would hold up under a high stitch count design and remove easily when the stitching was completed. Given the factors I couldn't change - the weight of the fabric & the heaviness of the group of designs--I wanted to use a "formula" of layers which wouldn't create a stiff effect when all was done. The front edge of a coat does flip open--this could be considered a lethal weapon if one is not careful!

~ DESIGN PLACEMENT ~

    The first problem to overcome--can you imagine the bulk of all this fabric when attaching the hoop to the machine! Since the bulk of the fabric must be to the left of the machine so as not to constrict the movement of the embroidery "arm" and hoop, the design had to stitched upside down! To accomplish this you simply flip the design/s first vertically then horizontally.

    Using a printed image of the design and the plastic grid for the hoop, I decided exactly where I wanted to place the design. (Always stand about 3 feet away from the garment to make sure the design is where you want it! It's usually best to try it on & look in the mirror.) Since this was for my daughter I had to wing it!

~ PREPARING THE FABRIC OR GARMENT ~

    I laundered the coat to shrink it to prevent any warping or puckering which would have happened after it was laundered the first time. Next I steam pressed the front of the jacket to its original flat state by applying Magic Sizing and heavy steam. Now the key here is the word press - not iron! If you iron (move the iron in any direction while bearing down) denim will be stretched and distorted.

    After allowing the coat to dry completely after this process, and making sure of the design placement previously decided, I then applied the fusible medium tear away backing to the back side, using a dry iron set at the polyester setting, making sure that the backing straight grain was running with the coat cross grain. Again - press the backing not iron it. To avoid an armor look, I chose the soft tear away backing as the second layer which was placed straight grain to straight grain. A light spraying of 505 temporary adhesive was applied to keep it from shifting.

~ STABILIZING ~

    My choice for the "hooping" backing was wonder solv - a water soluble, fabric-like stabilizer, which will support any number of stitches. I hooped a piece in my Brother jumbo hoop, which has a 5 X 12-inch stitch area. I then sprayed the wonder solv with a heavy coat of 505 spray.

    I set the jumbo hoop on my Hoop Mate to insure that I could get the front edge of the coat straight with the curved edge of the hoop. Then, making sure that the hem edge was kept straight as well, I pressed the entire backed portion of the coat to the hooped wonder solv. I placed the plastic grid template over the "hooped" fabric to double-check the placement Whew - the worst part of the project was accomplished!

~ FINALLY !  READY TO STITCH ~

    After locking the hoop to the embroidery arm, I placed a sheet of web solvy on top to prevent the stitches from sinking into the denim. The first thing I stitched was the basting outlines in all three areas of the jumbo hoop. It takes a bit of time, but is well worth the effort. This secures the fabric/garment to the hooped backing helping to insure the least amount of movement during the actual design stitching.

    I proceeded by stitching the top design first, then the bottom design and finally the center design. By moving around the hoop in this fashion you are preventing excessive pull in any one area, which can cause distortion of the fabric and unsightly puckering.

~ FINISHING ~

    Since the front edge of any coat flips open from time to time, I finished the inside by removing the excess film. I then pressed the entire design area (backside only) using heavy steam. Again, press - do not iron! After allowing it to dry, I applied the black finishing backing to cover the black bobbin thread and backing edges. Now when the edge flips open it has a very professional, finished look.

~ FINAL RESULTS ~

    I'm happy to report that the entire scene was straight/square with the front and hemline edge of the coat, there were no puckers, no warping and no "off " outlines! The coat was no stiffer after the designs were applied than it was originally. My daughter now proudly wears a lighthouse to ocean-floor scene on the lower edge of this spring/fall weight coat!

Sandy

More lessons are below -

To Get Good Results - You must use good products and use the right methods -
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~ LESSON #2 ~ STABILIZING  a  LYCRA-SUEDE BLEND ~

    I had purchased KoDesign's roses over a year ago but had been looking for just the right garment to stitch them on. After spotting a beautiful dark plum, tailored shirt jacket, made of a polyester lycra-suede blend, I knew this would make a great addition to my wardrobe!

     I had planned to use 3 of the roses from Frank's collection together to form a large cluster to cascade down the front. I knew that this would require absolute fabric blocking if the roses were going to lay flat for the life of the garment!

     Since the fabric had a firm hand, yet had a slight drape, I chose the fusible medium for the first layer (turned straight grain to cross grain). A second layer of fusible light for the second layer (turned diagonal to the straight grain of the fabric) and added a third layer of fusible light (turned straight grain to straight grain).

~  HOOPING  ~

     Of course, the suede properties of the fabric wouldn't allow it to be placed in a hoop without marring the finish with hoop "burns". Since this fabric was washable, I chose to hoop the wonder solv sprayed with 505 adhesive.

~  DESIGN PLACEMENT  ~

     Because I wanted to use 3 roses combined, I chose the Brother with the jumbo hoop (5x12) to stitch this project. As usual, I was short on time. Instead of stitching the design on the right side (when worn) of the jacket, I decided to put the designs on the left to eliminate the need to flip the designs and stitch them backwards and upside down. Since I had combined these designs in a zigzag random placement, the need for keeping the hoop precisely straight was eliminated.

~  READY TO STITCH   ~

     After locking the hoop to the embroidery arm, I placed 2 sheets of web solvy on top to prevent the stitches from sinking into the suede and to insure that the dark plum fabric didn't peek through the light mauve colored roses. After choosing an Organ needle made for the new micro-stretch fabrics, the first thing I stitched was the basting outlines (all 3 sections) to secure the web and to affix the sweater to the wonder solv.  I then stitched the designs in this order: top first, bottom second & middle third.

~  FINISHING  ~

       Since this garment front edge might flip open to expose the back of the designs, I added a layer of black finishing backing. I cut the backing to the shape of the finished designs, (leaving about 1 inch all around) using pinking shears and fused the finishing backing in place.

~  FINAL RESULTS  ~

     This project is a real eye-catcher! There are no puckers between the roses, the outlines met perfectly and after multiple laundering there is still no need for touch up ironing!

~ LESSON #3 ~ STABILIZING SMOOTH KNIT SWEATERS ~

     After the shirt jacket was finished, I needed a companion piece to wear under it. Since I've never been known to shy away from any sewing task, I tackled a lovely off white cashmere sweater. Yes, you read it right - cashmere! Before you think I've lost my mind, I must confess that I only paid $10 for it on a clearance table. There was a black spot of unknown origin about 3 inches below the neckline just begging to be covered! Although it was the thinner, smooth knit the sweater had a drop needle stitch about every 3 inches, one of which was in the center.

     I tried the sweater on under the shirt jacket to see if where the spot was would look OK with a single rose, different from the ones on the jacket, and found that the spot was a little high for the design. I cut out a printed template of the design I wanted to use (like you would cut a paper doll). After turning it several ways, I determined that it would work by rotating the design until the tip of a leaf would cover the spot. I pinned it in place and took off the sweater. Lying flat on a table, I then placed the plastic grid for the smallest hoop that would allow me to stitch the design. I marked the grid with a washable marker by tracing around the outside of the rose, so that I could determine how much to rotate the design so that the leaf would stitch on top of the spot.

     Before unpinning the paper rose, I marked a crosshair for placement using tailor's chalk. To make sure that I could find the exact area on the underside of the sweater, I placed a straight pin in the center of the cross hair on the front side. I turned the sweater inside out and marked the spot where the pin had been inserted on the front with tailor's chalk and removed the pin.

     A sweater knit is very difficult to block because of the stretch. I arranged the sweater on a tabletop so that I could apply the stabilizer on a firm surface. (A padded surface will allow a fabric with "give" to stretch!) Since a sweater has a soft hand, the desired effect, when finished, should be soft. (A dense design isn't a good choice for a garment of this type.) The sweater needed a fusible in both straight grain and cross grain directions, therefore I chose the fusible light tear away. I placed the straight grain of the first piece of fusible to the cross grain of the sweater and fused using a polyester setting on the iron. Since I didn't want to stretch the sweater at all, I did not apply much pressure. (The iron should have the water emptied so that absolutely no steam will escape.) I only fused the center of the piece of fusible, leaving the edges loose so that they would be easier to remove when the stitching was finished.

     After allowing the sweater to cool down, I fused a second layer of fusible light, turning it 90 degrees from the first layer. (Again, fusing only the center portion and allowed the sweater to cool down before moving it.)

~  ADDITIONAL STABILIZER  ~

     Since this project was a first-time experiment for me and I knew that the likelihood of finding another cashmere sweater for $10 was slim, I wanted to insure that there was no pulling, warping or puckering after the design was stitched! I added a sheet of soft tear away (turned straight grain to cross grain) by applying a thin coat of 505 spray to hold it in place until it could be basted.

~  HOOPING  ~

     I knew that I wouldn't be able to hoop the sweater due to the stretching it could cause, which could also result in loosening the fusible backing that had been applied. I had 2 choices for the backing to hoop - medium weight cut away or dry CoverUp. Wonder solv would be a great choice if the garment were made of a fiber that could tolerate water.) I chose the dry CoverUp because of the soft hand and followed the same procedure as in Lesson #1, using the Hoop Mate to unsure that the design stitched exactly where it was needed and planned for.

~  DESIGN PLACEMENT  ~

     Using the plastic grid for the hoop, I rotated the design in the software until it was in the same position as the tracing that I had done on the plastic grid. To make sure, I printed a template with the cross hair showing and placed it over the marking on the front of the sweater. The tip of the leaf was sure to cover the black spot!

~  READY TO STITCH  ~

     After locking the hoop to the embroidery arm, I placed 2 sheets of web solvy on top to prevent the stitches from sinking into the sweater and to insure that the sweater didn't peek through the stitched design. Using an Organ size 11 ballpoint embroidery needle, the first thing I stitched was the basting outline to secure the web and to affix the sweater.

~  FINISHING  ~

     Since this garment would be lying next to my skin, I added a layer of white finishing backing. I cut the backing to the shape of the finished design, (leaving about 1/2 inch all around) using pinking shears. I fused the finishing backing in place, again, on the tabletop to prevent stretching.

~  FINAL RESULTS  ~

     The results were excellent! The design lays flat, the drop needle "lines" are straight and after several dry cleanings (remember this sweater is off white!) the sweater is in the same condition as when it was first stitched.

Check back often for another Lesson/Project - It's fun to learn & do great embroidery design projects.

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~ LESSON # 4 ~ STABILIZING 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 a sweatshirt or any knit. Just remember that the greatest amount of stretch is on the cross grain. As with any 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. 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 when determining what backing/s to use, is the weight of the sweatshirt and the 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 designs. A heavier weight shirt will support a larger and/or denser design, with the appropriate backing. A lighter sweatshirt or t-shirt requires a smaller, less dense design and lighter backing to avoid a look of armor. If you have a large and/or dense 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 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 design size and density. The larger, denser designs will require another layer of fusible turned straight grain to straight grain.

    Smaller or less dense 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 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 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 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 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 -
So - We have Only the Best Products - Here's the Link - for  > Our Great Products <
And - We now have several Lessons/Projects on using Stabilizers - more later
Click on this Link - > More Info & Basting - Test Stitch  <

See Our - > 10 Tips for Successful & Easy Hooping of Embroidery Designs <

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