Hooping Stabilizer Question

Michael- welcome to this ng. My guess is you will get many replies on this question. And you will learn that everytime your wife does another embroidery project, she will learn yet another trick.

I have only been doing this about 15 months myself, so have much to learn. It sounds as if you hooped the actual sweatshirt. You don't need to do that. Use your stabilizer only in the hoop. If its sticky and tear away, then position an center your sweatshirt where you want it on the stabilizer, but not within the hoop itself. Then you should take the time and pin the sweatshirt to the stabilizer, or baste it. On your machine, I don't think you have an outline basting offered (I have a Babylock Esante, and they are similar). I sometimes even machine baste on my other sewing machine, if you have a second one available. Just baste the outline area as close to your hoop as possible, to hold it in place. If using pins, be careful they are not in the way of the mechanism.

Have you run a sample of what you are embroidering? I often do that if I am unsure of a new design. And that will tell you if you did something wrong, or if the design doesn't outline correctly in the end anyway. I don't always run a sample, but it can be a very helpful way to learn and compare the results. On occasion, I have found the colors suggested to be really off (like green instead of where orange should be- when it's a pumpkin that's a problem).

Learning how best to use your machine will take some practice, but not really that much. I must say there is a lot to learn, and then your projects will just get better and better. Have patience. There are also some great books out there that are helpful, as well as some great websites too.

Good luck- Karen in PA

Hi Michael & wife, I too am fairly new to this embroidery hobby and it is a learn as you go experience. On sweatshirts, I use a cut-away stabilizer in the hoop, center the garment, baste and then don't forget the Solvy water soluble stabilizer on top. This helps prevent the stitches from sinking into the fabric. Two excellent books for beginners are "Embroidery Machine Essentials--how to stabilize, hoop & stitch decorative designs" by Jeanine Twigg ISBN

0-87431-999-5 It's pricey at $27.95, but I have really valued it as a newbie! Another great book is Embroidery Machine Essentials Fleece Techniques" Book 2, by Nancy Cornwell. ISBN 0-87349-581-0, it isn't as pricey $19.95--I LOVE this book as it has some super tips and techniques I haven't found anywhere else. Both books come with a CD that have designs on them. Also, both books are very user friendly, no matter your machine. Good Luck, Julie

Check the

book club, I got my copies through them. Beware and make sure that you are willing and able to buy the books they require, but if you can find ones you want, the overall price (averaged with the free ones) is good.Another place to watch for great book deals is

Hi Wanda, I just checked Amazon.com and they have both the books I mentioned and for a fairly good price. The Emb. Machine Essentials, how to stabilize, hoop & stitch decorative designs is $19.59 VS $27.95 list price. The Emb. Machine Essentials Fleece Techniques is$13.97 VS $19.95 list. I have ordered from Amazon.com and have been fairly happy with the service. I wished I had thought to check them out before I bought my books through the store where I bought my machine. Oh well, the store has been SUPER about helping out and offering classes and being there when I have needed some help. Happy Embroidering, Julie

Hi Michael, I completely understand your frustration and I too have experienced the exact problems you have explained. I believe trying to embroider with a bought T-shirt is the most difficult item to embroider because they are so thin and stretchy. I have not yet tried the sticky paper method and will certainly be trying this myself next time. I am far from an expert on this but I can let you know what I found helps from my experiments:

- Firstly when buying a T-shirt try to get a fabric with a thicker fibre and less stretch because it will be easier to embroider. I actually make the T-shirts if I have time because the fabric you buy is often thicker than the fabric used by T-shirt manufacturers.

- With T-shirts I use Cut-away and if it is a really thin fabric try two layers.

- When hooping the shirt be sure it is very taught in the direction it does not stretch (usually vertically). In the stretchy direction also pull it reasonably taught but do not over stretch or it will pucker around the design. When you flick the hooped fabric with a finger it should be kind of like a drum and spring back. Follow the knit lines down the fabric to make sure the fabric is pulled evenly in the hoop.

- Using Solvy on top gives a nice finished look to the embroidery as it sits nicely on the shirt but it will not impact on how well the design lines up.

- basting closely around the design area before you start can also help stop the T-shirt over pulling.

- If you have created the designs yourself then you will want to make some changes to it. Lower the density of the stitches. Change the garment type to T-shirt and try to alter the underlay and stitch order to cater more for the direction the design is pulling wrong.

The problems you have explained are related to the T-shirt campacting or stretching when areas of the embroidery are sewing. The stretchiness of a T-shirt can be hard to overcome and some embroidery designs are not created with the idea of being sewn on a T-shirt. It is a good idea to get some cheap stretchy fabric for testing designs on before putting them on a T-shirt you have purchased. I hope some of this has been helpful.

Cheers Janet

Hi Michael... When using a home embroidery machine I found I had better luck if I used an iron on stabilizer. The best one I found was Totally Stable and you can get it on line at

Cut thestabilizer larger than the hoop and make sure the stabilizer andfabric are hooped tightly in the hoop. Movement of the fabric is whatcauses the outline to be off... I would also float a piece of tearaway under the hoop... You might also check your design to be surethe density isn't too heavy. Hope this helps...TIZME

I have had no problems emboidering on T-shirts what I do is I spray the stabilizer with 505 adhesive spray and adheard the stabilizer to the T-shirt were I would like to have the design. After this is done I will hoop the T-shirt and the stabilizer as one making sure that I do not streach the T-shirt in any way. I use a tear-away stabilizer and what I found is when I started to adhear the stabilizer to the T-shirt I stopped having problems. I do a test run with the design that I would like to use for the T-shirt or for anything for that matter.

The books that were mentioned sound like something that I should look into.

Ok, I had this same problem, and just recently purchased a used "hoop-it-all", which happens to be metal. I don't think they make them in aluminum anymore, but I assume the new plastic ones perform almost as well. They are expensive, but now that I have used it, I will never go back to my old hoop again. I can't believe what I have been missing! There is no hooping required, which is what stretches the t-shirt. You simply lay the shirt on the sticky paper and smooth it out. No stretching, even while embroidering. Best investment I ever made. And it took me a year to decide to spend the money, but well worth it. You won't be disappointed. Good luck.

Question: I have a Hoop-it-all, large metal frame that requires adhesive backings, that was in with some other stuff I bought from someone giving up embroidery (or moving up - not sure which.) But the "legs" are gone. I don't even know what they look like. I guess I could use the hoop, if I stay with the machine and support the big hoop, but I can't think of another way to use this. Does anyone have any ideas?