Lofty Goals

Dec 1, 2008

Textured fabrics such as this sweater present an embroidery challenge in that the sewing surface is not flat.

Flawless embroidery starts with a smooth sewing surface. But when a customer's order calls for sewing on textured or lofty fabrics, your path to successful embroidery suddenly gets a little bumpy.

Here are several secrets to getting great designs on textured, dimensional items such as piqué knits, sweaters, afghans and polyester fleece:

• Use the smallest frame to fit the design so the area can be hooped without stretching much of the garment in the rings.

• Hoop gently so that the finished embroidery won't pucker around the stitching once the material is released from the hoop.

• Fuse a piece of cutaway to the back of the material, and hoop the two pieces together.

• Use this backing recipe: two juxtaposed pieces of medium weight, either cutaway or tearaway.

•Try heavier backing on loose fabrics, such as terrycloth or knit sweaters.

• For high stitch count designs, try a sturdy cutaway backing rather than tearaway, which might break down and lose stability, allowing the knit to stretch.

• Remember that any kind of zigzag stitch (including column stitches) has a tendency to pull in toward the center on stretchy fabrics such as fleece. To avoid this, you may need to increase the column widths and pull compensation factors. Also, consider increasing density settings and underlay.  — Source: Impressions archives