Hooping Tips
• Don’t remove a shirt from the packaging
to embroiderer a sleeve.
• Leave a placket shirt buttoned, hoop
the target area so that the shirt loads
upside-down and then reverse the
design on the machine. Trim through the
bottom, fold the shirt and be done.
• Hoop a piece of backing on the top of a
garment, then cut a window out for the
embroidery. This will create a tighter
hold without wrapping the hoop.
• Never tighten the thumbscrew on the
hoop after hooping. If it’s not right,
start over. Since the fabric can easily be
bruised or cut, leave the hoop a quarter
of a turn looser and then tighten it
carefully. Before you un-hoop, loosen
that turn. (An exception is on T-shirts.)
• Digitize a walking stitch around your
design when it first starts. This will
baste the garment and backing together.
Use long running stitches that can be
removed easily.
• Baby or talcum powder applied to the
rubbery side of a fabric will allow the
goods to slip easily into the hoop and
to glide across the throat plate during
stitching.
Fixing and Finishing
hing
• A needle-threading tool or thread pusher
will slip through the reverse of a shirt,
grabbing any unruly threads or loops
and pulling them easily to the back.
A very thin crochet hook will work as
well. Secure them with a small amount
of fabric glue or weave them under
adjoining threads.
• Use a table with a black light to check
incoming goods. Holes and oil spots will
be easy to see.
• Fly-tying scissors from the sportinggoods store are great for trimming
threads. The fine points and larger finger
holes make for comfortable and easy
clipping.
• For easy topping removal, steam and
then blot with a coffee filter.
• Salt added to water sets dye. Vinegar
and water will set color.
• When trimming threads between letters,
cut one side and then the other to leave
a longer tail to trim.
• Bleach is a color remover, not a stain
stain
tain
remover.
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