Ann The Gran Community

I think ATG is great !  And, I'm sure I'm not the only one with this question. 

There are some designs that I badly want to use.  Here's what happens:  I have stabilized BOTH sides of a sweatshirt and it's in a hoop.  The design begins to sew and does fine.  Then, in the middle it breaks and embroiders starting at the "other end" of the design -- and the first half and the second half don't match.  There's this big wrinkle right down the place where they should meet.  I'd really like to find a way to do this right on the sweatshirt, but I'm afraid I'm going to find out this one has to be done on non-sweatshirt fabric and appliqued.  H E L P , please

Thanks !

flyingMcreations

Interesting name - flying M creations! 

We all run into different issues from time to time.  And this one is interesting.  I think a photo of your problem would help to determine what the issue might be.  If I understand you correctly, the design does not sew correctly and has gaps.

Sweatshirts generally have some 'give' to the fabric, not necessarily stretch, just give.  You don't mention what stabilizer you used on the back, which is the 'base' stabilizer.  Between the 'give' and the 'fleece' I suspect that your stabilizer did fail.  I would have used a adhesive water soluble stabilizer like the ATG stabilizer.  The two advantages are that the fleece will not move and it is easily removed.  I might also float a piece of scrap (big enough for the design) behind the hoop.  My philosophy is that it is difficult to overstabilize but understabilizing causes movement and design failure.

The stabilizer on top is germane to keeping the embroidery from sinking. 

If at all possible, use a smaller hoop which creates a better platform for your project.  Additionally (yes, there is more), I recommend that you do a baste around your design prior to starting the project.  Check your frame area in your machine and use the running stitch to baste.

These should cement your project down for you.  Work with a 'test sew out' on an old sweatshirt to get the process down.  Let us see your project, the good and the bad.  When you reply to a response, click on the 'film strip' on the menu bar and follow the prompts to upload your photos.

Pat

Hi, M.

It is so frustrating when this happens!  It could be the design or it could be a combination of stabilizer, stabilizing, hooping/non hooping.

I recently downloaded a design that turned out pretty wonky.  To resolve the problem, I had to convert to another format.  Luckily, my embroidery machine will accept more than one format.

Test the design on another fabric to see if it is the design.  Sweatshirts normally do not require specially digitized designs.

Sweatshirts do have some give and need a pretty firm, but not stretched surface on which to embroider.  If you had a wrinkle in the fabric, this could be the issue.

There are very good tutorials at Embroidery Library - http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/holder.aspx?page=techniques

Best wishes for many successful projects.

Pattiann

You got great, very specific answers.  I'd just like to add that I do not hoop my sweatshirts. For me, especially since I have hand pain problems, I find that I hoop the stabilizer and then use spray adhisive and a basting stitch around the design to hold it on.  Make sure at the very least you use a good cut a way stabilizer.  I made the sad mistake of using a tear a way when I first started embroidering and of course that didn't work out well.

Lynn

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you !  Sometimes life just gets in the way.

The design that I want VERY badly to work on a sweatshirt (or several of them) is one

of ATG's free designs:  Southwest Designs, page 3, author:  Laurence Guyon, 6 rows

down, left-hand column.  I love that design and have a neighbor who is always showing

up to help my husband when he's working outside.  I tried it on a piece of stiff-as-a-board

heavily stabilized muslin -- and it worked like a charm.  But on anything heavier, like a

fleece-backed sweatshirt or even a t-shirt, when the design breaks to re-start at another

point, there is usually 1/2" between the two sides when it finally gets back to that part.. 

Can't thank you enough for your advice....Wonder if my sewing machine (Innovis 4000)

would handle that swearshirt sandwiched between pieces of balsa wood (kidding).

Thanks again, I'll keep you posted as I'm able.

Mary    

I downloaded "Cowboye" and stitched it out on a scrap of fleece, backed with Wet N Set Adhesive tear away stabilizer and topped with wss. 

This is my critique:

The hat, boots & clothing are a great stitch pattern.

Outline stitching did not snug up to figure as it should have, but after hand washing, rinsing and machine drying the fleece, the stitching looks much better.

Cut away stabilizer may be a better choice in the long run.

Hope some of my research will be of help to you.

Pattiann