Ann The Gran Community

Found some blank cotton hats and visors at a great price  (some $1 and some $2) and may go back and buy a ton of them if some of y'all can give tips on how to embroider them.  The visors especially have the small area above the bill that seems like it would embroider well...however, the bill itself is stiff, of course, and the entire shape of the visor seems like it would be a challenge. 

 The hats are really neat for kids...kind of like casual sun or fishing hats with no brim but a large border(?) that could probably be embroidered as well as or instead of the front area one would usually embroider.  For the hats, I'll pick one up and take a pic or just get a picture of one and post it if that would help. 

Suggestions? Challenges?  Special cautions? Stabilizers?

Rita

Rita,

What a great deal on the hats and visors.

I saw somewhere that you can hoop a hat or visor by using the hoopless method and sticky stabilizer. I tried a hat and it was very awkward and I could not get it to hold. The hat had a stiff buckram. I would think a visor may work better.

I broke down and bought a Hoop-It-All for hats. It was expensive and I thought, " it had better work". To my amazement and pleasure it did! I called the shop and ordered it where I bought my machine to make sure I had gotten the right one that worked with my machine. I opted for the small one (less expensive), because I was going to use it strickly for hats and that doesn't cover a very big embroidery area. There is a clamp that holds the bill tightly in place so there is no movement. It works like a dream.

I have been embroidering hats for my husbands R/C club. It was well worth the money. It is just the right "tool". Before investing that much though I would certainly go ahead and give one a try just using your own hoop and sticky stabilizer.

A recommendation for the hats is that you staple the inside band to the bill away from the embroidery area. I was hesitant on that because I was convinced the staples would leave a hole, but they didn't.

Here is a site for you to see: http://www.hoopitall.com/education/

Good Luck. I hope it works out for you. Another venture to tackle in the world of ME.

Nancy

Thanks, Nancy.  I googled the Hoop-It-All, and AllBrands has it for $117.  That's still a lot of money for a hoop.  My guess is, though, that it would take something like that because the bills of the visors are firm as are the sides.  Haven't tried yet to hoop it or to embroidery it "out" of the hoop, but I can see that both the shape and the inflexible bills will present a problem.

Rita

Rita - You are one energetic LADY!

You have time to find all those bargains, and despite being relatively new to ME, you are out there trying all sorts of really fun and challenging things.  You must be a real interesting person to be around! 

I agree with Granny12, there is no success without the proper equipment.  I did try some hats myself for the heck of it and they were running down hill, and that was the best thing I can say about it.  I will be getting some of those special hoops when funds allow because I love doing things for my family and friends. 

Let us see and hear about your adventure.   

Pat

Hi Rita and Nancy,

I have also embroidered hats as well. Nancy,you are so right,it defiantly pays to have the right equipment! Like you I tried one without the hat hoop,and it was awkward and difficult to hang onto and manage.Just make sure Rita,like Nancy said to make sure you get the one that works on your specific machine,or you will have all sorts of issues.

Nancy, I thought the same thing about the staples,it is amazing that it works,but it does!

 Good luck Rita,you are so brave to do all these new and great things! Imagine all the things you can embroider on,soon you will be like the rest of us out there that will embroider on anything that is not nailed down,LOL