Ask an Embroiderer: Our Top 3 Tips
From experimenting with new fabrics like embroidering on cork to digitizing designs to creating in-the-hoop projects from scratch for Creative Machine Embroidery, expert Kate Zaynard has amassed a lot of technical knowledge, and she gladly shares that in the Ask an Embroiderer column in each issue of CME. Kate’s machine embroidery tips are so helpful — we always learn something new. Here are some of our favorite topics she’s covered over the years, including tips for getting started with in-the-hoop designs and freestanding lace, tips for embroidering t-shirts, and tips for getting started stitching again after a thread break.
Machine Embroidery Tips: Your Questions Answered
Q: As a beginner, in-the-hoop projects intimidate me — everything has to be aligned so perfectly! What are some tips to help me with ITH stitch-out success?
A: You shouldn’t be afraid of ITH projects! When working with an in-the-hoop design, you’ll always get a set of instructions that will take you through the process step-by-step. Read through the instructions thoroughly before beginning and make sure everything makes sense. Take note of whether the project is created in one or more hoopings and make sure you have all the required materials.
Most ITH projects have you precut pieces of fabric, and they are almost always larger than what you actually need. This is so that if the fabric isn’t perfectly centered, it won’t matter because there’s extra fabric. When I’m digitizing ITH designs, I always add at least 2” to the dimensions of the fabric, sometimes more.
ITH projects work differently, depending on the designer, but many of them have one thing in common: ¾ placement lines. These lines, stitched onto the stabilizer or the project at different points in the process, show you exactly where to place your fabric or other elements. Just follow the instructions, step by step, and don’t remove the project from the hoop until instructed to. It’s almost impossible to rehoop something in the exact same spot once it’s out of the hoop, but as long as nothing shifts in the hoop, the machine, and the design will work together to make sure everything aligns and stitches perfectly.
Q: What’s the best method for successfully embroidering on T-shirts?
A: It’s so much fun adding your own embroidery to T-shirts. The first thing to keep in mind is that T-shirts are usually made from knit fabric, which stretches. When embroidering on a knit, always use a cut-away stabilizer. This keeps the fabric stable both during and after embroidery. Because the stabilizer will keep the area from stretching, it’s best to keep embroidery on knits fairly small or localized. To keep the fabric from distorting in the hoop or shifting during embroidery, consider using one of these methods: sticking the fabric to the stabilizer using temporary spray adhesive or self-adhesive stabilizer, or attaching fusible stabilizer to the fabric to be embroidered. Use a ballpoint embroidery needle when embroidering knits; the rounded tip will slip between the fibers rather than piercing them, preventing runs and holes in the fabric.
Q: My thread broke but the machine kept stitching for a little while. How do I fix the empty spot?
A: There’s a very simple solution to this one, but beginning embroiderers may not be aware of it. Every embroidery machine I’ve ever worked with has the ability to advance or move back through the stitches of a design. When you’re on your machine’s embroidery screen (the one that shows when you’re ready to embroider and while you’re embroidering), look at the icons that appear on the screen. One should look like the point of a needle with a plus and minus sign next to it. As you press the buttons or touch the icons on the screen, the embroidery arm will move to align the needle with the chosen stitch. This makes it very easy to move to exactly the point where you want to pick up the stitching. When my thread breaks, I like to overlap three to five stitches for extra security. I also usually run back about three stitches when I need to refill my bobbin during stitching.
Bonus Question!
We wanted to include an extra Q&A for you because we love embroidering freestanding lace, and we want to make sure you try it Here are some of our favorite freestanding lace machine embroidery tips!
Q: I’ve heard about freestanding lace. What is it and how does it work?
A: Freestanding lace, or FSL, is a fun embroidery technique that has a wide range of uses. It’s a method where you use your embroidery machine to stitch a lacy design on water-soluble stabilizer, then remove the stabilizer so only the thread is left. The first thing to know is that you need special designs that have been digitized to create FSL in order to make it. Most websites that sell embroidery designs have a special section for FSL.
A less-intense version of FSL, which may be less intimidating for beginners, is to stitch the designs onto a sheer or semi-sheer fabric such as organza or tulle. Afterward, the fabric is trimmed as close as possible to the design perimeter, and, if desired, a soldering iron or similar heated craft tool can be used to melt the remaining fibers so they don’t show. Because there is fabric to support the embroidery, it’s not required to have a specialized design, although they do exist. If you’re looking for a design to try out this technique, look for something that’s fully enclosed with a satin stitch and has some open space in the interior. Creative Machine Embroidery’s Beachcomber Collection is a great option for this technique, as is our Lace Lovlies, which can be put together to make a darling Valentine’s Day garland — the directions are included in the design download!
To embroider FSL, it’s important to use water-soluble stabilizer. Don’t use a filmlike stabilizer — you want a fabriclike type. Also, check the description of the stabilizer. Some water-soluble stabilizers include fibers that don’t dissolve. This is great for some applications, such as embroidery on garments, but for FSL, you want a stabilizer that washes away completely. I generally recommend using two layers of stabilizer for additional support, since the stitching tends to be heavy.
We hope you can put these machine embroidery tips to work in your projects!
Originally published February 2, 2022; updated on May 10, 2024.
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