Because knit fabrics easily stretch when hooped and during stitchout, it’s important to select an appropriate design and hoop them properly.
Designs:
Don’t choose large, dense designs for knits. You will be happiest with your finished results if you select a design that is lighter with open areas. Additionally, very small designs can cause problems because of they tend to have areas with very small stitch sizes. On knits, this can cause bunching. Knits move and stretch easily so successful embroidery on knits is a combination of an appropriate well digitized design and proper hooping.
Hooping:
Knits easily stretch out of shape when hooped. This leads to distortion of the final image and puckering. When I hoop knits, I generally hoop the stabilizer first and float the fabric. Depending upon the weight of the knit, you’ll want to use an appropriate stabilizer. I usually use a very light cutaway. My favorite is available from Fil-Tec. It’s durable, but very light.
After hooping my stabilizer, I use a temporary adhesive spray and then add my fabric. Smooth it out making sure you aren’t distorting the weave and make sure that there are no wrinkles or areas where it is not stuck to the stabilizer.
Most embroidery machines offer a perimeter basting function. This can provide additional stability.
Finishing
I trim my cutaway stabilizer to about 3/8 inch. Depending upon the location of the design, you might want to add a light fuseable interfacing to cover the inside for comfort.
Don’t be afraid to embroider on knits. You can embellish items like leggings, sportswear and even lingerie. The lighter the knit, the more airy the design should be. Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to try.
On the homefront
My garden is planted and it's starting to really take off. I'm harvesting peas and shallot scapes. The first radishes should be ready in about 10 days. I've still got lots of starts in the greenhouse which is getting really hot. I've added shade cloth and that's making a huge difference.
I finished my custom craft room desk. It's wonderful with lots of storage above and a large desk area for digitizing. I use a big graphics tablet and X-keys so having a large space for my computer and extras is a big luxury.
We've been working on our patio and yard. With a new house out in the country of course we just had dirt. But it's coming along. I stained the concrete and my husband and I built the planters together. Now to fill them!
Hope y'all have a wonderful May.
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