Help tightening your embroidery hoop

Embroidery tips from Kim Goodwin

Twin needle Hoop Embroidery

Quilting

Precise hoop placement

Clean use of temporary spray adhesive

Embroidering long-sleeved ready-to-wear

Internet sites with information on ORGANIZING embroidery design files

Hoop aids with rubberized shelf liner

Artista Editor/Customizer/Designer Software Tip

Great site for finding sayings to embroider

Great site for online lessons on Artista digitizing software

Bobbin Thread Coming Up

Easy Hooping Tip

Links to Embroidery Designs on the Web

Yenmet Metallic Thread Project Ideas  

Thoughts for Beginners

Getting Rid of Puckers

Hooping Really Thick Fabrics or odd shapes

Twin Needle Hoop Embroidery click the picture to see: sewingweekend 009.jpg (42471 bytes)

Yes, you can use a twin needle and get stunning effects with your hoop embroidery. Here are some tips and how-to's:
Evaluate your design. Choose a simple design with satin stitching so that the twin needle effect stands out. The garland shown above called for three colors, but with the twin needle there are actually 6 colors used.
If your machine or embroidery software allow, reduce the thread density of the design. The garland in the picture was reduced to 65%. Alternatively, you may want to use a size 60/2 embroidery thread if you find your thread breaking.
Use a size 2.0 or 2.5 metallic twin needle. This gives you enough width to notice the effect and the metallic needle will reduce thread breakage with all your decorative threads

 

Help Tightening your Embroidery Hoop:

Wrap a small wide rubberband around the screw until it is snug. This helps long time Hans' customer Gloria Anderson tighten the screw on her Deco 600 hoop!.

Quilting
Mark an x at the center of your block and hoop accordingly. 
Hoop the whole sandwich, the batting will be your stabilizer, no other is needed. 
Use a large hoop. Do not over-tighten screw.
Start at the center of your quilt.
Place your embroidery machine where there is room around it to support the quilt. Some people recommend placing it on a higher table so you can guide it where needed easily. Don't let the quilt drag on the embroidery arm.
Make sure the bulk does not stop the embroidery arm from moving freely. 

 

Precise Hoop Placement

1. Mark cross on your fabric noting "up" direction with air erasable pen (or marker of your choice)
2. Put pieces of double-coated removable tape on the bottom of your plastic gridded hoop template.
3. Stick template onto fabric over marked cross aligning precisely. Hold fabric up to light to double check.
4. Hoop fabric; remove tape and go!

 

Clean use of temporary Spray Adhesive

Here is a tip from Hans' customer Eileen O. Take an empty plastic milk container --a gallon size works well for large hoops! Cut out the bottom and top. Now when you want to spray  stabilizer that is already in your embroidery hoop (see "Hooping Really Thick Fabrics") set the container in the hoop and spray away! Residue clings to the insides of the container, not your hoop or cutting table.


Embroidering long-sleeved ready-to-wear

When embroidering ready-to-wear with long sleeves (e.g. t- shirts and sweatshirts), pull the left sleeve inside out.  The garment will lay flatter against the machine. This is what the professional industry does!


Internet sites with information on ORGANIZING embroidery design files

Do you have hoop embroidery designs on your computer's hard drive, floppy diskettes, and CDs? Do you have trouble keeping track of where all your designs are and their descriptions and instructions? Check out these sites for  programs and information: (no connection to Hans' Sewing and Vacuum; use at your own risk)

http://www.ebonyelegance.com/sewbev/projects.htm

http://www.tashambra.com/Hints_Tips_Intro.htm

http://www.goingsewing-artista.com/pages/adin.htm (Requires special software)

 

Artista Editor/Customizer/Designer Software rule number one: 

As with other design software, make sure you are happy with your design in every way possible before you begin changing its size.  A great  feature of this program is that we can rescale designs, but when the software rescales, it must completely reprocess the design and it will follow set internal default rules to do it  So first make all changes to the design (for example:  adding or deleting stitches, making new entrance and exit points, sometimes changing stitch angles etc.). Then, group all objects. Then scale up or down in size.

 

Links to Embroidery Designs on the Web: Looking for designs for your new Janome or Bernina Artista or Bernina Deco embroidery machine? below are some good starting places:
Designs (free and/or for sale) in the ART format. Click Here
Designs (free and/or for sale) in the SEW format. Click Here
The classic site for Deco 600 and 650 owners: AnntheGran 

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Easy Hooping Tip: Tape double-sided tape to the bottom of the sides of your inner hoop. Lay the taped hoop on your fabric. -It will be easy to insert the fabric and inner hoop into the outer hoop without your fabric shifting.

 

Bobbin Thread coming up to the top Here are some fixes to try if your bobbin thread starts coming up to the top:
Loosen your top tension. If you are using certain metallic threads, or a thinner bobbin thread, you may need to loosen the top tension of your machine.
Just rethread the machine. Particularly if the problem showed up at a color change --it is possible you've missed a bit of the thread path or the thread isn't seated properly in the tension disks.
Put in a new needle. We recommend a new needle every 6 to 8 hours, but sometimes, with hoop embroidery, and depending on the fabric, you may need a new needle even sooner. It surprises me how often this simple change  takes care of the problem.
Is it time to clean the bobbin area? Hoop embroidery can result in a surprising amount of lint. --Really clean the area well. Look carefully for little stray threads behind the bobbin.
Are you doing really small lettering? (like 1/3 to 1/4 of an inch high)? Often times you will see a bit of bobbin thread coming up to the top in that instance even when all settings are just right. -Try using the same color thread in your top and bobbin.

Thoughts for Beginners:  Use firmly woven fabrics to start with, good cotton or linen napkins, aprons or tablecloths for example. We are all tempted to start out with our old T-shirts but sometimes those threadbare stretchy knits are the most challenging to hoop and stabilize correctly! Start out with a design that has fewer stitches or takes less time than some others. The denser the stitching, the more critical it is to use enough stabilizer and to hoop your fabric just right. Monograms are a great place to start!

Getting Rid of Puckers: sometimes puckered fabric around your embroidered motif is the result of pulling the fabric too hard when hooping. But sometimes, it's just puckery fabric! We've had good luck with the following tip:  After embroidering, take your piece out of the hoop. Turn it face down onto a thick towell. Spray the embroidered area with starch (you can make a solution of 1 part liquid starch to 2 parts water and put in a spray bottle). Press with an iron set to a temperature appropriate to your fabric. If puckers don't disappear, repeat.

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Hooping really thick fabrics: Sometimes it is hard to get a really thirsty towel into your hoop. The answer? Don't! Hoop tear-away stabilizer. Spray it with temporary spray adhesive. (Mold tin foil around your hoop so that it doesn't get sticky, or try our new milk container tip.)

Yenmet metallic thread project ideas: Look at these great ideas from the folks at Oklahoma Embroidery Supply and Design (OESD)! For more Yenmet tips or to order Yenmet thread Online just log in with our dealer code: 101-99-2071 at Embroidery Online

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1. Use Pearlessence white #7003 (AN-1) for whites of eyes, the bellies of fish, water, snow, reflections, glass, angel's wings and butterfly highlights.
2.  Substitute any one or two regular colors with a solid color metallic thread to give designs new life without being too gaudy.
3. Select Yenmet thread for decorative sewing embellishments, machine quilting and thread painting.
4. The Midas Touch - turn any design into pure gold (or silver)! Sew floral designs, geometric designs and other open designs in one solid gold color to bring out a rich feeling on any garment or home decor item.
5. Black metallic is perfect for wrought iron, car details, and outdoor grills.
6. Select a few colors from the Star Dust Silver Collection to brighten up large fill in areas of a design that would ordinarily have a flat look.
7. Colors from the Star Dust Gold Collection add a rich touch to darker fabrics and home décor items. Embellish with gold trims and tassels for a genuinely elegant finish.
8. Christmas projects shine uniquely with the green and red from both the Star Dust Gold and Silver Collections. From green and gold holly boughs to giving Santa a sparkling suit this year, these colors add a new designer look and a new twist on the traditional designs.
9. Add a professional finish to sport team jerseys, jackets, band uniforms and other team names and projects by using the bright bold gold metallic threads. With the ability to handle heavy washings and bleachings, this thread will hold up longer than the article of clothing.
10. For details on weather worn copper and bronze such as the Statue of Liberty or the Liberty Bell, use the Pearlessence green #7035 (AN-9) for the perfect match.
11. Select Pearlessence peach #7003 (AN-1) for perfect glowing candles that
will make people look twice.
12. Transform stars into a twinkling heavenly host with Yenmet silver metallic thread.
13. Select gold Yenmet metallic thread for a new twist to outlines on any design for a bright finish and shine.
14. For truly a fine finish, use black metallic Yenmet from the solid metallic thread collection for outlines in animals and other outlined designs.
15. Celebrate Halloween with metallics! Stock up on black and orange for this most decorated holiday outside of Christmas.

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