I just came across my pics I took on hooping back in September of 2008.
Of course this is how I hoop, but everyone is different!
1) I measure my shirt armpit seam to armpit seam to find the center of the shirt. You’ll find that the distance is usually a good even amount – 12″, or 10 1/5″, etc. I use an air erasable pen to mark my center, then turn the shirt inside out.
2) I cut my stabilizer (I use a medium cutaway on my t-shirts – it works best for me). I’ve actually been using precut squares from http://www.sewingmachine.com/ which are GREAT for my 4×4 hoop! I use a little bit of Sulky spray adhesive (KK2000 temporary adhesive spray). I usually spray the stabilizer inside a little cardboard box instead of on top of my shirt as pictured. The box catches a lot of the sticky ~ however this is a pretty light spray (but adhesive WILL accumulate after lots and lots of embroidery).
As you can see the stabilizer is “stuck” in place, so when I turn my shirt right side out it stays in place for hooping!
3) I lay the bottom of my hoop inside the shirt. Again, as you can see the stabilizer is “stuck” to my shirt (top of shirt).
Here is another picture. I’m ready to hoop! As you can see I am hooping this shirt with the hoop clamp coming through the neck of the shirt, therefore when I get my design on my embroidery machine I’ll rotate it to the left 90 degrees and it will sew sideways (my shirt will be sideways).
4) I eyeball my hoop for straightness. I’ve also hooped so much that I know just about exactly how tight my hoop screw needs to be. Your hoop should be JUST TIGHT ENOUGH to clamp on the shirt. Meaning… when your shirt is hooped, the shirt should be firm and there should be NO NEED to pull/tug on the shirt or tighten the hoop! If you hold the shirt up and the hoop looks crooked, just unhoop it and try again! I have to do this sometimes too! Here I am using my 4×4 hoop which hoops nice and easy! My 5×7 hoop is sometimes harder to get straight and firm so I use my 4×4 whenever possible!
5) Taa Daaa… My hooped shirt, and as you may see my center dot is centered pretty well in the hoop! It doesn’t have to be centered perfectly, but as close as you can get it so that your design will fit nicely!
I know there are tons of people out there who use sticky stabilizer and don’t even hoop their shirts! I’ve just learned to hoop this way so it’s what works for me! I think that medium cutaway gives the shirt nice support, so that’s what I use!
I mentioned in my earlier post that I prefer Heat N Bond Lite as my fusible product versus Wonder Under. Maybe I’ve had my iron setting too hot all this time, but I struggle with peeling the paper off of Wonder Under every time! HNB comes off very easily and you can see the clear layer of fusible “stuff”, which after it’s ironed fuses your applique to your shirt (when you’re finished w/ your applique). WU reminds me of ironing cob webs on to my fabric? Like I said, I’m probably doing it wrong but WU & I don’t get along too well!
I’ve also gotten several comments about the “H” store and their lack of customer service! Bless those sweet ladies’ hearts that work there! Someone just needs to tell them that when there are 8 people standing in line for 15 minutes, mosey on over and open one of the other 2 registers! It’s that simple!! I would tell them myself, but the german lady scares me!!
She scares me too! She is so loud!!!
great demo with the hoop!
do you somehow turn the design to sew up and down and not sideways??
I have spent a long time enjoying reading your blog…….(.can’t imagine how you have time to do this too). I live in Anniston and was a Phi Mu too…@ JSU. I also love Charleston and the market, I have ONE basket that was a gift! Nice gift, huh? Any way, what kind of machine do you have…or more than one?
I have a Brother PR-650!
This is so helpful….I brought my pr-650 home and i’m completely overwhelmed. “Rosie”…overwhelmes me. Quick Question. I can’t find anywhere in the book how to set up my needle number according to a design. Like if I was doing a simple flower and I have all my threads up on the rack (but out of order). How do I go and set up each needle I want for each stitch?
BTW….this post was great. My friend talked me into the quick snap hoops and I almost threw them against the wall last night. I think someday I’ll use them a lot but there’s too many other things I need to learn before those. It’s like relearning hooping. I like hooping because I feel like my shirt and design are going nowhere.
Love your posts and hope you had a wonderful mini vacation! Babies crying….Now Mommy Duty begins!
Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zElZLt2l3fU
How do you keep the back of the shirt from being sewn? I am fairly new to embroidery and have a single needle machine. I am having a hard time picturing the back of the shirt when it is hooped to the machine. Any help is appreciated!!
You have to keep it all out of the way ~ turn it inside out, hold it, etc.
Rosemary, do you turn your shirts inside out once they are hooped? I have the Babylock Enterprise. I bought the 9×9 frame, but I’m having a bit of trouble with it. I don’t think my machine likes it. UGH!
Is that a multi needle machine?
Rosemary,
Any advice on trying to applique something that’s bigger than my 4×4 hoop? I have the brother se270-d and not sure if I can by a bigger hoop than the 4×4.
You might have to stick w/ the 4x4s if that’s the only size hoop you have??
Okay thanks, I was just wanting to do kindergarten rocks for my neice but i think it will be too small in 4×4. Really need to save for a new machine but this one was free.
Free is good! But, the 5×7 hoop makes a huge difference!
Any advice on hooping bloomers? I just bought some and scared to try
I use iron on tearaway stabilizer and hoop w/ the 4×4 hoop! They are tricky b/c they are so small!!
I will usually rip out the crotch… do my applique and then sew the crotch back. Just allows more room to spread out the fabric!
Probably a stupid question… I just have a regular (and inexpensive) Brother sewing machine, but I wanted to start doing appliques and I love the way yours turn out. Can I use my machine or do I have to have an embroidery machine? I’m fairly new to sewing so I might need a Barney-style answer.
Thanks!
You’d need an embroidery machine – some sewing machines are sewing/embroidery combo!
Hi!
I needed this! I came to the EAC Conference and learned so much! Thanks for all you do!
Great!