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Stitchers' Tips
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From Shirlene: Make sure you
keep your water-soluble stabilizer in a
moisture free container or a zip lock bag. |
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From Rachel: I use a wine rack
to keep my stabilizer. The top row is
cutaway. Next is tear-away and the wash-away
is in the bottom row. It keeps them neat and
I always know which is which. |
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From Eileen: When we travel in our
RV, I put my hoops on a hanger and hang them
in the closet. It keeps all the hoops in one
place and they don't take up precious
storage space. I have also started doing
this in my home, keeps them out of sight and
away from dust. |
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From Shar: I found that having
to measure my stabilizer each time was such
a hassle, so I cut two pieces of cardboard
to match my hoops plus two inches. They are
my patterns to cut my stabilizer to fit
every time. |
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From Sue: Instead of constantly
having to unroll my stabilizer, I use
4-armed pant hangers and place a roll of
stabilizer on each arm. If the roll is
covered with plastic, I open one end before
placing the roll on the hanger. That way, I
can push the plastic back away from the
roll, cut the stabilizer, and then pull the
plastic covering back over the roll of
stabilizer. It works beautifully! |
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From Sue: I was constantly
mixing (or losing!) my stabilizers, until I
started rolling them into a cylinder and
slipping them into an empty paper towel (or
toilet paper) tube. I simply labeled the
cardboard tube with the type of stabilizer.
I keep all the rolls in a wicker basket -
it's so easy to find the right stabilizer! |
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From Gayle: To extend the use
of my water-soluble stabilizer, I ever so
slightly dampen the edge of one piece and
overlap the edge of another -- they will
stick together! |
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From Carolyn: Always check to
see if you put your tear-away or cutaway
under your embroidery hoop. It makes a world
of difference when you use a good
stabilizer. |
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From Anne: I have found that
the large binder clips that you can buy at
office supply stores are great for keeping
my hoops together and organized. Just put
both parts of the hoop together and clip a
binder clip around them. Then you can hang
them from a cup hook or picture hanger on
the wall and always have both parts easily
accessible instead of in a heap on the
table. |
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From Therese: When I have a
hard to hoop item that I must hold with
spray adhesive, I make sure I've marked my
stabilizer with my cross-hair marks. I also
mark my piece to be embroidered with
cross-hair marks. I then use sewing pins to
pierce through my fabric at center points
and through points on the four cross-hairs.
I then align these pins that are through the
fabric with the corresponding center and
cross-hairs on the stabilizer. My fabric is
then perfectly aligned with the stabilizer
in the hoop. This is especially necessary
when I use my smallest 2X2 hoop. |
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From Peggy: I have written the
sizes on my hoops with a permanent marker
and an arrow showing which way they screw
tight. I can easily see what size they are
and how to tighten or loosen them. I keep
them on a plastic pegboard that was designed
for tools. |
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From Donna: When you have
scraps of water soluble stabilizer too small
to hoop, stitch them together with water
soluble thread to make a bigger piece. |
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From Peggy: I bought very
inexpensive shower caps at the dollar store
and put them on the tops of my big rolls of
stabilizer, which I keep on a high but
accessible shelf in my sewing room. This
keeps them from getting dusty and dirty. You
can also label the shower cap with marker or
a written on sticker. |
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From Nelda: Use scotch or
masking tape to tape down sides of water
soluble stabilizer topping. It makes for
much easier removal. |
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From Therese: When I've already cut
my fabric for a project and it is too short
to fit into my hoop, I machine baste another
section of fabric onto the original piece
large enough to make it "hoopable." Then, I
place my stabilizer on the backside of the
fabric piece and hoop as usual. When the
embroidery is done, I remove the basted
section of fabric and continue with the
project. I find that this gives me better
control for the embroidery design. |
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From Tommie: I use an old wine rack
that I bought at a yard sale to hold my
stabilizer. Keeps them all organized and in
one spot. |
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From H.C.: I write on the inside of
each of my stabilizer tubes which kind it is
- cutaway, tear-away, etc. I'm new to this
and I was getting mixed up. This really
helped! |
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From Anne: Keep the cut pieces of
cutaway or tear-away stabilizer that are too
small to reuse for embroidery to clean up
oil drips, remove dust and residue and other
small cleaning tasks around your machine and
sewing room. |
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From Barbara: I buy stabilizer in 7
2/3 inch by 8 yard rolls, but found I wasted
a lot each time I cut the right size for my
hoop. Now I cut a long section (enough for 5
designs or so), hoop from one end and then
roll and clip the extra at the other end of
the hoop. Then, I move the design down to
the beginning of the stabilizer and sew it
out. When done, I cut the stabilizer off at
the edge of the design and re-roll the
remaining stabilizer. I found that I save as
much as 8 inches per design! |
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From Lorraine: I save all my scraps
of cutaway and use them when I am sewing an
applique design. They are perfect to make
the "sandwich" with. |
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From Laura: Keep the inner and outer
part of a set of embroidery hoops together
with bright colored pony tail rubber bands.
Place the two parts of an embroidery hoop
set together. Loop the ponytail over the
screw, through the hoop and then back over
the screw again. No knot is needed. This
method keeps the hoop parts together so
easily. If you have found the perfect
adjustment for your hoops, you can put your
hoops up for storage without having to
change the set screw. |
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From Amy: I use Aqua Velvet to
clean a sticky hoop! |
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From Candy: To avoid slippage, wrap
your inner hoop with thin strips of
lightweight muslin. |
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From Therese: I mark both my fabric
and stabilizer. Then, I match them together.
When it comes to hooping my fabric, both the
fabric and stabilizer are accurately aligned
and I don't have to keep unhooping because
my stabilizer is too high, too low, or too
much to the right or to the left to be
caught by the hoop. It saves on stabilizer
too, for I only need what the hoop requires
per design. |
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From HC: I put kids (foam or soft
plastic) pencil grips on the metal turners
on embroidery hoops. It sure helps speed the
process of hooping along with much less
stress or pressure. It's also great if you
have arthritis, carpal tunnel, etc. |
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From Patricia: When using adhesive
spray, I use a cardboard file box as a
backdrop, lay my stabilizer inside, and
spray away. No overspray on any other
surface and it never gets on my hoops! |
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From Patricia L.: When using a clear
wash away on the top of your fabric, lightly
spray it with adhesive and it will lay flat
as you sew. Not too much, as it will
dissolve it. |
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From Neva: On the wall next to
my embroidery machine are two large hooks
screwed into the wooden studs behind the
sheet rock. I hang my hoops there, within
easy reach. It is fast and easy to choose
which one is needed. If you have a pegboard,
you could put a hook on the pegboard and use
it the same way. |
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From Chrystal: Before I
embroider on a t-shirt, I spray a little
starch on the shirt, iron, add stabilizer,
hoop, and stitch. The shirt is a little
stiffer from the starch and it stitches out
beautifully! |
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Tip from Barbara: I
use water activated sticky stabilizer and
until recently had been activating it with a
spray bottle which made a mess. Now I use an
envelope moistener bottle - it has a sponge
tip, fill it with water, and then dab it on
the stabilizer. It works great! |
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Tip from Therese: I
mark crosshairs on both my fabric and
stabilizer. Then, I match them together.
When it comes to hooping my fabric, both the
fabric and stabilizer are accurately aligned
and I don't have to keep unhooping because
my stabilizer is too high or too low or too
much to the right or to the left to be
caught by the hoop. It saves on stabilizer
too for I only need what the hoop requires
per design. |
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Tip from
Marie: Dissolve
washaway plastic stabilizer in water and
paint on fabric with a pastry brush to
stiffen fabric to be embroidered on. Works
great!
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Tip from
Normie: After
having messy looking hoops from using spray
adhesive, I clean them with Goo Gone. It
works just fine!
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Tip from
Ruth C.: When
embroidering on corduroy, I always have hoop
marks on the fabric when I am finished. I
have found that steaming the corduroy and
then brushing the pile upward with a soft
toothbrush works wonders. This method
removes the marks completely.
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Tip from
Jean: Recently I
was at an auction and saw a wine rack. I
thought what a great way to store rolls of
stabilizer! So I won the bid and took it
home. It works great!
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Tip from
Angela: I found
a use for the leftover stabilizer scraps. I
have hardwood floors, and I hot glued
stabilizer scraps to the bottoms of my
ornate metal and or concrete plant stands so
they won't scratch the floor or other
surfaces. It probably wouldn't work for
heavy duty furniture, but it works great for
small things.
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Tip from
Therese: I
sometimes use thin nonslip shelf liner to
stabilize fabric in the hoop. After it's
attached and cutout to expose the sewing
area, I'm left with a good size piece of
leftover liner. I cut this leftover into
circles, squares, etc. to glue to the bottom
of the coasters I make. Now they are
non-slip, too!
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Tip from
Joan: I've been
using 505 temporary adhesive spray, and I
discovered something recently. I sprayed my
sticky hoop with Dawn Power Spray and let it
sit for over an hour while I did other
things. Then, I rinsed it off and scrubbed
the residue off with a soft toothbrush. The
hoop looks brand new. Dawn Power Spray also
removes Pam cooking spray off stove burners!
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Tip from
Suzanne: Get rid
of topper in between your design by spraying
the back of the design with water so it
soaks through a bit where you have stitched.
Then, take waste topper and dab it off.
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Tip from
Beatrice: I
keep a stabilizer workbook - it's great for
remembering what stabilizer does what. It
contains index cards
with swatches of stabilizer, what their uses
are, cost per yard, and instructions.
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Tip from Adeline: When
I use water soluble topping (For terry cloth
towels), I secure the topping along two of
the sides using painter's tape. This will
prevent shifting
or bunching.
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Tip From LaRheta:
I have found that using all purpose Sewer's Aid
prevents any gummy substances on the needle. This
works for everything from heavier materials, to
needles, bobbins, scissors, sticky backed
stabilizer, etc. The instructions are on the back of
the product. I keep a small piece of 100% cotton
material handy and every so often wipe my needle
with it. Works great and helps the needle penetrate
the fabrics.
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From Connie:
Get the soft rubber-like pencil holders (they go on
pencils so you can grip them), cut them in half, and
slip on the tightening nuts of your hoops. They make
it easier to tighten and loosen hoops.
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From Pat:
Any hoop marks left on a garment can be remove with
Magic Sizing Spray. You can find this by the fabric
starches at you local grocery store.
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From Cathy:
Make big pockets out of your stabilizer
instructions. Fold in half and sew around 3
of the sides and put your stabilizer inside.
You'll always know which stabilizer is
which. |
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From Barbara:
I have very dry skin so it makes tightening
and loosening my embroidery hoops very
unpleasant. To make this easier, I use
rubber finger pads from any office supply
store to tighten and loosen the hoops. Your
hands will thank you. |
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From Therese:
I use a fine point permanent marker to label
the rubber bands that hold my rolls of
stabilizer. That way, I can easily identify
the different types. |
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From Beth B.:
I love to make lace! So I keep my film type
(water soluble) stabilizers in Ziploc bags
to keep them from getting brittle and dried
out if I don't use them up right away. It
prolongs their life, and also keeps humidity
out so they don't stick together. |
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From Judy:
I store all of my rolls of stabilizer on an
old wine rack. |
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From Rhonda:
I've found that using a bottle of envelope
moistener found at Office Depot or Staples
comes in handy for quick removal of small
pieces of solvy and also the purple ink from
marking pens. It's small and handy with the
little sponge on the end, so you can get the
right amount of water needed each time. |
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From Karen:
After completing my embroidery project, I
cut the remaining stabilizer into
rectangular pieces with straight edges and
put in a plastic bag. When I am not working
on a project, I use a triple zigzag stitch
and start stitching the pieces together. I
put the straight edge of 2 pieces together
and stitch to the end, then I place the next
2 pieces on the sewing platform and continue
sewing. When finished with the chain of
pieces, I cut the thread between each set,
then keep piecing sets together until I have
a full piece of stabilizer to fit my hoop. I
use up all my scraps that way. Most
embroideries, particularly the towel
toppers, aren't affected by the piecing.
Sure saves money! |
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From Holly M.:
To get spray adhesive off of your hoops, use
a product that the scrap bookers use. It's
called "Undo" and takes off any overspray
without any fumes or oils. Just soak a
cotton ball with "Undo," and wipe away the
sticky residue. This gets the hoops clean,
so you don't have to re-wash them after you
use it. |
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From Bev:
I use leftover sticky stabilizer to tack
down other stabilizers to the back of my
projects for embroidering. |
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Tip from Sadie:
I use "rubber fingers" that I
purchased at the office supply store and slip one on my finger before tightening
the hoop screws.
It improves the grip and my fingers are no
longer sore at the end
of the day. |
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From Grace:
When using
cutaway or tear-away stabilizer to embroider, I cut
off the leftover sides or edges and use them when
seaming knits. That way nothing goes to waste!
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From Antonia:
When I
have items to embroider that don't quite want to lay
down in my hoops, I use hair clips to hold the item
down on the sides of my hoop. They are light weight
and easy to keep away from my needle. I have used
them on handbags, stockings, onesies, and all sorts
of items.
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From Rosemarie:
At Target,
I purchased a collapsible cubed cloth laundry
holder/hamper. It has rope handles and is easy to
move. I vertically store all my tubes of stabilizer
and I can readily see what I have.
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From Pat:
Use a
piece of cardboard or plastic that is big enough to
cover your hoop. Draw a line around the hoop on the
board or plastic and then cut out the hole. Place
this over your hoop when you are using temporary
spray adhesive. This will help to keep your hoop
clean.
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From Sherry:
Every time
I unhoop a finished project, I immediately mark the
left over stabilizer (TA - tear away, CA - cutaway,
etc.) so I'll know what the pieces can be used for
later. Sometimes the smaller pieces can be sewn
together to hoop another project.
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From Norma:
If you alter the position of your embroidery design
on the machine's screen, write down the position
before you start. This way, if you have to re-align
it for any reason, you will have the right position
and be able to continue.
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From Deborah:
Recycle your left over
stabilizer pieces. Save all those pieces of
stabilizer that are left over from a larger hoop,
and use them in a smaller hoop. I use a zip lock bag
and save the scraps for another day.
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From Kathy:
I found that for a
perfect hooping, I used Velcro tots on the outside
of the inner hoop. They are already sticky and can
be moved easily. I use three dots on each long side,
and two on the short sides.
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From Donna: I
purchased two coat hooks and mounted them on the
wall beside my machine to hold my hoops and my magna
hoop. Easy to grab and not stacked on top of each
other. They were less than $2.00 each.
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From Amy:
If you use temporary spray adhesive for your
hooping, that sticky stuff can build up on your hoop
and make a mess on everything around it. Use an
empty cardboard oatmeal container to save tons of
clean up! All you do is cut the top off of it about
3" from the top, giving you what looks like a really
big bracelet. You can squish the sides to fit it
into your hoop, and spray inside. It guards the
overspray from getting on your hoops. When it gets
too sticky, just toss it and get another one.
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From Evelyn:
I precut several sheets of cutaway and tear-away
stabilizer then keep them stored under my cutting
mat and they stay flat and are ready to go when I
am.
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Tip from Sharon F.: When
spraying adhesive onto a piece of
stabilizer, I cut the stabilizer to
size, place it inside a paper
grocery bag, and then spray it. All
the overspray stays inside the bag.
The bag can be folded up when it is
dry and reused several times.
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Tip from Patricia W.: I have
found the easiest way to clean my
hoops after using spray adhesive is
to spray with WD40, let them stand
for a couple of minutes. Then I wash
with dish detergent and warm water,
and then dry with a towel.
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Tip from Charlene G.: When
ironing your iron-on tear away onto
your fabric, do not iron right to
the edge of the stabilizer. Leave
1/2" un-ironed. This makes it easier
to remove the tear-away from the
fabric.
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Tip from Pat J.: When using
temporary spray adhesive, put the
fabric to be sprayed face-down on
wax paper, and spray the back of the
fabric instead of the stabilizer. It
will stick to the stabilizer and you
won't have a gooey hoop.
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Tip from Patricia L.: Save your
scraps of Solvy to be reused. When
you have enough scraps, piece them
together on a sheet of paper and
cover with another sheet of paper.
Press with a warm iron and the
pieces will be pressed together into
a new sheet that can be used. It
doesn't look as nice as the original
sheets, but works just as well.
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Tip from Kris B.: I
cover my hoop with Glad Press and Seal when
I want to use a spray adhesive. My hoop
stays nice and clean.
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Tip from Pat L.: When
I embroidering on a narrow strip of fabric,
such as a ribbon banner, I use masking tape
to join the narrow fabric to scrap pieces of
fabric. Taping the fabric together makes the
narrow piece of fabric large enough to be
hooped.
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Tip from Donna S.: I
use foam pencil grips (the type people use
on their wooden pencils) that fit perfectly
over the tightening screws for my embroidery
hoops, to tighten and loosen the screws. You
can find them in the school supply aisle at
any store.
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Tip from Mary S.: I
use an inexpensive vinyl placemat underneath
my hoop to keep it from slipping when
I hoop my fabric. It works like a charm!
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Tip from Karen H.: Embroidery
hooping can be difficult. Using permanent
markers, I mark blue for top, black for
bottom, and I mark each alignment mark with
red. If I am having a particularly difficult
time aligning perfectly, I use scotch tape
and attach a thread side to side and another
top to bottom on the bottom side of my inner
hoop. This helps me to exactly see where the
center X is. Once hooped, I can cut the
thread before sewing. This eliminates the
need to remove all those special marker
lines which are sometimes difficult to
eliminate.
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Tip from Marie: I
search automotive stores for the tiny rubber
tipped clamps they sell. These clamps are
usually red and black rubber coated and
measure approximately 2 inches long x 1/2
inch wide. They are the perfect size to make
GREAT hoop clamps Fabric will not shift on
you in the hoop, so you can easily tighten
the screw once the clamp is removed. The
rubber keeps them from falling off the
screw, too. No more hooping problems or
fabric pucker problems!
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Tip from Susan A.: I
use a strip of narrow double sided tape (I
use Clover) on the edges of my top hoop.
When I place it down on my fabric it sticks
in place, makes hooping much easier, and the
fabric does not shift out of place.
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Tip from Sharon S.: Mark
the center placement lines of your hoop with
a permanent marker. It makes it much easier
when lining up the placement lines of your
project when putting it in the hoop.
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Tip from Susan W.:
I use double sided tape on the bottom of my
inner hoops for ease in hooping. The best
tape by far that I have found is poster
tape. It is wider than most tapes, covers
more of the hoop, and lasts a long time. |
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Tip from Ruth A.:
I bought a marble cutting board and lined it
with "Grip It" shelf liner. It fits all
of my hoop sizes. I put it next to my
embroidery machine works great and
convenient and steady. |
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Tip from Janet E:
When my hoops get sticky, I use Mr. Clean's
Magic Eraser to get them clean. No mess, no
hard scrubbing, it does not harm the hoop,
and the gunk is all gone! |
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Tip from Lori A.:
I've had trouble in the past with hooping
slick fabrics. As I was at the feed store
and thinking about this I found this tape
that they tape horses legs with it called
Co-Flex. I wrapped it around the inner hoop,
never got a better hooping. Hope this helps
someone. |
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Tip from Brenda D.:
When you print a template for a design, use
a yellow highlighter to mark your center
axis on the template. This makes it much
easier to find the center after the design
is no longer on your computer screen and
also helps in design placement in the hoop. |
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Tip from Patricia L.:
The hoops for most embroidery machines must
have the center hoop placed in a certain
direction. They have an arrow or mark that
must be placed either at the top or bottom
of the hoop. If you mark this arrow with a
black permanent marker it makes it clearer
to see and you will never insert the inner
hoop in the wrong direction. |
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Tip from Patricia L.:
Place double sided scotch tape on the bottom
of your inner hoop. You can then line it up
with your markings on your fabric and it
will not shift when you place your fabric
and inner hoop into the outer hoop. |
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Tip from Sandy W.:
I too am having a problem with sticky back
gumming up needles and constant top thread
breakage. In order not to waste a large roll
of sticky back, I use a larger than needed
hoop and hoop the sticky back. Then I cut
the design size out of the middle and stick
the fabric to the remaining stabilizer which
frames the inside of the hoop.
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Tip from Beverly D.: If you have hoop marks on your sweatshirt,
just spray it with spray starch and press it
flat. |
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Tip from Ruth C.:
I use stabilizers that come in rolls.
When I start a new roll, I measure off the
size I need for my hoop fold it over, but
before cutting it I fold it over again
making a mark for the next time I will use
it. By doing this each time I am always
ready for my next project and don't have to
measure the roll each time. Using a sharp
knife to cut the stabilizer is also a quick
and easy way of making a straight cut. |
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Tip from Patricia L.:
Spray starch is a handy thing to have in
your sewing room. If you spray starch your
fabric, it helps to stabilize it in the hoop
when doing embroidery. Especially helpful
when doing knits. It holds the fabric
together and is easy to wash out when
finished. It also helps prevent wash away
pens from leaving a permanent mark if you
accidentally iron over what you have
marked. |
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