hoop as well as some soluble on the top. It still seems to pull. I was wondering if I should pull my tshirt tighter, if I am pulling it too tight, or if I need firmer or softer stabilizer?? Thanks for the tips!

I don't hoop my Tshirts anymore. I hoop the peel and stick stabilizer with a medium weight stabilizer under that. Then I stick the Tshirt to the sticky stabilizer. That way it doesn't get stretched out of shape. It works great for me. It might be nice to use a cut away stabilizer if the Tshirt is lighter weight to leave in some support. Hope that helps. I also use a ball point needle size 11.

An iron on stablizer is your best bet and using a ball point needle will also give you better results.
A lady once told me that she spray starches her t-shirts numberous times to make them really stiff and then just used cut away...I never tried this method.

I use an iron on mesh stabilizer on the back of the t. Then hoop either tear away or cut away depending on the density of the design. Spray some kk2000 adhesive on the stabilizer, and put the t with some thin wss on top and pin it to the stabilizer. You do not want to stretch the shirt.
Jo

Oh, the memories! My grand daughter wanted a skull and bones on the back on one of her shirts. I did not want to do it. I really did not. but she asks so little that I felt that I really had to at least attempt. This was a nice long sleeve shirt and I just knew I would ruin it. WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I finally managed to get the stitches out. Lots of work. I figured I couldn't ruin it any more so I put a bit heavier stabilizer on the bottom and some WSS on the top. Pined it all in place. It turned out super. She loved it and I swore I'd never do another one again. (Now after a half dozen or so, I'm ok with it.)

check capoodles tip of the day at embroidery library

I have done lots of T-shirts all with good results.
Use stick on stabilizer underneath. Just stick it on without stretching your material. Just leave it normal flat and soluble on the top.good luck

http://www.emblibrary.com/el/elpr...

Go to the above site and chk it out. They have lots of informationa about all types of projects. You want to use a medium weight cutaway as your stabilizer. Be sure your t-shirt is not pulled too tight. Should lay flat but not tight. If it's too tight, when you take it out of the hoop the design may not lay flat. I've used wss and I've also done the designs without the wss. I don't hoop my t-shirts. I spray the stabilizer with spray adhesive and then use the "fix" stitch on my machine to stitch and stablizer around the design area. Good luck! Maybe someone else will have more info.

5 comments

by ramona 18 Mar 2011

One more thing...don't use a high stitch count design. The knits don't seem to hold as well with them. Also, keep in mind that for every 10,000 stitches you want to add another layer of stabilizer.

by littlelambs 18 Mar 2011

Wow - Thank you so much for this information. I have never "not" used my hoop. Can all machines do that? I have a simple brother se400.

by bevinoz 18 Mar 2011

I think you still have to hoop the stabiliser and use your hoop. Just not hoop the t-shirt. I think the machine would just sew in the one spot if you don't use a hoop.

by shirlener88 18 Mar 2011

Yes, she is recommending that you hoop your stablizer and then lay the t-shirt on top with your topping WSS on top of that and secure it (the t-shirt and topping) with a basting stitch or pins.

by littlelambs 19 Mar 2011

Thank you for helping!!