STABILIZING TIPS:
These have worked for me for 3 years. I've done everything from towels, fleece throws, sweat shirts, all kinds of knits, woven
appearal, table clothes, place mats, lunch kits, to warm up suits.

This is how to get by with only 4 stabilizers in your sewing room: (notice the only tear a way is sticky paper) Please adjust
the measurements for your hoops...these are for Viking hoops.

1) Poly Mesh cut-a-way (Cut in strips of 8" and roll back what isn't needed for the hooping at that time and pin. It get an
extra 1-2 hoopings per strip. Rolls up nicely and slips into drawer.)It's a polyester that has a brick or chicken scratch
pattern in embrossed in it.
2) Sulky's Solvy (Cut into 5" strips to lay on top and 8" strips to hoop. Can be laid on top of the hooped knit shirt. Saves lots
of sulky. Store in zip lock bags marked 5" & 8")
3) Sticky Paper (Cut into 8" strips for hooping and 5" strips for replacing holes. Slip into a mailing tube and set at end of
cutting/hooping area)
4) So-Sheer fusible knit interfacing (Cut it into 4x4" or 5x5" squares. I also cut some in 4x7" rectangles with the stretch
across the 4" side. Fits nicely in those little baskets you get from K-mart/Dollar General/Wal-mart 4/$1.00 or so and stack
either in drawer, or near ironing board.)

**KK2000 (Lays nicely in the long baskets mentioned above. Use to
revitalized sticky paper, on Poly mesh, or on Sulky's Solvy)

Stabilizing for ALL Knits except Polar Fleece Throws

1)Mark position of design area with 4 straight pins to box your design area.
2) Flip shirt wrong side out onto ironing board
3) Position the "So-Sheer" fusible knit interfacing with the stretch going up and down the shirt's length (opposite the shirt's stretch) and press with warm iron (mine is always set on Medium w/steam).
4) Flip shirt to right side and mark where your fusible knit interfacing actually ends,(use a washable marker or tailor's chalk) This will help you center your design while hooping and at the machine.
*5) Open hoop and put ONE layer of poly mesh then your shirt and your inner hoop. DO NOT USE TEAR-A-WAY ON KNITS IT WILL STRETCH THE DESIGN OUT OF SHAPE. (Capitalized for emphasis) I only use Poly Mesh as it doesn't show through light colors or light weight knits.
6) Lay a piece of Solvy or Rinse A Way or the Heat A Way stabilizer on top inside the hoop, but larger than your design.
This will hold the stitches above the knit and keep them from sinking into the fabric. Especially on Pique Knits.
7) Set machine up with regular embroidery needle 75/11 Schmetz, UNLESS you are using METALLIC thread then use a 0/14 embroidery needle or metallica needle. (If you are out of embroidery needles use a fine ball point.)

*Lindee Goodall Hooping Tip: To avoid pulled embroidery to one side, and hoop burns loosen you hoop just enough to accept stabilizers and material when you place inner hoop into outer hoop. Also work the hoop into place from the farthest point from
the tension screw to towards the tension screw.

Ex: HV reg hoops - start at the upper left corner - upper right corner- lower left corner and lastly the lower right corner where
the tension screw is at. Once this is set and you have several shirts to do that are alike in weight you just pop them in and out of the hoop. Really saves lots of time adjusting the tension.

POLAR FLEECE THROWS & Knit Terrys

Use Sulky Solvy and Spray w/KK2000 layer it smoothly over design area and hoop. This prevents stretching and loosing the
stitching in the lofty fabric. If the area is too small to hoop, then hoop the solvy spray with KK2000 & gently spread the garment into the hoop...place solvy on top & it can be sprayed with KK2000 as well.

Carefully remove excess Solvy then either wash or mist w/water after stitching and remove any KK2000 that remains with rubbing alcohol.

Stabilizing WOVENS:

*Anything that is to be worn should use cut a way stabilizer.

Most wovens are stabile and only need a cut away like Poly Mesh behind the design.

The wovens that do stretch or if stitching design on the bias treat as a knit.

For shirts with pockets:

Use sticky paper with cut-a-way slipped under it. If you have thread problems from the sticky build-up wipe your needle with
rubbing alcohol.

Cuffs & Collar points use sticky paper by itself.

Table Clothes: Use sticky paper or Sulky's Solvy w/KK2000 sprayed on it.

Towels and Terry clothe: Sulky's Solvy on bottom, towel, and solvy on top. If towel is too heavy to hoop spray hooped sulky
w/KK2000. I still use the regular bobbin thread in bobbin unless I want a reversiable design like a flower to show on both sides.
If the terry clothe is a robe or pocket use Poly-Mesh cut-a-way as your backing with Sulky's Solvy on top.

Remember that most of the time one layer of stabilizer is enough on the bottom. It causes stitch problems to over or under
stabilize.

Also remember that designs are digitized for certain fabrics and if outlines are off or fills don't exactly meet then you probably
need to compensate the design. Compensation is correcting the pull of the design like bolding print. Use Stitch Editor or an
equivalent program to correct this problem. You can find "Compensate" on one of the pull down menus.

Elaine Bakken (E-mail: DBakken@M2.Sprynet.com )
Bakken's Sewing & Embroidery
Custom designs, Logos, Monograms
Newburgh, IN on the Ohio River