Placing Embroidery

I have learned the hard way how to place embroidery on our shirts. It is very different than when I do projects from embroidery club. But when you want to place embroidery on yokes and sleeves it requires some thought.

When I was down at the Snip and Stitch in Naniamo I looked at some items by Jenny Haskins. One item was paper that you print your design onto, cut it out to fit your hoop and then remove the backing and stick it where you wanted it. Well, the paper stuck like glue and it was horrid on satin fabrics. After much thought, I came up with this idea.

From my software (4D Professional) I print out what I have chosen or designed. The design I am working with is something I designed. I print two copies, the regular one and the mirrored version of it. Then I am off to my sewing room to get to work

This is my fabric,  thread choice and my design for the yoke.

1. Using a ruler, extend the center lines horizontally and vertically so they go from edge to edge on the paper.

2. Lay the hoop onto the design lining up the hoop marks so it is in the proper position.

3. Trace around the inside of the hoop and remove hoop from the paper. Do not be too concerned if the hoop is longer than the paper at the top. The curves at the corners let you know that you must fit your paper at the bottom of the hoop first.

4.Cut out on the line you drew.

 

5. Lay your design onto the fabric. In this case, it is the sleeve of the shirt. I used a snip on the shirt as my center line measurement. I also measured how far up I wanted this design to be – 2” from cutting line to the bottom of the stem.

6. Carefully pin the pattern in place using your ruler to make sure it continues to be in the right place. I will put in the first pin and then measure up the sleeve on the center line making sure it is still 2” up from the edge.

7. I lay out the mirrored image above it making sure the center lines are lined up and the pattern is placed so the space between the two is approximately an inch. That is so I can put a few crystals between the two designs to link them together.

8. Pin the sides of the top design above the horizontal center line. Then take the bottom of the page and pin it to the top to get it out of the way.

9. Put you stabilizer into the hoop. I am using a soft cut away stabilizer. Spray it with a temporary adhesive.

10. Position the fabric onto the hoop so the paper pattern fits is perfectly. If the paper pattern is short, start at the bottom of the hoop and set it in so it fits as far up as it goes.

11. Carefully lift back the sides of the paper and pin the fabric to the stabilizer close to the hoop edge.

12. Attach the hoop to the embroidery unit and set up the design on your sewing machine. I had already turned on my machine and calibrated it prior to starting my project. I had the design up and ready to push the “Go” button.

13. Get your machine ready so you can align the needle to the cross hairs. You are getting your design centered. My machine allows me to move the needle in small increments so I can get it perfect. In this picture, the needle is not quite centered and I centered it after I snapped the picture.

14. Remove the paper design. As my fabric is not hooped but held on with a temporary adhesive, I like to fix it into place (Fix on my machine). I will stop my machine and remove the two side pins if my needle gets close to them. Then it is time to stitch out the design.

15. The first part of the total design is done.

16. Trim the stabilizer close to the stitching on the back.

17. Repeat the process by laying  the piece of paper flat on the fabric and pinning it in place. Repeat the above process. Trim the stabilizer when done and admire the front.

I will show you tomorrow how to mirror the image on the other sleeve. The set up is easy once I figured it out. Then it will be on to the yokes.

The Piper

Gwensews wrote That's a great technique. I'm interested in how you will get the piping around the point and the bottom of the shirt attached without any rippling when referring to how I do my curvy yokes. Here is the process of how I do the piping. It is my way and it might not be the right way or the way other folks do it.

I have custom made this piping. I cut the strips 2" wide on the bias, pressed it in half lengthwise, stuffed the cording in and stitched it closed with a piping foot. As I am stuffing in the cording, I press it close to the folded edge with a fingernail. I cut my piping back to 1/4" seam using a piping ruler.

I lay the piping around the curved edges pinning as I go. At sharp corners, I play with the piping, folding it into a V so the point of the yoke fits into the piping. I pin it carefully into place and baste it down.


Here is the wrong side where I formed the point for the center back. If necessary, I will do small basting stitches at the point to hold the piping securely in place.


The back is basted.


Here is the wrong side of the front yoke.


And the yokes are done and laid out. I will sew the shoulder seams on the yokes next and press them open.


I then work on the shirt by sewing the shoulder seams together wrong sides together. Yes, the seams are on the right side of the shirt as you can see in the next two photos.




I put the yoke onto the shirt matching in the following order:
*Shoulder seams at neck and sleeve.
*At shirt front
*Around the yokes
*Around the neck
I do a lot of hand smoothing and pinning and it looks like this when I am done.


The wrong side after I have pinned


All pinned and ready to sew.


I sew around the neckline with a 1/2" seam. This holds the top together and I don't loose the pins I put in. I learned that after having most of the pins fall out as I was sewing on the yokes.

Next I put on my piping foot (but I have used my zipper foot) and set the length to 3.0 and move the needle out 2 steps on my machine. I slide the piping into the piping foot with the line on it at the edge of the yoke. With the zipper foot, I put the edge of the zipper foot at the edge of the yokes. I sew slowly to keep the foot in position.


When I get to a point, I stop with the needle down.....


pivot and continue sewing.


Stitching on the inside.....


and the outside


And hung up ready for the button bands to be added.