Help, Emroidery question
 

Hi

I would like to machine embroider names on Christmas stockings, but don't know how to go about hooping them. I have a 5x7 hoop. How do you hoop things you don't want to em. all the way through?

Thanks
Anna

Depending where you are going to put the names. You only want to hoop the part you are going to embroider. I suspect that you are going to have to open the stocking at a seam, lay it flat, hoop the part you want to embroider on, then sew the stocking back up. If you are going to embroider on the top, you can probably maneuver the stocking so you don't have the take it apart. I am attaching a stocking I made and put the name on. I actually put it on a "cuff" on the top of the stocking and then sewed that "cuff" onto the stocking. You could also do it that way. By just embroidering on a piece of fabric like the stocking and then sew it to the stocking like I did. Good luck and pm me if you have any other questions.

Hi Alma,

Thanks! I will try that. I want to put it on the cuff. How do you do sweatshirts?

Anna

Very pretty stocking.

I would do it the way she said, too. And to do sweatshirts, I just usually insert the hoop, get it where I need it, and then make sure the back of the sweatshirt is NOT under the hoop but rather bunched around it; DOUBLE CHECK, then embroider away! Good luck...(oh,leave the edge where your hoop-to-machine fittings are clear, also...). Clear as mud?

Another option is you only want to embroider on a stocking cuff on a presewn stocking is to use the "hoopless" method. Hoop your stabilizer (I recommend a nice cutaway) as normal. Give the stabilizer a light spritz of a quality embroidery spray adhesive (I like the 505 brand). Flatten the cuff and place if on top of the slightly sticky stabilizer. Use a basting design to help attach the cuff to the stabilizer then embroider as usual. Note you'll have to be careful about positioning the design, but you should be able to do that. When the embroidery is completed, unhoop the stabilizer and trim away the excess. BTW: You probably want to use a water soluble or iron-away topper on top of the cuff before embroidering; most cuffs are a bit "fluffy".

Pam

I wish I could picture this method. Do you open the stocking up like the suggestion above?

Anna, here is a really good website that has good instructions for embroidery. http://www.emblibrary.com/el/elprojects/default.aspx
You can put any word in the search area and find lots of good stuff. I put in sweat shirts and this is what came up.
http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/ELProje...oductid=PR1284
I use this site all the time. If I have a question that isn't answered at the website, I just email Emblibrary and always get the help I need. Good luck.

Thanks. I have made about 50+ of those. Simple and fun. The embroidery takes the longest on the stocking.

QandE2010,
Do you use pre made stockings or only make your own like the quilted one in the picture? You did a wonderful job :)