Originally Posted by
deedum
What kind of stabilizer should I use for items like burp cloths, kitchen towels? I was using a tear away but then I read where it doesn't hold up after washes. I am so excited, I got my janome 9500 to read designs from transfers now. I have only had this machine how many years, and just getting into this embroidery. I really need to slow down and read about all this. Up to now, I just been playing around with it.
When you are doing the towels, tshirts, etc the emb has a tendancy to sink into the fabric after washing. To prevent this you use a topping or wss on top as well as the tear away on the bottom. rnkdistributing.com has a great workbook for stabilizer, emblibrary.com also has great tutorials on working on these items and will tell you when they've tested different products and how it works. For tshirts I use a mesh tear away on the back because it stays really soft against the skin. I don't think I'll ever learn enough and just when I think I know what I'm doing I learn a different way to try it. I take classes at my LQS when they are something that I haven't done before and will learn something new. My LQS, also my machine dealer started this yr offering classes on our machines and the software. The machine classes are broken down to the features of our sewing part of the machine and then there will be a couple of classes on the embroidery part. I always learn something new. Then once or twice a yr Viking will have educators go to different stores and offer classes and show us stuff that we probably haven't saw before. I take lots of pictures. I'm also starting getting into the digitizing part of it all. Right now I'm taking a design that I bought and modifying it to make it have a zipper part for money, c cards, etc, plus it can be put on a belt or use a wrist strap and I may add a thin long strap that can be tucked into the bag and only be taken out as needed. This is very easy to do if you are just sewing it but I want to do it all on the emb to make my life easier in the long run. Most of this is because my daughter likes to go out at night but not worry about a purse so this is being geared to what she needs but I like having it too. Every time I go to a website I check out their tutorials and projects. Most all of them have them and I always learn something new or get ideas of new things to make.