Hi everyone,

I am looking for a book, for machine embroidery that would teach me proper hoop setting, measuring stuff, more or less "machine embroidery for dummies" type of thing. Anybody have any suggestions? I have a Brother 270-D, and while I love it, I have lots of people wanting me to put names on business shirts, and I'd love to know the proper way to measure and hoop. Thanks!

I have a singer and I think that you would need a book specific to your machine, but I have to figure things like that out by trail and error( sometimes that's gets very frustruating). but if you make registration marks on the shirt and fabric so you can line them back up in the same place later, and mark on your trial piece where you want the name (i think it should be centered in the hoop) then stitch it out and line it up on the shirt to see if it's in the rght place or which way you need to move it. If you can, cut down the denseity of the stitches to save time and thread.
I hope that makes sense, I'm not very good at splainin.

I agree with Kathy. Figure out where it is to go and how big you want it.
then center your design . When you hoop make sure the area you want the design on is centered in the hoop.

I make a small x on the center of the fabric area to be hooped and line it up both verticlaly and horazantily in the hoop.

Are there certain ways to measure and line up a hoop from the seams in the shirt, or even measuring from the sleeve and shoulder? I've been doing alot of trial and error, and it's worked so far, you're right it is frustrating, but I've learned alot from doing it that way. A few times, the name was too high, or too close to the shoulder, so I was just wondering if there is a proper way to measure to make a shirt look more professional?

You just need to deside where you want design on the shirt and how tall it is find the middle of that and mark it.

When you pull up you design make sure it is centered in the display of the hoop area ( or however your machines does it)

Then when you hoop the shirt just line up your center mark both sides and up and down (as if making a +) Your desing should sew exactly where you want it

On a "Left Chest" design, the over all measurement of your design (on a shirt size S - XL) is not to exceed 4" X 4". You will decide placement based on the center of the shoulder seam (draw a chalk or water soluable line straight down about 6"). This will be your center vertical placement guideline. The horizontal placement guide line is placed from the center of the breast bone over toward the left seam. This line does not represent where your design will be centered horizontally, but the base line or "do not stitch below this line". The easiest way to learn to roughly "eye" placement is to practice on Polo/Golf type shirts and use the bottom of the button placket as your base line, your center horizontal will be about half way down the button placket. Your vertical right align will be placed about 1.5 - 2" from the button placket (depending on your shirt size), with your center line 2" to the left (on a 4" X 4" design or logo).

There are centering rulers you can purchase at art supply stores, or you can check with a Brother dealer in your area. Tell them what you are trying to do, and they can give you a "hands on" demonstration of placement and alignment. Another option for you is to begin Google searching basic rules for professional embroidery or screenprinting placement and layout. When it comes to name and logo placement there are rules, and there are a couple of books you can purchase if you need to, but I would seek out a dealer before purchasing them. (The dealers will tell you most of the information for free.) Also, see if you can find anything on the Brother website.

Thank you so much!!! That's exactly what I needed to know.