The first thing to remember when setting up a difficult item, is to forget your traditional limitations. Embroidering an item well does not require that the item itself be hooped, nor that you should be limited by traditional type backings. With a little creativity, you can embroider just about any bulky or odd shaped item!
· Caps – backs and sides · Shirts - collars or cuffs · Foam visors
· Fanny pack belts · Unstitched shirt pockets · Repairs
Hoop only a piece of heavy cut-away backing (2.5 – 3 oz). Using strong spray adhesive (505 Spray works great), attach your item to the cut away. On certain items, you can also add heavy duty straight pins if necessary.
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If you are producing multiple items, mark the position of the first item on the cut away with a permanent marker. You’ll want to mark the arc (of the cap, for example) or top and bottom (for fanny back belts, shirts) as well as the center. Once the first item has stitched, use a knife blade to cut the item away from the backing (creating a hole for the next one). Keep the backing hooped at all times. Use another piece of backing behind the hole, add more adhesive and lay down your next item. By using 2 or 3 templates, you can keep your job running continuously by having another item ready to go.
Even if you do not want the heavy backing on your finished item, use it for the template, cut the hole first, then place the backing you want behind the hole before placing the first item on top.
· Ribbons · Handkerchiefs · Baptismal gowns
· Satin or velvet materials · Blankets · Table cloths and napkins
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For delicate, one-of-a-kind items, you don’t want any backing showing on the underside. Trick Film by Gunold or Miracle Film by Emblematic are perfect for these applications. Hoop the film only, and attach the item to the film with strong spray adhesive. Blankets can be hooped along with the film. Most of the film can be removed by hand when finished. Where excess film is still on the garment, use a high setting on your standard iron (cover the garment with a light-weight towel first).
· Duffel Bags · Portfolios · Luggage
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Some items are too bulky for the hoopless techniques described above. For these items, we have Fast Frames. Instead of trying to pinch an awkward item between the vertical walls of a hoop, this device consists of a single piece of flat stainless steel onto which you can mount regular backing with spray adhesive or adhesive backing. Now just slip the device inside the item and you are stitching! (We use this technique a lot when running a large job for polo shirts or jackets and want to run one portfolio bag at the same time. We give the portfolio to our customer as a thank you gift for the order.) Fast Frames are available in various sizes for pockets, portfolios, cap backs and other items in models to fit Melco, Tajima, Barudan and other machines.