How do we get the shirt to stay in the machine while it is embroidering? Well the simple answer to this question is by hoops. And there is not just one hoop. There are several different types and sizes of hoops. There are a few that are the most common though.

We also have our favorite sized hoop. This is because most of the embroidery we do fits into this hoop. In fact, we have more of this sized hoop than any other sized hoop. This allows us to be the most productive with this sized hoop because we can have multiple shirts hooped and ready to go as soon as the others are finished!

Have you ever seen a logo that is just way too large for the shirt or maybe even the person wearing it? There may be several reasons this was done but one the most common reason is because the logo was created the wrong size therefore the wrong hoop was used. When creating a logo, you have to think about what sized shirt the logo will be going on.

We do have a unique hoop that we use when we embroider flat items such as monogram sheets or material that will later be made into a stocking, quilt or garment bag. This hoop can be a challenge though because we have to totally change the machine around and move the ‘table’ part of the machine. This is the hoop that allows us to embroider the largest design.

If we have a large design that we want to embroider on an item that is not flat then we do have another large hoop that we can use. Because this hoop is so large, it is flimsy and we can not put thick material into it.

Some of our hoops don’t even look like hoops at all. They are basically flat metal pieces that we use to stick the material to.

Believe it or not, we have special hoops that are used for hats and yet other hoops that we use for simply the back of the hat! Who knew there were so many different sized and styles of hoops!

Labels: embroidered logo, embroidery machine, hoops, Kristie's Kreations

Embroidery is great! When done well, it looks very professional and neat! There are some limits to embroidery though.

One limit, which many of you have heard me say, is if I can get it into my machine then I will embroider on it. This means that if I can’t make it fit into my machine then I am limited and cannot embroider on it. The embroidery machine is similar to a sewing machine in that it has a needle (15 in fact) and a bobbin. The item that is being embroidered on has to go between these two objects. It also has to fit in the area, go into a hoop and move around once in the area.

Sometimes we embroider on large items such as golf suitcases, bat bags, suitcases and other large, awkward sized items. Often times we have to find a hoop that will work for the design and then hold the item the entire time the machine is embroidering. This can be a limit though if we can not make the hoop work or there is not enough room for the item to move around.

Other limits to embroidery which I will talk more about in the future are hoops, backing and small fonts.

Labels: embroidery machine, hoops, Kristie's Kreations, Logo Embroidery

Embroidery is great!  When done well, it looks very professional and neat!  There are some limits to embroidery though.

One limit, which many of you have heard me say, is if I can get it into my machine then I will embroider on it.  The embroidery machine

[caption id="attachment_143" align="alignright" width="300" caption="KK's Embroidery Machine"][/caption]

is similar to a sewing machine in that it has a needle (15 in fact) and a bobbin.  The item that is being embroidered on has to go between these two objects.  It also has to to fit in the area, go into a hoop and move around once in the area.

Another limit to embroidery, which I am not so sure if it is a limit or just something we really do not recommend, is embroidery on t-shirts.  I say this because the t-shirts are not made of the best material to embroider on and many of them have been dyed over and over to get to the right color.  Each time they are dyed the material becomes a little bit weaker.  The embroidery will outlast the t-shirt.

This can also be the case for cheaper items that may be purchased at discount warehouses and then brought to us to embroider on.  These items are not made for the decoration industry and therefore sometimes do not last as long.  I have had customers that have purchased their items from their favorite warehouse store and brought the shirts to me to embroider on.  They had to continue doing that every few months because the shirts just did not last.  Sometime it is better to spend the extra money on nice shirts and shirts that are made specifically for the decoration industry so that they last longer.

Now I am not saying that my shirts are always going to be perfect!  Any item is going to wear when it is washed and worn over and over again.  I just think that most of my items are going to last much longer than others.

Other limits to embroidery which I hope to talk more about in the future are hoops, backing, small fonts and other things that I just can not think of right now.

Labels: Embroidery, embroidery machine, hoops, Kristie's Kreations, limits, logos, t-shirt, thread