RNK Distributing

FOR BEAUTIFUL EMBROIDERY ON INFANT AND CHILDRENS GARMENTS

Giving a gift of embroidery to a new mother is very rewarding! It is equally fun to have your own little one embellished with whimsical designs to match their growing imagination! Embroidery on such small garments presents challenges in the hooping process. In this lesson we will learn how to tackle this challenge and successfully embroider small, stretch garments as well as lined items such as cloth diaper burp pads and rompers. We will also learn how to finish the garment so that the embroidery does not scratch our little person. This technique can easily be carried over to our own embroidered items such as golf shirts or decorated jeans! The result of this lesson will be soft, perfect embroidery that feels good to wear!

Kit Includes:

Floriani No Show Nylon Mesh Fusible – 10 yds
Floriani Water Soluble Topping – 10 yds
Floriani Dream Weave – 3 yds (30” width)
Floriani Perfect Stick – 10 yds

Optional items to have on hand:
Floriani Template Tearaway (for easier positioning of designs)
Chalk Marking Pencil
Floriani Stitch N Wash (for very dense embroidery)
Floriani Thread (this thread is bleach resistant, ideal for kid’s clothes)
Fully wound embroidery bobbins
New size 11 embroidery needle
Small embroidery snips for trimming
Water Soluble Thread

Lets Get Started!

Click on images for larger detailed view.
PART I - BABY ONE PIECE, SLEEPER OR T-SHIRT
1.	Pre-wash the garment if at all possible. Most stretch fabrics contain a percentage of cotton. Washing will remove the shrinkage and any sizing. Do not use dryer sheets or fabric softener.
2.	Load a fully wound bobbin in your machine. Removing a small T-Shirt or garment from the machine to change the bobbin is tedious!
3.	Use a new size 11 embroidery needle for the best results.
4.	Place one piece of Floriani Perfect Stick in the embroidery frame with the paper side facing up.
5.	Score the paper with the tip of a pin or needle by drawing an “x”.
6.	Peel back the release paper to expose the sticky surface.
7.	Placement of the embroidery design should be decided before the garment is hooped and/or on the embroidery machine. Mark the center of the desired area for the embroidery on the garment using a chalk marker or use Floriani Template Tearaway (optional) for the most accurate positioning of your designs. This is most helpful on small garments and when you are sticking the garment down to Perfect Stick. To use Floriani Template Tearaway, simply bring up the design in your embroidery software and then print the image directly onto the Template Tearaway. The template then sticks to the garment and helps give you an accurate visual for centering the design while you are placing it in the hoop.


8.	Once design position is determined, turn the garment wrong side out completely and lay it flat on the ironing board. Make sure the garment is relaxed and the grain of the knit is not distorted. Using a medium temperature setting on your iron and a pressing cloth, press one piece of Floriani No Show Nylon Mesh Fusible onto the back of the garment. Use a piece of stabilizer that is at least two inches larger than the embroidery design. **If using Template Tearaway, remove it while pressing.
	*Tip – If the design you are stitching is very dense or poorly digitized (too many stitches for the designs size), fuse a second layer of Mesh over the first piece at a 45 degree angle.*
9.	Position the stabilized garment onto the sticky surface in the hoop. Try to align the center marks on the garment with the center of the hoop. **Tip – Position the hoop over your cutting mat so that the lines will show through the stabilizer. Line up the centering lines on your inner hoop over lines on the mat. This will help you keep the garment straight.
10.	Place the hoop and garment on the embroidery machine. Using the centering feature on your machine, align the hoop so that the needle will drop in the center of the embroidery design. Once the design is centered, remove the Template Tearaway if you are using this placement method.
11.	Place a piece of Floriani Water Soluble Topping on the surface of the garment. Use a piece at least two inches larger than the embroidery design. Secure the corners with tape to prevent them from curling during the stitching process.
12.	Stitch the design. Take care to watch the machine stitching! Embroidery on such a tiny area requires you to sew in a “bowl”. The garment could easily get caught in the presser foot. Constant supervision of your machine is required.
13.	Once stitching is complete, trim all jump threads from the front and back of the embroidery design.
14.	Tear away as much of the Water Soluble Topping as possible. The remainder will rinse away during the laundry process or you can lay a damp cloth on the surface to dissolve the pieces.
15.	Gently tear away as much Perfect Stick as possible. If stitching is primarily satin stitches (lettering) or if the design does not have an outline, you can loosen the stabilizer by laying a damp cloth over the back of the design for 10 seconds. The stabilizer will now tear away without distorting delicate stitching. This is a great feature of Floriani Perfect Stick. Use it anytime your embroidery is delicate and you need easy stabilizer removal.
16.	For removal of the Mesh cutaway, gently lift up one corner of the cutaway and pull it back to the design. Trim as close to the design as possible. If you find the cutaway is not releasing from the garment, re-heat it with your iron and pull it back while it is warm.
17.	To finish the garment, cut a piece of Floriani Dream Weave at least one inch larger than the design. Fuse this piece over the back of the embroidery using a medium setting on your iron. The result is soft, flexible embroidery that won’t scratch the wearer’s skin!


PART II – LINED GARMENTS AND BABY DIAPERS (Burp Cloths)
**Follow steps 1 – 7 above for prepping the garment/item and the Perfect Stick stabilizer in the hoop.
8.	Stitching on lined garments such as a romper or cloth diaper burp pad requires one extra step. It is very important to baste the lining of the garment to the outer layer. If this step is not taken, the layers will shift which will cause the embroidery to not line up. Baste the garment in a grid pattern with stitches running one inch apart. **Tip – Use water soluble thread in the bobbin or top. When this thread is dampened it will release the opposite thread which eliminates picking out basting threads! Once the basting is done, don’t forget to label the bobbin for later use!	Dark thread used for photo purposes only – light colored basting thread recommended
9.	Stick the basted item to the stabilizer.
10.	Place the hoop and item on the machine and center the design. Once the design is centered, remove the Template Tearaway if this method was used for centering
11.	Place one layer of Floriani Water Soluble Topping on the surface of the item. Secure the corners with clear tape to keep the topping from curling during the embroidery process.
12.	If the design you have chosen to stitch is large in size, heavy in stitch density or poorly digitized, float one layer of Floriani Stitch N Wash (optional) under the hoop for added support.
13.	Stitch the design.
14.	Once the design is complete, remove the hoop and item from the machine. Trim all jump stitches on the surface and from the back.
15.	Tear away as much topping as possible, the remainder will rinse away in the laundry or can be removed with a damp cloth.
16.	Gently tear away as much Perfect Stick (and Stitch N Wash if used) as possible. If stitching is primarily satin stitches (lettering) or if the design does not have an outline, you can loosen the stabilizer by laying a damp cloth over the back of the design for 10 seconds. The stabilizer will now tear away without distorting delicate stitching. This is a great feature of Floriani Perfect Stick. Use it anytime your embroidery is delicate and you need easy stabilizer removal.
17.	Remove the basting stitches by using a damp cloth, soak in a bath of warm water for 30 minutes or launder the item.
18.	To finish the item, cut a piece of Floriani Dream Weave at least one inch larger than the design. Fuse this piece over the back of the embroidery using a medium setting on your iron. The result is soft, flexible embroidery that won’t scratch the wearer’s skin!

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