TOWELS AND ROBES

Most towels and robes are considered "stable". However, you still need some type of stabilizer in order for the embroidery design's stitches to relax within the garment. Not using any stabilizer would result in the design "pushing" the threads of the garment or towel apart creating distortion and rippling. Floriani's Medium Firm TearAway is the perfect choice for these embroidery projects. It tears away cleanly and easily but still gives you the support needed. Simply place one piece of the tear-away in the hoop with the towel and stitch. After the embroidery is complete, remove the stabilizer by placing one finger on the edge of the embroidery while tearing the excess away.

Because towels and robes are generally thick and loopy, be sure to use Floriani's Water Soluble or Heat N Gone Topping on top of the towel during embroidery to keep any pieces of the towel from poking through the surface of the embroidery design. The topping does not have to go in the hoop with the item being embroidered. Secure it to the top of the garment with pins or tape. This will ensure your embroidery foot doesn't catch a wrinkle in the topping and cause a blooper! Tear away as much of the topping as possible once the embroidery is complete. To remove the remnants of the Water Soluble Topping wet the tip of a Q-Tip and edge the pieces out or you can use a damp cloth or sponge. To remove the Heat N Gone remnants simply touch them with the tip of a hot iron. This is especially nice if you are getting a gift ready to give and don't want to wet the towel.

"My towel is too bulky to put in the hoop"

The very best method to achieving perfect embroidery is to hoop the garment within the frame. "Tight as a drum" like tension will result in the perfect stitch out. However, when dealing with a heavy towel we sometimes have trouble getting the bulk into a hoop on some embroidery machines. In this instance you should use Floriani's Wet N Stick® stabilizer, which is a 1.5 oz tear away with a revolutionary water activated adhesive on it to hold a garment in place. To use this method of hooping:

1. Place one piece of Wet N Stick®, shiny side up, into the hoop and make sure it is "tambourine skin" tight.
   
2. Apply a small amount of water to each corner and one drop in the center using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer, or sponge. Do not spritz or mist the water. Spread the water over the surface of the stabilizer with your finger and you will feel it become tacky almost instantly.
   
3. Immediately apply the towel or robe to the hooped stabilizer and smooth out any wrinkles. Allow a few seconds for the garment to adhere to the stabilizer so that it doesn't shift during the embroidery process.
   
4. Complete the embroidery as normal.
   
5. After the design is done simply tear away the Wet N Stick®.
   

*Note: If you accidentally used too much water and find the towel wants to be "as one" with the stabilizer simply lift the corner of the towel, re-wet it at the glue line and peel the towel back as the "sticky" becomes activated again.

On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches and/or around 4" x 5" in size. If the design has a higher stitch count, simply "float" a square of Floriani Medium TearAway between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches. And don't forget your topping!