Embroidery on Velvet

[Acorn]

A week ago I did an embroidery onto velvet with my embroidery machine.  It worked well, but I wasn't happy with the colours (partly because the velvet is dark blue, and the pattern was designed for pale fabrics).

Today I repeated the embroidery with different colours, and also repeated some of the colours to make them more concentrated (ie got to the end of a colour and then started again from the beginning to go over the same ground again).  It worked really well, and I was very pleased.  I put both embroideries into the washing machine to rinse away the soluble stabiliser, and then ironed them on the back.  When I turned them over I could see marks on the newer one.

It seems that the hoop had rubbed away the surface of the velvet, pretty much all the way around.  This didn't happen at all on the first one.

Has anyone else had this happen?  I can see three possible causes:

• I used different hoops - the same size, but different - maybe the hoop was rougher?
• Because I repeated some of the sections, the fabric was under greater stress for the second one (29k stitches for the first one, roughly 45k for the second).  Maybe it rubbed against the hoop more?
• The velvet (which is good quality cotton velvet) is just going to do this, and I would be better using something else?

I have an alternative design, but it is 72k stitches, and I really don't want to do all that and then find it has the same problems.

Any thoughts/ideas/experiences that might help?

[Bodgeitandscarper]

@Acorn Float it, simples    No hoop marks then 

Edit: Are you using a light soluble stabiliser on top too? 

[Kad]

When embroidering on fabric with a pile, I only hoop the stabiliser never the fabric. I use spray temporary glue to align the fabric on the stabiliser and then the outline tack facility on my machine to further stabilise the fabric. If the fabric pile is significant I also float a layer of water soluble on the top just to help the embroidery to shine. Hope that helps.

[Acorn]

It's too big to float - the overall piece with the embroidery on needs to be at least 15" by 10", and my largest hoop is 9.5" by 6".  Would you float it with the edges sitting over the top of the hoop?

I  gather from your replies that it's fairly normal for a hoop to interfere with the pile, so the issue is probably not with the fabric?!?

[Kad]

That's not too big to float,  there's only an overhang of 2 - 3" around the hoop just ensure that the excess fabric doesn't get trapped under the edges of the hoop.

[Acorn]

Thanks @Kad and @Bodgeitandscarper - I've only ever floated something that was smaller than the hoop.  I might have to bind the hoop so that the stabiliser doesn't shift...  :thinking: ... fortunately I think I have a large piece of plain soluble stabiliser - I usually use the stick on stuff, which will definitely not work for this.

Although I think I need to consider whether the velvet is hard wearing enough for the project anyway.   :thinking:

[Bodgeitandscarper]

@Acorn my hoops are all fine with just stabiliser.

[Ohsewsimple]

I never hoop velvet.  Any size fabric can be used to embroider.  I baste my fabric to the stabiliser.  I do that with a lot of fabrics to prevent hoop burn.

[Iminei]

PICTURES !!!!!

[Acorn]

@Bodgeitandscarper Given how close my hoop was to its tightest setting with the velvet in it, I think I can assume that stabiliser on its own would shift far too easily.

[sewmuchmore]

I use this. I have the Innovis V5LE and don't have any trouble just hooping the stabiliser. It has a paper that you score and remove and then just stick your fabric to the stabiliser. You can as well just remove all the paper and stick the bottom frame onto the stabiliser without having to use the top frame, although i haven't tried this myself.
Personally i am not a fan of temp adhesive spray and only resort to using it when doing in the hoop stuff.

[Acorn]

Actually, I could do that with my usual stabiliser - Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy - and the paper would make the stabiliser thicker.

I'm coming round to the idea that velvet isn't the best thing for this anyway.  Good quality denim is my next choice, and there won't be any problem in hooping that.  It helps that my machine loves embroidering on denim, too!