Questions from a Machine Embroidery Virgin.

[Ohsewsimple]

I wouldn’t use a wash away on the bottom. Once it’s washed out you will have no support under the stitching.  We used to use sticky stabiliser for towels. 
As for removing the excess from the back, use a pair of tweezers and pick the bits out.  Should come out easily.  Just be careful not to pull the stitches.  It will look much more polished than being left. 

[Iminei]

So WHAT am I meant to use ???

Washaway (the woven type) on the front and on the bottom???

Also ... There were lots of pulled towelling on the bottom ???

Now to be honest I didnt really look at the back of the flannel before I hooped it, but its pretty much a new flannel ... Could Elvistoo have had anything to do with these towelling pulls ???

[wrenkins]

I know about towelling. I just happened to be doing some practice stitches on some yesterday and no matter what I did the top thread pulled through. I adjusted every dial and knob and it still did it... and that was just blanket stitch. Not your fancy business.
I also used towelling as the wadding in my SM mat (which is why I had lumps of it lying about) and it pulled through to the backing. I'm wondering does towelling require a special needle or a slightly non-regular one???

[Celia]

Ok not to sure about the loops of towelling  on the back this shouldn’t happen with any machine I know of.
When I do towels I used to use the tear away on the back, float the towel on the top and use the watersoluable on the top but I like you would end up with lots of stabiliser to deal with on the back, some would remove better than others, stabilisers have changed a lot over the years.

Lately I have used 2 layers of water solvable to hoop up ( the material type one you are using) float the towel and use another layer of water solvable on top, I have not had a problem with there being no stabiliser left when the towels are washed but that can depend on the actual embroidery density.
 
The last few towels I have done I have used the magnetic hoop (I use Husqvarna machines) no stabiliser on the bottom and the same water solvable you have on the top and this I Has worked the best.  As far as the colour thread I use the embroidery thread on top and match the bobbin thread to the colour of the towel, I also cheat and use ordinary sewing thread (Gutermann) in the bobbin, I do know not all machines will take this.

Hope this helps
Good luck

Hope some of this helps

[Ohsewsimple]

I don’t think your machine would have affected the back.  If it was a problem I think it would pull bits up to the top.  Some machines don’t like certain sticky stabilisers.  I had some I had to get rid of as it just wouldn’t play nicely on mine.  But worked a treat on the big Brother semi industrial. 

I don’t like hooping towels myself so would be using something like Florian’s wet n stick.  I find it works beautifully on my machine.  It’s easy to stick and unstick after I finish. 
https://rnk-floriani.com/floriani-stabilizing-solutions-towels-robes.php

I don’t think there’s a problem using tear away.  But tear away comes in different weights as do all stabilisers.  So you match the weight to the density of the design.  If you’re doing a large design with lots of stitches then a light tear away won’t work.  I’m also fussy about what tear away I use.  If you hold  some cheap stuff up to the light you will find there are gaps in the stabiliser.  So some areas of your embroidery won’t be stabilised as well as some others.

The wash away on top doesn’t have to be thick.   Reserve your best stuff for underneath designs. 

Yes you can clip the thread ends BUT  be careful how close you get to the fabric.   You could cut the tie off stitch which could result in the embroidery coming undone. 

The short answer to what are you meant to use is that there is no one right answer.  Just as with any sewing.  There are a few alternatives.  As long as you know the ins and outs of using each type of stabiliser etc, then you can sample and decide what works for you.  I always disagreed with my college tutor over bound buttholes.  I couldn’t get a decent one with her method.  And she couldn’t get a good result the way I do mine.   

Short

[Iminei]

I have bought an in the hoop 'project'

It says to open and print the dieline thingy but whilst I can open it in my PES Lite software there is no facility to print!

Its only a rectangle, why cant they say 'cut a x x by xx rectangle of fabric' ... Or am I missing something here ?????

Really need your help here Oh wise embroidery peeps ...

OK I clicked on design properties and it says ... 3.43" x 6.81" ...  and 3.07 x 6.45  !!!???
Can anyone decipher these measurements for me into 8ths of an inch ???


Soooooo should I just cut fabric to that size (yeah right like Im that accurate) Or ... ???

(Oh dearie, dearie me ... Why on earth did I think I could cope with a project ???   )

[Bodgeitandscarper]

What is the project?  Where from, and are there more detailed instructions somewhere for it?  I've never done anything like that, so I'm not really much help, but would love to see what you're planning to make. 
Just a thought, do those inches convert into nice round centimetres? 

Edit, just checked the first number - 3.43 inches is 8.7 centimetres, so that's a bit easier to find on a tape measure.

[Iminei]

Im afraid its a top secret project so is on a needs to know basis ...

Yes there are pages of destructions (but no measurements which would be a lot easier) and Elvis too has done a good job so far ...

I now have to unhoop and add a backing ?!? 

Wish me luck!

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Ooh, secret!!!!
Hope it goes well!

[Iminei]

Next question ... If you have a piece of ribbon how do you stop the end fraying ????

Would you like to see a pic @Bodgeitandscarper ... if it goes well ???

[Celia]

Yes to picky

If you can cut the ribbon ends on the diagonal it helps to stop fraying

[Iminei]

Sorry Celia .... You cant see a pic!

[Kenora]

I always seal my ribbon ends with a cigarette lighter. Just pass the end of the ribbon through the flame very quickly so that it doesn't melt out of shape. I keep the lighter in my bag of sewing accessories!

[Bodgeitandscarper]

@Iminei Of course I'd love to see a pic 

[Kad]

@Iminei

I have bought an in the hoop 'project'

It says to open and print the dieline thingy but whilst I can open it in my PES Lite software there is no facility to print!

Its only a rectangle, why cant they say 'cut a x x by xx rectangle of fabric' ... Or am I missing something here ?????

Really need your help here Oh wise embroidery peeps ...

OK I clicked on design properties and it says ... 3.43" x 6.81" ...  and 3.07 x 6.45  !!!???
Can anyone decipher these measurements for me into 8ths of an inch ???


Soooooo should I just cut fabric to that size (yeah right like Im that accurate) Or ... ???

(Oh dearie, dearie me ... Why on earth did I think I could cope with a project ???   )

The 'dieline thingy' is effectively a pattern for the piece of fabric that you lay down on the hooped work in the appropriate area, which is then sewn down by the machine. If the dieline shape is a simple one, rectangle etc, at the point in the embroidery that you have to place the fabric shape lay your chosen fabric over the correct area, allow the machine to sew the 'tackdown' line and remove the hoop from the machine. VERY CAREFULLY trim your chosen fabric CLOSE to the stitched line ( curved scissors are useful ) DON'T disturb the hooped work!!. Replace the hoop on the machine and continue.

I've used this method when the printer has run out of ink or paper etc, it's not recommended but as I don't know anything about PES it's a work-around that might be useful to you.

Another thing to try is to step through the embroidery on the machine and just sew out the 'tackdown' line on hooped stabiliser. Use this as a pattern to cut the fabric layer.

Good luck.