We’ve all done it – volunteered for something before we realize the amount of work involved in the project. Maybe it’s helping to sew 200 potholders for the church bizarre, or making special table cloths for that once a year function, or sewing forty angel costumes for the Christmas play.
If you own a home embroidery machine, a very likely situation will eventually arise, “Would you embroider shirts for the upcoming family reunion?” Or, your kids play softball and everyone wants their name embroidered on their jerseys and gym bags, and the ballerinas want their toe shoes in their customized embroidered bags – the scenarios are endless!…and there is always a deadline.
I recently created my own need for custom T-shirts for the upcoming Quilts & Vines Show, the outdoor quilt show and wine tasting day. The volunteers who will help with the show will be wearing their embroidered T-Shirts for the event. (Visit www.quiltsandvines.com for more information).
With any mass production-type project there are ways to cut time, save energy, and get it finished before the deadline:
1. First, determine how many items need to be embroidered. This will help with the time line for finishing on time or ahead of schedule (and recruiting help?) Embroidering in the wee hours of the night is not enjoyable, so figure out production goals for each day. Remember, you bought your embroidery machine to have fun, even if it is for production work once in a while.
2. Next, decide on the design to be embroidered. Does the design need to be professionally digitized? Can you use your own software to create the desired design? When you are doing a production project on your home embroidery machine choose a design with few colors to limit the number of thread changes and make the work go faster.
3. Test the design on the same fabric type as the item. For T-shirts, test the design on an old T-shirt. Remember to use a ball point needle when embroidering on knit fabrics, and sharp needles for woven fabrics and baseball caps.
4. Designs sewn on dark fabrics with light colored thread need the density of the design adjusted to add more stitches. This keeps the background from showing through the stitches. See the example of the “Quilts & Vines” logo with white embroidery on royal purple shirts.
5. Use a single layer of water soluble stabilizer on top of the T-shirt. This keeps intricate designs and details from getting lost in the weave of the interlock knit, and keeps the fabric from stretching out of shape while embroidering. Test this and see for yourself.
6. Purchase a second embroidery hoop! While one design is running you can be hooping the next piece. This will be your best ally to greatly speed up the process and keep the machine running continually.
7. Set up the hooping area, embroidery area, and trimming area in an efficient order. Have pairs of scissors at each area so you are not chasing around for scissors every time you need them.
8. Think about setting the embroidery machine on a higher table, like your cutting table or a counter where you can stand to do the work. Changing the thread and hooping the fabric goes faster from a standing position. Just try it!
9. Use an Energizer Bobbin! (it keeps going!) We embroidered over 60 shirts using only one bobbin. Of course it depends on the size of the design and number of stitches. The secret: Bottom Line Bobbin thread from Superior Threads
10. Production work is a great way to improve your embroidery skills. If you are sewing on ready-made items like T-shirts, design positioning and hooping are critical. Remember, the more you do it, the easier it will be, not just for the production, but for everything else you ever embroider. Once you find your rhythm of the process you will be amazed at what you can accomplish! You will be the hero of the group for which the project was intended.
These shirts are for the quilt watchers and parking attendants working at the Quilts & Vines quilt show.
A special thanks goes out to Judeen B. and Gary Jensen for embroidering the T-Shirts for the Quilts & Vines show!
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