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Member since 12/10/11
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Posted on: 8/5/14 3:52 PM ET
I embroider a lot of t-shirts and knit shirts and it seems like I still always get a small pucker. Like this:

I iron with Mary Ellen's Best press before. I've tried stretching the fabric really tight under the hoop and trying to just lay it flat without stretching it. I always use cutaway stabilizer and have tried adding a lawyer of washaway on the top or on the bottom. I've tried using a basting stitch. I've tried tightening the hoop with a screwdriver. I usually use a 75/11 ST needle. I don't use dense designs on T or knit shirts. The rest of the design stitched out beautifully. The imperfection is small enough that probably no one but me notices it, but it bugs me.

Would iron-on stabilizer be better? If yes, is there a brand that anybody likes? What about titanium needles? Anything else?

Thanks
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Mostly Babylock: Ellegante, Crescendo, Evolution, Ovation. Plus a Sailrite LSZ-1
  
Member since 12/10/11
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Posted on: 8/5/14 3:53 PM ET
trying the photo link again
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Mostly Babylock: Ellegante, Crescendo, Evolution, Ovation. Plus a Sailrite LSZ-1
  
Member since 12/3/06
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Posted on: 8/5/14 11:28 PM ET
I would not use anything on the fabric when pressing and then let the item relax, just in case the pressing stretched the knit.

Try, with an old or test shirt, hooping just the shirt. Before you start the stitching, slide a piece of the cutaway under the hoop.

You may also need to use a sharp needle instead of a ballpoint as the BP may not be cleanly piercing the stabilizer.
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OLD CHINESE PROVERB: I HEAR & I FORGET; I SEE & I REMEMBER; I DO & I UNDERSTAND.
  
Member since 8/28/08
Posts: 6568
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Posted on: 8/5/14 11:33 PM ET
In reply to allorache
Could your pic be set to private? I see that word under Properties as well as an "https" at the beginning.
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Member since 6/24/06
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Posted on: 8/6/14 0:12 AM ET
In reply to allorache
I can't see your picture but I know what you are referring to. Floriani has a stabilizer called no show mesh fusible, light weight cut away that irons to the back of the shirt. This prevents any movement of the knit fabric, works especially well for light knit fabric. Sulky has a stabilizer called tender touch, they use this on clothing embroidered for babies. Again it comes as an iron on and doesn't change the feel of the knit. They use this in addition to a tear away under the design and iron a second piece of tender touch to cover the embroidery to leave a nice soft inside.

When I embroider t-shirts I use the iron on cutaway and hoop the garment so it's smooth but never pull the corners to make it drum tight. For fabric with a texture I use sulky wash away on top. Titanium needles are nice for heavy fabric and dense designs but not needed for t-shirts.
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Posted on: 8/6/14 2:36 AM ET
Link to image
-- Edited on Today at 2:36 AM --
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Posted on: 8/6/14 4:14 AM ET
have you stitched the design out on a woven just to check its not the design? I only say because its just at the points where the stitching from both sides comes together.
  
Member since 12/10/11
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Posted on: 8/6/14 7:36 AM ET
In reply to arianamaniacs
Thank you, I'm not sure why I couldn't get that to work!
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Mostly Babylock: Ellegante, Crescendo, Evolution, Ovation. Plus a Sailrite LSZ-1
  
Member since 2/6/06
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Posted on: 8/6/14 7:52 AM ET
Use fusible stabilizer and a ballpoint 75/11.
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Member since 2/9/04
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Posted on: 8/6/14 4:28 PM ET
Are you using a water soluble topper stabilizer, too?
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