I also have trouble with towels I use sticky on bottom and WSS on top as I can't hoop the towel in 300E I sometimes have to stitch twice to get good coverage

Certainly a good idea, jrob. I sometimes find that sticky sticks to the needle as well, which gives uneven loops instead of neat stitches. Oiling the needle the needle helps, but that does not do much for the fabric.

Hi, raels, I found the key to my problem was to iron the towel to flatten it so it would move freely under the foot. I still use sticky on the botton and wss ontop. My Innovis 4000 has thin fragil hoops. I can't hoop heavy fabric. So I use sticky on the botton in the frame and wss on top. I hoop sticky with the paper still on and then take a pin and score and remove the paper. I then stick the fabric to the paper on top of the frame and add the wss. I pin everything at the corners and sides out of the way of the needle. If you have a baste option it would be good to use it instead of the pins. The idea is to get the towel tight and secure so it can't move around while sewing. I also had a problem with stiching being too thin. I changed from rayon to polyester thread and a little thicker thread. Becareful, somethimes heavy thread can cause tension problems with some machines. I can use about any thread on my old Simplicity SE3 but my Innovis is so touchie. You will want to just check it out. Happy New Year! Freida

Thank you I have some ideas to try

Raels, I sent this answer to Freida, but have sent to you too just incase you don't read it there - - Freida, I've never embroidered onto towels, so can't help with that problem, but there is an option to embroidering directly onto the towel. Do the embroidery onto some other material, satin looks good, and then cut it into an oval, or whatever shape you like, and stitch onto the towel. You can even put a piece of wadding between the towel and satin to give it a slightly padded look. It gives the towel quite a classy look. It may not be the look you want, but it's an alternative if the towels really are too thick. All the best with your problem.

3 comments

by cutiepie 28 Dec 2007

Excellent idea, Ruthie. I know that a lot of the home machines also have built-in applique shapes, so that would make it easy as pie. Just make sure that the satin (or whatever fabric) is washable AND pre-washed. It would be tragic for your towel to be ruined the first time it is washed (or just used, for that matter).

by cutiepie 28 Dec 2007

ruined the first time it is washed (or just used, for that matter).

by ruthie 28 Dec 2007

Thanks for that reminder, cutiepie, silly me just assumed everyone would realise that. I'll try to remember to add that type of 'small' detail in future.

I found a neat help for THICK towels. I made a template the shape of the inner hoop circumference and baste by machine a towel to tear-away stabilizer then I hooped the tear-away only and layed water soluable stabilizer on the top and sewed out my design perfectly! I didn't have to deal with the sticky and worry about pulling out the loops of the terry cloth the toweling was made of. It was pretty from the back too! ;)

3 comments

by marjialexa 27 Dec 2007

Cool idea, Jrob! I was wondering about that sticky being toooo sticky. Basting, what a concept, you're a genius! Happy New Year, here's a flower.

by sanjoy51 28 Dec 2007

I have nanaged to solve my problems with the towels and I have taken to using the water soluable stabilizer on the bottom and the top and hoop it all in and comes out great then just tear it all away. If you cant hoop it try cutting it out larger and sticking it down with sticky tape firmly to the towel. But it is best to hoop it. Happy New Year to you all.

by sanjoy51 28 Dec 2007

(cont) sticking it firmly to the towel with sticky tape. I started out sticking it and then hooping it was much better.
Happy New Year to you all I love visiting with you every day. Sandra from Australia.