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Thank you for asking this,letvia. It was going to be my next question. At present I am starting to build up a folder with all this wonderful advice from so many knowledgeable people! How lucky are we?
4486The point of doing a test stitch out is to see what the design is going to do on the fabric you want to use, so it is best if you do use as close to the same as you can. As for what to do with all the test pieces, if you aren't a quilter yourself, there are many different places that would love to have quilt squares donated. Nursing homes are just one of the possibilities. My grandmother got to the point that she just couldn't live on her own anymore, but she could and did still stitch and crochet. Other potential donation locations would be religious groups, women's shelters, rescue missions, and even pet shelters.
by letvia
27 Feb 2008
Thank you very much cutiepie, that is a really good idea, I'm going to ask where can I do it in my town. Flower
6653This is all good advice Letvia, and don't look on them as *test pieces*, think of them as *quilt pieces*, or whatever you decide to do with them. I must admit that I often don't do a test piece - but only on *cheap* fabric, and only fabric that I've used before. Hugs and flowers, and have a fun day.
13558letvia, wonderful question and community - great answers. Nothing to add - just flowers for ya'll.
211078You have gotten some very wise answers. Of course you should test on the same fabric, with the same stabilizer. But I must admit, I almost never do. I hate testing ! On the other hand you need testing anyway, so what I do is that I have bought a big piece of fabric, that I like, washed it and cut it up in squares. Then I use theese squares for testing everything, and this does the trick for me, then I can use theese squares for quilts or pillows or little bags or... An idea for non-tester-people. Flowers for you and all those ladies I admire so much.
by sand
26 Feb 2008
I forgot: It works out for me now after I have gotten more experience in embroidering. I am usely able to se from my squares if an embroidery is likely to succed on a t-shirt or another item.
by sand
26 Feb 2008
Do not use to dense a design especially not if its big. Use cut-away stabilizer and a watersoluble topping. Fix it if your machine can do that. Then I think it usely goes well. But be really careful not to use a to dense design on t-shirts.
by letvia
26 Feb 2008
Excuse me my ignorance but what is a dense design and watersoluble topping? I'm really rookie in the embroidery world and I don't know to much about it. Thanks.
by sand
26 Feb 2008
Dense is a design with high stitch count. Small designs can cheat, they have low numbers, because of the size, but many stitches afterall, but you can tell from looking (at the test). Topping is a plastic that are watersoluble, and for me it is a must when embroidering on t-shirts, makes the result so much better. You also use them for tovels and fleece to keep the threads nice on the top of the fabric. Topping is called Solvy or Avalon and surely a lot of other names, but it is really worth trying.
by letvia
26 Feb 2008
Thank you very much sand, I want to embroider some T-shirt and tomorrow I will go to the store to buy the topping.
1818I save square scraps of shirts, the legs of jeans cut-off for shorts (I sew lots of jackets)etc. in a plastic storage box just for test sewing. If things work well with the test design I save the squares so that one of these days when I have enough time I can do a quilt or two that already has the squares pre-embroidered!
Waste Not Want Not!
Silver
1275I agree, same type of fabric, that way you'll know if you are using the right kind & amount of stabilizer, & how it will sew out. If you're doing a t-shirt, for example, you might want to test on an old t-shirt, then save your test sew outs to make a lap quilt for someone, or for a nursing home. Buena suerte. Marji
by letvia
26 Feb 2008
Thank you marjialexa, I like the idea to give the quilt for a nursing home. Gracias. Flower
33451Well, you don't have to, but yes, it is better. Due to the different elasticity of different fabrics, you use differnent stabilizers and your design might stitch out well on say, jeans, but NOT on a t-shirt. So I always do a test. Better to be safe than sorry. ;)
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