hope I am posting in the right spot! A friend asked me to emb on a light-weight t-shirt. The design has 30,000 stitches........any help would be appreciated. what stabilizer? a topping? thanks for your support and help.

I did a pretty dense design on a tshirt that I thought would hold up to it. Used two layers of cutaway under and a layer of wss on top. When I looked at it, I saw that the edges of design perforated the tshirt so it looked like it was just anchored by a few threads that remained intack. I'm more careful now about buying tshirts that I want to embroider on.

1 comment

by nama2 04 Jan 2015

thank for the info.

Take a light weight shirt and pin a broach on the front where the embroidery would go. If you hold it up by the shoulders, she would be able to see it pulling the shirt out of shape, just like the embroidery would.

1 comment

by nama2 04 Jan 2015

hmmmm, good idea. now to find a brooch-hehe

I stitched a larger design on a lightweight T, and it was so heavy the design pulled the shirt forward so it sagged. It really isn't wearable. She will surely understand...

1 comment

by nama2 04 Jan 2015

thanks, I might have to try and change her mind.

for all the input.........I have some thinking to do.!

I would tell her even if the design worked on the thin T shirt it would feel like cardboard and the shirt would not sit right.

Simply explain that 30,000 stitches (that number should blow her mind!) cannot be supported on a light weight tee. Unless you have softwear to take out the density (which I don't) I wouldn't do it. the only thing you can do is make a patch with it & sew that on the shirt...which will not really look good!

This is not something that you can make look good. Well, not just you, anyone. Is she looking for a cheaper alternative to Kevlar? haha Tell her that there are things you just don't subject your machine to and this would be one of them.

2 comments

by cfidl 03 Jan 2015

LOL!

by graceandham 03 Jan 2015

I totally agree, Your machine might chew on it and have to go to the shop.

I would not even attempt it. It is a lots of stitches for a lightweight t shirt.

IMHO that sounds a very heavy design for a t-shirt - especially a lightweight one.

1 comment

by nama2 02 Jan 2015

I tried telling her that..........!!!!

What size is the design? A design that fits a 4X4 hoop with that many stitches would be very different from one that fits a 8X12 frame.

3 comments

by nama2 02 Jan 2015

It's done in the 5x7 hoop. I did the design on a sweatshirt, now she wants it done on a T........what to do????

by rescuer 02 Jan 2015

I am not sure...you could try reducing the density and so the stitch count. That is really too high for the size and fabric.
The thing I have had to do with my friends is show them what the end result will be like. Sadly, friends rarely understand the quandary you are in when they ask for things you cannot (or should not) do with your embroidery machine.

by nama2 04 Jan 2015

you know-that might be a good way to make her understand-it might wreck my machine.........I told her I would check with this group.........and get back to her. thanks! you guys are the best.