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Embroidering on Toddler Sweatshirts

Ever been embroidering a sweatshirt for your favorite little one? It's looking nice. Then it happens. The edge of the shirt has somehow become part of your embroidery! What a mess! You can sit and baby-sit your machine till it is done, holding back the edges with your fingers, etc. Or try this little tip that popped into my head one day...  One of those duh moments. Works great using the smaller 4 x 4 hoop.

Remember those old-fashioned embroidery hoops we all used to use ... when we did "it" by hand? Go dig a 7" or 9"* one out of your closet and lets get to work. (The 7" works best for sizes 6 months -12 months. The 9" works for larger sizes.) We are going to use the inner hoop only.

1.  Hoop your sweatshirt in your 4 x 4 (or similar) size hoop same
as you always do. Your sweatshirt is probably wrong-side out by now with the bottom band scrunched up on top of your design area. If not, it should be. Attach the hoop to your machine.

2. Take that inner "hand" embroidery hoop and slide one edge of it under and past the foot on your machine. Tilting it sideways works best. Lay it over and around the bottom band of the sweatshirt.

3. Stretch the bottom band of your sweatshirt out and over the top of the embroidery ring till it completely encircles the ring.

4. Adjust the ring and sweatshirt so the design area is free and clear. This is what it should look like now. 

No more bands caught in the embroidery!
But remember to move the sleeves over and out of the way too.

* you need to use a small enough ring that won't interfere with the movement of your embroidery arm, but large enough to hold the sweatshirt away from the designs. These sizes work well with my Designer 1.

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© 2002 Peggy Severt, Pegboard Crafts
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