Multimedia Designs Add Dimension to Fleece
By Melanie Coakley, Contributing Writer

Walking a trade show is like plugging into a huge energy grid. The floor seems electrified with innovations that will inspire you to take your business to the next level and, in turn, increase your profit potential. Recently, as I walked the aisles of the Atlanta ISS show, I saw rhinestone attachments, laser cutters, embossing machines, direct-to-garment printers, apparel and much more. These unique technologies, combined with traditional embroidery, appliqui and screen printing, are ideal for embellishing the wide array of fleece garments available today.

A few considerations before embellishing fleece:

 Embroiderers must know the properties of the many fabric types they use for embellishing, particularly whether the materials are stretch or non-stretch. Fleece, which has stretch properties, is a versatile fabric that also is stable and forgiving.

 When preparing designs for fabrics with stretch, consider the push and pull issues that the thread will encounter while stitching.

 When working with fleece, also consider the thickness or weight of the fleece and how to stabilize the fabric to avoid shifting in the hoop.

For a complete Tip Sheet on creating multimedia designs on fleece, CLICK HERE.