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.