SILK, SATIN, TAFFETA, DUPIONI, LAME'

The fibers of these delicate fabrics are not capable of handling embroidery alone and require extra care in keeping the fabric from shredding. Your first step to beautiful embroidery on these types of fabrics is to fuse one layer of Floriani Dream Weave® to the back of the fabric. Floriani Dream Weave® is a six way stretch, very sheer, fusible interfacing that gives the fabric body without bulk and preps it for heavy needle penetration. Your next step is to stabilize. The flexibility and softness of Floriani's No Show Nylon Mesh makes it a perfect choice. For fabrics that have stretch, use the fusible version. Simply press the shiny, fusible side to the wrong side of the fabric using a low temperature setting (silk or 260o) on your iron. If the design you choose to embroider is larger than 8,000 stitches, place one piece of Floriani's Medium TearAway in the hoop along with the mesh for extra stability. The tear away will be removed from around the design once it is stitched leaving the soft mesh only. It is also appropriate to "float" the tearaway between the hoop and bed of the machine if using Floriani Fusible No Show Mesh.

"My delicate fabric can't be hooped"

The very best method in achieving perfect embroidery is to hoop the fabric when possible. "Tight as a drum" like tension will result in the perfect stitch out. However, when dealing with some silks and satins you can get "hoop burn". Hoop burn is created from the inner and outer hoops rubbing a ring into the fabric that won't wash out. In this instance you should use Floriani's Wet N Stick® stabilizer, which is a 1.5 oz tear away with a revolutionary, water activated adhesive on it to hold a garment in place. To use this method of hooping:

1. Place one piece of Wet N Stick®, shiny side up, into the hoop and make sure it is "tambourine skin" tight.
   
2. Apply a small amount of water to each corner and one drop in the center using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer, or sponge. Do not spritz or mist the water. Spread the water over the surface of the stabilizer with your finger and you will feel it become tacky almost instantly.
   
3. Immediately apply the item to be embroidered to the hooped stabilizer and smooth out any wrinkles. Allow a few seconds for the item to adhere to the stabilizer so that it doesn't shift during the embroidery process.
   
4. Complete the embroidery as normal.
   
5. After the design is done simply tear away the Wet N Stick®.
   

*Note: If you accidentally used too much water and find the item wants to be "as one" with the stabilizer simply lift the corner of the item, re-wet the stabilizer at the glue line and peel the item back as the "sticky" becomes activated again.

On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches and/or around 4" x 5" in size. If the design has a higher stitch count, simply "float" a square of Floriani Medium TearAway between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches. And don't forget your topping if working with uneven textures!

*It is still recommended to fuse the Dream Weave® and/or the nylon mesh onto to back of the silk or satin even if using the "stick down" method of hooping. This ensures that the needle will not shred the fibers of the delicate fabric.

Tip! Use a Micro-Tex needle when embroidering on delicate fabrics. This needle is very sharp and extremely slender which means it won't poke large holes in the fabric!

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SPANDEX OR LYCRA (Bathing Suit/Dance Costume)

This fabric needs to maintain its stretchiness after it is embroidered however; the stretch needs to be kept under control while you are actually stitching on the fabric. Floriani Wet N Stick® is the recommended stabilizer for this project. To use Wet N Stick®, simply hoop one piece making sure to keep the adhesive side up. Place a small amount of water on the stabilizer using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer or sponge. Do not spritz or mist the water. Spread it evenly over the surface with your finger or with a small foam paint- brush. You should feel the adhesive become tacky almost immediately. Smooth the garment into place taking care not to stretch it out of shape. On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches and/or about 4" x 5" in size. If the design has a higher stitch count, simply "float" a square of Floriani Medium TearAway between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches. If the design is dense, it is recommended to fuse one layer of Floriani Dream Weave® to the back of the fabric to keep the needle from shredding or damaging fibers. Because Dream Weave® is a six way stretch interfacing it is a perfect choice for giving additional support to stretch fabrics such as lyra and spandex.

Be sure to use Floriani Water Soluble Topping on the top of this fabric in order to keep the stitches from sinking down into the stretchy fibers. Simply dampen each corner of the piece of topping and stick it down to the fabric or to the inside edge of the hoop or secure it with pins or tape. Complete the embroidery. Gently remove the garment from the stabilizer. If you accidentally used too much water and the adhesive is holding on to the garment simply moisten it at the glue line and it will reactivate the adhesive. The garment should easily tear away from the stabilizer.

Tip! Use a Stretch or Ball-Point needle when embroidery on this weight of fabric.

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"HARD TO HOOP" ITEMS SUCH AS SHIRT COLLARS, CUFFS, NAPKIN EDGES, SOCKS, TOTE BAGS, POCKET TOPS, TIES, ETC.

Floriani Wet N Stick® is the recommended stabilizer for theses projects. To use Wet N Stick®:

1. Place one piece of Wet N Stick®, shiny side up, into the hoop and make sure it is "tambourine skin" tight.
   
2. Apply a small amount of water to each corner and one drop in the center using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer, or sponge. Do not spritz or mist the water. Spread the water over the surface of the stabilizer with your finger and you will feel it become tacky almost instantly.
   
3. Immediately apply the item to be embroidered to the hooped stabilizer and smooth out any wrinkles. Allow a few seconds for the item to adhere to the stabilizer so that it doesn't shift during the embroidery process.
   
4. Complete the embroidery as normal.
   
5. After the design is done simply tear away the Wet N Stick®.
   

*Note: If you accidentally used too much water and find the item wants to be "as one" with the stabilizer simply lift the corner of the item, re-wet the stabilizer at the glue line and peel the item back as the "sticky" becomes activated again.

On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches and/or around 4" x 5" in size. If the design has a higher stitch count, simply "float" a square of Floriani Medium TearAway between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches. And don't forget your topping if working with uneven textures!

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REVERSIBLE OR "SEE THROUGH", SHEER FABRICS SUCH AS SILK AND ORGANDY:

There are times when absolutely no stabilizer can be left behind our embroidery designs and using a tearaway would mean hours of "picking" out remnants. Imagine a silk scarf with an open work heirloom design or monogram or a see through button up shirt that we wear over a t-shirt or tank top. Floriani Wet N Gone Fusible® or Wet N Gone Tacky® is the perfect choice for these types of embroidery projects.

To use Wet N Gone Fusible®, simply fuse a piece at least one inch larger than the outer edge of your embroidery frame to the back of the fabric. Be sure to use a low temperature setting (silk or 260°F) on your iron and a press cloth. Because the stabilizer is fused it will prevent the fabric from shifting during the hooping and embroidery process. After the design is complete, pull the remaining stabilizer back to the design and cut it away. The product remaining will rinse away.

For hard to hoop items such as the corner of a delicate handkerchief, the collar or cuff of a silk blouse or a textured (pleated) piece of see through fabric use the very convenient Wet N Gone Tacky®.

To use Wet N Gone Tacky®:

1. Hoop one layer of Wet N Gone Tacky® with the release paper facing up.
   
2. Score the release paper with a straight pin. This exposes the "tacky" side of the stabilizer.
   
3. Stick down the item to be embroidered and smooth out any wrinkles.
   
4. Complete the embroidery design.
   
5. Once the design is finished, remove the article from the hoop and trim away the excess stabilizer
   
6. Rinse away the remaining stabilizer using soft water.
   

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EMBROIDERY ON SWEATER or CABLE KNIT

1. Lay the sweater on your ironing surface with all the cables running parallel (wrong side facing out). The sweater needs to be relaxed.
   
2. Fuse one layer of Floriani No Show Nylon Mesh Fusible over the area to be embroidered. Use a piece at least one inch larger than the design.
   
3. Place one layer of Floriani Wet N Stick Cutaway in the embroidery frame with the adhesive side facing up.
   
4. Activate the adhesive with a small amount of water.
   
5. Stick the sweater down to the Wet N Stick (the Mesh will be touching the Wet N Stick) and smooth out any wrinkles.
   
6. Place one layer of Floriani Wet N Gone (fibrous water soluble) or Floriani Heat N Gone (great for fabric you don't want to get wet) on the surface of the sweater and secure the corners with scotch tape. This will keep the stitches from sinking down into the pile of the sweater once you start stitching. The tape will keep the topping from catching on the presser foot of the machine when you are not watching!
   
7. Embroider! Once complete, remove the stabilizer as recommended on the package directions.
   
   Tip! If the design is unusually dense or oversized, float one layer of Floriani Medium Tearaway under the hoop just before you begin to embroider. This will help to stabilize the extra stitches and keep your embroidery from “cupping” in the knit.

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