Impressions - January 2018 - 44

A light, open design was chosen to
stitch with rayon thread on this Faded
Glory women's tee. Lightweight
Weblon No Show stabilizer was used
and does not overpower the garment.

40-weight threads will work well with a
needle size #65/9, #70/10 or #75/11,
choose the smallest needle for lightweight
knits so that the hole made when the
needle penetrates the fabric is as small
as possible.
Stabilizing
When choosing the correct backing or
stabilizer for a lightweight knit fabric, think
light. More hassles result from using a stabilizer that is too heavy, and it overwhelms
the garment.
A cutaway backing offers the most stabilization and will not distort a design
when it comes to removing any excess.
Weblon (also known asWeblon No Show)
is a popular backing for lightweight knits;
comes in white, black and beige; and feels
smooth against the skin. Sheer, with a low
profile,Weblon is made of embossed nylon
and will not show through when used on
even the lightest-weight knit tank top.
Other popular stabilizers for use on
lightweight knits include a thin woven
cutaway, which is strong but soft to the
skin, and cutaway washaway, which will
disintegrate in wash water. Decide if the
garment will depend on the stabilizer to
maintain its shape over time; otherwise, a
garment stabilized with a washaway backing will not hold its shape after multiple
washings.
Tear Away Waffle is another backing
that is meant for use on lightweight knits.
It is soft on the skin, lightweight for no
show-through and tears away easily with
minimal stress on delicate fabrics. Some of
these stabilizers come in fusible versions
so that they can be adhered only where
the design will be stitched instead of being
hooped with the garment.
Hooping
The embroidery hoop works in tandem
with your choice of backing to stabilize the
garment you are embroidering.Lightweight
knit T-shirts should be hooped so that the
garment and stabilizer lay flat in the hoop,
with no stretch in either direction.
Some embroiderers refer to this as "neutral tension" and choose a magnetic hoop,
P.44

Machine SettingS Matter
As with the start of any new project, your machine's top and bottom thread tensions should be
checked. If tension overpowers the garment, the stitches will be too tight, stretching the thread
and possibly distorting the fabric or design. This can further result in puckering or poor registration. Loosening the bobbin and top thread tensions may correct the issue.

which sandwiches the garment between
two magnetic metal frames that don't require pressure to hold the garment steady.
Regardless of the type of hoop you choose,
remember not to stretch the knit fabric;
otherwise, the garment will pucker around
the design when released.
Yes,You Can!
T-shirts traditionally have been considered the domain of screen printers,
while golf shirts belonged to embroiderers. But with today's fabrics, highquality supplies and fashion trends that
push the envelope, embroidery is expanding its boundaries. Don't let the T-shirt
knit's lightweight nature intimidate you.
Master digitizer Erich Campbell found
inspiration with a Gildan Ultra Cotton
(heavier knit) olive green T-shirt.
"For me, there's nothing more stunning about embroidery than the sense
of dimension and the play of light across
the threads," he says. "This means that
I always ask to use layering, carved textures and the natural look of the thread
to enhance my designs. In 'Dream Big,

i m p r e s s i o n s m a g . c o m JANUARY 2018

Stay Bold,' the light, open-mesh fills add
texture to the flat background, while
the frame of each letter rises above to
create shadow and highlight - and all
with very simple, classic techniques. I
wanted the piece to be reminiscent of
those vintage carved and faceted signs or
hand-painted glass panels from a bygone
era of sign painting."
Know your craft and don't be bound
by arbitrary limitations. Make the correct
choices regarding embroidery supplies,
machine settings and stabilization of the
lightweight knit, and you'll have customers spreading the word that you were able
to achieve for them what others deemed
impossible. As performancewear - being
lightweight, stretchy and slippery - has
shown, even the most challenging fabrics
can be embroidered. 
Alice Wolf is the manager of education and publications for Madeira USA. She began doing marketing and public relations for the art industry in
New York, and then migrated north to Madeira's
New Hampshire headquarters. For more information or to comment on this article, email Alice at
awolf@madeirausa.com.


http://www.impressionsmag.com

Impressions - January 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - January 2018

Impressions - January 2018
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
Overheard
First Look
Scene at ISS
On Design
Impressions Awards Winners
What Can Tees Do For You?
Breakdown: Screen Printing on a Tri-Blend Garment
Shop Talk
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Graphics & Design
Sublimation
Heat Printing
Ad Index/Online Directory
Classifieds
Impressions - January 2018 - Intro
Impressions - January 2018 - CT1
Impressions - January 2018 - CT2
Impressions - January 2018 - Impressions - January 2018
Impressions - January 2018 - Cover2
Impressions - January 2018 - 1
Impressions - January 2018 - Contents
Impressions - January 2018 - 3
Impressions - January 2018 - 4
Impressions - January 2018 - 5
Impressions - January 2018 - First Impressions
Impressions - January 2018 - 7
Impressions - January 2018 - From the Show Director
Impressions - January 2018 - 9
Impressions - January 2018 - 10
Impressions - January 2018 - Overheard
Impressions - January 2018 - 12
Impressions - January 2018 - 13
Impressions - January 2018 - 14
Impressions - January 2018 - 15
Impressions - January 2018 - 15A
Impressions - January 2018 - 15B
Impressions - January 2018 - First Look
Impressions - January 2018 - 17
Impressions - January 2018 - Scene at ISS
Impressions - January 2018 - 19
Impressions - January 2018 - 20
Impressions - January 2018 - On Design
Impressions - January 2018 - Impressions Awards Winners
Impressions - January 2018 - 23
Impressions - January 2018 - 24
Impressions - January 2018 - 25
Impressions - January 2018 - 26
Impressions - January 2018 - 27
Impressions - January 2018 - 28
Impressions - January 2018 - 29
Impressions - January 2018 - 30
Impressions - January 2018 - 31
Impressions - January 2018 - What Can Tees Do For You?
Impressions - January 2018 - 33
Impressions - January 2018 - 34
Impressions - January 2018 - 35
Impressions - January 2018 - 36
Impressions - January 2018 - 37
Impressions - January 2018 - Breakdown: Screen Printing on a Tri-Blend Garment
Impressions - January 2018 - 39
Impressions - January 2018 - Shop Talk
Impressions - January 2018 - 41
Impressions - January 2018 - Embroidery Production
Impressions - January 2018 - 43
Impressions - January 2018 - 44
Impressions - January 2018 - 45
Impressions - January 2018 - Screen Printing Graphics & Design
Impressions - January 2018 - 47
Impressions - January 2018 - 48
Impressions - January 2018 - 49
Impressions - January 2018 - Sublimation
Impressions - January 2018 - 51
Impressions - January 2018 - 52
Impressions - January 2018 - 53
Impressions - January 2018 - Heat Printing
Impressions - January 2018 - 55
Impressions - January 2018 - 56
Impressions - January 2018 - 57
Impressions - January 2018 - Ad Index/Online Directory
Impressions - January 2018 - Classifieds
Impressions - January 2018 - 60
Impressions - January 2018 - Cover3
Impressions - January 2018 - Cover4
Impressions - January 2018 - IL1
Impressions - January 2018 - IL2
Impressions - January 2018 - IL3
Impressions - January 2018 - IL4
Impressions - January 2018 - IL5
Impressions - January 2018 - IL6
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/teamspirit_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/20170607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201703
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201701
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/teamspirit_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/20160607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201605
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/teamspirit_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/sportsfanretailer_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/digitaldecorator_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/teamspirit_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/20150607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/digitaldecorator_2015summer
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/teamspirit_2015spring
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201410
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/impressions/201409
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