Left stripes or other designs may interfere. Solution: Find a location that works for the size of the design. Beanies and toques often are made of fleece or knitted fabrics, so pay attention to small elements that could disappear in the soft fabric. There must be sufficient underlay to ensure the top stitching has a stable surface to stitch into. One option is to use a solid fill stitch so you can embroider over the stitches, giving you a surface that will not bury. As a last resort, Solvy is a watersoluble embroidery topping best used on knits, terry cloth, fleece and other textured fabrics to Designs on a fivepanel cap can be sewn slightly off-center without being readily visible. SMART BUSINESS TIPS As with embroidery on any material, there is a learning curve when working with headwear. However, the rewards are worthwhile once you gain the experience. The following tips will help you remain successful when working with hats: * Be aware of the specific issues each hat style presents before you take a job so you can prevent accepting a project you can't fulfill in a quality manner. * Take the time to prepare the specific artwork and selected hat. * Decline an order when the customer's requests won't meet your quality standards and try to find an alternative solution that will work. * Work with a trusted hat embroidery partner who can manage these issues and allow access to a wider product offering for your clients if you're not ready to delve into hat embroidery. MARCH 2016 P.51