Hooping Heavy Jackets

I got an order to embroider multiple logos on thick, heavy jackets. They are canvas, with a quilted lining. Each jacket weighs between 3 and 4 pounds, depending on the size. The first one I stitched fell out of the hoop near the end of the stitching.  I was able to fix it, but it took a lot of time.  To prevent this:

1. Don't use the smallest hoop possible, use a larger hoop than you need. You will have more gripping area. My logos would fit into a 12 cm hoop. I'm using a 15 cm hoop.

2. Don't try for a nice, snug hooping. Really. Don't.  Heavy, thick items are not going to scrunch up while being stitched.

3. I've been told that a wooden hoop has a better grip than a plastic one, but I own no wooden hoops for machine embroidery. YMMV.

4. In the past, I have added a layer of shelf liner in the hoop, to increase my grip. Other people will wrap the inner ring with tape. I'm too lazy/cheap, and I had shelf liner that I wasn't using. I cut a hole in the middle of the shelf liner that also helps line up the center marks that I make. The jackets were too thick for the extra layer, so that trick didn't help.

5. I tried working with the table in place, as you do for flats, but the shape and the stiff seams of the jacket hampered the movement of the hoop. The shoulder of the jacket would get caught on the corner of the table, and when I tried to get the jacket more on to the table, the bunched up fabric wouldn't let the hoop move freely.

6. What worked for me was to add a large binder clip (1" capacity) on the outer edge of the hoop to help the item stay hooped. When adding a clip, I carefully checked by using the contour function multiple times to make sure that the clip is not hampering the movement of the hoop and the garment. Once I knew the clip placement won't be a problem, I stuck with it and didn't try other placements. Bad clip placements would cause the garment to shift inside the hoop, interfere with the needle, or push the hoop out of the mounting brackets.

7. I also stitched the jacket hooped sideways. After multiple attempts, I discovered that the jackets stitched better like that. There is less weight pulling on the jacket and the heavy, stiff shoulder seam doesn't hamper movement of the hoop.

8. I supported as much of the jacket as possible by letting it rest on the bar stool that sits in front of my machine. There is no way that the hoop could hold up the weight of the entire jacket.

In short, whatever you do should not interfere with the movement of the hoop or the needle and should not add a lot of time to your hooping process. It should be cheap and repeatable. When possible, it should be re-usable as well.

Craft Show Report

I went to a variety of craft shows this fall. Some were local, some were professionally organized.  Some were a hit, others, not so much. There is a local organizer that I will never work with again. I lost money on her show. All of the other shows were run by groups and those were better. I made a profit on every other show.

What have I learned?

• Elegant, tasteful, classy stuff doesn't sell very well.
• Humor sells.
• Pet themed things will sell. Like for dog or cat owners.
• A full display sells better than an artfully scattered layout.
• Eye level. Adult eye level. 
• Everyone assumes that you take credit cards, but a sign doesn't hurt.
• Free stuff for the vendors, like coffee during set up time, does NOT ensure a good show. 
• Do not plan on having assistance to set up. 
• Take snacks and beverages, but don't make a big deal out of it. 
• Start with a larger amount of change. Including coins. 
• Breath mints or coffee breath? Not a difficult choice.

Are craft shows worth it? Sometimes. The shows that cost more to buy a booth space can be worth the fee. 

In the end, I made a reasonable profit. I was able to pay some bills and purchase hardware on my wish list for the business. I'll call it a win.