Let’s Make Monogrammed Towels!
It’s the fourth week and the fourth project of Machine Embroider Your Life
VIDEO
Click Here to download the written instructions as a PDF
Supplies
120 x 180 mm Embroidery Hoop
14/90 Machine Embroidery Needle
Water Soluble Topping
Medium Weight Tearaway Stabilizer (thin towel)
Medium Weight Cutaway Stabilizer (thick towel)
Spray Baste Adhesive (thick towel)
Ruler
Paper Scissors
Seam Ripper
Pins
Pencil/Marking tool
Embroidery Thread(s)
Terrycloth Towels
Create the Placement Guide
Hoop a piece of scrap paper, scrap stabilizer, or scrap fabric in the hoop. Load the hoop into the machine. We’ll create our design and then finish the placement guide.
A Note on Monogram Forms There’s a whole world of monogramming forms to learn about and try, with all different variations of what order to put first names, middle names and surnames into in a monogram. While monogram forms come from a tradition, you get to balance that tradition against what looks best for a project. They are less rules and more guidelines. Here are three of the most common forms and their traditional uses to get you started!
Design
If you’re following along on a machine other than the Sparrow X, select a design and arrange the design following your machine’s editing software. Designs with thick lines work well on terrycloth towels, monogram or pictorial. We have some ideas below with links to the design.
Luxurious Monograms , Essential Monograms (used in sample) , Swirled Monogram
Open the EverSewn Pro app on your smart device.
Select the Pattern tab. We’re using a purchased monogram alphabet for our towel, so it’s in the My Design folder.
Select the first letter for the monogram. Because the app always loads designs into the center, it’s best to start with the outer letters first. The app takes you to an information page. Click the pencil button in the upper right corner to send it to the editing screen.
Select the design by tapping on it and use the green buttons to adjust as needed. Our towel fit better in the hoop if the design was sideways. Experiment with what works for you. Move the letter to one side and add the next letter by selecting the “Patterns” tab down in the bottom sliding menu.
Once the letters are adjusted to the sizes you want, begin to group and orient them together. We centered each letter using the tools under the “Move” button down in the bottom sliding menu; this allowed for uniform placement. Once done editing, add a basting stitch by selecting the “Basting” button down in the bottom sliding menu. Finally, click the button in the upper right corner that looks like a sewing machine with an arrow pointing at it to send the design to the machine for stitching.
Finishing the Placement Guide
With the design set, and the hoop loaded with hooped scrap paper, stitch out the basting stitch. Remove the hoop from the machine. Make an X on the paper at the corner where the clamp is, and even write/draw the design inside the basting stitch to help you keep track of the design orientation. Trace the inside of the inner hoop with a pen or pencil.
Unhoop the paper and cut out around the marked inner hoop line to complete the placement guide.
To place the guide, measure 1″ up from the band of the towel and find the towel center with a ruler and leave the ruler in place. Fold up the paper of the placement guide at the basting stitch along what makes up the bottom of the design. Fold the design in half, lining up the basting stitches along what makes up the left and right side of the design, and crease. Place the folded bottom edge of the placement guide against the ruler edge, and then line up the center of the towel to the creased center of the design. Pin in place to secure the placement guide. Unfold all the edges.
Hooping Thick Terrycloth
Thick terrycloth is too thick to hoop, so it’s “floated” in the hoop for stitching.
Cut a piece of medium weight cutaway stabilizer large enough for the embroidery hoop. Lay the stabilizer over the outer hoop, and then press in the inner hoop over the stabilizer. Close the clamp to secure. Pull the stabilizer drum tight. Apply some spray baste adhesive to the center of the hooped stabilizer, not getting it on the hoop.
Lay the towel over the hoop, lining up the edges of the placement guide to the edges of the inner hoop for placement. Once you’re happy with the placement, press the towel to the adhesive.
Cut a piece of water soluble topping the approximate size of the inner hoop. Lay the topping over the towel and secure the topping and towel to the hooped stabilizer with pins around the edges of the hoop. Install the hoop into the machine and move to the “Stitchout” step.
Hooping Thin Terrycloth
Thin terrycloth is thin enough to secure in the hoop for stitching, but it’s still thicker than most materials we embroider. Loosen the nut on your embroidery hoop to begin.
Cut a piece of medium weight tearaway stabilizer large enough for the embroidery hoop. Lay the stabilizer over the outer hoop. Lay the inner hoop over the placement guide and line up the inner and outer hoops until all three are aligned. Press in the inner hoop over the towel and stabilizer. Close the clamp to secure. Pull the stabilizer drum tight. Install the hoop into the machine and move to the “Stitchout” step.
Stitchout
Return the EverSewn Pro App to the beginning of the design by using the rewind button. Press the start button on the front of the machine to begin stitching the design. Follow any thread change prompts from the machine/app until the design is finished.
Finishing Touches
While the towel is still hooped, remove the basting stitches with a seam ripper, and then remove the pins. Unhoop the project and cut away the excess stabilizer for thick towels, and tear away the excess stabilizer for thin towels. Remove the topping from the front by tearing off what you can, and then dissolve with water any topping that is too difficult to remove.
If the design wrinkles when washed, press with a warm iron and a pressing sheet.
Now all you have to do is enjoy your monogrammed machine embroidery towels!
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