'mesh' backing on teeshirts-how?

[signman]

I'm finally running some test on teeshirts using the mesh from Floriani as others suggested...and maybe I'm not doing it right or it just doesn't work.
#1: mesh only, small design on 6 oz. teeshirt- pucker like crazy, part of a fill moved about 3/16", so outline was way off all over the place-almost 1/4" so fabric showed.
#2: mesh with 1.5 oz. tearaway under it, same shirt, same design.
Material didn't have obvious puckers, fill in one section did pull but
outline is so close it is liveable...rest of design (Dakota Cricket) is fine.
I am just playing before I do this design on a sweatshirt with 3 oz. cutaway-I know it will work on that but figured I might as well try out the package of sample mesh to figure out how to do light material and teeshirts, without that 'patch' of backing behind the shirt.
Any suggestions? Next test will be 2 pieces of mesh at 45 degrees turn. My goal is to be able to do teeshirts and jerzee knit polos (basically teeshirts with a collar) and have them look and feel like higher quality material-no sign of a thick backing patch when worn.

[Shuffletown Embroidery]

If you use two pieces of mesh, turn them 90 degrees, not 45. You want the mesh to criss-cross perpendicular to each other.
Also use the smallest hoop you can get away with, hoop the shirt instead of using adhesive spray, use a ball point needle, etc, etc.
Which Dakota design are you using?
Mary

[Rod or Sharon]

Dakota designs are digitized "bullet proof" so they can be stitched on anything. With that being said, you can remove about 10% of the stitches and still keep the integrity of the design on most of their designs.
Sharon

[flebow]

What is the approximate stitch count of your design (s)?
One layer of the no show nylon mesh "should" hold a moderately dense stitch count of say 6,000 stitches.
If you want to put in more, use a tearaway "sandwich" with a wet laid non directional tearaway
http://rnkdistributing.com/info.shtml#wetlaid

or
cross the embodssing pattern using two layers.
This should work well - but pls do remember that there are many other variables - stitch density, the weight and stretch of your material, hooping and machine tensions etc.
You are certianly doing the correct thing by doing your own tests.
If you need additional samples please let us know

Sincerely
Fred
Fred & Joanne Lebow
Floriani Embroidery Sewing and Quilting Products
Commercial Division
406 854-2322
[email protected]
http://www.rnkdistributing.com
http://www.rnk-inc.com
ISS Long Beach Jan 19-21 2007 Booth 746
http://www.issshows.com/iss/1237/index.jsp

[signman]

The design is Dakota cricket #WL0576, 3,600 stitches, about 3" x 2". It ran fine on other material but I figured as long as I had a small design up, I'd try teeshirts and your mesh material. The 'head' and body of the cricket are dense enough to pucker the teeshirt, ran beautiful on sweatshirt with 3 oz. backing.
I'm trying to find a good combination of backing, mesh and something else if not 2 layers of mesh, so that when I get teeshirt and light jersey polos I know what to grab for underlayment. Customers don't like the heavy 'patch' I end up with to get decent sewouts, even just for names, on the light material.
For some fast, small quantity or even '1' shirt orders, trying to do sample sewout after sewout is not cost effective. I do 'clean up' most of the Dakota designs, esp. anything over 5,000 stitches-but after I checked this one in Designshop it looked clean so I ran it 'as is'.
Next test I'll try the 2 mesh layer, then add 1 oz tearaway under them, see what happens.

[flebow]

The nylon mesh is 1.5 ozs which is the heaviest available in the market - If we went any heavier you would lose the"no show" effect
You "should" not need 2 layers and a tearaway - It will not hurt but
2 layers cross patterned "should" give you good definition.
Pls keep me advised

Sincerely
Fred

[lana5753]

I have been also doing some tests on tee shirts.... I am doing a Big W which is 2 inches tall... and around the top and bottom of the letter there is some puckering..... Help what do I need to do?

[signman]

I'm still experimenting with the 'mesh' backings, but everyone says to use 2 pieces at 90 degrees rotation.
Teeshirts are the worst for embrodiery, usually we end up with double 3 oz. cutaway!
Even cheap lightweight polos, same deal.
If the web works I'll let you all know.
No way around it-that lightweight material (teeshirts are 5.2 to 6 oz. weight) is going to pucker up without some sturdy backing behind it.

[Rod or Sharon]

You aalso need to slow down the speed of the machine---the higher the speed with some of these light materials, the more it will pull....and pucker.
Rod Springer
Melco tech & trainer