digitizing caps

[DoubleStitch]

I am having difficulty with the stitching on my caps. The letters are squashed together, underlay is everywhere, and it is illegible. I'm not sure if my driver is not set up right or if it is my digitizing. I don't have problem with other garments. I would appreciate any help. I have an 85 cap order.

[Judy]

When you were setting up your lettering, did you remember to click the button that stitches from the center to the left, then the center to the right? And is that darned hat in the hood flat, tight and smooth? Do you have "Big Red", or "Old Smokey"?

[DoubleStitch]

I did click the button to stitch center out. I have the WACF. Could that be causing the whole problem?

[Judy]

Me and it don't get along. I prefer the CCF - the conventional cap frame, which I call the Caps Cuss Free frame. There are different tricks on the original Amaya (Big Red) as opposed to the XT (Ol' Smokey).

[DoubleStitch]

I will order the CCF tomorrow. Do you think that will help the stitchout look better? What size sewing space do I have on a low profile cap? Thank you for your help.

[levelbest]

The CCF isn't the magic solution but it certainly does eliminate many of the issues that folks who are new with hooping and doing caps seem to have.

Good CAP digitizing doesn't hurt either, but a lot of the issues seem to be with properly hooping caps. Herb is an expert on this - and may be able to lend a couple of tips.

Someday, one of you experts will photo or video yourselves from start to finish hooping caps - and I'll be glad to put a step by step on the site here [img]smile.gif[/img]

[levelbest]

BTW, I recommend this to make your life easier getting the caps hooped as tight and flat as possible...

http://www.hooptechproducts.com/framinggage.html

[Digital Stitchz / LaserWorkz]

John, When I clicked on the site, it showed different hoops for different embroidery machines and did not list the Amaya. Which one works with the XT (smokey)?
Barbara Ott

[levelbest]

The Green one works on Big Red (which I have). They will tell you which one works best with your machine though when you order. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[HERB]

STOP!! In the name of love, before you ruin a cap. Think it over,,,,,(Sung like the Supremes)

More information is needed before we spend Double Stitches' money.

This can become a gazillion e-mail deal real fast. They can call me and we can try to work their issues out. Then I will post our findings so the group can know what has occured.

[Pure Embroidery]

ANY of the hoops will work and produce a good sewout. I tend to think you have a couple problems based on what you have said.

First- Who digitized the design and did they know it was going on a hat? You CAN NOT take your polo shirt designs and slap them on a hat without changing a few things.

Second- Is this your first attempt at hats or have done this before? There's a little bit of a learning curve to get over. Buy some cheap hats and practice away both with hooping and with the design sewout.

Finally your hats must sew in a particular order. From the center out to left; from the center out to right; from ceter to top and from center to bottom. No left to rights or top to bottoms!

Don't buy anything until you have a design that was produced for stitching on hats and you have some confidence in your hooping abilities.

Having said that, I have several of the CCF for my AMAYAs and wouldn't trade them for anything. If you have already ordered them, you will be happy with them and you would have ordered them anyways eventually. Good luck.