Floor mats

[Steve F.]

Anyone out there who has stitched a logo onto a floor mat? I see an example in the training class, but didn't get any info on the specifics of such a sew out.

Thanks!
Steve F.

[KNC Designs]

No I have not done any yet. I got some old G.M. mats out of the parts dept. where I work but they had the little rubber tiddies on the back I passed on those but looks like the Loyd's brand has a smooth back.I just have been not been able to get any of these to practice on.

[KNC Designs]

No I have not done any yet. I got some old G.M. mats out of the parts dept. where I work but they had the little rubber tiddies on the back I passed on those but looks like the Loyd's brand has a smooth back.I just have been not been able to get any of these to practice on.

Curtis

[Juli in Kona]

My son got some car mats for Christmas and I took a good look at them. They were embroidered before they
were put together.

Juli in Kona

[Steve I]

I do floor mats quite often for Auto Upholstery shops around town. The only thing is they do not have the rubber backing on them yet. They bring the raw carpet, we sew on the design and then they attach the backing and bind them. If you try to sew them with the backing attached you may be looking at some expensive repairs. If you feel the need to practice, go to an upholstery supply store or an upholstery shop and get some automotive carpet. You will need plenty of underlay, extra density and solvy. Depending on how heavy the carpet is a 75/11 or 80/12 sharp needle works fine.

Steve I.
Trinity Embroidery

[Steve F.]

Steve,
Thanks for the info! It's awesome! I suspected the plastic/rubber backing would pose a problem. The job is for some "boarding mats" for a marina boat show. The customer is looking for some standard outdoor grade carpet mat in about 18X30.

I am unsure of what/how you would hoop something as heavy as carpet? Can't see sticking it in the rectangular wooden hoop.

Again, your help is most appreciated.
Steve F.

[Aaron]

I would say this is a job for the clampiong system. As long as the carpet isn't so dense or tough for the needles to penetrate I would say the clamp system would be fine. Hopefully not to big of a sewing area.

[sschroed2]

Going to throw my 2 cents worth in. I tried to sew some carpet a couple of weeks ago. It had the rubber backing. The machine sewed through it fine. My problem was with getting the density of the stitching good enough and consistent enough to satisfy me. I ran out of carpet before I accomplished that. I believe it needs a top solvy. But the normal solvy did not work at all. However I think the fabric solvy that I get from Gunold might work well. However, I've not had a chance to try it yet. Also, you are correct, it's impossible to hoop. I was trying to use fast frames but they really aren't right for it. So I ordered the Slim Line 2 Clamping system with the 12x9 window and I believe it will probably work. If I am successful with this prior to you trying and being succesful I will post a message about it. Right now I'm backed up for approx 3 weeks, so it will be awhile before I can try again.
Sue
All Custom Embroidery

[Steve I]

I think I may need to clarify something I stated in the earlier post. When I said I wouldn't try to sew the mats with the rubber backing I was talking about the heavy rubber that is attached to the carpet that keeps it laying flat on the car floor. Most auto and marine carpet has a black acrylic backing that could be mistaken for rubber.

As far as hooping, I usually hoop two pieces of tear away in a jacket hoop and then adhere the carpet to the top (over the hoop) with 505 adhesive, then I clip the solvy to the carpet with the clips that come with the cap frames.

For dash mats I have used the outer portion of a jacket frame for large areas and the outer portion of a 5.9 hoop for small designs and applied the hook side of some velcro to the bottom edge. you just lay out the dash mat and press the hoop over the area where you want to embroider. Just clip some solvy over the hoop and your ready to go.

Steve
Trinity Embroidery

[Alicante]

I see this thread hasn't been updated for a while.
Has completed test sewouts yet on carpeting?

I have been asked to embroider a company logo about 13x12in on 3/8in thick floor carpet.
I'm going to do a test today on a piece of carpet using the tips here. I don't have cap frames so I'll have to find another way to hold the solvy on top.
I'll post my results here.

[Barbara Bunker]

How on earth do you hoop carpet??
Barb

[Barbara Bunker]

Also, seems like puff foam would work better than Solvy; that is, if you can actually embroider on carpet.
Barb

[Alicante]

Okay, first results in.

I did a sewout with these parameters:
speed: 350 (Maybe too cautious, but it sewed okay and I only needed to do this logo design 3 times)
acti-feed: manual, 40 (the carpet is 3/8in)
density: 0.2
Primary underlay: standard
Secondary underlay: standard different angle
Stitching: #4 fill
Backing:2 layers cutaway backing.
Regular poly thread and 75/11 needle

I hooped the backing, then used spray adhesive and strong sewing pins to hold the carpet in place along hoop edges. On top I used a heavy-duty Solvy topper held in place by pins just catching some rug around the hoop edge.

The test sewout was a big letter A about 2 inches high.
Results: I got decent thread coverage sewout with frequent thread frazzling and false bobbin thread alerts. I used Masterfil thread, then changed to Madeira, no diff.

So I will keep testing.

[Juli in Kona]

Isn't .2 just a little dense. With a good underlay, and I think that's the key, you should get away with a density of no more than .35. I'd even go up to .5. And perhaps a larger needle - maybe. But let us know what you finally came up with.

I think that I will never have to do something like that, but I thought that about golf bags too. And the other day a customer brought me a golf bag. Turned out very nice.

Juli in Kona

[Terri H]

Solvy - to keep it down without tacking it - moisten it ever so lightly on the side that will touch the fabric and press down with fingers on the solvy onto the fabric or the hoop. I usually tough my finger to my tongue, then to the solvy.