hooping above a pocket on thick uniform shirts

[cmack]

I need to pick everyones brain's.
I am having trouble embroidering names above a uniform shirt pocket.
The shirt is very thick (TDU Shirts)
they also have a pleat running vertical to the pocket.
I sew them and then they are off slightly, but it looks bad due to the pocket right under the embroidery.
does anyone else have this problem? what did you do to correct it?
new hoops?

[Impressive Threads]

Make sure you are not hooping to tightly as this can throw your pocket line off. Better to hoop loosely then tighten before loading on machine. Also I have found with woven materials, especially thick ones, is to use some type of material on the top hoop to keep the material from getting loose while sewing. Using athletic wrap works well. Just wrap it around the top hoop and it will keep your fabric from slipping.


Cindy in Phoenix

[Rod or Sharon]

Use as small a hoop as possible and still fit your embroidery inside the stitching area. This keeps the fabric from flagging. If you are not using a hooping station, mark a straight line above your pocket with either a water soluble pen, tailor's chalk or soap sliver and mark a horizontal line on your hoop as well so you can line the two lines up to assure your straight stitching. Hoop good and taut but do not over stretch the fabric by pulling on it too tightly. Use a good stabilizer appropriate for the fabric. On really heavy tightly woven fabrics you can sometimes get away with no stabilizer but I still like to use something. You should be good to go and your embroidery (if well digitized and machine settings along with presser foot height are all adjusted correctly)should be great!
Sharon

[Bill C @ Fineline]

We marked our hoops. We have three marks on them on each side. You just hoop with the marks at the top of the pocket and the design will be straight. We do a lot of uniform shirts. You can buy hoops from another company that will work on Amaya's that are all ready marked. The marks have to be so the design will fit above the pocket. Bill from Fine Line Emb