Here are a few tips to help ensure embroidery success on Cuddle®, Quilting Cuddle® and Luxe Cuddle® fabrics.
A design may look great when first stitched using a wash-away stabilizer, but the real test comes after laundering. Because Cuddle® fabrics have stretch, a cut-away stabilizer is recommended as the embroidery backing. It provides the long-term support needed to keep stitches looking their best and helps prevent distortion over time.
When hooping your project, avoid stretching the fabric. Stretching can lead to wrinkles and puckering once the fabric is removed from the hoop.
If you're experimenting with a new design, always stitch a test sample first. A quick trial run can help you identify potential issues before embroidering your finished project.
Because Cuddle® 3 (C3) and Quilting Cuddle® have relatively short pile lengths, many designs can be successfully embroidered using a layer of water-soluble stabilizer (WSS) on top of the fabric.
For designs with fine details, thin lines, or open spaces between stitch elements, consider adding a knockdown stitch. A knockdown stitch flattens the fabric nap and helps prevent fibers from poking through the embroidery. Typically, it uses a reduced fill density, about one-third density for a single layer and up to two-thirds density for double layers.
If your design contains small details that could become hidden by the fabric's nap, extending the knockdown stitch beyond the embroidered area can make a significant difference.
In the horse example shown below, both designs were embroidered on Black C3. The version with the knockdown stitch retained much more detail, especially around the tail and hoof, while the version without the knockdown stitch lost some definition.
Luxe Cuddle® presents a different challenge because its pile length can range from 10 mm to 40 mm. With longer plush fibers, details such as small lettering, intricate design elements, and even the edges of a design can become buried in the nap.
For solid embroidery designs, a knockdown stitch that extends slightly beyond the design helps keep fibers from creeping into the stitched area. It's also helpful for the knockdown stitch to extend slightly underneath the embroidery itself to eliminate any visible gaps between the design and the flattened fabric.
Permanent toppings can also improve results on Luxe Cuddle®. Products such as Floriani Color Keep Topping and OESD Top Cover help keep stitches sitting on top of the plush surface. Unlike wash-away products, they remain in place after laundering, helping embroidery maintain its clarity over time.
Sometimes a little experimentation is required to achieve the best outcome.
For the bunny embroidery example shown below, an initial attempt revealed that the topping remained visible within portions of the design. The solution was to place permanent topping only beneath the embroidered design itself, while using water-soluble stabilizer over the knockdown stitch area.
Because the bunny design features fur-like edges rather than a solid fill, the permanent topping does not extend all the way to the edge of the knockdown stitching. This adjustment preserved the realistic fur effect while still providing the support needed for clean embroidery.
For lettering and designs that are not fully filled, a knockdown stitch that extends beyond the design area often produces the best results.
In these situations, two layers of water-soluble stabilizer or a single layer of BadgeMaster WSS can be highly effective. Extending the knockdown stitch beyond the design ensures that the surrounding nap doesn't obscure fine details.
Knockdown stitches don't have to be purely functional, either. They can also become part of the design itself. For example, a decorative lightning-bolt knockdown stitch worked perfectly for a project featuring a character named Thunder.
Some higher-end Baby Lock embroidery machines include features that can generate multiple outlines and create fill stitches. While these built-in options can be useful, they often cannot reduce stitch density below 90%.
For dense, solid embroidery designs, this may result in too many stitches and potential puckering. While not always ideal, these machine-generated fills can still provide better results than skipping a knockdown stitch altogether.
The photo below shows Quilting Cuddle® appliqués embroidered onto Luxe Cuddle® Encore. The depth of the plush fibers clearly demonstrates why a knockdown stitch offset is so important, especially when adding names or detailed embroidery near the edges of a design.
Without it, valuable detail can easily disappear beneath the fabric's nap.
For the best embroidery results on Cuddle® fabrics:
Happy embroidering! We can't wait to see your creations in the I Love Cuddle® Fabric Facebook group.
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Editor's Note: If you're interested in learning more about embroidery digitizing, the author Susan Coe recommends Lee Carosell of Balboa Thread Works, an industry educator specializing in embroidery digitizing and Wilcom software training.