Embroidery question

[showcase 66]

I have what will seem like a stupid question. The lady I usually use as my wholesaler for embroidery is going to be down for a while and she told me about another lady who is local that has the same equipment and can do the work for me. The new lady and her husband are retired from the screen printing and apparel business but still have their embroidery machines.

With this lady, she wants me to supply the shirts which is no problem. I would do that for the other lady as well. But this is what seemed odd to me.

I was always told to bring the shirts in just like I receive them out of the box. This lady told me I need to wash them all first.

I am curious to know if it is best to wash them or not. She said she would embroider them for me either way but would prefer if I washed them first. Does this make sense? I could see if the shirts are 100% cotton and are not pre shrunk then I could see the embroidered area kinda curl from the shirt shrinking.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

Question: how are you going to explain to your customer that the garments have been washed?

i do in-house screen printing and embroidery, and NOTHING is washed before it's printed or stitched....did the new lady give you her reason for wanting them washed?

 

[showcase 66]

Question: how are you going to explain to your customer that the garments have been washed?

i do in-house screen printing and embroidery, and NOTHING is washed before it's printed or stitched....did the new lady give you her reason for wanting them washed?

She said the shirts will look better if they are washed. "IF" I washed them I would just wash them with no soap just water. We have to use a free and clear type of detergent because my son is allergic to most oils they put in for the scents.

What sucks is that I had this job for 2 weeks now and they needed to be done by Monday but now they would like them tomorrow. The first lady has been sick in the Hospital for almost a week and half otherwise they would have been do last week.

 

[txsurfer]

Thats Crazy! I do In-House Embroidery and have never heard this in 15 Years!, I have customers bringing their own garments all the time.

 

[Bigdawg]

Theory is that the shirt will shrink around the embroidery and pucker. If you buy good shirts - not generally a problem. Cheap ones tend to do it though... but I've never been asked to wash them... I've just been warned about it when I delivered some el-cheapo shirts...

 

[Mosh]

cotton ones will shirnk to most, 50/50 not so much. Never heard of pre-washing before either.

 

[Locals Find!]

I have been doing embroidery for over 10 years. You never wash a shirt before sewing them period.

The only reason an embroidery would pucker would be if the shirt was hooped too tight, by someone stretching the shirt overly taught during the hooping process. I know this from experience when I first started out. I ruined many many shirts to learn my lesson.

 

[showcase 66]

I am not washing them. I just dropped them off for her to do. Talked to her husband and he said the same thing you guys are saying. Not to wash them. He said they have told people in the past to wash the shirts when they were 100% cotton and cheap shirts. I feel a little better after talking with him about it. He seems on top of everything were she seemed a little confused and not completely with the program.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Like every one else here, you don't wash the shirts before. At least I never have before I do embroidery.

Even though I'll take shirts that people bring to me, I actually prefer to supply my own. Just a little quirk of mine. Some people come in with the bargain bin Target or Wal Mart shirts wanting embroidery(they really do). I just don't like doing that work.

 

[showcase 66]

Like every one else here, you don't wash the shirts before. At least I never have before I do embroidery.

Even though I'll take shirts that people bring to me, I actually prefer to supply my own. Just a little quirk of mine. Some people come in with the bargain bin Target or Wal Mart shirts wanting embroidery(they really do). I just don't like doing that work.

What shirts do you guys usually get. Most people around here get Gilden. I have used there shirts as well. What do you guys prefer.

 

[Locals Find!]

For polo shirts I prefer Outer Banks for price and Quality. Gildan doesn't make a decent polo. They make a great T-shirt on the other hand.

I have had Outerbank shirts I have sold to clients still holding up 5 years later with proper care.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Gildan and Anvil tend to be the ones that I like the most. Now I did get "hooked" on those brands with T-Shirt work though, so that could explain why I'm fond of them too.

In fact, right now I have a Gildan 50/50 on with the vinyl work that I did with my farm logo on it.

 

[mollygrubber]

Ok, maybe someone can enlighten me on this, but I had a mfg sales rep tell me that pre-shrunk means that the way they come to you, they are compressed to the size they would be after washing. If you were to stretch them out too tight while hooping they can shrink back down after washing.

I never wash them but do not over hoop them. I also make sure my density is right and tensions are correct and good backing is used.

When I first started I really sucked at hooping and had a few that puckered. It still happens now and then.

 

[Locals Find!]

Ok, maybe someone can enlighten me on this, but I had a mfg sales rep tell me that pre-shrunk means that the way they come to you, they are compressed to the size they would be after washing. If you were to stretch them out too tight while hooping they can shrink back down after washing.

I never wash them but do not over hoop them. I also make sure my density is right and tensions are correct and good backing is used.

When I first started I really sucked at hooping and had a few that puckered. It still happens now and then.

The rep was right however, that only applies to washing in cold water and air drying versus a heated dryer. Shirts will shrink even pre-shrunk if they are washed in hot water and/or dried in a dyer at anything other than the lowest setting. I suggest washing shirts in cold water to all my clients and only drying them at the lowest setting till the majority of the moisture is out then hanging them to finish drying. This will keep them from shrinking.