Overcoming Cap Anxiety: Part II Embroidery Project

The second most common mistake made by embroiderers in regards to sewing caps is trying to use a cap that doesn’t match up to their machine’s cap frame. Each frame has a built-in curvature that needs to mate with the horizontal curve of the cap to be sewn. If these two surfaces don’t match-up, the cap will be forced to fit the frame, leading to distortion in the front panel. And of course, this will lead to sewing problems.

Figure 1   If the cap is wider than the cap frame (see Figure 1), it will have to be pushed in from the sides to frame it. Pushing in from the sides tends to cause the front panel to push out, which will shift it away from its natural shape. This will cause sewing quality problems. In addition, if the front panel is pushed outward, it will not lay against the needle plate while sewing which will cause “flagging” (bouncing) while sewing. The end result of flagging is thread breaks and needle breaks. A properly framed cap will maintain its shape, and the back inside of the front panel will lightly rest (not drag) on the needle plate of the machine.

One trick to test how well a cap lines up, is to remove the bill, and then place the curved portion (that used to attach to the crown) over the curved portion of the cap frame, and visually inspect the match-up. Of course, this destroys the cap, but better one than a dozen. Unfortunately, there is no master list of which brands and styles work best for each machine brand. It comes through trial and error. And because the cap manufacturers, change cap specifications frequently, what works best this year, may not do so next year. This means that you will need to experiment by ordering cap samples and trying them with your equipment.

This also means that you will have to limit what you offer to the customer. It’s very tempting to give the customer a catalog of headwear to browse through and let them choose what they want. But, it’s not very practical if you haven’t tested all of the caps in the catalog. Therefore, you should create a sample kit of the caps that you know work well for you and use these to show the customer their choices. Also, you can create your own catalog using desktop publishing software, a scanner and a photo-quality ink-jet printer. Simply use pictures from the various catalogs that you order from to create your own custom catalog. Be sure to check with each Manufacturer/Distributor to ensure that it is ok to use their catalog pictures (copyright issues). In fact, some of the companies have the individual images available electronically to assist you with creating your own catalog. Bottom-line, only show what you know works. Don’t offer it if you haven’t tested it.