Mac-Welcome to the wonderful world of machine embroidery (ME)!  You will be addicted to a terrific craft with lots of helpful, friendly people.  Dumb questions answered immediately, stupid questions do take a little longer (LOL).

I do have a Blog on stabilizers, but it does not specifically address this question.  So, I will attempt to do so here.

You don't mention which mesh stabilizer you are using, the one I have is very soft.  So, I am not sure why you are having this issue.  One cause could be a very dense design.  T-shirts are, by their nature, soft and having a firm design would causing some stiffness.  I know that some ME crafters have placed a backing of soft fabric on their completed designs for this reason. 

Again, because of the nature of t-shirt material, it is prudent to sew on a modest design.  A too dense/large design can cause the material to sag, not a pretty sight!   I love to do 'outline' styles on t-shirts.  I think it adds to the 'casual' look of the t-shirt.

Another thought is that you should be using a 'bobbin thread.'  Bobbin thread is somewhat lighter and therefore less dense.   Overall, I do recommend prewound bobbins and that will help your issue and make your work easier and much more professional in its finished product.   Relative to your time and effort to wind a bobbin, they are a very good buy.  It is the "right tool" for the job.  Ann's prewound bobbins are available in both black and white and very reasonably priced.  You get 144 bobbins, enough to keep you busy for a week or two. 

Pat

Sorry, here is a more accurate answer. 

My personal experience is to definately use the mesh on the underside of the t-shirt.  It is soft and you should have very good success.  I would use a water soluble on top as well.  It can be a scrap because it is not there to act as a stabilizer but to bring a little space between the fabric and thread.  This will add a small amount to the softness as well. 

I also recommend that you use the best quality you can.   With a membership in Ann's Club, you cannot beat the price on Ann's stabilizers.  Quality and cost are excellent here.

I would be using a cut away on such items as a sweatshirt or other projects requiring a heavy, leave in stabilizer. 

I would also encourage you to use the best quality thread as well because I have had some experiences with them being somewhat unyielding as well.   The reality is that this is a craft of investment.  Picking up inexpensive supplies can be penny wise but pound foolish.  In ME, I believe the 'devil is in the details' because one little missing or poor quality item will cause failure. 

The friendly, helpful people at Ann's and users here in Blogs and Forums are always discussing their success and failures.  Reading this information will add to your success without having to make all the mistakes by yourself - - -

Pat

macsandy<

Hello!

I'm pretty new to all this but.... for what it's worth.  I have used "med. cutaway"  with either Floriani Iron-on mesh or Floriani mesh and sprayed it with adhesive and stuck to the cutaway, so that I have a softer product on the inside.  Most of the designs I sew on knits seem to have the higher stitch counts.  I have also used the Floriani mesh and used 2-layers,  (nothing else), just be sure to turn one crossways to the other, it has worked well for me.  Hope this helps.

I really don't know IF this is correct or not, but it has worked for me. 

Sincerely,

Lollie in Oregon

My goodness Pat,you are so right! There are about as many ways to do a project as there are fabrics to use them on! We all have something to offer,we all have things to learn,no matter how long we have been doing this.That is what  is so wonderful about this community !

What I like to do is use a light tack sticky,to hold the t-shirt fabric in place.Only because it is soft and some times likes to shift a bit.Then I use a water soluable on top.Underneath,between the hoop and machine,I then lay a piece of ATG soft.( this is the one that will lay against the skin) I have also found that by not hooping ,only using the sticky that it comes out real well.T shirt fabric tends to stretch ,so by not hooping ,I am sure that I am not stretching it any more than necessary.

I have also discovered that for things like t shirts, I use a more airy design or one that is less dense ,and a lower stitch count.Ex: instead of using a design that has a cat on it, I will use a design that has just the out line of a face of a cat.I have found that with most clothing,using this type of design is better.It lays better on the fabric.

Well said !