NQR - Embroidery on ripstop nylon?

[fineseams]

I have a Bernina170, and I occasionally do a little machine embroidery - mostly quilt labels, etc. I do not have a business. But my friends know I have a machine. Yesterday some friends came over and asked if I could please embroider their son's name on a ripstop garment bag that holds his marching band uniform at Texas A&M.

I have NO experience with embroidering on a fabric as finely woven as ripstop. I figure I'll use a heavy stabilizer underneath - the fabric won't stretch, of course, but I'm worried about the needle actually cutting the threads as it stitches.

I know some of you do commercial embroidery. Do you have any advice for me? I told them I wasn't sure it was something I should tackle, so if it is really a bad idea, I can call them and suggest they take it to a commercial place.

There is a logo already embroidered on the bag, and it looks like they may have used some kind of slightly fuzzy yarn - at least on the back there is lots of fuzz as well as some trimmed stabilizer.

Any advice would be appreciated. I don't want to ruin their son's garment bag, but I'd be happy to do them a favor if I can safely do so.

[kathyd]

I do not do embroidery as a business but do some embroidery. Although I have never embroidered on ripstop nylon I would think that using a microtech needle in the smallest size possible would do. The microtech has a very sharp point and is recommended for rain gear so it doesn't make a big hole in the fabric. If you say that the embroidery on the bag now is fuzzy I wonder if they used one of those "Wooly" yarns that you would use on the serger to do a rolled hem. If I were you I would try to find a piece of ripstop nylon and see how it goes. It might be a lot easier than you think.

Let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions!

KathyD

[SYork]

I have embroidered on this type of fabric and made yard flags. They had a pretty dense design and I didn't have any problems.