Table of Contents
Video reference: “My First Time Using My Ricoma EM-1010!” by Shayna Marie Makes
If you’re setting up a Ricoma EM-1010 for the first time and want to applique children’s t-shirts with confidence, this guide walks you through the exact flow: fabric prep with Heat ‘n Bond Light, reliable hooping with cut-away stabilizer, color mapping with manual stops for applique, and clean finishing so shirts are ready to wear.
What you’ll learn
- How to prep applique fabrics so they don’t shift during stitching
- How to hoop children’s t-shirts with cut-away stabilizer and correct placement
- How to program color mapping and stops for applique on a multi-needle machine
- A step-by-step applique flow: tack-down, place, trim, satin stitch, repeat
- Finishing steps (trimming stabilizer, applying Tender Touch) for comfort and durability
Primer (What & When) Applique on a multi-needle machine adds bold, layered designs to garments. In this project, two designs were stitched on children’s t-shirts: Rubble (Paw Patrol) and a Batman Batmobile monster truck. The process demonstrates first-use essentials on the Ricoma EM-1010: preparing applique fabrics with Heat ‘n Bond Light, hooping with cut-away stabilizer, programming color mapping and manual stops, tracing for clearance, and running the applique sequence to completion.
When to use this process
- You’re customizing garments (especially kids’ tees) with layered applique.
- You need manual stop points for applique placement and trimming between color changes.
- You’re moving from a single-needle to a multi-needle workflow and want a clear checklist.
Constraints to keep in mind
- Placement matters: a shirt can be centered in the hoop yet still sit too low or slightly left/right on the body.
- Manual stops must be added for applique; without them, the machine will continue to the next needle/color.
- Color sheets provided with designs are helpful, but you still assign needles and stops on the machine.
Quick check
- Your applique fabrics are pre-fused with Heat ‘n Bond Light and trimmed.
- The shirt is hooped with cut-away stabilizer—fabric is taut, not overstretched.
- Color mapping is set, and all applique-related stops are inserted before you press start.
Community insight: Cost curiosity comes up often. A price around $9K was referenced for the Ricoma EM-1010. Use this as a starting point when researching embroidery machine price.
Prep Tools and materials
- Ricoma EM-1010 multi-needle embroidery machine
- Children’s t-shirts (e.g., AJ Blanks were used in the project)
- Cut-away stabilizer
- Heat ‘n Bond Light (fusible web)
- Applique fabrics (colors needed for your design)
- Thread (colors mapped to your design sequence)
- Scissors (applique scissors recommended)
- Iron (or a heat press, if your setup allows)
- Tender Touch (soft backing for the inside of the shirt)
- Notebook or printed checklist for your step order and settings
Files needed
- Your digital embroidery designs (e.g., Rubble, Batman Batmobile). These were sourced from Etsy.
Workspace
- Flat surface for ironing/fusing and for hooping garments
- Open machine access to mount and trace the hoop
Fabric prep with Heat ‘n Bond Light (fusible web)
- Cut Heat ‘n Bond Light to match each applique fabric piece.
- Fuse it to the wrong side of the fabric with an iron, pressing evenly.
- Trim excess fusible web so edges are clean.
- Fuse all colors you’ll need (light to dark) so you can place quickly at each stop.
Pro tip (from the comments) A heat press can be faster than an iron for fusing. One creator plans to switch once the press sits safely on a sturdy, higher table.
Watch out Excess fusible web beyond the fabric edge adds bulk under satin stitches. Trim cleanly after fusing.
Decision point
- If you have a safe, stable press setup → Fuse with a heat press for speed.
- Else → Fuse with an iron; just ensure even pressure and full adhesion.
Prep checklist
- Applique fabrics fused and trimmed
- Shirts selected and inspected for size/fit
- Stabilizer cut and ready
- Thread colors gathered
- Designs loaded to your machine or USB, ready to select
Setup Hooping the garment with cut-away stabilizer - Slide cut-away stabilizer inside the shirt.
- Place the inner hoop ring under the shirt; align the garment area you want to stitch.
- Press the outer hoop over the fabric and stabilizer to secure.
- Smooth and tension: fabric should be taut and wrinkle-free without stretching.
Why tension matters: taut, not stretched Proper tension prevents distortion and puckers. Too loose and details wobble; too tight and you risk hoop marks or skewed outlines.
Placement lessons learned The first shirt was centered in the hoop but sat lower than desired on the chest. The next shirt was hooped higher (better for adding a name underneath), but ended slightly left. Use this to calibrate your own placement.
Pro tip (frame adjustment) If you’re adjusting the flat frame width, loosen—don’t remove—the two screws on the left side and slide as needed, then retighten. This was shared as a practical tip for the EM-1010.
Mount the hooped garment - Attach the hooped shirt securely to the machine’s embroidery arm before any programming.
Program the design with color mapping and stops - Select the design on the Ricoma touchscreen.
- Assign needles to each design color.
- Insert manual stops wherever you’ll place and trim applique fabric.
- Trace the design to confirm placement and that the needle path clears the hoop.
Why manual stops matter on applique Unlike some single-needle machines that pause at every step by default, you must add stops on the EM-1010 for applique. Without them, it will continue to the next color/needle, and you’ll miss your fabric placement and trim stages.
Common question: Will the panel recognize colors assigned in software? The creator changes colors in Embrilliance but does not rely on the Ricoma panel to read color assignments automatically—colors are mapped manually on the machine.
Quick check
- Hooped area is exactly where you want the design to land on the shirt.
- Needle mapping matches the color sequence sheet.
- Every applique segment has a programmed stop for placing and trimming fabric.
- Trace passes cleanly within the hoop.
Setup checklist
- Stabilizer inserted; shirt hooped taut
- Hoop mounted on the machine
- Design selected; needles mapped
- Manual stops inserted for each applique layer
- Trace completed without collisions
Side note on tools Some stitchers prefer dedicated hooping aids when repeating many shirts. If you’re considering accessory options, a hooping station for embroidery can help standardize placement.
Operation / Steps This section covers both applique runs (Rubble and the Batman Batmobile). The flow is the same: tack-down, place, trim, satin, repeat.
1) Start the sequence and run the first tack-down
- Press start to stitch the tack-down outline for the first applique area.
- Expected result: a clean outline showing exactly where fabric must cover.
2) Stop, place fabric, restart
- At the programmed stop, lay the fused applique fabric over the tack-down line, fully covering the outline.
- Restart to secure the fabric with another tack-down or the securing stitch.
3) Stop and trim - Pause again and trim excess fabric close to the stitch line. Use applique scissors for clean curves and corners.
- Expected result: a neat, close trim with no frayed edges beyond the line.
4) Run satin borders and details
- Resume stitching for satin borders that seal the applique edge and add details.
- Keep monitoring for thread tension and any jump stitches that might need trimming.
5) Repeat for each applique layer - For the Batmobile body and wheels, repeat: tack-down → place fabric → secure → trim → satin.
- Expected result: each segment lands precisely, with clean edges and aligned details.
Quick check
- Fabric fully covers each tack-down before you run the next pass.
- Trims are close and even; no fabric peeks beyond the satin line.
- Color changes match your plan; stops happen exactly when needed.
Pro tip (from a viewer) Trim jump stitches as you go. It keeps the work area tidy and prevents snagging during later passes.
Watch out If a trim is too far from the tack-down, satin stitches may not fully cover the fabric edge. If it’s too close, you risk cutting stitches—trim with care.
Decision point: Placement too low or off-center?
- If the trace shows the design is too low/left/right → Stop and re-hoop now. It’s faster to fix placement early than to unpick stitches later.
Operation checklist
- Tack-downs run cleanly; fabric placed and secured
- Trims are close and smooth
- Satin borders cover edges without gaps
- Occasional jump stitches trimmed during the run
Note on hoops and size options The project used a 5"×7" hoop and mentioned an 8×9 Mighty Hoop as a future addition to combine applique with names beneath. If you’re exploring compatible accessories, you might encounter ricoma embroidery hoops and, for this machine family, sets marketed as ricoma em 1010 mighty hoops or the specific mighty hoop 8x9. Choose sizing that suits kids’ tee placements you stitch most often.
Quality Checks What “good” looks like
- Tack-downs: crisp lines, no skipped stitches
- Trims: close to stitch line, even through tight curves
- Satin borders: smooth sheen, full coverage of raw edges
- Registration: design elements land where expected; no overlaps out of place
Placement evaluation
- First shirt (Rubble): centered in the hoop but placed lower than preferred on the shirt body.
- Second shirt (Batman Batmobile): height was good (room to add a name), slightly left on the garment.
Quick check
- Turn the shirt inside out: stabilizer is intact; stitches look even.
- Front side: no gaps around satin edges; details are sharp and aligned.
Small anomalies The creator noted a small white area believed to be a design quirk; overall stitch-out quality was strong.
Results & Handoff Unhoop and inspect - Carefully remove the hoop and review the front for thread tails or minor trims.
Trim stabilizer
- Trim the cut-away stabilizer on the back without cutting shirt fabric.
Apply Tender Touch
- Cover the reverse side of the embroidery with Tender Touch to make the shirt comfortable to wear and to protect skin from thread ends.
Expected output
- Two wearable t-shirts with applique designs fully secured, smooth satin edges, and an interior soft backing for comfort.
Optional next steps
- For taller designs or adding names beneath applique, plan your hoop size accordingly. An 8×9 option was mentioned as a future upgrade.
Results handoff checklist
- Stabilizer trimmed neatly
- Tender Touch applied and adhered
- Stray threads clipped
- Shirts folded and ready for wear or gifting
Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom → Cause → Fix
- Design keeps going without stopping for applique → Missing manual stops → Add stops at each placement/trim stage before starting.
- Colors out of order → Needle mapping mismatch → Reassign needles to match the design’s color sheet and confirm before pressing start.
- Fabric peeks beyond satin edges → Trim too far or placement shifted → Re-trim closer; for future layers, place fabric carefully and verify coverage before resuming.
- Puckering or distortion → Fabric not taut during hooping → Re-hoop with even tension; ensure stabilizer supports the fabric area.
- Slight placement off (too low/left) → Hooped location on garment needs adjustment → Re-hoop and retrace, prioritizing chest height and centerline.
- Jump stitches snagging → Untrimmed jump threads → Pause occasionally to trim as you go.
Quick isolation tests
- Run a trace: confirms hoop clearance and placement.
- Do a short test tack-down and pause: confirms tension and needle mapping before committing to long passes.
Recovery priorities
- If placement is wrong, re-hoop before stitching any satin borders.
- If stops are missing, abort before applique sections, add stops, and restart from the correct step.
From the comments
- “Can I see the step-by-step notes?” The creator no longer has the original handwritten notes; a later crash-course resource was mentioned. In this article, we’ve embedded the exact order used: design select → color map → add stops → trace → start.
- “Where did the designs come from?” Etsy was used to source both characters.
- “Heat press vs iron for fusing?” A heat press is faster; ensure a stable, safe setup.
- “Does the panel read software color assignments?” The creator maps colors manually on the Ricoma after preparing them in Embrilliance.
- “Any setup tip for the flat frame?” Loosen—not remove—the two left screws and slide to adjust.
If you frequently produce kids’ tees, standardizing placement can be easier with repeatable tools and aids. Some stitchers also consider hooping for embroidery machine guides, magnetic hoops for quick clamping, or purpose-built options like a mighty hoop 8x9 to fit applique plus names. If you’re comparing broader add-ons or cross-brand systems, you’ll see many references to ricoma em 1010 mighty hoops and general accessory ecosystems marketed as ricoma embroidery hoops—choose what aligns with your garments and volume. For multi-piece workflows, a dedicated hooping station for embroidery can help you keep left/right and height consistent from shirt to shirt.
Finally, if you’re experimenting with specialty frames, it’s common to encounter magnetic accessories described as magnetic hoops for embroidery machines—they can speed repeat setups, but always confirm compatibility with your specific frame system and clearances before running a trace.