Custom Sweatshirt Embroidery on a Ricoma: Script Font, Bean Stitch, and a Smooth Finish

Video reference: “EMBROIDERING A SWEATSHIRT ON A RICOMA MACHINE | SCRIPT FONT EMBROIDERY | BEAN STITCH DESIGN” by Creative Casey

Want crisp, oversized script on a cozy sweatshirt without puckers or scratchy backs? This walkthrough shows the exact order: double cut-away hooping, Ricoma screen setup for an 8×12 field, trace-and-check, clean stitching, and a Tender Touch finish that feels great on skin.

What you’ll learn

• How to prep and hoop a sweatshirt with double cut-away for stable, pucker-free stitching

• How to configure hoop and needle settings on a Ricoma multi-needle and trace to confirm placement

• How to manage the run (single color, bean-style lettering) and avoid collisions

• How to clean up the back: trim stabilizer and jumps, then apply Tender Touch with a heat press

Choosing Your Canvas: Finding the Perfect Sweatshirt A medium-weight, soft sweatshirt is ideal for lettering—structured enough to hold stitches but still cozy. Clearance racks are a goldmine for practice and projects with quick turnaround. The sample in this guide is a light blue sweatshirt that showcases teal thread beautifully without overpowering the script.

Quick check

• Knit sweatshirt with smooth fleece for stable needle penetration

• Front panel free of bulky seams where the design will sit

• Size and placement that complement an oversized script look

Design & Setup: 'Soli Deo Gloria' on Your Ricoma The project phrase is “Soli Deo Gloria.” On a Ricoma multi-needle, load your design from a USB, pick the right hoop profile on-screen, and assign your single color to a needle position for a seamless run.

Uploading Your Design: USB to Machine Insert your USB, open File, and select your design. Load it into memory so you can adjust hoop and placement. The screen will show your design relative to the chosen hoop.

Pro tip

• If your machine uses multiple thread posts, label them clearly so needle mapping is unmistakable. One maker cut large vinyl numbers for the stands to see them from a distance—simple and effective.

Hoop Selection: The Mighty 8×12 Hoop D On-screen, change the hoop to match the hardware. The creator selected “Hoop D” to match the 8×12 hoop, which also makes the design preview the correct scale and position. This is foundational: if the hoop is wrong on the screen, your placement and trace won’t reflect reality.

From the comments: “How did you get your letters so big?”

• Use a hoop with a large field, like 8×12, and size your lettering to fill the field tastefully. After hoop selection, the preview represents the available space; trace confirms it will stitch where you want, at the intended scale.

Thread & Needle: Single Color Simplicity Assign your design’s single color to Needle 1 to keep things stress-free. The actual color swatch on the screen doesn’t have to match—what matters is which physical needle slot you’re using. Verify your spool (teal here) is indeed on the assigned post.

Watch out

• If the on-screen color order and your needle post don’t match, you’ll get the wrong thread color. Double-check the mapping before you begin.

The Art of Hooping: Stabilizing for Success Great sweatshirt embroidery begins with stabilizer choices and tension. The creator doubled cut-away stabilizer under the sweatshirt in an 8×12 hoop for firm support on this knit garment.

Cut-Away Stabilizer: Doubling Up for Durability Lay a sheet of cut-away under the hoop—and double it for thick, plush knits. Knits move; doubled cut-away resists stretch and reduces the risk of rippling. Place the sweatshirt smoothly over the inner hoop, then seat the outer hoop, aiming for drum-tight fabric.

Pro tip

• If your stabilizer isn’t large enough for your hoop, you’ll struggle to cover the stitch area. Plan your sheet size before hooping or you’ll be forced into compromises later.

Achieving the Perfect Tension Run your fingertips over the hooped area; it should be taut, with no ripples and no bounce. If you pull the fabric and it rebounds loosely, re-hoop. Tension is your best defense against puckering on script fonts and bean stitches.

Protecting Your Garment: Avoiding Obstructions Confirm the hood, pocket fabric, or side seams won’t slide under the needle path. Trapping extra layers under the hoop can cause knock or alignment issues.

Decision point

• If the garment is bulky at seams → keep those outside the hoop throat and check clearances during trace.

• If the garment is light and flat → standard hooping and trace are usually enough.

Checklist — Hooping

• Double cut-away covers the entire hooping area

• Fabric centered and straight with the hoop ruler/markings

• Drum-tight tension, no wrinkles or bounce

• No stray fabric (hood, pocket) near the needle path

Embroidery in Action: Watch the Magic Unfold Now that hooping and on-screen settings match, verify placement with a trace and start the run.

Tracing for Precision: Preventing Mishaps Use the Trace function with your active needle (Needle 1). The machine will outline the design perimeter so you can ensure the stitch field is clear and centered. Watch for potential hoop strikes and any garment that might slide into the path.

Quick check

• The trace stays fully inside the hoop, with a few millimeters to spare

• The needle centers where you want the middle of your phrase

• The hood or other fabric isn’t drifting into the field during movement

The Multi-Needle Advantage: Speed & Efficiency With a single color assigned, press Start and monitor the first few passes. A bean-style script builds satisfying texture and legibility on fleece knits. Progress, word by word (“SOLI,” then “SOLI DEO”), confirms spacing and tension are on point.

Outcome expectation - Letters should sit flat with consistent stitch density. No rippling, tunneling, or birdnesting. The final phrase reads clean at a glance.

Checklist — Running the Job

• Final trace passes without contact

• Needle and thread assignment verified

• Monitor first 10–20 seconds for tension/trim behaviors

• Let the run complete without tugging the garment

Finishing Touches: Beyond the Last Stitch After the machine stops, remove the hoop, unhoop the sweatshirt, and turn it inside out to finish the back.

Trimming & Tidy-Up: Eliminating Jump Stitches Use sharp embroidery scissors to trim jump threads on the back. Clean backs keep snags at bay and improve comfort, especially on lettering.

Watch out

• Don’t snip into stitching. Trim jumps only; leave the lock stitches intact.

Cut-Away: How Much to Remove? Trim excess cut-away close to the outline while leaving a stable halo around the stitching—enough support without bulk. The creator did a functional trim for personal wear; for gifts or orders, you can trim more precisely for neat edges.

From the comments: “Cut-away or tear-away for sweatshirts?”

• The run used doubled cut-away for reliable support on knit fleece. The creator noted they might have used tear-away if a large-enough sheet had been on hand—but cut-away produced a stable, clean result either way.

Tender Touch: The Secret to Comfort To avoid scratchiness against skin, apply Tender Touch over the embroidery’s back. Cut a piece just larger than the design area, place it adhesive side down on the inside of the sweatshirt, and prepare to heat press.

Heat Press Perfection: Sealing the Deal Slide a Teflon pillow inside the sweatshirt to elevate the embroidery area and avoid seam imprints. Press for 15 seconds to bond the Tender Touch. Remove the pillow, cool briefly, and turn the sweatshirt right side out. The interior now feels smooth and comfortable.

Pro tip

• A pressing pillow or pad helps distribute pressure evenly on thick sweatshirts, preventing cold spots around seams.

Checklist — Finish Work

• All jump stitches clipped

• Cut-away trimmed with a neat halo

• Tender Touch covers the entire stitch area and is fully adhered

Rocking Your Custom Creation: Final Reveal The result: crisp, centered script that reads beautifully at wearable distance. The teal thread pops against light blue fleece, and the oversized composition suits the sweatshirt perfectly. Inside, the soft barrier makes it comfy for everyday wear.

Quality Checks

• Alignment: The phrase sits straight and centered relative to the neckline and sweatshirt midline.

• Tension: Letters are smooth, no looping on top or bobbin peeks.

• Stabilization: No puckering or tunneling around letters.

• Comfort: Inside feels smooth; no sharp edges or scratchy threads.

Results & Handoff

• Deliverable: A finished sweatshirt with large, legible script and a soft interior finish.

• Care: Turn inside out for washing to protect thread sheen and edges.

• Repeatability: With consistent hooping and the same on-screen hoop setting, subsequent sweatshirts will match in scale and placement.

Troubleshooting & Recovery Symptom: Design traces near the hoop edge

• Likely cause: Wrong hoop selected on-screen or design sized too large.

• Fix: Change to the correct hoop profile (e.g., Hoop D for 8×12) and re-center; reduce size if needed.

Symptom: Puckering around letters

• Likely cause: Fabric not drum-tight or insufficient stabilizer.

• Fix: Re-hoop for tighter tension; double the cut-away as done here.

Symptom: Wrong thread color stitching

• Likely cause: Needle assignment mismatch.

• Fix: Reassign the design’s color to the needle that holds your spool and verify before pressing Start.

Symptom: Tender Touch not adhering fully

• Likely cause: Uneven pressure from thick seams or insufficient press time.

• Fix: Insert a Teflon pillow under the area to level it; press a full 15 seconds.

From the comments (integrated tips)

• Scale it big: Choose a large hoop (8×12) and size your lettering to fill the field; trace confirms fit.

• Organize needle posts: Large, visible number labels on thread stands reduce mapping errors.

• Stabilizer choice: Doubled cut-away provided stable results on this sweatshirt; tear-away could be an option if it fully covers the hoop area.

Optional tools and workflow helpers

• If you frequently produce sweatshirts, consider workflow aids that speed hooping and improve repeatability, such as hooping stations or compatible magnetic frames. They can help with alignment and reduce re-hooping time, especially on thick fleece. hooping stations

Buyer’s corner: Choosing accessories wisely

• For users who run different machines across a shop, it helps to learn which magnetic frames or hooping aids match your specific model. Matching the accessory to your hoop standard and field size is key to reliable traces and clearances. magnetic hoops

Scale and placement confidence

• Oversized script thrives in a wide field. An 8×12 hoop, paired with a precise trace, gives you the green light before a single stitch lands. If you work across brands, ensure any accessory you add is confirmed compatible with your machine’s throat and hoop ID. magnetic hoop embroidery

Workflow refinement as you grow

• As you iterate, tracking which hoop/garment combos yield the best results becomes invaluable. Label storage bins by hoop size and garment type so you can grab and go. If you expand into compatible magnetic systems for your brand, keep a log of which hoops excel on heavy fleece vs. lighter knits. embroidery hoops magnetic

If you run Ricoma at scale

• Users building out a Ricoma-focused setup often explore compatible accessories that reduce setup time from hoop to hoop. Document your best-performing combinations so your future self—and teammates—can repeat wins quickly. ricoma mighty hoops

If you standardize a hooping workflow

• A consistent staging surface, hoop order, and trace routine eliminates rework. Many shops add a dedicated hooping fixture to standardize centerlines and reduce human error. hoop master

Expanding to more machines

• If you maintain mixed-brand fleets, create a compatibility matrix for hoop sizes and accessory mounts. A quick guide prevents the wrong frame from touching a needle plate. magnetic hoops for embroidery machines