Turn Built-In Brother Fonts Into Raw-Edge Appliqué: The “Be Happy” Table Runner Workflow (3700D Tutorial)

Master Class: Raw-Edge Appliqué on Toweling with the Brother 3700D

An Industry-Grade Guide to Texture, Stability, and Zero-Friction Workflow.

Raw-edge appliqué is one of the most high-value skills in the machine embroidery repertoire. It allows you to transform simple built-in lettering into a boutique-style, textured masterpiece that feels "store-bought" rather than "homemade." For beginners, however, the combination of thick toweling, slippery appliqué fabric, and precise alignment can trigger a cascade of anxieties: Will the hoop leave a permanent burn mark? Will the letters shift? Why is my machine stopping every three seconds?

In this comprehensive guide, we are deconstructing a project by Linda on the brother embroidery machine (specifically the Innov-is 3700D). We will elevate her demonstration into a codified production standard, ensuring you understand the physics behind every stitch.

You will learn:

• The Physics of Loft: How to stabilize thick terry cloth so it behaves like a stable canvas.
• The Blind Spot: How to find "True Center" on mid-range machines lacking camera technology.
• The Brother Workflow: Enabling the hidden "Appliqué Outline" function in the interface.
• The "Sandwich" Technique: Using fusibles (Steam-A-Seam 2) to lock fabric in place before stitching.
• Production Logic: When to stick with standard tools and when to upgrade your hardware for safety and speed.

Phase 1: The "Why" Behind the Materials

Success in embroidery is 80% preparation. Linda’s material stack is simple, but specific. As an embroidery educator, I need you to understand why these specific consumables prevent failure, so you can replicate this success on any fabric.

The Essential Stack

1. Substrate: Beige/white striped toweling (Pre-washed to shrink fibers).
2. Stabilizer: RNK "Heat and Stay" (Fusible Cutaway).
3. Appliqué Medium: Creamy white cotton fabric + "Steam-A-Seam 2" (Double-stick fusible web).
4. Marking: Sewline air-erasable pen + quilting ruler.
5. Cutting: Rotary cutter + ruler; Duckbill appliqué scissors.
6. Chemistry: Iron (Dry heat).

The "Hidden Consumables" (Don't Start Without These)

Novices often fail because they lack the invisible support tools. Add these to your station:

• New Needle (Size 75/11 or 90/14 Sharp): Toweling is thick; a dull needle will deflect and cause crooked lettering.
• Lint Roller: Terry cloth sheds. Excess lint can clog your bobbin case sensors.
• Temporary Spray Adhesive (Optional): If your fusible stabilizer doesn't bond perfectly, a light mist is your insurance policy.

The Physics of Toweling

Toweling is a "living" fabric—it stretches, compresses, and has a high pile (loops). If you hoop it without a fusible backing, the needle penetrations will push the pile around, causing your letters to look drunken and distorted.

• Why Fusible Cutaway? It fuses to the back of the towel, effectively freezing the loops in place. It transforms the unstable towel into a rigid board for the duration of the stitching.
• Why Steam-A-Seam 2? This creates a "sticky back" for your top fabric. It prevents the appliqué patch from fluttering or shifting as the foot travels over it.

Phase 2: Preparation and Stabilization

A. Finding True Center (The Manual Method)

Without a camera scanner, you must rely on geometry.

1. Fold & Crease: Fold the entire towel lengthwise, then widthwise. Finger-press the folds firmly to create visible creases.
2. Mark the Crosshair: Open the towel. Using your air-erasable pen and ruler, draw a crosshair exactly where the creases intersect.
   • Sensory Check: The line should be visible but faint. Do not press so hard that you drag the pile of the towel; use a light, sketching motion.

B. The "Heat and Stay" Fusion

This is the most critical step for preventing puckering.

1. Cut the Stabilizer: It must be 1 inch larger than your hoop on all sides. If it's too small, the hoop will grip the towel only, and the stabilizer will float—this causes registration errors.
2. The Press: Place the stabilizer (shiny side down) on the wrong side of the towel. Press with a dry iron.
   • Sensory Check: You are looking for a firm bond. When you try to peel a corner, it should resist. The stabilizer should turn slightly translucent, allowing you to see your crosshair mark through it.
   • The "Why": This creates a unified "sandwich." The hoop will now grip the stabilizer/towel combo, not just the spongy towel loops.

Warning: Mechanical Safety
When using rotary cutters and irons, always maintain a "clear zone" on your table. Do not route iron cords across your cutting mat. A moment of distraction can lead to severe burns or cuts.

Prep Checklist: The "Go/No-Go" Flight Check

• Towel pre-washed and dried (prevents post-stitch shrinking).
• Crosshair marked and clearly visible.
• Stabilizer brings the towel rigidity (it should feel stiffer than treated fabric).
• Bobbin is full (White pre-wound recommended for consistent tension).
• Hoop area is clear of lint and debris.

Phase 3: Software Configuration (Brother 3700D Specifics)

You are essentially "hacking" the built-in font engine to act like a digitized appliqué file.

A. Text & Spacing

1. Input: Linda types "Be Happy."
2. Kerning: Add two spaces between words.
   • The Logic: You need room to trim the fabric later without snipping the next letter.
3. Size Check: Ensure the total design fits the 6x10" hoop safety margin (Shown: 1.19" H x 9.83" W).

B. Activating the "Appliqué Outline"

This is the secret sauce on Brother machines.

1. Navigate: Go to the "Color/Spooling" menu (often the icon looking like a spool or pages).
2. Locate Page 4: Find the "Appliqué" shield icon.
3. Selection: Choose the option that adds an outline/placement stitch before the satin/finish stitch.
   • Visual Verification: Your screen should now show separate steps: a straight line run (the placement) followed by the dense lettering.

C. The "Multi-Color" Trap

Linda notes a crucial lesson on efficiency.

• The Error: Selecting "Multi Color" tells the machine to stop after every single letter to change thread.
• The Fix: For raw-edge appliqué where the fabric is one solid strip, deselect Multi Color. You want the machine to sew the entire word in one pass.
  • Efficiency Insight: Unnecessary stops are the enemy of rhythm. If you stop 8 times for one word, you increase the risk of bumping the hoop or losing tension.

Phase 4: Hooping – The High-Risk Zone

This is where beginners struggle most. Hooping thick toweling in a standard plastic hoop is physically difficult and risks "hoop burn" (permanent crushing of the towel fibers).

A. The Standard Method (Level 1 Skill)

1. Loosen the Screw: Open the outer hoop screw significantly more than you think is necessary.
2. Alignment: Match your drawn crosshair to the plastic grid template included with your hoop.
3. Press, Don't Pull: Press the inner hoop down into the outer hoop.
   • Sensory Check: You should hear a firm "thud" as it seats. Do not pull on the towel edges to tighten it after hooping; this stretches the fabric and causes puckering later.
4. Tighten: Tighten the screw just enough to hold.
   • The Physics: If you over-tighten on a spongy towel, the plastic hoop deforms into an oval shape, losing grip on the sides.

B. The Advanced Solution (Level 2 Tool Upgrade)

If you are struggling to close the hoop, or if you notice "burn marks" on your towels, this is a hardware limitation, not a skill failure. This is where magnetic embroidery hoops become a game-changer.

• The Solution: Magnetic hoops use powerful magnets to clamp the fabric down rather than forcing it into a ring.
• The Benefit: There is zero friction against the towel pile, meaning zero hoop burn.
• Efficiency: For production runs (e.g., 50 towels), terms like magnetic hoops for brother represent a shift from "struggling for 5 minutes per hoop" to "hooping in 10 seconds."

Warning: Magnetic Field Safety
Strong magnetic hoops can pinch fingers severely. Never place fingers between the brackets. Additionally, keep these magnets at least 6 inches away from pacemakers, ICDs, and computerized machine screens/cards to prevent interference.

Setup Checklist: Final Verification

• Hoop is secure; fabric is taut but not stretched (drum skin feel).
• Crosshair is centered in the hoop.
• Carriage path is clear (nothing behind the machine).
• Top thread is beige (or matching); Bobbin is white.
• "Appliqué Mode" is active on screen.

Phase 5: The Stitch-Out and Trim

A. The Placement Stitch

Press start. The machine will sew a running stitch outline of "Be Happy" directly onto the towel.

• Observation: This is your map. If this outline is crooked, your final text will be crooked. Stop now if alignment is off.

B. Placing the Appliqué Fabric

1. Peel: Remove the paper backing from your prepared fabric strip (fused with Steam-A-Seam 2).
2. Stick: Place the strip over the stitching. The "tack" from the fusible web will hold it in place.
   • Sensory Check: Smooth it down with your fingers. It should lay flat with no bubbles.

C. The Finish Stitch

Press start again. The machine stitches the final dense letters on top of your fabric strip.

D. The Duckbill Trim (The Art Form)

Remove the hoop from the machine, but DO NOT un-hoop the fabric.

1. The Tool: Use nice, sharp duckbill scissors.
2. The Technique: Place the wide "bill" of the scissors flat against the appliqué fabric. The bill protects the towel loops from being snipped.
3. The Cut: Trim close to the stitching, leaving about 1/8th inch (raw edge style).
   • Sensory Check: You should feel the metal bill gliding over the stabilizer/towel surface. If you feel resistance, you are digging into the towel pile—stop and adjust your angle.

Phase 6: Finishing

A. The Thermal Seal

Once trimmed, take the embroidery to your ironing board. Press firmly.

• The "Why": The Steam-A-Seam 2 needs this final blast of heat to permanently lock the appliqué fabric to the towel. This ensures the raw edges don't fray wildly in the wash.

B. Square and Hem

Use your rotary cutter to trim the towel edges square, removing any fraying caused by pre-washing.

• Expert Note: Standard embroidery machine hoops help with stitching, but your rotary mat and ruler are what give the final product its professional geometry.

Troubleshooting: The "Why Did That Happen?" Guide

Decision Tree: Choosing Your Workflow

Embroidery is not "one size fits all." Use this logic to choose your method.

1. Are you stitching on thick, crushable fabric (Velvet, Terry Cloth)?
   • Yes: Avoid standard hoops if possible. Action: Use the "Floating Method" (stick stabilizer to hoop, float fabric on top) OR upgrade to magnetic hoops for brother.
   • No: Standard plastic hoops are perfectly safe.
2. Is this a one-off gift or a production run of 20?
   • One-off: Manual marking and standard hooping is fine. Take your time.
   • Production: Manual marking is too slow. Action: Invest in a hoop master embroidery hooping station to align every towel lawfully fast without measuring each one.
3. Does your design require perfect alignment (e.g., stripes)?
   • Yes: You need rigid stabilization. Action: Never use Tearaway; only use Fusible Cutaway to lock the stripes.

Conclusion

By following Linda’s sequence—Mark, Fuse, Configure, Stitch, and Trim—you achieve a result that defies the "homemade" stereotype. The secret lies in the fusible stabilizer controlling the towel's texture and the duckbill scissors ensuring a safe, clean trim.

As you advance, you will find that "fighting" the equipment is the biggest barrier to creativity. Whether that means upgrading to magnetic embroidery hoops to save your wrists, or simply using better fusible webs, remember: The right tool doesn't just make the job easier; it makes the quality repeatable.