How to Monogram a Baseball Cap Using Fast Frames

****ATTENTION!!****

 Some photos from this post are missing.  They were copied from my old blog and did not transfer over. New pictures will be added.  Thank you for your patients and understanding.  Please contact me if you should have any questions. 

  

 

 

A hat is such a fun item to have adorned with a monogram. It’s tomboyish, but something about that monogram makes it such girly fun. I’ll be honest, I am growing my short, angle, bobbed hair out just so I can have a ponytail hanging out the back of my hat.
Hats are also one of the most intimidating items to monogram for a monogrammer. A lot of people think that they need the big scary hat hoop to monogram a hat but that is not true. I used my fast frames. I have the hat fast frame hoop, but in case you don’t that is not a problem.   I share with you the method that worked for me using both the  6” RADIUS HAT HOOP and the 5 X 4 CHRISTMAS STOCKING HOOP.  (I have also use the 7″ X 5″ ATTACHÉ CASE HOOP)

Materials needed:  Fast Frame system with your choice of frame, sticky stabilizer, straight pins, binder clamps, pencil or magic marking fabric marker, hat and thread               

Cut your sticky stabilizer accordingly to the fast frame you will be using.  Always allow for extra to wrap it around the front to  maximize stability. 

Once you have your stabilizer secure, it’s time to find the center of the hat. 

 Hats are one of the easiest items to find the center because most hats have a seam down the center. Line the seam up with the center notches in the fast frame.

 

Here is a tip that may help guide you center notch to center notch. On the BACK of the sticky stabilizer, draw a line down the center so it can be used as a guide. (I show this on the the 5×4 fast frame.)

  

(Note: I used a Sharpie so you could see it well in the photo from the front side, but I recommend using a magic marking fabric marker.)

 

Drawing the line makes it very easy to work the center of the hat along the drawn line. The two photos above and the one below are of the hat being attached to the 5×4 frame. Using this size fast frame, I have the bill facing the front of the fast frame away from the arm attachment. Please make note below that when I use the hat hoop, I have the bill of the hat facing the arm of the arm attachment.

 

As you work the center of the hat down the center of the stabilizer,  be very cautious of the inner flap of the hat. Make sure that you have it pulled down towards the bill of the hat. 

Smooth out all of the wrinkles. Once you have the hat looking like the photo above, pin with straight pins or use binder clamps as I did in the  photo below where I measure for the center of where my monogram will go.

I used a 3″ monogram on this hat with my hat hoop facing the arm attachment.  Keep in mind the actual frame of the fast frame when measuring and find the center accordingly. Allow enough room for your needle to stay clear of the frame.   The width of the hat frame that I have is wider than the actual frame on the 5×4 frame.  The thinner the frame the closer to the bill of the hat you can get the monogram.   There are two hat frames available with the fast frame system.  One has a thinner width frame and the other has a wider width frame. The hat frame I have is the wider one, and although it is a hat frame, it’s actually for embroidering the backs and sides. I have made it work on the front of hats.

 

  If the bill of the hat is facing the back of the attachment arm, remember to rotate the monogram.  I have a friend who told me a story about a lady embroidering a name on a bag upside down because she forgot to rotate it.  It happens!!!!  Unfortunately, it was not the lady’s personal bag so there is a child out there with a very expensive swim bag with their name upside down. 

This is the hat all ready to go on the hat fast frame. Take note that the clamps are actually clamped on the bill as well as the back of the hat.  You want the bill to be as flat as  you can get it.  I babysit the process until I know that all is clear and it will be smooth stitching. 

Thank  you for coming and checking out how to monogram baseball cap using Fast Frames. 

 If you have a hat but do not have access to monogram it, contact me.  I’ll be glad to help you.