Sewing setup presets

This page is built from the same tables the app uses for the Sewing setup card and the Before you sew checklist. Every number is a starting point. Sew a small test first, on a scrap of the same cloth.

You choose three things: the fabric, the thread weight and the quality. Lilo then picks stitch spacing, edge compensation and underlay for you. Read how they work in Sewing setup.

Fabrics#

Suiting (woven wool / blends)#

Jacket cloth and other firm wovens. It holds its shape, so it is the easy case.

• Needle: 75/11 sharp. A fresh sharp needle pierces the tight weave without pushing threads aside.
• Stabiliser: cut-away, medium, about 1.5-2 oz (50-60 g/m2). Cut-away keeps fine serifs from distorting as the garment is worn; trim close to the stitching.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Hoop the fabric together with the stabiliser, drum-tight but not stretched.
• Hooping: Do not clamp on a finished jacket front: float it on sticky stabiliser instead to avoid hoop marks.
• What Lilo changes: nothing. This is the baseline the other fabrics are measured against.

Shirting / lining (light woven)#

Thin cotton, silk or lining fabric. Puckers and shows needle holes easily, so lighter and looser.

• Needle: 70/10 sharp. Fine point so the holes stay small; 65/9 for the very thinnest silk.
• Stabiliser: no-show mesh, light, about 1 oz (30 g/m2). Soft mesh cut-away that will not show through or scratch; tear-away leaves holes along the stitching.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Hoop lightly: the fabric should lie flat, not be pulled.
• Hooping: Keep lining smooth, no ripples in the hoop.
• What Lilo changes: nothing. This is the baseline the other fabrics are measured against.

Twill / caps#

Cotton twill, chinos and structured caps. Stable, but heavier cloth swallows thin lines, so it wants more underlay.

• Needle: 75/11 sharp. 80/12 on thick caps or when the thread keeps shredding.
• Stabiliser: cut-away, medium, 2 oz (60 g/m2). For caps use a firm tear-away or cap backing and a cap frame.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Hoop twill drum-tight.
• Hooping: Caps: use the cap frame and make sure the seam is centred.
• What Lilo changes: line spacing is looser (x1.06).

Knit / polo / jersey#

Stretchy cloth. It moves under the needle, so it needs a firm backing, more edge compensation and solid underlay.

• Needle: 75/11 ballpoint. A ballpoint slides between the loops instead of cutting them.
• Stabiliser: cut-away, medium-heavy, 2.5 oz (75 g/m2). Always cut-away on knits; tear-away lets the design stretch out of shape in the wash.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Taut but never stretched: stretched knit springs back and puckers around the design.
• Hooping: A magnetic hoop holds knits without pulling them.
• What Lilo changes: edge compensation is 180 % of the woven value; line spacing is looser (x1.19); the narrowest satin column is 1.5 mm.

Denim#

Thick, tight cotton. Strong enough to take dense stitching, tough on small needles.

• Needle: 90/14 sharp. A jeans/denim needle (80/12 for lighter denim); a thin needle will deflect or snap.
• Stabiliser: cut-away, medium, 2 oz (60 g/m2). Tear-away is acceptable for heavy denim that does not stretch.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Hoop drum-tight; thick seams should not sit under the design.
• What Lilo changes: nothing. This is the baseline the other fabrics are measured against.

Towel / terry / fleece#

Pile fabric. Stitches sink into the loops, so fine lines vanish; use bolder shapes and a see-through topping.

• Needle: 75/11 sharp. 80/12 if the pile is deep.
• Stabiliser: tear-away, medium. Plus a layer of wash-away topping on top so the thread sits above the pile.
• Topping: a water-soluble topping on top, so the stitches do not sink into the pile.
• Hooping: Hoop the stabiliser and fabric together without crushing the pile.
• Hooping: Lay the water-soluble topping over the area before sewing and tear it away after.
• What Lilo changes: edge compensation is 150 % of the woven value; line spacing is looser (x1.6); the narrowest satin column is 2 mm.

Leather / faux leather / vinyl#

Every needle hole is permanent. Looser stitching and light underlay so it does not turn into a perforated line.

• Needle: 75/11 leather/wedge. A sharp or leather needle; not heavy-duty, to avoid big holes.
• Stabiliser: tear-away, medium. Tear-away only: cut-away backing makes the piece stiff and the cut edge can show.
• Topping: none needed.
• Hooping: Do not hoop leather, the hoop leaves a permanent ring: float it on sticky stabiliser and hold with clips or tape.
• Hooping: Test on an offcut: you cannot unpick without leaving holes.
• What Lilo changes: edge compensation is 80 % of the woven value; line spacing is looser (x1.3); the narrowest satin column is 1.5 mm; no zig-zag underlay.

Thread weight#

40 wt (standard)#

The normal embroidery thread. Good cover on columns and fills; letters from about 6 mm tall; 60 wt from about 4 mm.

• Needle: 75/11 for most cloth (70/10 on lining).
• Smallest letters: 6 mm tall.

60 wt (fine)#

Thinner thread for small, crisp detail. Satin density 0.35 mm instead of 0.40 (about 12 % closer) and finer columns are allowed. Do not swap it into a 40 wt file without redigitizing: coverage drops.

• Needle: 65/9 or 70/10 (75/11 on tougher cloth).
• Smallest letters: 4 mm tall.

Quality#

Standard#

The basic auto-digitize settings: a fixed 0.40 mm density and underlay by column width, thin strokes sewn as a single running line. Quick and predictable.

Typical stitch count: the baseline.

Premium#

Settings a professional digitizer would use: spacing and pull compensation follow each column's width, underlay is chosen by width, fine strokes become narrow satin instead of a faint line, fills get edge-walk and cross underlay, and columns that meet are trimmed so they overlap a hair instead of stacking.

Typical stitch count: about 1.3 times the Standard count.