Floating Felt Coasters on an SWF Embroidery Machine: The Ultra Solvy “Sandwich” That Pops Out Clean

Mastering the "Floating Coaster": A Pro’s Guide to Double-Sided Felt Embroidery

When a customer wants something functional, giftable, and fast to produce, embroidered coasters are one of those “quiet winners” in the promotional product world. Theoretically, it's simple. Practically? It is a minefield of shifting layers and ugly edges.

The technique in this guide is essentially patch-making logic applied to a coaster: building a structure that is clean on both sides, with the raw edge sealed by a satin border.

If you’ve ever had a coaster distort into an oval, or seen the felt fray through the satin stitching, you already know the real battle isn’t the needle movement—it’s how you build the sandwich and physical clearance.

Don’t Panic—This “Floating Coaster” Method Is Just Patch-Making with Better Edge Control (Ultra Solvy + Felt)

The "floating" technique uses a heavy water-soluble film as the structural skeleton of the coaster. We lock two felt layers onto this film—one on top, one on the bottom. The payoff is immense: once the border is complete, the coaster pops out, and the film dissolves, leaving a perfectly finished edge with no raw material showing.

The host demonstrates this on an swf embroidery machine using a tubular hoop. However, the physics apply whether you are running a single-head home machine or a massive multi-head industrial unit. The key is recognizing that the stabilizer here isn't just a backing—it is the temporary "frame" that allows the coaster to exist.

The “Hidden” Prep Pros Do First: Film Choice, Felt Behavior, and Why 80 Micron Matters

Construction starts with materials. You cannot use the lightweight plastic wrap intended for topping towels here. It will tear under the tension of a satin border.

The Material Physics

• The Film: You need "Heavy" water-soluble film (e.g., Gunold Ultra Solvy or Madeira Badgemaster). We are looking for 80 microns or higher.
  • The "Why": The satin border exerts a massive inward pull. A thin film will ripple or "tunnel," distorting your perfect circle into an egg shape.
• The Felt: Use stiff acrylic craft felt (approx. 1.5mm - 2mm thick). Avoid soft wool blends for coasters; they compress too much and feel "mushy" under the satin stitch.

Hidden Consumables (Don't start without these)

• 75/11 Sharp Needles: Ballpoints may struggle to pierce two layers of dense felt cleanly.
• Duckbill (Appliqué) Scissors: Essential for the trimming step. Attempting this with straight scissors is a recipe for cutting your embroidery.
• Temporary Spray Adhesive: (e.g., 505 spray).
• Spare Bobbin Case: If you adjust tension for thick felt, don't mess up your standard setting. Use a secondary case.

Prep Checklist (Do this exactly)

• Film Check: Ensure you have heavy (80 micron+) water-soluble film. If you only have thin film, double-layer it (though a single heavy layer is superior).
• Felt Sizing: Cut top and bottom felt squares at least 1 inch larger than the design on all sides.
• Adhesive Test: Shake your spray can. Test on a scrap first to ensure it mists rather than globs.
• Tool Clearance: Ensure your hoop size leaves at least 2 inches of space between the design and the hoop ring for your hands.
  

The Hoop-Size Trick That Saves Your Fingers: Why the 18 cm SWF Hoop Beats the 15 cm Hoop Here

The host chooses an 18 cm tubular hoop specifically because a standard 15 cm hoop (while technically big enough for the design) creates a "knuckle trap."

The "Hand Clearance" Rule

When you are trimming the felt later, your hands must be inside the hoop perimeter.

• Too Small: You are forced to angle your scissors steeply. This results in uneven cuts and "fringing" where felt pokes through the border.
• Just Right: You can lay the scissors flat against the fabric.

If you’re shopping or organizing your swf hoops, think of hoop size as (Design Size) + (Hand Width), not just the stitch field. Buying a slightly larger hoop is cheaper than ruining batches of product due to poor trimming ergonomics.

Build the Ultra Solvy Felt Sandwich Without Wrinkles: Light Tack on Both Sides, Not a Glue Bath

Here is the exact sandwich architecture shown in the video. Follow this order to prevent shifting.

The Assembly protocol

1. Hoop the Film Only: Hoop one layer of heavy water-soluble film. It should sound like a drum when tapped—taut, but not stretched to the point of whiteness (stress marks).
2. Mist, Don't Soak: Spray a light mist of adhesive on the back of your top felt pieces.
   • Sensory Check: Touch the felt. It should feel "tacky" like a Post-it note, not wet or gummy.
3. Float the Bottom: Stick one felt piece to the underside (cylinder arm side) of the hooped film.
4. Float the Top: Stick the second felt piece to the top side, sandwiching the film.

The Adhesive Trap: Too much spray causes "needle gumming," leading to skipped stitches and shredded thread. Light tack is strictly for lateral stability; the hoop does the rest.

If you are doing high-volume runs, manual alignment gets tedious. A consistent setup, like a hooping station for machine embroidery, acts as a jig to ensure the felt lands in the exact center every time.

The Placement Stitch Is Your Cutting Template—Run It Through All Layers on the SWF Machine

Once the hoop is on the machine, your first operation is the "Placement Stitch" (Run Stitch).

Parameters for Success:

• Length: 2.5mm - 3.0mm run stitch.
• Speed: Slow down! Run this at 400-500 SPM. We need accuracy, not speed.

This red circle stitches through the Top Felt + Film + Bottom Felt. It is not decoration; it is your scalpel guide.

Warning: Keep your fingers clear of the needle bar area. When floating materials, beginners often try to smooth the fabric while the machine is running—never do this.

Setup Checklist (Pre-Flight)

• Hoop Check: Is the hoop locked firmly into the pantograph arms? Give it a gentle wiggle.
• Clearance: Rotate the handwheel (or do a trace) to ensure the needle won't hit the hoop frame.
• Bobbin Check: Do you have enough bobbin thread for the heavy satin border? (Satin consumes 3x more thread than running stitches).
• Layer Integrity: Look under the hoop. Did the bottom felt peel off during loading? Press it firmly again if needed.
  

Trim Like a Surgeon: Duckbill Applique Scissors, Close to the Stitch, and Yes—Front *and* Back

After the placement stitch, stop the machine and remove the hoop (or pull the table forward if your machine allows). This is the make-or-break moment.

The Tactile Technique:

1. The Grip: Use duckbill scissors (the flat "bill" side goes down against the stabilizer).
2. The Cut: Trim the felt 1mm - 2mm from the stitch line.
   • Too Far: The satin border won't cover the raw felt (ugly).
   • Too Close: You might cut the placement thread or, worse, the Solvy film (catastrophic structural failure).

Crucial Step: Flip the hoop and trim the backside felt as well. Both sides must be trimmed flush.

Stitch the Inside First (Text/Details), Then Let the Satin Border Do the Heavy Locking

The host explicitly stitches the center design ("Embroidery To You") before the border.

The "Why": It's about displacement.

• Fabric Push: Embroidery pushes fabric. If you stitch the rigid satin border first, you turn the center into a trampoline. When you try to stitch the text later, the fabric has nowhere to move, leading to buckling or puckering.
• Locking: The border is the final "clamp." By stitching it last, you allow the felt to shift microscopically during the text phase, and then lock everything in place permanently at the end.
  

The Satin Border Is the Make-or-Break: It Seals the Felt Edge and Bonds Both Sides Permanently

The final step is the wide satin stitch. This performs three functions: covers the raw edge, bonds top/bottom felt, and seals the perimeter.

Recommended "Sweet Spot" Settings

For a standard 12wt or 40wt polyester thread:

• Density: 0.40mm - 0.45mm spacing. (Too dense = jam; Too loose = felt shows through).
• Width: 3.5mm - 5.0mm. (Needs to be wide enough to grab the felt on both sides).
• Speed: 600-700 SPM. Do not run this at 1000 SPM. High speed causes the needle to deflect on the thick felt, creating uneven edges.

Sensory Check: Listen to the machine. A rhythmic, solid thump-thump is good. A harsh clack-clack or groaning sound means the needle is struggling to penetrate. If so, slow down further.

The Pop-Out Finish: Press the Coaster Out of the Film, Then Remove Any Remaining Soluble

Once finished, simply press the coaster with your thumbs. It should perforate the film and pop out satisfyingly.

• Pull away large chunks of Ultra Solvy.
• Use a damp Q-tip or a quick rinse to dissolve the jagged bits remaining in the satin teeth.
• Tip: Let it dry flat under a book if the wet felt curls.
  
  
  
  
  

The "Why" Behind the Method: Hooping Tension, Sandwich Stability, and How to Prevent Shifting

We see two main failure modes in this process. Here is how to diagnose them:

1. The "Oval" Coaster

• Symptom: The circle isn't round.
• Cause: The film stretched.
• Fix: Your film was too thin (use 80 micron) or your hoop tension was loose. The film must be "drum tight" before you start.

2. The "Hoop Burn" or "Felt Crush"

• Symptom: The felt looks flattened and ugly near the edges, or you struggled to close the hoop.
• Solution (Step Up your Tools): Traditional screw hoops struggle with thick felt sandwiches. This is where professional shops switch to magnetic embroidery hoops.
  • The Logic: Magnetic hoops grab the material with vertical force rather than friction. This eliminates the struggle of forcing the inner ring into the outer ring and prevents "hoop burn" on the delicate felt surface.

Warning: Magnetic Frame Safety. These utilize industrial-grade Neodymium magnets. They snap together with enough force to pinch skin severely. Keep them away from pacemakers, credit cards, and computerized machine screens.

Quick Decision Tree: Pick the Right Stabilizer + Hoop Strategy

Use this logic flow to setup your next job:

1. Is the item visible from the back (e.g., Coaster, Tag)?
   • Yes: Use Heavy Water-Soluble Film (Floating method).
   • No (Patch for a shirt): Use Cutaway Stabilizer (more permanent).
2. Is your material thick (>3mm total)?
   • Yes: Skip the standard hoop. Use a magnetic embroidery hoop to avoid crushing the material.
   • No: Standard tubular hoop is fine.
3. Is your Hand Clearance < 1 inch?
   • Yes: Upsize your hoop (e.g., 15cm -> 18cm) or risk bad trimming.
   • No: Proceed with current hoop.
4. Are you stitching > 50 coasters?
   • Yes: Move to a multi-day hooping workflow or upgraded magnetic hooping station. Fatigue leads to errors.

Troubleshooting the "Scary Moments"

The Upgrade Path: From Hobby to Production

If you find yourself making coasters as a primary product, the "floating" technique is excellent, but your tools might be the bottleneck.

• The Grip Issue: If hooping thick felt and film is hurting your wrists, or if you search for how to use magnetic embroidery hoop to solve alignment issues, it is time to invest in magnetic frames. They allow you to "clap" the heavy sandwich together without physical strain.
• The Scale Issue: If you need to produce 100 sets a day, a single-needle machine will burn out (and so will you). Platforms like the SEWTECH multi-needle embroidery machines are designed for this repetitive, thick-material work, allowing you to queue up multiple colors and speeds without babysitting the machine.

Operation Checklist (The Final Quality Control)

• Placement: Stitch is clean and penetrates all layers?
• Trim: Felt is trimmed 1mm from the line on Front AND Back?
• Order: Inside details stitched before the border?
• Coverage: Satin border shows no raw felt peeking through?
• Clean Up: All film removed and threads trimmed flush?

Mastering the sandwich is mastering the machine. Good luck with your run!

FAQ

• Q: How do I choose heavy water-soluble film (Ultra Solvy/Badgemaster) for a double-sided felt “floating coaster” to prevent an oval coaster shape?
  A: Use heavy water-soluble film at 80 microns or thicker, hooped drum-tight, because thin film ripples and stretches under satin border pull.
  • Confirm the film is labeled “Heavy” and aim for 80 microns+; if only thin film is available, double-layer it as a workaround.
  • Hoop film only first, then tighten until the film feels taut without whitening or stress marks.
  • Slow the placement stitch to prioritize accuracy before committing to the border.
  • Success check: Tap the hooped film— it should sound like a drum and the stitched circle should stay round, not “egg” after stitching.
  • If it still fails: Re-hoop with higher tension and switch to a single heavy layer instead of stacked thin layers.
• Q: How do I assemble the Ultra Solvy + felt sandwich for a floating coaster without wrinkles or layer shifting when using temporary spray adhesive (e.g., 505 spray)?
  A: Apply a light mist (tacky, not wet) and attach felt to both sides of the hooped film in the correct order to stop drift.
  • Hoop one layer of heavy film first; do not hoop felt.
  • Mist the back of felt lightly; avoid “glue bath” spraying that gums needles and causes skips.
  • Stick one felt piece to the underside of the hooped film, then stick the second felt piece to the top side.
  • Success check: Touch the felt— it should feel like a Post-it note (tacky), and the layers should not slide when you lightly rub the surface.
  • If it still fails: Reduce spray amount and re-press edges before loading the hoop on the machine.
• Q: What is the correct run stitch placement stitch setting for a floating coaster, and how do I keep fingers safe during placement stitching on an SWF embroidery machine?
  A: Run a 2.5–3.0 mm placement stitch slowly (about 400–500 SPM) and keep hands completely clear while the needle is moving.
  • Set the run stitch length to 2.5–3.0 mm and reduce speed to 400–500 SPM for accuracy.
  • Do a trace/clearance check so the needle will not hit the hoop frame before starting.
  • Keep fingers away from the needle bar area; do not smooth floating layers while the machine runs.
  • Success check: The placement circle penetrates top felt + film + bottom felt cleanly with no missed segments.
  • If it still fails: Stop and re-press the bottom felt (it may have peeled during loading) and recheck hoop lock-in.
• Q: How close should felt be trimmed after the placement stitch in a double-sided floating coaster, and why are duckbill appliqué scissors recommended?
  A: Trim both front and back felt to 1–2 mm from the placement stitch using duckbill appliqué scissors to avoid cutting stitches or the film.
  • Stop after the placement stitch and trim the top felt 1–2 mm from the stitch line with the duckbill “bill” flat against the stabilizer.
  • Flip the hoop and trim the backside felt the same way; both sides must be flush.
  • Avoid trimming too far (felt shows through) or too close (cutting placement thread or damaging the film).
  • Success check: No felt “fringe” is visible outside the placement line, and the film remains intact and supportive.
  • If it still fails: Upsize the hoop for better hand clearance so scissors can stay flatter during trimming.
• Q: What satin border settings help seal the edge on a double-sided felt coaster, and what machine sound indicates the needle is struggling?
  A: Use a wide, not-too-dense satin border and slow down so the needle penetrates thick felt cleanly without deflection.
  • Set satin density to about 0.40–0.45 mm spacing and width around 3.5–5.0 mm (wide enough to grab both felt layers).
  • Run the border slower (about 600–700 SPM) instead of high-speed stitching on thick felt.
  • Listen and adjust: harsh clacking or groaning usually means the needle is struggling—slow down further.
  • Success check: The border fully covers the raw edge with a smooth perimeter and a steady “thump-thump” stitch sound.
  • If it still fails: Check trimming distance (too wide leaves felt exposed) and consider increasing presser foot height per machine settings.
• Q: How do I fix needle breakage when stitching thick felt + film coasters (floating coaster method)?
  A: Switch to a #75/11 Sharp (or Topstitch) needle and slow the machine to reduce deflection through dense felt layers.
  • Replace the needle with a fresh #75/11 Sharp (ballpoints may struggle on dense felt).
  • Reduce speed to around 500 SPM during problem areas and confirm layers have not shifted.
  • Recheck the sandwich adhesion so felt is not lifting into the needle path.
  • Success check: The machine runs multiple border passes without snapping needles and without “hooking” the felt edge.
  • If it still fails: Inspect felt type (very dense felt can be the culprit) and verify presser foot clearance is adequate for the sandwich thickness.
• Q: What is the magnetic embroidery hoop safety risk when hooping thick felt sandwiches for coasters, and how can beginners handle magnetic frames safely?
  A: Magnetic frames can snap together hard enough to pinch skin, so keep hands clear and keep magnets away from pacemakers, cards, and sensitive screens.
  • Separate magnets slowly and deliberately; do not let the top ring “slam” down onto the bottom ring.
  • Keep fingertips out of the closing path and set the frame down on a stable surface before assembling.
  • Store magnets away from pacemakers, credit cards, and computerized machine screens.
  • Success check: The material is clamped evenly without crushing marks and without any sudden snap/pinch incidents.
  • If it still fails: Use a standard tubular hoop for thinner stacks, or reduce thickness before moving back to magnetic frames.
• Q: When hoop burn or felt crush happens with standard screw hoops on thick coaster sandwiches, what is the step-by-step upgrade path from technique fixes to magnetic hoops to multi-needle production machines?
  A: Start by improving hooping and trimming technique, move to magnetic hoops when thick stacks cause hoop burn, and consider a multi-needle machine when volume makes single-needle workflow the bottleneck.
  • Level 1 (Technique): Hoop film drum-tight, use light adhesive mist, upsize hoop for hand clearance, and trim both sides 1–2 mm from the line.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Switch from screw hoops to magnetic hoops when thick felt + film sandwiches are hard to close or leave crush marks.
  • Level 3 (Production): Move to a multi-needle embroidery machine when making large batches (e.g., 50+ coasters) leads to fatigue, inconsistency, or excessive babysitting.
  • Success check: Hooping becomes repeatable without edge damage, and coaster batches stay consistent in shape and border coverage.
  • If it still fails: Standardize setup with a hooping station/jig workflow to reduce alignment errors and operator fatigue.