Table of Contents
- Primer: What This Method Achieves (and When to Use It)
- Prep: Materials, Files, and Pre-Checks
- Setup: Needle Swaps, Thread Path, and Why Each Step Matters
- Operation: Flexfit and Richardson 112—Step-by-Step
- Quality Checks: What “Good” Looks Like at Each Milestone
- Results & Handoff: Finishing, Cleanup, and Repeatability
- Troubleshooting & Recovery: Fast Diagnosis Flow
- From the comments: Sourcing, digitizing, and special-case hats
Video reference: “Embroidery on Flexfit and Richardson 112 Hats with 65/9 Needles | Ricoma TC Machine” by Kayla's Corner
If stitching hats has ever felt fussy, this workflow strips it back to the essentials. You’ll see exactly how to embroider Flexfit and Richardson 112 caps with a small 65/9 needle and 40-weight thread—no steaming, no presser foot tweaks—just clean, repeatable results on a Ricoma TC.
What you’ll learn
- Why a 65/9 needle plus 40-weight thread can produce crisp hat embroidery
- How to prep, trace, and place designs cleanly on Flexfit and Richardson 112
- A practical, minimal setup: what to check first when problems appear
- Community-sourced tips on sourcing, digitizing, and tricky flat-brim caps
Primer: What This Method Achieves (and When to Use It) The goal here is straightforward: embroider structured hats (Flexfit and Richardson 112) using 65/9 needles and 40-weight thread on a Ricoma TC, without resorting to steaming or lowering the presser foot. The result? Two finished hats with clean edges, no needle breaks, and only basic cleanup of long tails at the end.
Why 65/9 on hats? The demonstration shows that—even on the stiffer Richardson 112—a correctly installed 65/9 needle can run smoothly with 40-weight thread. The creator reports this combo as her standard across apparel types, from hats to jackets and polos. magnetic hoops
From setup to finish, the process relies on fundamentals: fresh needles, a correct thread path (including every guide), a properly wound bobbin, tight and correct hooping, stabilizer (even on structured hats), and a quick boundary trace.
Quick check
- Needle size: 65/9 (ballpoint, per the creator’s comment)
- Thread: 40-weight for general use; 60-weight for very small lettering
- Presser foot: not lowered
- Stabilizer: used by habit on all hats
Watch out
- Long thread tails after stitching aren’t fatal; plan a quick cleanup.
Prep: Materials, Files, and Pre-Checks Materials and equipment
- Machine: Ricoma TC multi-needle
- Hats: Flexfit; Richardson 112
- Needles: fresh 65/9 (ballpoint)
- Thread: 40-weight for all colors
- Stabilizer: used even on structured caps
- Cap frame: securely mounts the hooped hat
- Thread snips for cleanup
Files and sourcing
- Design file: loaded and ready (two designs demonstrated)
- Digitizing: the creator uses Dreamdigitizing.com (community insight)
- Needles: sourced via Amazon (community insight)
- Hats: quick buys from Jiffy; bulk from Alphabroder (community insight)
Pre-checks that prevent 90% of issues
- Needle installation: correct orientation and fully seated
- Thread path: through every guide; no skips
- Bobbin: wound correctly
- Hooping: tight, correct, and clamped at the back of the cap frame
- Stabilizer: included under the crown
Pro tip If your design includes tiny text, swap that segment to 60-weight thread while keeping the 65/9 needle—this is how the creator handles small lettering. hoopmaster hooping station
Prep checklist
- Fresh 65/9 ballpoint needle installed
- 40-weight thread loaded and correctly routed
- Stabilizer in place under the hat
- Design file on the machine
- Hooped hat clamped securely to the cap frame
Setup: Needle Swaps, Thread Path, and Why Each Step Matters Install fresh 65/9 needles The stitch runs use brand new 65/9 needles to eliminate variable wear. This step alone removes a common cause of skipped stitches and breakage.
Watch out A needle that isn’t fully seated or oriented correctly can mimic tension problems and cause thread breaks within the first few stitches.
Thread path and bobbin Double-check that each thread passes through all guides before reaching the needle. In one instance, an initial thread break was traced to a missed hole in the thread path—once corrected, the stitch-out ran cleanly.
Rationale: why fundamentals beat tweaks Throughout both hats, no steaming or presser foot adjustment was needed. The combination of a sharp setup—fresh 65/9 needle, accurate thread path, proper bobbin wind—and good hooping produced reliable tension and coverage.
Setup checklist
- Needles swapped to new 65/9 for active colors
- Thread path intact, no skipped guides
- Bobbin wound and inserted correctly
- Presser foot unchanged from standard position ricoma mighty hoop starter kit
Operation: Flexfit and Richardson 112—Step-by-Step Step 1: Mount and place the Flexfit
- Load the hooped Flexfit onto the cap frame and center the design using on-machine controls.
- Run a trace to verify boundaries and clearances. Adjust up/down as needed; the placement was nudged lower in the demo to improve balance.
Quick check The design perimeter should clear the brim and seam transitions during the trace.
Step 2: Stitch the Flexfit hat
- Start the machine and monitor the first passes.
- Expect smooth stitching; trim any long tails as you go.
- The demo showed multiple color changes: red text, green texture, and fine details like a red flag.
Outcome to expect Crisp edges, consistent density, and no needle breaks. Any long tails are handled in post with snips.
Step 3: Mount the Richardson 112
- Remove the Flexfit and load the hooped Richardson 112.
- Begin stitching; watch the first seconds to catch any threading errors early.
- One initial thread break occurred in the demo due to a missed thread guide; rethreading fixed it and the rest stitched perfectly.
Pro tip If you see an immediate break at the start of a color, re-check the path for that thread cone first—it’s the fastest fix. hooping station for embroidery
Operation checklist
- Trace performed; placement confirmed
- Initial stitches monitored for tension/thread path issues
- Loose tails trimmed during color changes
- Final trim and cleanup after stitch-out
Quality Checks: What “Good” Looks Like at Each Milestone After tracing
- The needle stays clear of the brim and frame during the perimeter run.
- Center seam alignment looks intentional (not drifting left or right).
During stitching
- Thread lays smoothly with even density; no frequent stops or flags.
- No repeated deflection at the center seam.
At completion
- Text edges are clean; fills are consistent and not starved.
- Only minimal tail cleanup required.
Quick check If a design starts clean but deteriorates mid-run, re-check the bobbin wind and the last thread change—these are the likeliest culprits.
Results & Handoff: Finishing, Cleanup, and Repeatability What the finished hats looked like Both the Flexfit and the Richardson 112 came off the frame with crisp detail and consistent density, with only one user-induced thread hiccup early on. No needle breaks occurred with the 65/9 setup on either hat.
Finishing steps
- Snip long tails cleanly.
- Inspect edges and small details; confirm coverage.
- Note any thread path corrections that improved performance so you can repeat them on the next run.
Repeatability This workflow is deliberately minimal: fresh 65/9 needles, 40-weight thread, stabilizer, tight hooping, full thread path, and a placement trace. It translates well to similar structured caps when these fundamentals are respected. magnetic embroidery hoop
Troubleshooting & Recovery: Fast Diagnosis Flow Symptom: Thread breaks immediately at start of a color
- Likely cause: Missed thread guide or path snag.
- Fix: Re-thread that color carefully through every guide; re-start.
Symptom: Needle breaks at the center seam
- Likely causes: Incorrect needle installation, dull/used needle, or excessive deflection from poor hooping.
- Fix: Install a fresh 65/9 correctly; confirm tight, even hooping; slow the first few stitches to watch for deflection. If persistent across needles, escalate to machine support.
Symptom: Inconsistent tension or loops
- Likely causes: Bobbin wind or upper thread path inconsistencies.
- Fix: Rewind or replace bobbin; re-thread upper path; confirm tension within your normal range.
Symptom: Design sits too high/low or risks hitting the brim
- Likely cause: Placement not validated.
- Fix: Re-center and re-trace. Lower or raise the design as needed before stitching.
When to escalate If you’ve confirmed needle, path, bobbin, hooping/tightness, stabilizer usage, and placement—and issues persist—consult support for timing checks or machine-specific adjustments. The creator reports hats stitching “like a dream” on her Ricoma TC with this simple setup, while her EM-1010 required more attention; other EM-1010 users report success, indicating machine-specific factors.
From the field: flat-brim five-panel hats One community member had trouble with a Yupoong 6006 5-panel flat brim rubbing the back of the machine and popping the frame. They later reported improved results by gently bending the brim on the hoop to loosen it slightly. Apply caution and test carefully if you try this approach. ricoma hoops
Troubleshooting quick tests
- Swap in a brand-new 65/9 needle on the active color.
- Re-thread that color through every guide.
- Replace or rewind the bobbin.
- Re-trace to confirm your design won’t collide with hardware.
From the comments: Sourcing, digitizing, and special-case hats
- Where to buy 65/9 needles: Amazon was cited by the creator.
- Digitizing services: Dreamdigitizing.com was recommended.
- Thread pairing: Yes—65/9 with 40-weight worked for both hats; switch to 60-weight for tiny text.
- Ballpoint or sharp: Ballpoint 65/9 was used for hats and polos.
- Hat suppliers: Jiffy for fast needs; Alphabroder for bulk orders.
- Tricky models: One user with a different machine (MT1501) reported center-seam breaks using 75/11; the creator asked whether it was isolated to a single needle position, but no final fix was shared.
Pro tip Even when a hat is structured, keep stabilizer in your workflow to preserve consistency—especially if your next job is a less structured “dad” hat. magnetic hoops for embroidery machines
Watch out Skipping the trace is the fastest path to a ruined stitch-out. Always trace before you press “start.”
Quick check After your first perfect hat, document your exact thread path, needle brand/size, and stabilizer choice so you can replicate the result on the next order.
Why this minimal method works The consistent throughline across both stitch-outs was simplicity: fresh 65/9 needles, correct thread path, proper bobbin wind, stabilizer, tight hooping, and a trace. The creator didn’t need to steam or adjust the presser foot on the Ricoma TC to get great results. That’s the benchmark you can aim for—start with the fundamentals and only escalate if they don’t deliver.