Marking your shirt

First, a tip: Be sure to extend your marking lines several inches in each direction to help you in hooping later.

Using the width measurement of the front placket design, mark lines that are one half the design's width plus 10 mm away from each of the outer edges of the shirt's button placket. 

Then, using the design's height measurement, determine where, along your marked lines, the center point of each design needs to be. Be sure to take into consideration how the collar lays so that it won't interfere with the look of your front embroidery.

Draw a horizontal line, perpendicular to the vertical marked lines, at the spot where the center point is to be. The horizontal line should go all the way across the shirt and intersect with both of your marked lines.

Make a center point mark where you want the collar tip design to be on each collar point. For example: I marked these 1" in from the pointed tip of the collar.

Mark each cuff with lines that are centered vertically and horizontally.

For the back yoke, use the yolk design's height measurement to determine how high up from the bottom of the yoke you want the embroidery to be. In this example, I marked the horizontal line at a measurement equal to half the design height plus 10mm. The vertical line is at the center of the yoke. Where the lines intersect is the center point of the design.

Now it's time to start embroidering!

Collar Tips:

Hoop a piece of stabilizer in your smallest hoop and apply adhesive to the stabilizer.  Adhere the collar to the stabilizer, making sure that the collar is oriented correctly with the angle of the design.  Move your needle until it is directly over the marked center point and sew out the embroidery. Repeat these steps on the other collar tip.

Remove the stabilizer when you have finished embroidering.

Back Yoke:

Hoop the back of the shirt with stabilizer in the appropriate size hoop for the design. When hooping, line up the vertical center markings with the center markings on your hoop. I lined up the bottom of the yoke with the other center markings of the hoop. Move your needle to where the marked lines cross, and start embroidering the back yoke design.

When you have finished embroidering, your yoke should look similar to this picture. Remove the excess stabilizer from the back of the embroidery.

Shirt front:

Keep the shirt front buttoned and hoop the shirt front with stabilizer in the correct size hoop. Match up the marked lines with the center marks of your hoop. Hooping over the button placket worked well for this shirt. If your shirt's fabric is heavy, unbutton the placket, and hoop by matching the fourth side as best you can.

By the time you have finished embroidering the first color, you will notice that by lining up the marked lines with the center markings on your hoop, the placement of the design is straight along the button placket of the shirt.

Repeat the steps on the other side of the shirt front with the mirror image of the front placket design.

Cuffs:

Hoop a piece of stabilizer in an appropriately sized hoop.  Make marks connecting each set of center hoop markings, creating crossed lines in the exact center of the hoop.

Apply the adhesive to the marked stabilizer, and then place the marked cuff onto the stabilizer with the right side up. Match up the marked lines on the cuff with the centerlines on the stabilizer.  Press to adhere.

If needed, use a pin outside the sewing area to keep the cuff from lifting away from the stabilizer. Place the hoop in your machine, and move the needle directly over the intersecting point of the marked lines. Sew out the border design.

Repeat the steps to embroider the second cuff. 

When you have finished embroidering, remove the excess stabilizer and enjoy your newly embellished shirt!