What do you need to start machine embroidery? Well, the answer is really short. Machine embroidery supplies are not numerous. Although you can come up with an exhaustive list of all things you could invest in, stitching only requires several basic tools like embroidery thread, ballpoint needle, etc. And with those items you’ll be able to finish most of the projects and make a variety of high-quality machine embroidery designs. So, this guide will introduce you to some essential supplies for starting embroidering your designs, ensuring that you have everything needed to bring your creative visions to life. Let’s go!
1. Embroidery Hoop
Embroidery hoops are used to keep the fabric taut when you’re performing embroidery project or sewing project upon it. Any embroiderer loves them. Whether it’s for hand embroidery or machine embroidery project, a hoop will certainly make a difference to your experience.
1.1 Is it okay to embroider without a hoop?
Definitely yes, but it’s recommended to use a hoop.
Hoops can make your job easier and more enjoyable. They come in different hoop sizes. By giving the embroidered material consistent tension, your needles can find the right spot with ease and your design will have nice and clean stitching.
1.2 Are magnetic embroidery hoops worth it?
Yes, it’s worth it. Magnetic hoops have many advantages compared with ordinary ones. They are your best choice of getting a proper tension for your fabrics. Come in multiple sizes, they are user-friendly. It costs you less strength to set it up. With a hooping aid system, you can further simplify the hooping process. Besides, you can avoid to spray adhesive, because magnetic hoops can hold your fabrics in place without anything sticky. In addition, you don’t have spend plenty of money, because they are quite affordable. In short, magnetic embroidery hoops are ideal tools to improve your efficiency and productivity.
1.3 How does a magnetic embroidery hoop work?
A magnetic embroidery hoop works by using its inside magnets to hold the fabric securely in place. The first step is to put the garment or other textiles onto one half of the hoop, then you snap the other half back into place. Then, you slightly adjust the placement of the garment. This way, the machine can start embroidering the preset design.
1.4 Do embroidery hoops leave marks?
Yes, one of the shortcomings of embroidery hoops is that they sometimes leave marks on your embroidery products, the name of which is hoop burn. Hoop burn means that the outline of the hoop leaves a deep mark on the fabric’s surface. Sometimes they are very difficult to get rid of.
1.5 Why does my embroidery hoop leave marks?
The hooping process needs the fabric to bend so that they can be fit between the hoops. It often appears when a regular embroidery hoop is used, because you have to force the fabric to bend with your strength. However, a magnetic hoop can make the hooping process quicker and easier effortlessly, which reduces the occurrence of the situation.
1.6 How to avoid hoop marks in embroidery?
Although there are plenty of contents teaching you how to remove the hoop marks, to prevent them in advance is always a top solution. So, purchase a magnetic hoop and you can avoid overtightening. Among the multiple suggestion in the Internet, this is the best way.
1.7 How to protect an embroidery hoop from dust?
Well, you got plenty of options to protect it from dust, like keeping it in a closet or an cardboard box. Besides, it’s essential that you clean the hoops regularly, for the remaining of fabrics and embroidery threads get into the seams and corners easily.
2. Fabric
2.1 Can you machine embroider on any fabric?
No, not all fabrics are suitable for modern machine embroidery.
Considering the fabric weight, fabric weave method and fabric type, only limited fabrics get good embroidery effect with a machine. For example, tightly woven fabrics like cotton, silk, linen, wool and polyester are your go to option for machine embroidery. While lightly woven fabrics might not be able to create a stable surface for needles to stitch. The deflected machine needle can result in uneven edges, which do not look nice. In a summary, there are some fabrics that are best options for machine embroidery. Their names are cotton, linen, silk, wool, felt, yarn and polyester.
2.2 What is the best fabric to practice machine embroidery?
The best fabric for practicing embroidery is without doubt cotton. Cotton usually has a tight and even weave, making it a perfect embroidery material. Coming in many colors, it can be used in a variety of embroidery projects. All features above makes it an ideal fabric choice for a beginner. No matter you’re doing hand embroidery or machine embroidery, it’s the go-to-option for making a beautiful pattern.
3. Does it matter what needle you use for embroidery?
Yes, it matters. Embroidery needles have a long eye for easy-threading. They come in a range of sizes, a needle kit can be a good choice for beginners. With everything included, it can help you get a understanding of which kind of embroidery needle suits which type of products.
With a proper needle, your embroidery designs will look much better. However, with a really bad option, you might not even able to get them finished. You should choose the right needle size, needle length, needle type and the type of needle point to create a good work. For example, investing in a thread organizer can help you easily access your spools and keep your supplies in order.
4. Thread
The right threads can transform your projects, adding a touch of magic to your creations. But selecting machine embroidery thread does differ from selecting threads for hand embroidery.
For embroidery beginners, multiple thread colors must be very attractive. But do you know how to select the embroidery threads correctly? Embroidery is a tricky process. There are many things you need to pay attention to. For example, investing in a thread organizer can help you easily access your spools and keep your supplies in order.
4.1 Can you use any thread for machine embroidery?
No, not any thread is suitable for machine embroidery. Embroidery machines generally work at a high speed and therefore requires the threads to be more strong and durable. The size and genre of embroidery also affects which thread to use.
4.2 What is the most popular thread used for machine embroidery?
When selecting a spool of thread for machine embroidery, it's important to consider the texture that works best for the fabric and your design. Rayon thread and polyester thread are the most sought-after thread used for machine embroidery.
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Rayon
Rayon thread has many advantages.
Rayon is known for its flexibility and high tensile strength. It’s a perfect material for machine embroidery. Besides, due to its softness and pliability, it is very soft against human skin. What’s more, many people are attracted by its beautiful glossy luster, which make it popular among embroiderers.
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Polyester
Polyester is suitable for high-speed embroidery machine as well. Made from 100% polyester, this thread category is even stronger than rayon. Plus, the colorfast thread is an ideal option for items need frequent wash. 
Polyester threads offer one of the top embroidery performance at this price point.
5. Do you need stabilizer for embroidery machine?
An embroidery stabilizer is not necessary but very much recommended.
Stabilizer is a wonderful thing in the embroidery process. It helps to support your stretchy fabrics and can prevent your designs from puckering and your fabric from distortion. You have plenty of choices for embroidery stabilizer. Cut-away stabilizer, tear away stabilizer, water soluble stabilizer and topper. They share some common points, but still differ from each other in some aspects. For a professional embroider, it’s highly likely that they have more than two stabilizers in stock. As with beginners, trying all the types above can be helpful for you to have a deeper understanding of which one to use in a specific situation. The wrong choice of backing won't help.
6. Embroidery Scissors
Scissors are a helpful item for a variety of uses and thus vital to an embroiderer’s toolkit. Although an ordinary scissors can act as a perfect cutter, people create quantity of tools for cutting and trimming. Embroidery scissors are smaller than normal scissors with sharp blades, which makes them good at snipping threads and other embroidery materials. With their help, snipping close to threads ends becomes easier. They're really worth buying, and you don't have to spend much on a nice pair of scissors. There are lots of common types of equipment used by embroiderers, but you won't need all those. This blog will show you several items, such as applique scissors, dressmaker's shears, tailor's scissors and embroidery scissors.
- Duckbill Applique Scissors
This type of scissors is designed with one blade narrow and one blade wide. The wider blade can protect the fabric underneath while you’re cutting stitches. Check the video on how to use Applique Scissors.
- Dressmaker Shears
Dressmaker shears usually are designed with thick blades ranging from 7 to 10 inches. The blades are tapered with one rounded tip and one pointed tip, which makes them ideal for cutting out patterns.
- Tailor’s Scissors
Tailor’s scissors are are capable of cutting many kinds of fabrics including heavy duties like leather.
- Embroidery Scissors
Embroidery scissors have really sharp points and curved or straight blades that suitable for clean cut.
7. The Magic Tool: Pre-wound bobbin
Pre-wound embroidery machine bobbins are popular products among embroidery hobbyists worldwide. Many embroiderers can leave it after using pre-wound bobbin thread.
Nowadays, there is a huge selection of wonderful pre-wound embroidery machine bobbins, featuring options with cardboard, plastic sides, or no sides. The only risk of it is in the thread quality. Make a smart purchase, it will be a good helper to you. The greatest advantage of it is time-saving, which is also a good news for those who hates the job itself. In addition, it can hold up to 3 times more thread than the traditional bobbins. That’s really something extraordinary. By the way, remember to clean out the bobbin area regularly. That’s for the efficiency of your production.
Conclusion
When selecting essential machine embroidery supplies, it's crucial to choose high-quality products that enhance your project's design. Also, they need to interface with your embroidery machine. There are many tricks inside. Having storage solutions for various supplies, like stabilizers, needles, and fabrics, can enhance your efficiency in machine embroidery. Machine accessories matter in machine embroidery as well, like the presser foot. Investing in embroidery software is another thing of vital importance. Because digitizing designs accurately is crucial for achieving high-quality results in machine embroidery. Have you discovered any amazing embroidery tool that's particularly useful? Share it with everyone in the comments below. For more information on embroidery, you’re welcome to leave comments or contact us. We’re glad to answer any of your questions. You can also watch our videos on YouTube or join our Tiktok and Instagram Community. We specialize in making high-quality magnetic hoops and tubular hoops for both domestic and industrial embroidery machines. Sew Tech embroidery hoops are compatible with a variety of machine brands like Janome, Brother, Baby lock, and Melco. Thanks for your support!