NEW TO EMBROIDERY?
We were too! We have been offering an embroidery service to our customers for approximately 3 years now and feel like we are finally ready to share some of our tips that we have learnt along the way. From hooping stations to garment choice, digitising to machine choice, hopefully you can gain a little from our experience before you jump into the world of embroidery.
Check out our YouTube Video here:
WHICH EMBROIDERY MACHINE TO START WITH?
We started out using the Melco EMT16 Plus. This is an entry level machine which can be used in a professional environment. It has 16 needles and has the ability to add additional machines at a later date.
From our research, we found this to be on the cheaper end of professional embroidery machines while still maintaining a quality finish.
Are ‘Mighty Hoops’ better than conventional hoops?
In our opinion, yes! ‘Mighty Hoops’ are magnetic hoops which can be used in conjunction with the ‘Hoop Master’ system. Here are our reasons why we love them:
- No hoop burn.
- No strain on your wrists/fingers.
- No warping of the garment.
- The backing can’t slip during hooping.
- Stronger than conventual hoops.
- Interchangeable on the Hoop Master.
- Embroidery lands in the same place EVERY time.
- Perfect hoop EVERY time!
Admittedly, the ‘Mighty Hoops’ are expensive. This is the only downside! If you can plan to start using these hoops right from the beginning of your journey, you will save yourself a lot of hassle and money in the long run.
WHAT ABOUT DIGITISING?
For someone starting out in embroidery, we would advise for you to get external help for your embroidery files. There are thousands of embroidery ‘Digitisers’ online who can create your designs for a small price. Here are our tips for approaching a digitiser:
- Be clear and direct on what you want. Many digitisers are based outside of the UK and English may not be their first language. Be patient as most digitisers are incredible at their job and will provide a great embroidery file for you to work with.
- Give the digitiser your design at the correct size. If you can’t resize the design yourself, make sure to tell them how many centimetres wide the image should be.
- Tell them which machine you are working with. A good digitiser will make sure the design stitches well on your machine or another model similar.
- Keep your design simple. Avoid small text and intricate designs when possible. Digitisers usually charge per stitch or size of the image. Simple designs will keep your costs down.
- Name your files. Keeping files tidy helps everyone understand the assignment especially if you are planning on using your digitiser more than once!
WHICH GARMENTS ARE BEST FOR EMBROIDERY?
The thicker the better! We prefer to use 100% organic cotton when possible and try to keep embroidery to items such as hoodies, sweaters, jackets, hats/caps etc…
Some jackets have hidden zips tucked into the seam. This is so you can slip your hoop inside the jacket when embroidering. Doing this means the back of the embroidery is hidden and gives a professional finish.
Check out our range of embroidered jackets and hoodies here: https://www.blindmaggot.co.uk/collections/hardcore-collection
WHAT IS THE BEST DESIGN LOCATION FOR EMBROIDERY?
When your starting out, its best to keep it simple. A small front chest, bang in the middle is perfect! Once you are a little more experienced you can start embroidering over seams and in difficult to reach places.
When purchasing jackets, look out for the hidden zip in the seam. The placement of the zip will indicate the best area to embroider.
Remember, when you start playing around with different embroidery placements you may need to start purchasing different size hoops such as an arm hoop or large hoop for the back of the garment. A great piece of advice would be to create your design within the hoop area and set boundaries for your customers. This way you can make sure every design is achievable with your set up.
Which embroidery backing gives the best finish?
This is dependent on your design, garment and desired finish. We like to use a super thick tear away backing as this keeps the finishing process quick. For really good results we would advise using a thick cut away backing as this tends to hold the embroidery firmer resulting in a clean finish.
Quick tip – if your embroidery is puckering, try adding additional layers of backing.
Check out our YouTube video on ‘Mighty Hoops’ and see how we embroidered hoodies and a beanie hat.
Please support our blog.
We sell our Blind Maggot clothing range to fund our YouTube channel and blog posts. Support us by grabbing yourself a t-shirt or hoodie from the website. Also, get yourself £10 OFF all limited edition t-shirts using our discount code : SQUEEGEE
THANK YOU!
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Is embroidery not for you?
Try out screen printing instead!..
