Stabilizer

When doing sewing machine embroidery the most important factor is the stabilizer you use.  Each stitch, as it is tied by your sewing machine, pulls at the fabric much as a shoelace pulls at the sides of your shoe.  Multiply this by several thousand stitches and that is a lot of pull.  The softer the fabric, the greater the need for a good strong stabilizer. 

For most designs it is best to use one layer of heavy "cut-away".  Cut away leaves a small amount of stabilizer at the edge of the design.  This decreases a hard edge that can pull on the fabric enough to damage it.  For some fabrics, when you do not want the edge left by a cut away,  use a heavy "tear-away" stabilizer. 

For fabrics that are knitted there is a lot of movement in the fabric and so more of a chance for pull.  On these fabrics it is best to combine one layer of "iron-on" stabilizer and one layer of heavy "cut-away" or "tear-away".   Do not use more than one layer of iron-on stabilizer as the extra glue layers may  cling to your needle and cause problems.

If you are not sure what is best for the fabric you are using, do several trial embroideries to see what gives the best result.

Thread

It is very important that you use embroidery thread that is made for sewing machine embroidery.  There are many brands.  These threads are thin and soft.  Regular sewing threads are meant to hold a garment together so they are thicker and very strong.  When you use regular sewing thread to sew an embroidery pattern, you will hear a loud pounding noise as your sewing machine forces the needle through the strong threads.  This is very hard on your machine as it can throw it out of time.  Regular sewing thread, because it is stronger than embroidery thread, takes more room to tie the stitch so the embroidery design can look rough, especially at the edges.

Even threads especially made for machine embroidery can work differently.  This is because not all have the same composition and the twist may be different.  Some are more stretchy than others.  If there is more stretch in the thread you may need to adjust the upper thread tension.  Loosening the upper tension will allow the knots to be formed on the bottom side of the fabric, giving the embroidery a smooth sharp edge on the top.

Not all embroidery threads sew well on all machines.  Choose the ones that your machine likes best.  Here also practice trials will give you the best answers.

Do purchase a proper bobbin thread for sewing machine embroidery.  Using serger thread may be cheaper initially but like sewing thread it is much stronger and coarser than bobbin thread.  It can make the pattern look rough.  It can also throw your machine out of time when the needle is forced through the strong threads for thousands of stitches. 

Fabric

Almost all fabrics can be embroidered.  Not all fabrics can be embroidered well.

The best fabrics for embroidery are tightly woven 100% cotton.  Most fabrics, like broadcloth, that are a combination of cotton and polyester,  will show pull at the edges of the design which is directly related to the polyester content.  More stabilizer decreases the pull .  For some fabrics there will always be pull so the fabric is not suitable for embroidery.  Practicing with the scraps is a lifesaver when getting ready to embroider. 

Loosely woven or knitted fabrics do not have any strength, on their own, to support the pull of stitches.  These are the fabrics that need a combination of an "iron-on" stabilizer and a heavy "cut-away" or "tear-away".  The iron on changes the stretchy fabric to a more stable, less movable product.  Hence the term "stabilizer."  This may not be quite enough to support the stitches without pulling at the fabric so the second layer of cut-away or tear-away is needed.

All the designs on this website have been sewn on 100% cotton fabrics with a cut-away stabilizer. 

Pressing

When you have finished sewing a design it is important to set the stitches with heat.  The heat you use will to some extent depend on the heat the fabric will tolerate.

Set the iron on the proper heat setting for the fabric.  Lay the newly sewn design face down on the ironing board and press with an up and down motion.  (Press: Lift: Press: Lift)  Use a dry iron when setting stitches.  Stitches that have been set with heat are less likely to shrink when they are washed.

Colors

These designs were digitized with Janome colors, though they have been sewn with various brands of thread.  When designs are transferred to other machine languages, like hus or pes, the colors do not always come out the same as the program picks a color it thinks is close.  Sometimes these differences are dramatic.   I have included a color sheet with every design. These sheets show color blocks only,  rather than color names or numbers.  The blocks are numbered in the order of stitching.  You may choose colors similar to mine or you may make these art projects reflect your own personal taste. 

Thanks for visiting our site.  We appreciate your purchase of our designs.

Have fun.