10 Most Essential Embroidery Business Tools

01- Embroidery Machine

It is the first and foremost tool required to start embroidery. The choice of machine depends on the project needs, level of expertise, and your budget. Depending upon your expert level, you can choose single-head or multi-head machines. If you are a commercial embroidery expert with a big workplace, you can switch to multi-need embroidery machines. Some famous brands including Brother, Ricoma, Janome, Tajima, etc also provide 24/7 customer support and training courses to take more advantage of machine models. Plus, they offer extra accessories (Spool caps, pins, hoops, frames, feet, screwdriver, needles, manual guide, etc) for added convenience.

Click here to review embroidery machines for home use.

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02- Good Quality Thread

When you see your ideas turning into reality on a fabric, that’s where the embroidery thread comes in. Choice of the right thread based on the fabric you are working on and the type of embroidery machine. Madeira thread gives more shine with minimum thread break for smooth stitching. It offers a small cone of thread that works best for the PE800 and a bigger one for multi-needle machines. DMC is also the best brand known for its good quality embroidery floss. I usually use a mix of cheaper and more expensive brands to keep costs down. Whatever you choose, never compromise on the quality and durability because investing in a premium quality thread makes your business proficient.

You are suggested to review some of the best thread brands here.

03- Embroidery Needles

How to forget the needles, as you never start embroidery without them? So the choice of the right needle is associated with your fabric, working thread, and the type of design you want to create. Such needles differ in size and coating. For example, titanium-coated needles are more durable, chrome pleated resist heat, and ceramic needles prevent friction. To enjoy hassle-free embroidery, make sure to change the needle either at the start of your project or after 8 hours of continuous working.

Visit this blog to get complete knowledge of embroidery needles.

04- Magnetic Bobbins

If you want a smooth embroidery session without thread breakage, this is an important tool. There are generally two types of bobbins in the market, a paper side bobbin and one with a magnetic side. If you use a paper bobbin, when it is halfway inside the metal case, it starts bouncing and causes the thread to show on top. But with a magnetic bobbin, it holds the constant tension and prevents the thread from bouncing resulting in neat embroidery. It’s up to you to decide which bobbin works best for your machine. Magna Glide and Isachord are some of the best brands that offer magnetic bobbins for embroidery. It is recommended to use only a pre-wound bobbin to save time.

05- Embroidery Material

It could be anything you wish to have embroidery on such as t-shirts, hats, bags, jackets, pillows, table tops, pouches, etc.

Whatever material you choose, make sure it fits your budget and responds well to your embroidery machine. Learn the use of selecting the right fabric for embroidery and which thread and needle will work with it.

06- Software and USB Stick

If you want to customize embroidery, you need to digitize the image and save it in the embroidery file. There are a lot of free and paid embroidery digitizing software in the market, check your budget and required features. In the case of some entry-level embroidery machines, (Brother, Janome, Bernina, etc) you can transfer the client’s design into your machine via a USB flash stick, flash drive, memory stick, etc. You can also save and organize your files here in different folders that help to locate these designs for future use.

07- Tracing Tools

Now you have found your designs, you need a tool to shift the design to the intended material. Tracing paper is a kind of translucent material that provides a gateway to stitch the exact pattern. Available in different colors at Amazon. The purpose of using this tool is to make sure the design is traced in a central position. In some cases, tracing paper acts as a stabilizer that prevents shifting fabrics while stitching out the design. You can use chalk and water soluble markers for fine tracing as they won’t disappear when you need to wash the cloth in case of getting an accidental stain.

08- Mighty Hoop

Mighty hoops are different from conventional hoops as they won’t clamp the fabric between frames. They are available in multiple sizes. Mighty hoops have a magnet that holds sturdier fabrics such as denim Jackets, hats, and backpacks in place without clamping marks. It reduces the chance of hoop burn and if used in combination with a hoop master, you will see a perfectly stitched piece.

For complete guidelines about the mighty hoop and its size chart, visit our blog.

09- Stabilizer

It is another crucial item to have in an embroidery box. Stabilizers help keep stitches in place and prevent fabric puckering. Following are the commonly used types of stabilizer for embroidery and each has its role.

• Water-soluble
• No-mesh
• Poly-mesh
• Wash-away
• Cut-away
• Tear-away

Water-soluble

For example, if you want to work on a high pile of fabric such as Terry cloth (towel) and minky fabrics (baby blankets), water-soluble stabilizers give them stability over the hoop.

Cutaway

Work best for embroidering all kinds of stretchy and Knit fabrics. It includes polo shirts, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, etc. It is easy to put this backing and remove it with scissors after finishing embroidery. From all its available weights, use medium weight (2-2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer for flawless designs.

Tear away

This is a suitable option for working on thick materials such as bags and burp clothes. When you want to expose the back side of your design, just tear it off in a square and put it on the backside. You can also use it with a combination of any other stabilizer.

10- Embroidery Cutting and Removing Tools

It includes scissors, snippers, tweezers, seam rippers, etc. The embroidery scissors are somehow different from regular scissors based on their bill and specific use.

Curved scissor

This double curve works best during applique work. Also called Fiskars. Its handy curved tip gives fine cutting without disturbing line-up stitches.

Duckbill scissor

A kind of curved scissor with sharp ends helps to cut around the corners of the design and to lift the fabric, especially for making key fobs. It will prevent any holes in the fabric which is not possible with regular scissors. Gingher duckbill scissors are highly recommended to elevate neatness in your projects.

Sharp Sniper

They are helpful for fine-cutting of leftover fabric and strings after finishing stitching.

Seam Ripper

When you open the lid, it features a slightly curved handle to pick up the stitches. And you can use its rubbery ends to remove any fuzzies left after embroidery for a neat finish.

Fine Tip Tweezers

When you need to remove small elements from the finished design, this is the best tool to use. You can use it to remove a stabilizer between the embroidered letters or jump stitches, the sharper tip helps fine cutting resulting in a neat look of the finished piece.

Conclusion

The list of tools and supplies needed for embroidery is extensive but our listed tools got you covered. This collection starts with purchasing a good embroidery machine and fabric material. The rest of the tools will be purchased accordingly. Make sure to invest in quality rather than buying extra stuff. Learning about machine embroidery and its tools helps make a wise selection of supplies you need to start an embroidered journey. If you want an in-depth knowledge of embroidery tools, visit the provided links.