10 Tips for Flawless Stitchouts

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Discover 10 must-know machine embroidery tips that will elevate your projects to professional-looking pieces.

By Pamela Cox

1. Know Your Embroidery Machine

Sewing and embroidery machines are a sizeable investment and should be purchased from a reputable local dealer that provides support during the learning process. Machine operating manuals are provided with purchase; however, a good dealer will offer hands-on classes to demonstrate machine functions. Fine-tune your machine’s operations by using scrap project fabric to test different stitch lengths and/or tension settings to obtain true balance. Experiment with various thread spool styles and brands to discover your favorite before investing in an entire color collection. As you experiment, document the thread, fabric, stabilizer, and any other materials or what did not work in a small notebook for future reference.

2. Proper Product Preparation

Read through any project, technique, or material directions before beginning a new project (this is one of those machine embroidery tips that is often overlooked but it’s very important!). Gather all of the necessary supplies to ensure there are enough to complete the project.

Always prewash, dry, and press fabric. It allows for any fabric shrinkage and removes processing chemicals, which can dull needles and alter the fabric drape and hand.

Many projects require more than one hooping and therefore require more than a single day to complete. Keep all threads, pattern pieces, instructions, and fabric in one place, such as a basket or bin. Organization makes it easier to pick up where the project was left off, taking the guesswork out of details, such as which thread color was used.

3. Quality Matters

Every project requires investing creative thought and valuable time, which makes the project something deserving of the best supplies available. Superior products offer less frustration during construction and produce a project that will last through generations. Choose quality fabric, stabilizer, thread, needles, and embroidery designs. Designs created by professional digitizers result in fewer jump threads, accurate outlines, and proper coverage, including underlays and topstitching.

4. Embroidery Design Anatomy

Learn the different design types and always evaluate a design based on the intended application. Underlay stitches are the foundation for any embroidery design and allow the design to maintain its shape. Fill stitches cover the design in either a satin stitch or a set pattern. Accent stitches are often added to define an area.

A digitizer decides how many stitches are needed in any given design area and how close the stitches are placed to each other to achieve the desired effect. Lighter designs have minimal underlay stitches and properly spaced fill stitches. Denser designs contain more underlay stitches, which provide more structure and support for the increased number of fill stitches that are tightly spaced (A). As a general guide, select dense designs for heavyweight fabric and delicate designs for lightweight fabric.

5. Proper Fabric, Design, & Stabilizer Balance

Fabric is a canvas for expressing creativity in the form of embroidered shapes, which are balanced with the proper stabilizer. Typically, a dense design requires a heavier foundation, which can either be a combination of a mediumweight fabric and a heavyweight stabilizer or a heavyweight fabric with a lightweight stabilizer. A stabilizer must provide extra support to create successful embroidery but shouldn’t alter the natural drape and hand of the fabric. Purchase a stabilizer sample packet from various companies to experiment with multiple types and weights to see which works best.

6. Monitor the Embroidery Machine

Many machines have built-in alarms that alert you when the bobbin requires more thread or the needle thread is broken. However, because the machine operates at such a fast speed, the time between the machine recognizing a problem, sounding the alarm, and then stopping the embroidery isn’t immediate. There are also other factors that don’t trigger an alarm, such as excess fabric folding into the embroidery area.

Preventing a mistake or knowing exactly where to begin stitching after a mistake is much easier if the embroidery process is watched during stitching. If a stitch is thrown, the loop can be immediately anchored into another portion of the design.

7. Use the Same Color Bobbin Thread

Machine stitching is created when an upper thread loops around the bobbin thread, locking the stitch in place. The upper and bobbin thread tension needs to be balanced for accurate stitch formation. During embroidery, the lightweight bobbin thread can be pulled by the heavyweight upper thread onto the fabric right side (B).

Although time-consuming, changing bobbin thread colors to match the upper thread color is the difference between good embroidery designs and exceptional designs. The design also looks excellent on the fabric right and wrong side, which works well for projects when the wrong side is visible, such as table linens or towels.

8. Proper Placement

Obtaining accurate embroidery design placement is paramount for a successful project. Always print a paper template to place a perfectly centered design on a project, such as a sweatshirt, even if the center was first marked by hand-basted guidelines. For projects that require multiple hoopings, use a paper template in conjunction with an exact positioning feature available on many high-end embroidery machines to double-check the placement.

9. Maintain Equipment

Professionally service your embroidery machine once a year. However, thoroughly clean the machine on a predetermined schedule and even more often if a project is created using cotton thread. Cotton thread produces lint that collects in the bobbin housing and needle shaft. Avoid blowing debris from the machine, as breath introduces moisture to the machine parts. Vacuum debris using a kit with small attachments that are compatible with a household vacuum.

Not only should the machine be maintained, but the work environment and tools should be also. Keep all supplies organized and all work areas free from debris that can snag fabrics. Maintain sharp scissors and designate a pair for fabric only. Replace rotary cutting blades when dull, and throw away dull or bent pins and needles.

10. Continue the Learning Process

Attend a sewing or quilting convention or an embroidery conference. Or take a class offered by your local dealer even if it’s a project or fabric you aren’t comfortable with. Observing a technique, learning a brand-new technique or project, and adding knowledge to your skill set is worth the investment. In addition, it’s an opportunity to meet others who are passionate about machine embroidery, and exchanging ideas is always inspirational.

We hope these machine embroidery tips help you perfect your projects! If you have a favorite tip, please share it in the comments.

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