Embroidery: Production

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5 Crucial Steps to Starting Out in Embroidery

It’s time to start making an income from your creativity and your embroidery machine. The following five steps are critical to ultimate business success

Patch Showdown: Embroidered vs. Woven Patches

While embroidered and woven patches have similarities, there are differences to be aware of when choosing the best one for your particular decorated apparel application.

Jacket Season: When, What, Where & How

When the weather is warm, savvy embroiderers turn their thoughts to jackets and gear up to make some masterpieces. Wait… what??

How to: No Need to Dread Metallic Embroidery Thread

Typically seen in home décor, holiday gear, performance costumes and more, the embroidery metallic thread used for apparel decoration adds a sparkly sheen and pop of color to all kinds of projects

Short on Embroidery Supplies?

Though it’s dwindling in some locations in the United States, COVID-19 continues to linger as a drag on supplies chains. The good news is proactive thinking can ensure your embroidery decorating business keeps moving forward.

Thread-Tension Troubleshooting

You almost can’t glance at your newsfeed or check social media without seeing something about the importance of finding balance.

An Embroidery Stabilizer Selection Guide

Decorated apparel professionals need to use the correct stabilizers, also known as backings, during machine embroidery.

Tips for Apparel Decorators on Embroidery Powers Plackets

Regardless of which fashion trends are prevalent in the market in any given year, placket shirts always remain a staple for embroiderers and apparel decorators.

Sustainability in Apparel Decorators’ Embroidery Practices

Does the market drive or support buying habits? In a “chicken-or-the-egg” sort of conundrum, do eco-friendly concerns originate at the buying level or at the root of manufacturing?

Basic Embroidery Troubleshooting

From the runways of New York Fashion Week to the halls of Comic-Con, embroidery is a pastime that consumers and crafters are embracing, as personalization in clothing, costumes and gifts continues to rise in popularity.

Smooth Stitching

Have you ever watched an auto-racing pit crew change a tire? There’s no wasted movement because the most efficient procedure has been identified and is followed each time.

Embroidery Goes from Unique to Universal

The ability to transform a certain effect to a “special effect” is exemplified by the work of artist Stephen Wilson. He balances art, craft and fashion in mixed media using embroidery for his signature statement.

Spooktacular Stitches

Impressions gives apparel decorators from around the world the opportunity to submit their most impressive work, compete alongside their peers and show off their talents to the industry in its annual Impressions Awards decorating competition.

Tools of the Embroidery Trade

If you’ve ever struggled with machine embroidery, there may be numerous reasons why — including not having the proper tools for some jobs.

What’s an Older Machine Really Costing Your Shop?

Congratulations! The 10-year-old, 12-head embroidery machine that you opened your decorating business with is still running.

Troubleshooting for Embroidery

I have an advantage when it comes to understanding the importance of embroidery troubleshooting. I sit 10 yards and a staircase away from a customer sales support team that answers questions and provides helpful solutions for embroiderers.

Standing Out from the Crowd

Stock-design companies provide a tremendous service to those embroiderers who don’t do their own digitizing, as well as those who do but may need a starting point.

The Importance of Embroidery Training

Growth and change often go hand in hand, and the latter isn’t always easy or smooth. Deciding whether revenue supports the extra expense of adding a new employee to your shop is a big decision; the smaller the shop, the bigger the decision.

The ‘E’ in Team

There’s more to sports apparel than meets the eye. Sure, the team gets the most attention, but behind the scenes, practice happens before those players and uniforms ever hit the field or court on game day.

Embroidery Time-Savers

It’s past midnight and you’re still awake as your embroidery machine hums away. At this point, you must face the following inevitable truth: It’ll probably take all night to finish that large order.

Making Impossible Embroidery Possible

Hardly anyone thinks of T-shirts as delicate — they make bold statements, and are ubiquitous, affordable, easily laundered and even disposable. But in the embroidery world, a T-shirt’s lightweight knit renders it a delicate fabric.

Organizing Your Embroidery Space

Create an efficient space and keep your business running smoothly

Pointers for Appliqué

Appliqué may be a fancy-sounding word complete with an accent mark, but the process is nothing more than simply sewing a piece of fabric on top of another and adding a neat border of stitches. 

Customizing Your Embroidery

One of the greatest benefits of using embroidery on garments, totes, caps or home décor is the phrase, “No minimums.”

Back to Basics

When it comes to getting the biggest bang for your embroidery buck, the right backing or topping makes the difference between a ho-hum product and results that truly pop.

Stitching Staples Get Upgrades

During the past few years, there have been some interesting developments in the embroidery machines and supplies arena.

Do Sweat the Small Stuff

If you are baking a cake and forget to add the eggs, you won’t get the desired results. The same goes for your embroidered orders. Forgetting just one thing could result in the loss of a good customer. 

Quality Control Starts Upfront

We all have bought something and — upon opening it — wondered how it ever left the manufacturer that way.

Moving Up to a Multihead

All habits — both good and bad — become magnified when expanding from operating singlehead embroidery equipment to a multihead configuration.

Stitching the Changing Face of Fleece

You’ve probably heard it before, but the following old adage always rings true: Change is the only constant you can count on.

Take Advantage of Monogram Madness

When I opened my Internet browser two weeks before Christmas, I was stunned to see the term “monogram” was the No. 1 trending topic.

Embroidery Thread Update

We all know that 40 weight is the embroiderer’s every day, go-to, general-purpose embroidery thread. But if you are looking to turn out designs that are unique, customized and considered beyond the norm, it’s important to know the other thread types that are at your disposal.

How to Embroider on Performancewear

Is the thought of embroidering on today’s popular performancewear sending you running in the opposite direction? There are reasons — billions of them — to master embroidering on this sometimes slippery, shiny, stretchy, skinny stuff. 

Pairing Shine and Stitches

As an apparel decorator, you probably see bling in tasteful touches, as
well as in excess. You may even be feeling the pressure to add a little
shine to your offerings for customers.

Jazz Up Appliqué with Variegated Thread

An easy way to introduce more color and add variety to an appliqué design is by using multicolored thread.  

Thread Update: Adding Interest to Sewouts

Pricing Practices for Embroidery

If you’ve been embroidering for a while, you may have wondered, “If I’m so busy, why aren’t I rich?”

Training for the Large Shop

The larger your embroidery operation, the more you need a defined training program. Having your new-hires learn by “on-the-job osmosis” usually results in uneven job skills, an unpredictable time frame to develop trainees and no way to measure progress and retention. 

Determining Your Shop’s Location

There’s a lot to consider when deciding on the best place for your embroidery business.
 

Training for the Small Shop

A structured training curriculum increases the odds that a newer employee can help in most areas where assistance may be needed more quickly. 

Weighing the Merits of Embroidery

If your customers seek a high-quality, classic look, embroidery should be your preferred decoration method.
 

5 Things to Know About Your Embroidery Machine

You may think you know a lot about your embroidery machine. After all, you probably get good production from it. But we’re here to make you better.
 

Essentials for Better Embroidery

This year’s offering of embroidery machines and supplies doesn’t disappoint, with machines that are lighter, faster and more efficient than ever.
 

Untangling Metallic Threads

Learning to deal with the nuances of metallic thread can make your life as an embroiderer a little easier. 

Hooping: The Foundation of Embroidery

Correct hooping may be the most important part of the embroidery process. Here are 10 ways to get it right!
 

How to Find Efficiencies in Your Embroidery Shop

I’ve been around this industry for a number of years and, during that time, I have had the opportunity to make as many mistakes as humanly possible.
 

Made in the USA: A Case Study, Part 2 of 2

In the final installment of this two-part series, contributing writer Deborah Jones shares her findings as she revisits an embroidery company that has retooled aspects of its embroidery operation to make it more functional and efficient.
 

Essentials for Your Embroidery Shop

10 necessities can help provide you with the right tools to make for an enjoyable embroidery business. 

Small-Space Embroidery Solutions

An embroiderer for more than 25 years, Connie Smith shows you how to make the most of a small space, transforming a 5′ x 8′ storage room into a productive workspace. 

Commercial vs. Crossover: A Machine Comparison

Two categories of embroidery machines exist that now are worthy to compete for consideration as your business’ singlehead, multi-needle equipment choice.
 

Use Software Settings for More Quality Embroidery

Where do you think you can improve when it comes to your embroidery’s quality? Chances are good that you can correct many bothersome issues simply by using your shop’s embroidery software system. 

Made in the USA: A Case Study, Part 1 of 2

In this two-part series, contributing writer Deborah Jones visits with an embroidery company that has retooled aspects of its operation to make it more functional and efficient. 

Embroidery Parties Can 
Net New Customers

Finding new and clever ways to bring in new customers is a challenge.