d 1.TIME - If you want to learn a new craft you must allow yourself time to research it and practice. Have a designated time that you can dedicate to just to your machine embroidery. That time can be spent sewing, researching it or taking classes. The housework and other chores will just have to wait, but you are worth it! 2.EMBROIDERY MACHINE - There are many different brands of embroidery machines these days. Whether it be a brand new machine or a second hand model, it pays to do your research and ultimately purchase the machine with largest selection of hoops sizes that you can afford. (Our next blog post will be on what to look for in buying a second hand machine). 3.EMBROIDERY HOOPS – These hoops come with your embroidery machine and each model of embroidery machine has its own limits when it comes to hoop sizes. Our designs can be made in varying hoop sizes but ultimately the actual design itself dictates what hoops can be used and what cant ( for example a 4x4 hoop is not suitable to make larger panels required to make a tote bag) blog hoops.jpg 4.STABILIZERS - (for your embroidery hoop) – Once again there are very many brands of Stabilizers on the market. You will need a few different types of Stabilizer to complete our designs.
  • Cutaway - used in most of our designs. It needs to be of medium weight
  • Tear away – used in our designs that use zippers.
  • Soluble - used in our designs that are made completely in the hoop with the satin stitch edging the completed product e.g. our bunting designs.
blog machine embroidery tools checklist applique stabilizer Hooped Stabilizer
  1. BATTING/WADDING – We use a thin polyester batting in our bags and for quilts we use either cotton or wool. This comes down to personal preference with warmth and weight etc.blog machine embroidery tools checklist applique batting
6. FABRIC – All of our designs come with instructions and fabric requirements for the project. We don’t give the requirements for the smaller appliqued pieces as these can usually just be made with fabric scraps you have laying around. blog machine embroidery tools checklist fabric
  1. SCISSORS – A pair of fabric scissors and /or a small rotary cutter. For those left handers there are left handed scissors ( and applique scissors) available as well and we have it on good authority that they are a MUST .
blog machine embroidery tools checklist scissors and rotary cutter
  1. TAPE MEASURE
  2. CUTTING MAT
  3. PINS – Pins are not required for the actual ‘in the hoop’ embroidery but are need when sewing panels or blocks together.
  4. QUICK UNPICK / SEAM RIPPER - We all would like to think that we will never need one of these but we are all human and little mistakes happen and need re doing.
  5. THREAD - Good quality Machine Embroidery Thread
for instructions on how to download our designs please click this link https://swpea.me/2016/08/02/how-to-download-our-designs/
Category_how to articles