Back To The Basics To Create High Quality Embroidery Designs!

Back To The Basics To Create High Quality Embroidery Designs!

by | | Embroidery Production

Some basic issues can have a huge effect on the quality of your designs. We need to go back to the basics to create high-quality embroidery designs.

Machine Speed

Machine speed has a huge effect on the quality of your design.  I cringe when I see a machine going faster than 850 stitches per minute.  I run mine on an average of 750 stitches per minute, but if I am working on caps, it is down to 600 or 650 spi at max.

The machines are being sold on the fact that they operate at a significantly faster pace, allowing for more production to be completed in a day.  Yes, this is true, but it can also cause many issues that slow down production. The faster your machine is sewing, the more pull you have on your thread.  This can distort your small lettering and in satin stitches that border fill areas.  The faster the machine speed, the tighter the thread pulls, and the narrower the stitch sews out.  If the machine is going too fast, it can skip stitches or force the needle to penetrate in a bad spot and form a stitch that is uneven, such as on heavy pique or fabric that has wide ribs, such as twill.  This really shows up on a twill cap.

The machine speed can also cause the thread to come out of the needle at the beginning of sewing, and can leave a long thread or a loop at the beginning of the first part of your stitching.

Bad Tension

Your machine needs to be using either rayon or polyester thread.  You should not be switching back and forth if you can help it.  This is something that we have to do at times, and I am very unhappy when we have to do this, but we have customers that insist on a certain shade, and if it matches in the rayon rather than the polyester, then that is what we use.  I do not want to use any rayon thread on a garment that is going to be washed in the strong laundry detergents because it can fade.  We do not have many issues with our thread bleeding.

If you stick to polyester, you eliminate a lot of issues.  In today’s world, this is the thread that you should be using.  We have been gradually switching over, and we are using more and more polyester.  It is much stronger, and of course, it will not fade out when bleached. Your polyester thread has to run with a tighter tension than the rayon thread.   When you are switching back and forth, it is very tough to keep your thread tension correct.  It needs to be adjusted for the different types of thread.

Worn or Wrong Needles

Worn or Wrong Needles can create holes in the fabric.  On knits, it can create runs.  You really need to be careful with this.  Sometimes you can get away with a sharp needle on a knit, such as a pique, if you are using the 70/10 needles and they are new needles.  It is strongly recommended that you change your needles to ballpoint needles if you are working with knits, especially the performance wear knits.  You can almost count on holes in your fabric if you do not switch to the ballpoints on those types of fabrics.  This can have a huge effect on your design.

They recommend that you change your needles every 2,000,000 stitches or after every 8 hours of constant stitching on that same needle bar.  That is hard to keep track of and something that we really do not do, but I always had operators who were very detail-oriented and knew exactly when the needles needed to be changed. You can hear the difference in the sound when the needle goes down into the fabric. This comes from lots of experience and a lot of trial and error.

Wrong Backing

Using the correct backings or stabilizers is extremely important in stabilizing your design on your garment.  If you are using the wrong backing or a cheap backing, your design can rip right through the backing, and it just does not sew out very good.  It becomes very distorted, especially after it has been laundered.

This is something that you have to be very careful of.  For all of your wovens, you need to use a tearaway backing.  Do not ever use a cutaway on the woven fabrics, not even the no-show.  Many times the backing shrinks, and it will cause the design to pull up and pucker.  I have had several complaints about the no-show backing shrinking.  I have had several students tell me that they have discontinued using it because it was shrinking and their designs were distorted after they had been washed. I have some items here that have been washed, and you can plainly see that this no-show has not shrunken at all!  You need to always use quality backings.

Cheap Supplies

Do not use cheap bobbins either.  This is huge!  Not only do they slow down your production, but they run very erratically, and it is almost impossible to keep an even flow of tension.  I highly recommend the Filtec bobbins.  They can run all the way to the end without the tension changing, and rarely do we have a bad one.  Yes, they are more expensive, but the difference is the look and the production, which more than pays for the difference in cost.

No Topping On Your Knits

This is a tough concept to get across to a lot of people.  The difference in your designs is night and day when you use them.  Every knit that went out of my shop was done with a topping on it.  It keeps the thread on top of the fabric instead of letting it sink into the garment and is very easy to remove.  Yes, it is another step, but at the same time that we are steaming it off, we are also removing the hoop mark from our item.  I do not ever want to see a garment go out of here with a hoop mark on it.  There is no excuse for that one at all.

Garments Not Hooped Correctly

When you are hooping your garments, you want to make sure that they are tight enough. If it is, there will not be any movement of the fabric inside the hoop, and you can hear a drum noise when you tap on it.

Size of Hoop

The size hoop that you use is critical.  Many embroiderers will use the same 15 cm hoop for all of their designs.  This is fine if the design was created for that 15 cm hoop, but if the design is smaller than that, you will not get the same effect.

Many times, we just need to go back to the basics to create high-quality embroidery designs. We sometimes forget the basics and how important they really are.

The Embroidery Coach Explains How to Create High Quality Embroidery Designs for Perfect Stitch Quality

Exceptional embroidery does not happen by chance. It is built through precision, consistency, and a deep understanding of the fundamentals that drive stitch quality. At The Embroidery Coach, we show you how to create high-quality embroidery designs with a performance mindset where every detail matters. 

From machine settings to material selection, each factor contributes to how clean, sharp, and durable the final design appears. When the basics are mastered, embroidery transforms from a routine task into a refined process that delivers professional results every time.

We Help You Improve Your Embroidery Speed and Accuracy

We improve embroidery speed and accuracy by strengthening the core practices that directly influence stitch quality. Our focus is to help you improve your embroidery speed and accuracy, creating stability, reducing errors, and ensuring every design runs smoothly from start to finish. When we control key variables such as machine speed, hooping, and material selection, we eliminate unnecessary rework, increase production efficiency, and maintain precision.

Machine Speed Matters More Than Most People Think

Running embroidery machines at high speeds may seem efficient, but it often creates more problems than benefits. Excessive speed can distort stitches, reduce clarity in fine details, and cause thread breaks or inconsistent patterns. Slowing down allows the machine to perform with greater control, resulting in cleaner lines, better coverage, and improved overall design accuracy.

Bad Tension Can Ruin a Good Design

Thread tension plays a critical role in how stitches form and lay on the fabric. Poor tension leads to uneven stitching, weak coverage, and inconsistent results. Maintaining balanced tension ensures that threads flow smoothly, stitches sit properly on the surface, and designs appear crisp and professional. Consistent monitoring and adjustment of tension settings are essential for reliable embroidery outcomes.

Worn or Wrong Needles Damage Fabric and Detail

Using the correct needle type is essential for protecting both the fabric and the design. Worn needles can damage materials, create rough stitching, and reduce overall quality. For knit garments, ballpoint needles are often the better choice as they prevent fabric damage and ensure smoother stitching. Regular needle replacement is a simple step that significantly improves embroidery performance.

The Wrong Backing Creates Instability

Backing provides the foundation that supports the design during stitching. Choosing the wrong backing can lead to puckering, distortion, and weak embroidery structure. High-quality backing stabilizes the fabric, maintains design shape, and ensures long-lasting results. Selecting the right type based on fabric characteristics is essential for achieving consistent stitch quality.

Cheap Supplies Always Show in the Final Result

Low-quality supplies may reduce upfront costs, but they often compromise the outcome. Poor quality bobbins, threads, and stabilizers can lead to tension issues, inconsistent stitching, and production delays. Investing in reliable materials improves machine performance, reduces errors, and enhances the overall embroidery finish.

No Topping On Your Knits Is a Costly Mistake

Knitted fabrics require additional support during embroidery. Without topping, stitches can sink into the fabric, making designs appear less defined and harder to read. Topping ensures that stitches remain visible and sit on the surface, creating a cleaner and more professional look. This step is especially important for detailed designs and text elements.

Garments Must Be Hooped Correctly

Proper hooping is essential for maintaining stability throughout the embroidery process. Loose or uneven hooping allows the fabric to shift, resulting in distorted designs and poor alignment. A well-hooped garment should be firm and stable, providing the ideal surface for accurate stitching. Taking time to hoop correctly prevents costly mistakes and improves overall quality.

The Size of the Hoop Affects the Final Finish

Using the correct hoop size directly impacts the stability and precision of embroidery. A hoop that is too large can reduce tension and allow movement, while a properly sized hoop provides better control. Matching the hoop size to the design ensures consistent stitching and helps maintain the integrity of the final result.

At The Embroidery Coach, we believe that high-quality embroidery is achieved through disciplined execution of the fundamentals. When machine speed, tension, needles, backing, topping, hooping, and supplies are aligned correctly, the result is clean, precise, and professional embroidery that stands out.

Ready to enhance your embroidery results with better speed and precision? Work with The Embroidery Coach and start producing cleaner, sharper, and more consistent designs today.

FAQs

Topping prevents stitches from sinking into fabric textures, ensuring designs remain clear, sharp, and visually raised for a more professional embroidery appearance.

The fabric should be tightly secured with no movement and feel firm when tapped, ensuring stability and accurate stitching throughout the embroidery process.

Yes. Low-quality materials can cause tension issues, machine interruptions, and rework, ultimately slowing down production and reducing overall embroidery efficiency.

Yes. Proper hoop size improves stability, reduces fabric movement, and ensures cleaner stitching with better alignment and overall design precision.

Pressing Caps To Prevent Needle/Thread Breaks

Pressing Caps To Prevent Needle/Thread Breaks

by | | Embroidery Business Marketing

This is Joyce Jagger, The Embroidery Coach.  Here at The Embroidery Coach, we help embroiderers master embroidery skills and succeed in growing their embroidery business.

Through online training and private coaching, I help you avoid pitfalls as you are learning how to grow your embroidery business.

People come to me because they are frustrated with their business.  It is not as easy as they thought to build their embroidery business and many times, they do not know what to do next. In a simple email or a phone conversation, we can steer you in the right direction.

It may be a single course that I have created, it may be multiple skills that you can easily learn inside of the embroidery business academy or it may be some personal coaching designed just for you. Our goal is to help all embroiderers succeed!

Today’s tip is about concerning embroidery on caps. 

“Why you Have Thread Breaks or Needle Breaks When Embroidery On Caps.”

  • Cap too stiff
  • Not walking the machine at the start
  • Wrong needle or Bad needle
  • Cap does not sit on the needle plate
  • Design too low on the cap
  • Lettering too small
  • Too many locks & trims

Pressing Caps To Prevent Thread/Needle Breaks!

I have found that by pressing the cap fronts of those stiff caps, especially the Flexfit caps, solve many problems with thread breaks, needle breaks and flagging.  I press most of my 6 panel structured cap fronts.

To Press the cap, I lay a folded hand towel over the top of my cap framing device, put the cap over it, just like I was going to hoop the cap and then I use my household iron and press it with steam.  If you have a cap press you can use that, but you may have to spray the cap with a spritz of water to create some steam.  The steam really helps with the total process.

By pressing the cap fronts you are tightly adhering the backing to the top fabric and softening it up, flattening out the center seam and removing the hump that is in so many of them.  You can see the difference in the two caps.  This helps the cap to sit closer to the needle plate and reduces a lot of the flagging.  Pressing the cap fronts has reduced my thread breaks and needle breaks to almost nil.

I have a video inside of the Embroidery Business Academy membership site showing you exactly how to do this. 

I hope that you will find this tip helpful.  If so, please respond below this video and let me know. I have a free ebook for you. Just go to MasterEmbroiderySkills.com 

 

Embroidery Business Mastery, “The 3 Skills For Every Successful Embroidery Business”. Go pick it up today!

If you have already received the Free Ebook, check out Embroidery Business Academy.com.

I have a whole module on working with caps inside in the first Skill Set of Mastering Embroidery Skills. This is the perfect place to start your embroidery business training.

 

 

Do You Have Your Year-End Bookkeeping Records Organized?

Do You Have Your Year-End Bookkeeping Records Organized?

by | | Embroidery Business Management

Happy New Year!  Here we are at the beginning of a brand new year.  This is my favorite time of year, the time when we an actually start all over again.  We can start with a whole new slate and create a brand new plan.  Before you can do that you need to think about over the results of this past year.  Are you happy with the bottom line result that your embroidery business brought you during this past year? Are you where you thought you would end up at the end of the year? Did your business see growth this year or did it end up about the same as last year? Many embroiderers that I have talked to ended up about the same as last year and are really not happy with their end result. Some of my students that their best year yet! This is what I would like for all embroiderers. I want to talk a little bit about how you can make 2025 a much better year!

Do you make any New Year‚’s resolutions at the first of the year? How do they usually work out for you? I have not made any in many years. I found that I made all of these promises to myself of things that I was going to do, but I did not have a plan to make any of them happen.

Every year at this time I sit back and reflect on what I accomplished during the past year, what I could’ve done better and what I will do moving forward into this year! It is always such a feeling of relief and joy when I know that I can start all over again for another year and be able to make new plans to move my business forward in a more positive manner.

This past year was a great year for me but like every other year, I could have done more to make a difference in more embroiderers businesses.

I feel that my purpose in this world is to be able to help more embroiderers succeed in their embroidery businesses and make it easier for them to run their business and not have to go through so many struggles.

There are a few things that you need to do at this time of year to prepare for making this the best year of your embroidery business!

  • Find out where you are financially at this time. Without knowing exactly where you are you cannot make plans to move forward based on your current situation.

  • Go through your accounting software and make sure that all of your accounts are correct in your computer. Make sure that all of your accounts are totally correct before you do your end of year accounting. This is very important. Sometimes the computer does not always pick up everything or your information may have been saved to the wrong accounts.

  • Next, you need to figure out where you want to be at the end of 2025! How much of an increase do you want to see in your business this year? Let’s talk about a 25% increase.

  • Take that 25% increase over your 2024 year sales and divide it up into 12 months. How much of an increase do you need for each month? Divide that into how much for each week to reach that goal. Your weekly figure is truly the only figure that you need to focus on. It is a much smaller figure than the 25% increase over the entire year and seems more realistic to work towards than a larger figure.
  • Create a list of all of the events that you want to be involved in this year that can help grow your business. Lay them out month by month and put a plan together for each of these events.
  • If you are having a hard time thinking up ideas to grow your business this year, sit down with your accountant or a coach that can help you put a plan together.

How about this year instead of resolutions, you write out your goals and create a plan to accomplish those goals? Doesn’t that sound much better and more doable? It’s doable because you can create your own Action Plan and can plan to accomplish small pieces of that goal each week until you have reached your big goal. It is not hard, but it does take consistency and dedication. You can reach that goal if you really want it! You MUST really want it!

For more information on how to set up your accounting system to work great for your decorating apparel business, click here! 

Do You Have Your Embroidery Business Bookkeeping System Set Up?

Do You Have Your Embroidery Business Bookkeeping System Set Up?

by | | Embroidery Business Marketing, Embroidery Business Planning, Organizing

Bookkeeping is one of our least favorite things to do as embroiderers! We did not start our embroidery business so that we could do bookkeeping! We are born creators, not bookkeepers, but unfortunately, it is part of owning a business and is an essential part of the business that we must be on top of! You may feel like you are drowning in paperwork. Setting up a complete embroidery business bookkeeping system is essential in staying organized.

It is critical to organize every part of your business, and your records must be organized for easy and accurate bookkeeping. Without good record organization, it can become very overwhelming when you need to produce some important information, and it can cause unnecessary stress in your personal life and your business.

Have you spent many days just before filing your taxes trying to get everything organized? Trying to pull it all together at tax time when it is disorganized is really hard and time-consuming, not to mention how frustrating it can be. You could be spending this time getting more jobs out, but instead, you have to stop producing your embroidery and concentrate on the taxes in order to stay compliant with the government.

Your business generates a lot of paperwork and it can easily get out of control if you do not have a good system for taking care of it. This was a huge struggle for me until I realized that I could not continue to do it as I was and get my jobs out at the same time. I had to take some time out, stop the crazy disorganization of papers, and get my books in order.

Keeping accurate financial records is necessary for the growth of your business. You need to be able to look back and compare one year to the next so that you can plan more efficiently. You also need to know which area of your business is performing the best and in which area you are not making enough money. Without accurate records, this is impossible.

If you are new to bookkeeping and you have not started to use any type of accounting software you must first go through and organize all of your records. You must have them in order before you can even think about using any type of accounting software.

Start The Process of Organizing Your Bookkeeping Records for Your Embroidery Business Bookkeeping System Set Up!

Step 1- Separate the receipts for your expenses and for your income. Make sure that you have every little piece of paper because it can make a difference at tax time.

Step 2– Take the pile of receipts of your expenses and separate them by the month. Do the same for your income.

Step 3– Separate the piles of expenses and income for the first month into piles of like kinds.

Step 4– Create a spreadsheet with columns of the like kinds for your expenses and add the receipts into each column that is applicable. By like kinds I mean, Office supplies, loan payments, travel expenses, etc.

Step 5– When finished with the month, place the receipts into a file folder marked by the Month and place the file folder in a file drawer. Keep one file drawer for this purpose only.

Step 6– Repeat this process for your income statements.

Step 7– Total each column of expenses for the month. Do the same step for your income.

Step 8- Repeat this process on a separate spreadsheet for each month.

Organizing them in this manner will make it easier for you to start the process of working with accounting software. I know that the term accounting software is scary if this is all new to you, but it really is very simple to use once you have your expenses and income organized.

On February 13th and 14th, I am having an Embroidery Business Bookkeeping System Workshop where I will be showing you how to set up your entire bookkeeping system.  This will be a 2-day workshop from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM Eastern.  This is your chance to be able to get your entire system set up the correct way so that you will be able to see which area of your business is profitable and which area is not profitable.

I am using QuickBooks but this entire system works no matter what accounting or bookkeeping program you are using.

Click here to get signed up!  Don’t hesitate to get signed up!  We only have a limited amount that we can accept!

 

Embroidering Small Lettering-The Basics!

Embroidering Small Lettering-The Basics!

by | | Embroidery Education

Many embroiderers find that embroidering Small Lettering is very challenging, but once you learn the basics, it is easier. In order to learn the basics, some key elements must be considered.

  • Fabric
  • Needles
  • Thread
  • Style of Lettering
  • Underlay

The small lettering in the design, ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK is only 3.6mm tall. This would not work well if it were upper and lowercase. It is best to keep lettering that small in all upper case letters. It also helps to use a plain block letter rather than one with serifs when you are embroidering lettering that small.

Making small lettering work to your satisfaction often means making adjustments to allow for your fabric type and the size and style of the lettering that the customer is requesting. Many times what they are requesting is not acceptable for embroidery. They are used to seeing their logos in type sets usually in ink or screen printing ink and this does not always work with needles and thread. It is not uncommon for a customer to request an unreasonable amount of letters all to be placed on one line.

With Small Lettering, you have to create a balance between the fabric, needles, thread, and the size and style of your lettering. You cannot have letters so small that you are creating stitches that will be stitching on top of each other. This causes holes in the fabric and thread breaks. Your stitch length must be a minimum of 1 millimeter in order for it to sew out properly and not create holes.

The size and type of needle that you are using is extremely important.  If you are sewing on a knit fabric you must have a small ball point needle to be successful with small lettering.  If your lettering is smaller than 4 mm, you must use a size 65/9 ballpoint needle and 60 weight thread.  If it is 4mm or higher, you should be using a 70/10 ball point needle with your regular weight embroidery thread.  This is especially important if it is on a performance knit.  If you are working on a woven fabric, you will need a sharp needle instead of the ball point needle.

Embroidering Small Lettering is not hard when you learn the basics of each step.  I created “3 Steps To Create Clean Small Lettering!” This is a simple step-by-step process PDF guide for only $27.00. Click Here to get started on your journey to creating great small lettering.

This is the perfect guide to print out and have handy to get your employees started in their journey to learning how to create small lettering.  If the link does not work, copy and paste the complete address into the web browser.:
https://www.theembroiderycoachsystem.com/3-steps