by The Embroidery Coach | | Embroidery Business Marketing
Embroidery thread tension is one of the most frustrating subjects within the world of embroidery and learning to adjust and maintain good balanced embroidery thread tension is a skill that must perfected. Once you develop this skill it will make a huge difference in your production and the quality of your finished embroidery. Very often a design would look so much better if only the tension was adjusted correctly on the machine. The wrong tension can cause multiple problems and without the basic knowledge of the relationship between the top and bottom threads it is impossible to know how to correct them.
A stitch is formed when the needle carrying the top thread passes down through the needle hole in the needle plate and connects with the bobbin thread. A loop is formed directly behind the eye of the needle. As the needle is coming back up the thread will tighten if your tensions are set properly. If one of your threads is too tight it can snap. If there is a burr on the edge of the needle hole in the needle plate, as the thread is coming back up, it can split or fray. It is important to keep a total balance between your Upper thread (top thread) and your Lower thread (bobbin thread).
Correct Embroidery Thread Tension
When your tensions are correct, you will see three fairly evenly divided sections on the back of your lettering or embroidery in each segment. The center section will be the white bobbin thread and the two outer sections will be the top thread as in the red image in picture to the left. This is a correct embroidery thread tension.
When you are embroidering small letters it is sometimes hard to see the division, but you still should see the line of bobbin thread. If you do not, your tension needs to be adjusted. If you are embroidering a large fill area, you will see mostly bobbin thread with a small amount of top thread showing at the edges of the segment.
The purple thread image on the far left is showing that the top tension is too tight or the bobbin tension is too loose. Adjust your bobbin tension before you adjust the top tension in this case.
The gold thread image in the center is showing that the top tension is too loose. You must tighten the top tension in this case. Keeping a total balance between the top and bobbin threads not only makes your embroidery look better, your machine will run smoother and you will have fewer problems with your machine.
Here are some typical scenarios when your embroidery thread tension will need to be adjusted:
- When Switching Embroidery Thread Types
The thread tension may need to be adjusted each time you change a cone of thread. It is not a good idea to keep switching back and forth with your thread types. The machine gets used to one type of thread and when you make a change you start to have problems. Tensions set for polyester thread must be much tighter than the tensions set for the rayon thread. Metallic thread needs to be adjusted but it all depends on your machine and the brand of metallic thread. In order to avoid changing tensions when I want to use metallic thread, I keep one needle designated at all times for metallic thread, and then it is always set and I do not have to worry about changing the tensions or the needle.
- When switching different Colors of Cones of Embroidery Thread
It is best to maintain your thread colors on the same needles if you can. If this is not possible, stay with the light-colored embroidery threads on the same needles and the dark-colored threads on the same needles. For example, don‚’t change off a white thread with a navy thread. You will definitely have to adjust your tension. This can make a big difference. The dyes are heavier in the dark colors than they are in the lighter colors, so therefore the thread is slightly heavier and your tension will need to be adjusted.
- Different Types Of Garments
The same tension for a cap does not always work on a knit golf shirt. As a general rule, I run the tension tighter for a cap. This is not always the case, depending on the fabric that is in the cap. You will need to experiment to see which fabrics require a tighter tension than other fabrics.
- A Visit From The Tech
Each time a tech comes into work on my machine, he loosens all of the top thread tensions and I have to go back and redo them when he leaves. Obviously you are not going to have as many thread breaks if your tension is loose. My point here is that just because the tech has been there and adjusted your tensions, do not think that they will automatically be correct!-Trust me, I am not knocking techs, they are wonderful, I just want you to be aware of your tensions if they are not correct after the tech leaves!
If your embroidery thread tensions are not correct and balanced you may experience the following problems:
- Birdnesting
This is a lot of top thread that gathers up on the underside of your garment and forms a big wad. This is caused by the top thread tension being too loose. You will see loops on top of your embroidery and this can even cause your garment to be pulled down into the hole in the needle plate.Obviously this will rip the garment. At times, you will need to reach up underneath the needle plate in the hook area and cut this wad of thread loose from the garment in order to remove it. If this bird nesting does occur you must make sure that you have removed every strand of thread that has been caught in the knife and bobbin case and in and around the rotary hook.If some of this thread gets caught in the hook when you start to sew again, your hook may freeze up and you are shut down until you either replace your rotary hook or have a tech replace your rotary hook. You can also knock out your hook timing as well as the knife timing mechanism if a wad of thread gets caught in it.
- Thread Breaks
If the tension is too tight, you may experience a lot of thread breaks.
- Bobbin Thread Pulled Up Onto The Topside Of Your Garment
It looks like you have very erratic or jagged stitching, but when you look more closely you are actually seeing the white bobbin thread showing at the outer edges of your stitching.
Adjusting The Top Embroidery Thread Tension
To adjust the top or upper thread tension, you start with the top Tensioners on your machine. You must be careful that you do not have this set of Tensioners too tight. If they are too tight, the thread will pop out from under the tension disks as you are sewing and all of a sudden your thread is looking very loose and you don‚’t know what happened or what could have caused it. You did not physically make any changes in your settings, but your tension changed during the sewing process. This is the first place to look if that happens. If this is happening, loosen this top set of Tensioners, by turning or twisting the knob to the left or counterclockwise a quarter turn. If they are too loose, you will turn or twist the knob to the right or clockwise.
If you do not see a difference after adjusting the top set or it still is not correct, adjust the second set of Tensioners or Rotary Tensioner on the front of the machine. You will turn the knob to the left or counterclockwise to loosen your tension and if you want to tighten your tension, you will turn or twist this knob to the right or clockwise.
I have adjusted tensions for the past 32 years and learned the correct feel of the thread passing thru the needle as I pulled on it. Today there is a top thread Tension Gauge that you can purchase to properly set your tensions. The first time that I used this gauge I was amazed at what a great job it did and I also found out that my tensions were not all set properly. After using this gauge, my machine actually sewed better and faster without any problems. It is such a great feeling when you can sew all day long with little or no thread breaks.
Testing Your Embroidery Thread Tension With A Top Tension Gauge
To test your tensions with this Tension Gauge, you will thread your machine properly making sure that you have followed the upper thread path correctly. Pull a few inches (about 6 inches or so) of thread thru the needle and wrap it around the hook of the gauge at least twice. You want to make sure that it is caught enough that you can pull on your thread without it coming loose. With the numbers on top of the gauge facing up you will pull the thread straight out horizontally. I have a video on my website showing you how to use it.
- Do not pull out more than 18 to 24 during your test.
- The tension should read 100-130 grams for Rayon thread
- Tension should read 120-150 grams for Polyester thread
On my machines, the upper range of these numbers work better than the lower range. Start with needle #1 and continue the same process until you have completely tested all of your needles. Each time that you make an adjustment, you should perform this test.
One thing to remember, each machine has its own personality and sometimes these measurements will not be correct for your machine. You will need to experiment and arrive at your own measurement and keep your track of what these measurements are. Many times they will need to be tighter than the measurements listed above in order to have the correct tension.
Check Your Tension When You Change The Bobbin
Every time you replace your bobbin, you need to check the bobbin tension. The tension can vary and be different on each bobbin. Your tension can even change within the bobbin. It is very normal for the tension to change when it gets close to the end of a bobbin. The last 10% should be considered unusable. This is especially true with the cardboard sided bobbins.
All of a sudden as you are sewing, you will notice that even though nothing has changed in the embroidery process or your garments, you tension has changed. This is very upsetting. At the first sign of this, remove the bobbin, throw it out and replace it. Again, check your tension to see that it is correct before you start running your machine.
Check Your Bobbin Tension Following These Steps
- Hold the bobbin in your hand with the thread hanging down on the right side.
- Place it into the bobbin case with open side of the bobbin case towards you.
- Pull the thread up thru the tension spring/clip but do not run it thru the pigtail.
- Pull out a few inches of thread while you are holding the bobbin case in the palm of your hand.
- With your other hand, pick up the bobbin carefully and suspend it, holding on to the thread. Hold it just above the palm of your hand. It should not drop.
- Gently tug on the thread and bob it up and down. It should drop a small amount. If it does not drop at all it is too tight. If it drops easily, it is too loose. It should only drop a small amount when you are bobbing it.Make sure that you do not
have the thread pulled up thru the pigtail when you are trying to perform this test. The bobbin will fall out of the case.
- If the tension is too loose, turn the largest screw on the bobbin case to the right a small amount. If the tension is tight, turn this screw to the left. Perform this test again each time that you adjust the screw.
After you have completed your test, you can run the thread thru the pigtail and place your bobbin case into the rotary hook of the machine.
There is also a Bobbin Tension Gauge that you can purchase to set your tensions correctly. 
I strongly advise purchasing one of these valuable items. They are a bit pricey, but really do a great job. This is a one time investment of approximately $80.00 but it is worth its weight in gold. The measurement for the correct bobbin tension using the gauge is 18 to 20 grams. The numbers to read on some of the Tension Gauges will be between 180 and 200 instead of the 18 to 20. It is easy to use and very accurate.
Keeping good balanced embroidery thread tensions is extremely important if you want to maintain quality and high performance with your embroidery machine.
by The Embroidery Coach | | Embroidery Business Management
Avoiding a financial crisis is a very important aspect that you need to focus on in your embroidery business to keep it alive and well especially during the slow times in your business. We all go through slow times and you need to always be prepared for it and plan for these times.
In today‚’s world of business, having a superb product, soaring sales and excellent customer service are some of the things that go into making a successful business, but if you do not keep your business financially healthy, all of that hard work will be in vain. Without a sound stable financial position the slightest shock can be enough to send your embroidery business crashing to the ground.
Here are 9 items that can cause your embroidery business to sink and you need to stay on top of each and every one of them in order to avoid a financial crisis and keep your business alive.
Poor Record Keeping
Embroidery Business owners are usually not good record keepers! People who start embroidery businesses are creative and love being in the creative space, bookkeeping is not something that makes them jump out of bed in the morning! They do not get up thinking! Great, I get to do paperwork today!
If you are to keep your business going and growing then you have to accept that there are going to be days that you can‚’t avoid it. You must keep records of your sales, your purchases, your production time, and your inventory.
Without these records you will very quickly lose track of where you are. You won‚’t know:
- What you have spent your money on
- You won‚’t know where your cash is going
- You won‚’t know how much you have in inventory
At the end of every week, you need to check to see if if you hit your numbers for the week. There‚’s a saying.The people who keep records are the people who break records‚so true.
Not Keeping Track Of Your Bank Balance
Do you know exactly what your bank balance is today? Why is it important? If you are going to write a check you must know that you have the money on your account. If your check bounces it can damage your reputation and have a negative effect on your credit. This can cause a struggle when dealing with suppliers.
To avoid this make sure you keep a running total in a check book at all time and even get a line of credit to that you can draw on when the cash flow gets low. This can really help in those slow times, but you must repay the line of credit as soon as the cash starts coming in. There really is no excuse for losing track of where you stand.
Poor Cash Flow
When you are working with your customers and purchasing products for them you need to be asking for at least 50% down and then get the remainder of the payment when he or she picks up the order. If you deliver the order, you must collect the remainder before leaving the products.. You cannot afford to work with your money. You need to be working with your customer‚’s money. Carrying Accounts Receivables can kill your business very quickly.
No Cost Controls & Purchasing the Wrong Things
When you are going to make a new purchase, shop around to make sure you are making the right decision. Compare prices and specifications especially on larger purchases. Have your budget set before you start shopping for that new purchase.
Make sure you spend your hard earned cash on the right things. Your business, in order for it to grow, needs cash. Remove the cash and you remove the life blood which keeps your business alive.
You have to be disciplined when planning a new purchase. Always ask yourself the question, Will this cost add anything to my business? Is it going to help me increase sales? Don‚’t act on impulse; go away and think about every large purchase. If it is not going to help increase your sales, then the decision to purchase a new item is not the right one.
Failing To Make Necessary Cuts
Failing to make the necessary cuts to ensure the survival of your business is something you cannot afford to do. If you have an employee that is doing your purchasing for you, keep a check on him or her to make sure that they are not purchasing more than necessary. If your work load decreases, cut some of your labor costs. Do not try to keep them hoping it will pick up, this will be a huge drain on your cash flow. If you notice you have any type of problem do something about it immediately! Don‚’t sit back and hope things will get better; as a general rule, they do not!
If you a have product or service that is costing you money; get rid of it. Not acting quickly will only compound the problem.
Depending On a Small Number of Customers
Having a small number of customers is not a problem when everything is going well, but if one or two leave you or fail to pay up on time, then this can cause problems.
If you depend on 3 customers and one of them leaves, you are faced with a 33% reduction in sales. Unless you can replace him immediately you may not be able to cut your overhead costs quick enough to avoid any crisis.
You cannot afford for your business to be held ransom. Get out as quickly as you can and get new customers.
The same situation can apply to a business that only offers one type of decoration, such as embroidery. A shift in the economy can cause your customers to decide on a more cost effective alternative and all of a sudden, you have no embroidery. You must diversify and offer more cost effective alternatives to your customer when times get tough to keep your customers coming back for more of what you have to offer!
Not Having a Budget
At the beginning of each year sit down and go over your financial reports with a fine tooth comb, Based on your previous year‚’s income and expenditure, create a new budget. Look to see where you can cut back on or even what to cut out altogether if that is necessary to keep costs in line.
Having a good sound budget will help you make the right decision before making any large unnecessary purchases.
Having a good budget will provide you with the discipline to keep track of your expenses. At the end of every month update it by comparing your budget with your actual expenses. Going through this exercise will help you focus on what your business is actually doing.
No Contingency Plan In Place
All business, large or small need to have a contingency plan for all area of the business. A contingency plan is basically a plan which answers the question, What would we do if this happened?
If you are a small embroidery business and basically a one person business you are at even a bigger risk than a larger business that has several employees. If you are ill for a month or two and could not work, who will help you get through that bad time. Do you have any type of insurance that is going to help pay the expenses and give you a salary in order to help you though this time?
Do you have procedure manuals written for all parts of your business so that someone else can step in and take over that part? You need to have a manual for each area of your business that shows how that part of the business works, how each process is done. This includes your office. If something does happen then someone else can follow your instructions and at least keep it going for you. You need to have instructions written down for the entire business flow. Do not depend on your memory to be able to tell someone else what to do. In a time of crises, your brain does not function as normal and this is impossible.
You must do everything that you can to avoid such a crisis! Having good procedural manuals in place is a huge part of that contingency plan.
Not Talking To Your Bank Manager or Loan Officer
As soon as most people see a financial crisis on the horizon, they try and avoid their Bank Manager or their loan office! This is the first person you should speak to. Bank Managers like to be kept up to date with what is happening in your business. They don‚’t like surprises. When they are kept in the dark they can make decisions that can have a major impact on your business. You must go to your bank the moment you suspect there is a problem. Who knows, he may surprise you by offering to do something to help!
Financial problems can usually be avoided by taking a step back from the business and thinking about what can go wrong. Act as an accountant or a trusted advisor and look at your business in that manner. Once you do that, then you can take actions to put preventative measures in place to avoid a financial crisis before it‚’s too late.
by The Embroidery Coach | | Embroidery Business Management
As an embroidery business owner, you want to offer great products to your customers and have a business that you are proud of, but do you sometimes let perfectionism get in your way of reaching your goals?
Almost all of us strive to do the best job that we can, set our goals and work hard to reach them by maintaining high standards. But perfectionism isn’t about any of this. Perfectionism is a long, maddening drive down a never-ending road for flawlessness; it provides no rest stops for mistakes or personal limitations or even the changing of minds.
I know myself I have fallen into the trap of trying to be perfect far too many times and I always wonder why my son has such an issue with it. He is not happy if every design is not exactly perfect and in his mind, they never are!
Here are 9 ways to tell if you fall into that same trap of being a perfectionist!
- I never do anything halfway; it‚’s all or nothing for me. Every time!
- I believe there‚’s a certain way to do things and they should always be done that way.
- I get angry or defensive when I make mistakes. I hate to make them
- I often procrastinate on starting projects. I seldom meet deadlines. Or if I do, I kill myself meeting them.
- No matter how much I have done, there‚’s always more to be done.
- I believe it is possible to do something perfectly and if I keep at it on enough, I know I can get it perfect.
- I don‚’t delegate often enough and when I do, I always double-check to make sure the job is done right. It never is.
- I feel humiliated when things aren’t perfect.
- I don‚’t like to admit not knowing how to do something or to being a beginner. If I can‚’t do something well, I won‚’t do it.
None of us are perfect, we are all humans that make mistakes and in many cases work constantly toward the goal of being perfect. This is an impossible goal to strive for and we need to let up on ourselves and come to the conclusion that good is good enough! I have been told this over and over by my business coaches and it has been a very hard concept for me to grasp.
It does not mean that you are to be haphazard in your work or that you should not constantly be striving to be better, it just means that we need to be a little more realistic and stop expecting so much from ourselves especially if you are new to embroidery.
Perfectionism can cause anxiety, fears, and self-doubt; it stifles your creativity, and puts stumbling blocks in the way of our friendships and all of our personal relationships. It can also create or aggravate illnesses, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders and substance abuse.
There is a difference between excellence and perfection. Striving to be really good is excellence; trying to be flawless is perfectionism. Becoming flawless is impossible!
Strive each day to learn something new, work towards improving the quality of your products, offer the best customer service that you can possibly offer and start taking time to enjoy life! Stop letting perfectionism get in your way of accomplishing your goals! Just be great and above all, be happy!
by The Embroidery Coach | | Embroidery Business Planning
Are you contemplating quitting your full time job so that you can concentrate on your embroidery business full time? Do you think that by spending more time on it, you can make it happen quicker and be able to make enough money to live on?
I have many students that are currently learning how to run their embroidery business while working their full-time jobs. Some have plans to use their business as their retirement income and others are just anxious to have a thriving embroidery business and want it as soon as possible.
Before you walk away from your job to run your embroidery business full-time, you need to make sure that you are financially stable enough to survive without a weekly pay check for several months. I usually advise my students to have at least 6 months to a year in savings in order to be able to live comfortably without that weekly paycheck. This is the same information that I give my students that want to move out of their home and into a retail space. Either way, it costs money and you must be totally prepared for either scenario.
You may be well on your way to building a full-time home-based embroidery business or you may just be tossing the idea around right now, but having a clear understanding of your current and future financial needs will be plays a MAJOR role in your strategic plan for a successful embroidery business.
Home-based embroidery business owners don't normally wake up one day and say, “Yes. I'm quitting my job today and starting my home-based embroidery business.” There is usually and should be a period of time for contemplation, researching, making the final decision, creating a plan, and then implementing the steps within the plan to achieve your final goal.
The process can take anywhere from several months to several years before an employee is in a position to walk away from his or her full-time job to begin life as a full-time entrepreneur. This is a totally different life style. Having a financial cushion is critical to be able to transition from being an employee to a full-time entrepreneur.
The First Steps To Determine When You Are Ready!
If you will follow the 5 easy steps below, you can figure out what your current financial position is and be ready to start planning out your new venture. This is a very important first step before you even think about creating a plan to leave your current full-time job.
- Calculate how much money you currently have sitting in bank accounts, investments, retirement savings plans, Guaranteed Investment Certificates‚’, real estate, etc. If you were to leave your job tomorrow, would there be any form of payout such as sick plan credit, pension plan contributions, unused holidays, anniversary pay, etc.?
- Determine how much revenue you are receiving on a monthly basis either through employment, child support payments, rental properties, dividends, your existing home-based business, etc.
- Record your monthly household expenses. Some examples to get you started are your Mortgage, Property Taxes and Insurance, etc. all of the expenses that you incur on a monthly basis pertaining to your actual living expenses
- List your monthly business expenses, for example your Internet Expense, Phone, Emailing system, Office Supplies, Supplies such as threads and backings and every other expense that you incur in your business on a monthly basis.
- Identify your outstanding liabilities such as: Credit Card balances, Personal loans and Lines of credit.
When you total your earnings and revenue on an annual basis and deduct your personal and business expenses, how much do you have remaining at the end of the year? Can part of this be set aside to start building your financial cushion?
If your current business revenue isn't enough to cover all of your business and personal expenses, how long would you be able to survive on your other revenue sources or savings, taking into account your monthly expenses?
- Have you also considered unexpected expenses that could occur in the next year or two?
- Will your car need to be replaced within the next year or two?
- Are all of your household appliances in great working order with little chance of needing to be replaced in the next year or two?
- Does your partner have a secure job or does his or her position seem to be unstable?
Going through this exercise is very important. You really do need to plan for any unexpected expense that can pop up. Financial stability is an area that needs to be on the forefront of your mind in order to be able to keep your feet firmly planted and create realistic plans as you build your home-based embroidery business. Having a good understanding of where you are and what potentially lies ahead will help you make sound financial decisions as you plan for your future.
After going through these five steps, you may see that your dream of leaving your job might take a little longer than expected. Maybe it is time to seek professional guidance to help create the plan that will move you quicker towards your goal. Seeking the advice of a financial advisor or an accountant will help you succeed much faster!
Knowing exactly where you are financially can be very scary at times but it will help you make more informed decisions as you plan for your future. Whatever your results are, good or bad; do not let this exercise put a damper on your dreams! You must keep your dreams alive and having all of your finances in order is the very first step towards making those dreams a reality!
by The Embroidery Coach | | Embroidery Business Management
Is record keeping a priority in your Embroidery Business when you are first starting? When you first start your embroidery business record keeping is not usually the first item on your to do list unless you have an accounting or a bookkeeping background and that is not the norm for the majority of us. You are probably focusing on what you are going to sell, where you are going to get the products that you are going to sell and how you can actually get the customers coming in the door to buy your products!
The task of record keeping is usually put off until you have a need to produce some figures for a sales tax report, your year end taxes or maybe even to go to the bank to borrow some money! Record keeping is one of the last things on our mind and the one task that most people hate to do! We really cannot make any money spending time keeping the books, we need to use that time to produce our products, right?
You need to focus a good percentage of your time producing your products, but if you do not have good records, you have no way of measuring whether or not you are making any money and this does not make any sense. You are in business to make a profit, but if you have no idea as to whether you are actually making a profit or not, what is the purpose of your business?
When should I set up my books?
This needs to be done in the planning stages of your business. You need to be keeping records from the onset of creating your business. How much are you spending on the preparation? You have license and fees that you are paying out setting up your business. You have the expense of getting legal and accounting advice, or at least you should be getting good legal and accounting advice when you are first setting up your business!
What about the supplies that you are purchasing and all of the equipment? What about the preparation of the room or location of your business? These are all costs that need to be kept track of right from the very beginning.
Why is it important to work with an accountant?
When you are in the preparation and planning stage of your business you need to go over your plans with an accountant. They will be able to see if you have any holes, so to speak, in your plans and will be able to guide you in the right direction. Your accountant will be able to advise you on which accounting software to use and help you set up your books properly. In today‚’s world most businesses are using QuickBooks. It is very important to be using the same software as your accountant because it is will make easier during the reporting reports within your business. It will be quicker for them to create your statements and will be more cost effective for you.
You want to make sure and tell your accountant that you want to keep track of individual departments within your business so that this will be set up properly. Sometimes you have to educate your accountant as to exactly what you will be doing. They may not understand the embroidery business and how it is not like every other business and that you need to keep track of the individual departments within the business. What I mean by individual departments with Embroidery, Screen Printing, Heat Transfer, etc. You need to know at all times if you are actually making any money within each one and how much of a profit you are making. Without good record keeping you will have no idea if you are making a profit or losing money.
If you have started your business and do not yet have an accountant, I would advise that you make an appointment with one right away and discuss your situation. Before you visit an accountant, you will want to have all of your records in order so that they can see exactly where you are. This does not have to be complicated. You can use simple spread sheets like Excel to get this process started. Do not go to an accountant with a shoe box full of receipts. This is not the way to get started with an accountant and it will cost you more money. They may not be able categorize your expenses in the right area.
To keep it simple create a spread sheet for each department. This will make it easier to set up your books in the proper manner and you will have your expenses in the correct categories. This will also make it easier for your accountant to understand about each department.
Keeping accurate records is very important and at a glance, you will know how your embroidery business performed for the previous month. Good record keeping should be a priority from the very beginning of starting your embroidery business and a task that should be done by the business owner for at least 6 months before you delegate it to someone else. At that point you can start working with a bookkeeper to keep your records for you, but you need to have your month end report within the first 2weeks of the current month. By keeping track and staying on top of your record keeping you have a much better chance of having a successful embroidery business!.
For information on setting up your bookkeeping program to give you the records that you for your embroidery business, click here!
