Updated: Dec 9, 2020
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Hello to every and all machine embroiderers! That’s right, no matter your comfort level with embroidery this blog post (and download!) is right for you because who among us doesn’t want to have Seriously Awesome Embroidery!? I know I do! Gimme all the tips and help I can get.
This blog post has 3 tips for better machine embroidery but that’s not all! I have an additional 10 embroidery tips for you (more about that later)
1. Proper hooping technique
Proper hooping is one of the absolute most important steps in getting the best machine embroidery possible. I’m in shock with how many times I see you tube videos, blog posts and more with improper hooping technique and I don’t want you to get sucked into the misinformation!
Check out my video from my Instagram with the proper hooping technique:
When you hoop like this you are more likely to hoop with proper tension and avoid the stabilizer/fabric sagging or bubbling up.
Don’t forget, we don’t need it to be drum tight! Your fabric needs to be taught with no big slack or bubbles but you don’t need to be able to bounce a quarter off it.
I would also recommend that if it doesn’t go right or you feel like it’s not great, re-do it now! It’s better to rehoop a couple times than to use something that seems okay and have it screw ya over later.
2. Stabilize your machine embroidery applique
It might sound simple but I skipped this step for so long and having talked to so many embroiderers, I know a lot of you do too. You have to stabilize the foundation fabric as well as fuse interfacing to your the foundation fabric for professional looking machine embroidery applique
I recommend OESD’s Applique fuse and fix or OESD’s Softweb for interfacing fabric, anytime you need to. Click here to check out my blog post on the difference between Fuse and Fix vs Softweb.
Spoiler alert: I like both it just depends on my project.
By the way! You will also want applique scissors to make trimming away much easier. Click here to check out OESD’s selection of scissors.
2. Know your stabilizers
Knowing your stabilizers and when to use what is soooooo important, it goes hand in hand with proper hooping!
There isn’t one right way to stabilize a project; four people may stabilize the same project four different ways and all of them come out perfect! For this reason it’s imperative to know WHY you are using a certain stabilizer and what makes it perfectly suited for your fabric.
In addition to a general stabilizer knowledge, I also have a system I use to come up with what stabilizer would best suit my fabric and project. I will be teaching both of these things in my upcoming class: Stabilizer School!
My class Stabilizer School will be coming out soon and if you want to be among the first to know about Stabilizer School and get an early bird discount then I want you to click here to get on the Stabilizer School wait list!
Do you want more amazing tips to make your embroidery seriously awesome!?
Click here to download my new freebie: Seriously Awesome Embroidery!
This PDF is totally free and chock full of information and resources to help you improve your machine embroidery. Now you may be saying “WAIT! You said you had 10 more tips and now you’re saying 7!”
Click here to download this free PDF and get 7 tips for better machine embroidery
When you choose to download the guide AND join the email list you will get 3 more detailed embroidery tips in your inbox. That’s 13 tips altogether, baby!
Yes, you do still get these tips if you don’t join the email list, you will just the brief, no context version instead of the extremely well written, brilliant detailed version. *insert smirk emoji here*
Just a little extra incentive from me to you to hop on that email list as it’s truly the best place to be for machine embroidery help, announcements and news.
Okayyyyyy. I’m biased, we both know it, but hey…