Shoppers Rule Blog

Most computerized embroidery designs are digitized for 40 wt. rayon thread. So, does this mean you should limit yourself to 40 wt rayon for successful machine embroidery results? Absolutely — NOT.

There are numerous times when a different weight and/or type of thread is going to be more suitable for your project. Hopefully, the following information will give you a basic understanding of embroidery thread.

Let’s start with Weight:

The weight of sewing thread influences several aspects of your projects, mainly field densities, needle size and tension.

The “weight” of thread is actually opposite of what you might expect – the higher the number, the finer the yarn. (The “weight” is actually a length measurement, but there are several different standards of measurement and that is best saved for discussion another day.) Anyway, just know that 50 weight thread is finer than 40 weight thread and 40 weight thread is finer than 30 weight thread, and so on. The most common weights of embroidery thread are 30 wt. and 40 wt.

You may choose to incorporate both 30 and 40 wt. thread in the same design. For example, if you have a large fill area using light colored thread on a dark fabric, you may want to use 30 wt. thread to get really good coverage of the large section. But on smaller sections, a 40 wt. thread would be better, so your design does not become too dense.

Likewise, if you have sizing software and increase the size of a design, it is highly probable that you will be happier with the results using a 30 wt. thread instead of a 40 wt. thread. The 30 wt. thread is thicker and will give you better coverage of the now enlarged area.

I should mention, that when using 30 wt. thread, it is often necessary to reduce the tension on your machine because it is a more dense thread.

Needle size is a factor as well. A general rule is to use a needle whose eye is 40% larger than the diameter of the thread. A 75/11 or 80/12 size embroidery needle is ideal for 40 weight thread. Use a larger needle when using a heavier weight thread. So, a 30 wt. thread will work best with a 90/14 or 100/16 size embroidery needle.

Common Types of Embroidery Thread:

Rayon thread – rayon is a synthetic fiber. It has great sheen and is the “standard” for machine embroidery.

Polyester thread –not as shiny as rayon, but more durable - hence great for children’s clothing and items that will need to be laundered frequently.

Metallic threads such as Sulky Sliver Metallic thread and Holoshimmer thread are made of a thin, flat ribbon-like polyester film that is metalized with aluminum. These threads definitely can add pizzazz to a design, but they generally do not provide good coverage in embroidery designs, nor are they very resilient. They can fray and/or break during the embroidery process due to the high speed of embroidery machines.

Processed Thread:

Glazed thread - thread is put through a process to create a glossy, high luster finish or coating. Glazed thread is NOT recommended for machine embroidery. The “glaze” can rub off and gum up your machine.

Mercerized thread – thread that has been treated in a caustic solution under controlled tension. This causes the fibers to swell, resulting in a greater affinity for dyeing. Mercerization also increases the luster and adds some strength. This process is very common with cotton threads for quilting.

Brand names:

There are many great brands of embroidery thread: American Efird, Robison Anton, Madeira, Mettler, Sulky, Superior Threads and YLI are among the top brands on the market today and you really can’t go wrong with any of these. They all manufacture high quality products.

And yes, there are numerous other brands out there. Some are better than others. Feel free to explore your options. Just remember, as a general rule, you get what you pay for!

It is exactly what its’ name implies! A Magna Hoop is a machine embroidery hoop insert that uses magnets to hold your project in place. It securely holds your fabric, without the risk of hoop burn – great for specialty fabrics like silk, velvet, leather, and other crushable and/or delicate fabrics. No need for sticky stabilizers or adhesive sprays, either.

Each Magna Hoop is designed to fit specific brands and models of embroidery machine. (More on this later). The Original Magna Hoop was designed for machines that utilize small and medium size hoops. It comes with five inserts – 3 rectangles, a circle, and a square in various sizes to accommodate your project. Embellish cuffs, collars, pocket flaps, baby garments and other so-called hard-to-hoop items just as easily as a dress shirt.

The Magna-Hoop Set also includes a 30-minute Insider Hooping Techniques DVD and a 12-page full color instruction manual.

Click here to view a clip of the video for the Original Magna Hoop.

Due to the success of the original Magna Hoop, there are now Jumbo and Super Jumbo Magna Hoops available for embroidery machines that are designed to accommodate large hoops.

The larger hoops are perfect for quilt borders, longer belts, pant legs, drapery borders, and sheets.

Jumbo Magna Hoops come with 3 rectangular inserts.

Is there a Magna Hoop to fit my machine?

There are currently 12 versions of Magna Hoop, including several Jumbo and Super Jumbo sizes. They fit various models of Baby Lock, Bernina, Brother, Elna, Janome, Pfaff, Singer and Viking embroidery machines.

Click here to see the machine compatibility list.

If you’re machine is not listed, the Magna-Hoop does not work with your machine at this time.
New products are continually being developed and may update the Magna-Hoop product line in the future.

Extensive research has shown that the position of the magnets on the frame while embroidering does not cause any damage to computerized embroidery machines. This has been thoroughly tested with no adverse effects. The metal frame absorbs the electromagnetic pull which, while strong enough for hooping, is not strong enough to go through this field. Most home embroidery machines do not have magnetic fields in the actual embroidery module itself.

Magnets can damage magnetic computer data, therefore, use caution. Do not put them in direct contact with diskettes, and memory sticks. Some design cards are susceptible as well. To be on the safe side, watch where you put your magnets! The manufacturer of the Magna-Hoop does not take responsibility for damaged diskettes, memory sticks, design cards or other media that is damaged due to user error.

PhotoThrow is a unique, one of a kind item. You must have a cherished picture. Now, you can send your photo and it will be knit, not screen printed, but knit into a beautiful throw or pillow that will be cherished for years.

This is truly an exciting and personalized item. It will make an extraordinary gift. Just think of the endless possibilities. You can select picture of an engaged couple, and create a PhotoThrow as a wedding gift. That wonderful newborn photo can become a cherished baby blanket. Honor your graduate with a PhotoThrow to take to school. Create a unique PhotoThrow for your couch with pictures of your favorite pet. Better yet, create a scenic PhotoThrow using your favorite vacation photo. Or if you’re on the road alone, keep your loved one close by snuggling up with their likeness on a Photo Throw blanket. This is an unbelievable way to customize your office or bedroom. You choose the picture that reflects your design theme and create a PhotoThrow to accent your room. It has been customary for real estate agents to give the new homeowner their first house-warming gift and I can’t think of a more unique gift than a PhotoThrow of their new home.

The possibilities are endless. You may choose to honor your military or fire department. Customized PhotoThrows can be created using the military logo or fire department logo. This can be a great gift for someone returning home from military duty or even a great retirement gift honoring the service given in the past.

Car enthusiast? Create a replica of your “baby” for your den or office. Organizations, churches, schools, businesses….. use your logo or picture of your facilities to create a unique keepsake. What a wonderful, one-of-a-kind personalized item for all ages and it’s very useful as well!

These are so fantastic both Oprah and the White House have ordered them as gifts. PhotoThrows are a very classy and elegant gift. PhotoThrows are made from heavyweight Amilux yarn. (Amilux yarn is an acrylic that has a soft cotton-like fiber.) Your photo image is knitted right into the throw, not printed or heat transferred. So it won’t fade or peel. Throws are cold water washable, just follow the care label.

PhotoThrows are available in black and white or color in a variety of sizes – as small as 30” x 40” up to as large as 60” x 90”. Photo pillows are 18” x 18”.

PhotoThrow can be personalized with the subject’s name, dates, or any other desired words Add up to 2 lines 16 letters per line maximum . Shoppers Rule strives to ship all orders within seven business days.

We are asked over and over again what type of embroidery backing is best.  The answer is - It depends on the stitch count and type of fabric or garment.  We have developed a simple free guide to help you choose the correct backing.

Your most important consideration for embroidery projects is getting perfect registration (the ratio between bobbin thread and top thread to create a clear and perfect design.)

In general, the key to proper registration is to create a ”tambourine skin” type tension with the material within the hoop. If the material moves, bounces or slips, you will lose registration. What a stabilizer does is aid in achieving this drum skin type tension.

A stabilizer should be stable in all directions.

People have used all sorts of things for stabilizing. I have even heard of people, some who should know better, advocating the use of coffee filters, newspaper, paper towels, etc. as a backing.( Backing and stabilizer will be used interchangeably.)

Paper will also break up and shred – causing excessive lint in your bobbin cases and machine parts Please note here the LARGE difference between paper and a nonwoven (Fabric-like material made from long fibers, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment.)

Let’s talk about nonwovens.

As far as the embroidery world is concerned, nonwoven stabilizers are manufactured by two different processes-saturate/chemical bonded nonwovens and wet laid nonwovens.

In the first process, saturate or chemically bonded nonwoven, the contents are polyester, rayon and some kind of chemical binder. (something that hold the fibers together.)

It is a dry sludge (a mixture of soild material and water) as it comes off the machine and the fibers are dispersed in 2 methods.

Method 1-Carded or Directional saturate

The fibers are raked or aligned in the machine direction (MD)
There is a giant card or rake that combs the fibers in one direction
There is a definite direction to the fibers

Please note that these goods do stretch in one direction (CD) cross directionally.
Therefore every time you use a carded or directional saturate you will need 2 layers laid crosswise in order to achieve a drum skin type tension.  Most of these goods are made for interlinings and for other end uses besides embroidery.
This type of non woven addresses the drapability factor but NOT the stability factor.

 Method 2- Random Saturate

The second method of dispersal of this saturated sludge is by a random method therefore called a random saturate.

As an easy analogy to understand the method of fiber dispersal.
Lets assume that the sludge is in a giant vat, similar in texture to cookie dough.
A giant spoon comes along and mixes the fibers and the fibers are dispersed randomly.

What happens when you hit a thin spot while embroidering?
The answer is that you lose tension and registration in this area.

Random saturates are made for many industries, roofing, road building, house wrapping, etc.
In most cases they are NOT made for embroidery.
You will see many saturates in the market, many of them are inexpensive nonwovens made in Mexico.
Some of these are great products, for roofing or road building, but for embroidery there are better choices.

The second process is Wet Laid Nonwovens. Wet laid refers to the method of fiber dispersal – using water.

There are 2 types of wet laid nonwovens, delta formed and rotary formed.
For the purpose of this article, we will be concerned with only delta formed wet laid nonwovens. (Rotary formed wet laid non wovens have similar properties with slight differences in density)

The wet laid process is similar to the fine paper making process but there are differences.
The process used to take place in rivers - but they are now manufactured in a few plants worldwide with giant machines.  There is a slurry of water running through a trough in a machine and there is a wire screen sitting in this trough or bath.  We mix in the components polyester (a short fiber) for softness, rayon for tearabilty and stiffness, in varying percentages, depending if it is a tearaway or a cutaway being made.  Cellulose is also added as inexpensive filler.

All the fibers then are bound together with an acrylic binder and we add silicone as a sewing aid.
The screen then rises and dries, similar to an alluvial formation, like a river delta. Evenly spread – there is no direction to the fibers.  This is your “tambourine skin”

The resulting wet laid stabilizers are both non-directional, dense, and soft for drapability.  They can also be made firm!  We do an Elmendorf tear test to make sure that they tear equally in all directions - MD & CD. (They do!)
These are specifically made for sewing (the addition of silicone), and even more specifically for embroidery.
They are made in weights between 1 osy (ounces per sq yard) and 3 osy.

The idea is to match the weight and density of the stabilizer to your stitch count and stitch density, taking into account the weight and stretch of your fabric.  Again- this is your tambourine skin. This should result in you only needing to use one layer of wet laid stabilizer.

At this point I would like to make a disclaimer.  Embroidery is a somewhat complicated business – yet it can be simple!  Many people in the industry, commercial or home, do things in unique ways.  There are multiple factors involved, weight and stretch of the material, stitch count and density, hooping tensions, the weather, machine tensions, thread differences, top and bottom bobbin tensions and proper digitizing. Things that work for one shop or individual will not always work as well for others.

We can only give you a guide as per the best stabilizer.

Digitizing and Stabilization

Proper digitizing is as important or more so than proper stabilization.
Designs for sale are commonplace as are free designs.
Some of the designs that people download for free from the Internet are not made for human beings to properly embroider with.
With a properly digitized design, you almost do NOT need a stabilizer (in theory).

Major Question– cutaways vs tearaways

We recommend a soft cutaway on apparel.

Stable fabrics, like a nylon jacket, or a Carhart jacket, that are very heavy almost do not need a backing. However – a wet laid non-directional tearaway will aid in slippage of the hoop and also aid in achieving your tambourine skin, thereby adding extra punch to your definition.

Proper stabilization is the foundation for good embroidery.
Do not skimp on stabilizers and in the same vein do NOT over stabilize.
Drapability and less bulk are the fashion bywords of today.
You do not want to walk around with a bulletproof design on your chest.
Try not to get into the habit of solving problems by throwing in another layer of backing.
Use one layer of a dense, soft, non-directional wet laid non woven

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