Get to Know Your Embroidery Machine

What is an embroidery sewing machine?

An embroidery sewing machine is pretty much just what it sounds like. It is a machine that looks a lot like a sewing machine, but instead of helping you to sew garments and other wonders, it stitches designs on the fabric for you.

Embroidery sewing machines can be used for something as simple as monogramming a T-shirt or a set of towels or something as complex and beautiful as an embroidered illustration on a painting or wall hanging.

Just about anything you could do embroidering by hand can be done with an embroidery sewing machine.

How embroidery sewing machines work?

An embroidery sewing machine is much like a regular sewing machine with a computer built in. The computer stores the patterns and tells the needle how to sew to make the embroidered pattern that you want.

To make a design, you simply select the pattern you want to use, place fabric (kept stiff with a hoop) under the needle, load the machine up with the desired color of thread and start that machine running.

Unlike a conventional sewing machine, embroidery sewing machines don’t require the use of a foot pedal to make the motor run. You can leave your machine unattended as it works out the design for you. Of course, if the design requires more than one color you will have to change the thread whenever a color change is needed in the pattern.

To read the full article:

http://crafts.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Embroidery_Sewing_Machines

What Can You Do With Your Embroidery Machine?

The Use Of Modern Embroidery Machines
by: Debra Fernandez

In the past embroidery, or hand stitching, was identified by long, tedious hours spent bent over canvases while crafting breathtaking and intricate designs. While the embroidery of today is still breathtaking and intricate, the use of machines in embroidery has helped speed up the creative process and has also allowed people who never thought they could embroider at all embroider like the pros.

The history of embroidering with machines started with the invention of the sewing machine and continues today into this high-tech world of computers and software programs.

In the beginning, machines did little to help create embroidery designs but aided in the speed of creating them on canvas. The deigns were still pretty much planned, drawn and approached as they would have been if they were going to be hand stitched. The sewing machine only helped out in the stitching process. The colors of thread were changed manually and the designs themselves were stitched with a great deal of hands-on operation from the embroiderer.

To read the full article:

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/hobbies/article_137.shtml

Know Your Embroidery Terms

Machine Embroidery Terms and Definitions
From Debbie Colgrove

Digitizing: Digitizing is the process of taking any form of art work and transforming it into a language that the sewing machine will understand and stitch it out. Digitizing is a complex process which uses the machines running, satin and fill stitchesto create an embroidery design. Digitizing is for someone who enjoys a challenge and wants to create their own designs. It requires many steps from starting with a simple clip art to a stitched out design. Digitizing Software is needed for this process.

Conversion Software: Conversion Software converts a design from one format to another so that it can be read by a different machine than it was digitized for. For Example; Bernina designs are in ART format, in order for a BabyLock machine to read the design, it needs to be in PES format. Conversion software is needed to change the design form ART format to PES format.

Customizing or Editing: Customizing allows you to edit and manipulate a design. Merging two designs is an example of customizing. Software is required.

To read the full article:

http://sewing.about.com/od/machineembroidery/p/embroideryterms.htm

Hooping and Stabilizing Fabrics

Machine Embroidery Basics

From Debbie Colgrove

Hoop Sizes: Machine embroidery hoops are available in a variety of sizes. They are machine specific and must be designed for the machine you are using.

The size of the hoop you use will be determined by the design you are embroidering. The closer the hoop size is to the design, the less likely there will be any movement of the fabric. Movement of the fabric can result in the final stitches being poorly located on the design.

Stabilizing: Stabilizing is used to add rigidity to the fabric while it is being stitched. The fabric needs to be held stable so that all parts of the design will be in their proper position.

One of the most common tell-tale signs that the fabric was not properly stabilized is that the outline does not align with the rest of the design.

Stabilizing Stable Fabric: Stable fabric is a fabric which does not stretch and has some rigidity on it's own. This type of fabric can be successfully machine embroidered with tear away stabilizer. More than one layer of stabilizer may be used, depending on the amount of stability the fabric has on it's own. If the design is very dense use cut away stabilizer of weight that will support the design and withstand laundering.

To read the full article:

http://sewing.about.com/od/machineembroidery/p/hoopstabilizers.htm

Get The Most From Your Embroidery Machine

The Use Of Modern Embroidery Machines

by: Debra Fernandez

In the past embroidery, or hand stitching, was identified by long, tedious hours spent bent over canvases while crafting breathtaking and intricate designs. While the embroidery of today is still breathtaking and intricate, the use of machines in embroidery has helped speed up the creative process and has also allowed people who never thought they could embroider at all embroider like the pros.

The history of embroidering with machines started with the invention of the sewing machine and continues today into this high-tech world of computers and software programs.

In the beginning, machines did little to help create embroidery designs but aided in the speed of creating them on canvas. The deigns were still pretty much planned, drawn and approached as they would have been if they were going to be hand stitched. The sewing machine only helped out in the stitching process. The colors of thread were changed manually and the designs themselves were stitched with a great deal of hands-on operation from the embroiderer.

To read the full article:

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/hobbies/article_137.shtml

A History of Machine Embroidery

Machine Embroidery

Machine embroidery is a term that can be used to describe two different actions. The first is using a sewing machine to "manually" create (either freehand or with built-in stitches) a design on a piece of fabric or other similar item. The second is to use a specially designed embroidery or sewing-embroidery machine to automatically create a design from a pre-made pattern that is input into the machine. Most embroidery machines used by professionals and hobbiests today are driven by computers that read digitized embroidery files created by special software.

With the advent of computerized machine embroidery, the main use of manual machine embroidery is in fiber art and quilting projects. While some still use this type of embroidery to embellish garments, with the ease and decreasing cost of computerized embroidery machine, it is rapidly falling out of favor. Many quilters and fabric artists now use a process called "thread drawing" (or thread painting) to create embellishments on items.

History

Before computers were affordable, most embroidery was completed by "punching" designs on paper tape that then ran through a mechanical embroidery machine. One error could ruin an entire design, forcing the creator to start over. This is how the term "punching" came to be used in relation to digitizing embroidery designs.

1980: The Computer Graphics Embroidery System by Wilcom

In 1980, Wilcom introduced the first computer graphics embroidery design system running on a mini-computer. The operator would "digitize" the design into the computer using similar techniques to "punching", and the machine would stitch out the digitized design. Wilcom enhanced this technology in 1982 with the introduction of the first multi-user system that allowed more than one person to be working on a different part of the embroidery process, vastly streamlining production times.

To read the full article:

http://www.answers.com/topic/machine-embroidery

Designs, What to Look For

Machine Embroidery Designs
By Alison Cole

The artistic curvatures and patterns that are made out of an embroidery machine can be very delightful and attractive to the human eye. We enjoy seeing these beautiful designs on our favorite clothing and accessories, bringing out our own taste, fashion and style.

To do this there are a variety of machine embroidery designs. Many of them can be downloaded from the Internet. Some can be bought from designers, independent companies and machine manufacturers who sell their own-made designs for those who don’t want to create their own. You can also buy software programs to digitize graphics and convert them into designs compatible to the machine’s hardware. Software can also edit and resize the installed embroidery designs.

The downloaded designs can be transferred to the computerized embroidery machine that, in turn, will stitch them out at an average speed of 1200 stitches per working minute. The transferring may be through cables, CDs, floppy disks, or flash and compact cards, depending on the type of the embroidery machine.

To read the full article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Machine-Embroidery-Designs&id=232177

Pricing your Machine

Embroidery Machine Prices
By Alison Cole

There exists a dilemma for consumers when purchasing embroidery machines. This is because the markets have many competitive products proffering similar functions and, therefore, boast cutthroat prices. This makes it tricky for new users to make the right choice. Advertisements and recommendations almost always offer a brief and positive idea about each product. For this reason, a number of users, critics, and experts provide reviews that allow consumers to understand a product better.

Embroidery machines are available for both domestic and commercial use. For this reason, potential buyers need to carry out intensive research about the prices and analyze the available options. Embroidery machine prices tend to vary as they highly depend on the brand and their size. A Singer Quantum embroidery machine would cost about $5000. These machines are fully automatic, state-of-the-art sewing and embroidery machines, completely upgradeable to keep up with the users' level of creativity. Computerized embroidery machines usually cost around $433. Singer Futura embroidery machines cost about $899. Bernina Deco embroidery machines are priced at $999 and are extremely lightweight.

To read the full article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Embroidery-Machine-Prices&id=429806

Downloading Designs

Using WinZip to Unzip Designs

Questions about what to do with a .ZIP file? This article is for you! If you are not familiar with ZIP files, you may be wondering why we use them on our site and what do you need to do with them once you finish downloading a ZIP file in order to get it into your sewing machine. Here are a few pictures to help out...

We use a program called "WinZip" to package our embroidery files for downloading because we can put several files into one download, making it possible for you to get the files for Brother, Husqvarna, Pfaff, Janome, and other machines with just one download. WinZip also compresses the files so they can download quicker.

If you don't have WinZip, visit their web site at... http://www.winzip.com/downwzeval.htm to download an evaluation copy for free. If you like it, you can buy a license to use it for a few dollars. Install the program using all the default settings and it will handle ZIP files for you automatically.

Now that you have WinZip installed, we can continue...

To read the full article:

http://www.artisticthreadworks.com/public/207.cfm

Have a Doll You Want to Embroidery For?

Sewing For Dolls With Computerized Sewing Machines

Most dollmakers and doll collectors are aware of the computerized sewing and embroidery machines that are available today, but they often think that such machines are not useful for sewing doll clothing. Many collectors are content with a Singer Featherweight that sews perfect straight stitches.

I am an owner of a Singer Featherweight machine, and I have shown on this site authentic doll clothing that I have sewn on this antique machine in the Joan Nerini Costuming Seminar article. However, I also own two amazing computerized sewing machines--the Viking #1+ and the Viking Designer 1. The capabilities of these machines, and other computerized sewing/embroidery machines from manufacturers including Bernina, Pfaff and Brother, are truly amazing and can greatly enhance your doll-related sewing, especially in conjunction with the embroidery software available to customize, resize and digitize your own designs. Here are just a few things you can do with these wonderful machines (I will talk about the Viking machines since those are the ones I know best; other machines have similar capabilities):

To read the full article:

http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa012500a.htm

Embroidery and Denim

Embroider on Denim with Success

By Eileen Roche, Published December 2006

Have you noticed how department stores are filled with embroidered jeans, skirts and jackets? You can duplicate this look at a fraction of the cost with your embroidery machine.

It all starts with the right pair of jeans. It’s imperative to concentrate on fit when selecting your denim blank. Splurge on a pair of designer jeans, and you’ll feel like a million bucks! It’s hard to describe the feeling that pulling on perfect-fitting jeans can bring. As we age, it’s all about fit. Often, a little stretch with fullness over the upper thigh and derriere and a contoured waistband is perfect for mature needs. The low rise jean may help fit petite figures with its short crotch length. You may need other features, so prepare yourself for a day of auditioning jeans at the local mall. Once you find the brand that works for you, you’re set.

Color also plays a part in the overall look. Faded, bleached jeans are casual, while dark jeans lend a dressier look to an ensemble. Dark jeans make the wearer appear thinner than she actually is, plus the embroidery has a more powerful impact on the dark denim. So select color carefully.

To read the full article:

http://www.freeembroiderystuff.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?id=496

Problems with fleece?

Embroidery on pile fabrics

Pile fabrics are textured fabrics such as terry, velvet, polar fleece, and corduroy. They may also be described as fabrics with fur-like covering. The "pile" itself is the raised fibers from the surface of the fabric.

So what's the problem?
As the embroidery machine stitches the design, fibers get caught between stitches creating embroidered designs with jagged edges and fibers randomly protruding inside design elements. Fabrics with thick pile tend to cause the embroidery design to sink in as well as cause design registration problems. Registration refers to the alignment of embroidery design elements. Bad registration means design elements are not aligned properly. In short, these issues produce embroidered designs that are not aesthetically pleasing, and furthermore it reflects poorly on the embroidery company. But not to worry, these simple tips will make those pesky fibers go away.

To read the full article:

http://www.digitsmith.com/embroidery-pile-fabrics.html

Some Helpful Tips

Essential Embroidery Supplies

George Royal

Before taking up embroidery as an occupation or a hobby, you need to know the different types of important embroidery supplies and accessories that are available. Also keep in mind that each type can be further divided into specific subtypes based on function and utility. Choose the right tools depending on your need, and type of work.

The Hoop:

An embroidery hoop is a circular tool usually made of wooden material that is used to hold the fabric steady, providing support and stability to the fabric being embroidered. Most hoops have brass screws that can be tightened or loosened if necessary, and come in various shapes and sizes. Popular types include -

1. Tubular Embroidery Hoops: The arms of the hoops are on the outside of the garment and connect to an inner hoop ring. The larger outer ring, on the other hand, is on the inside of the garment. Normally used without the table top. These are the most popular embroidery hoops on the market.

2. Magnetic Embroidery Hoops: These hoops require magnetic assembly. They can be used with or without the tabletop and are typically designed for lightweight and thin garments and fabrics.

3. Jacketback Embroidery Hoops: large wooden hoops that have strong holding power wood because of the wooden. To be used with the tabletop and Jacketback holder.

4. Q-Mag Embroidery Hoops: These hoops use a combination mechanical or magnetic attach plate at two places, suitable for larger fabrics because of its stability.

To read the full article:

http://www.2kembroidery.com/embroideryarticles.html

A Specialty How-To

How to Machine Embroider Lace Designs
From Debbie Colgrove

There are many beautiful lace designs for machine embroidery available. Although the designs are dense with thread, they do need tulle to hold together. Heavy weight water soluble stabilizer is perfect to keep the tulle stable in the hoop while the design is stitched out. Gather the materials you will need to machine embroider lace designs.

Embroidery machine and design -- The design used in this example is a snowflake from Embroidery Library

• Tulle
• Heavy Water Soluble Stabilizer
• Embroidery Thread and Bobbin Thread - It is preferable to have a bobbin thread that matches your embroidery thread.

To read the full article:

http://sewing.about.com/od/machineembroiderytips/ss/machineemblace.htm

Great tips on buying your embroidery machine

Buying an Embroidery Machine

Megan McConnell, BellaOnline's Embroidery Editor

One of the biggest decisions anybody who does Machine Embroidery will make is to buy a new machine. Like any decision, however, you have to come to some conclusions as to what you need, as opposed to what you want and what you can afford.

Prices for machines that can handle embroidery can start from a couple of hundred dollars, up into the thousands - and usually the price is reflective of the capabilities of the machine.

Firstly - any sewing machine that can do zigzag, and has a variable stitch width and length can do embroidery. In fact, normal sewing machines were the first ones used to do machine embroidery, long before the digital age dawned.

My own sewing machine (a mid-1960's Elna - and I wouldn't part with it for any price!) was touted as a major advance in sewing machines when it came out. It relied on interchangeable cams for specialty stitches (including one that lives permanently in my machine that does what is virtually an overlocking stitch!) and a booklet with designs that you could trace onto fabric to then embrodier. It also came with several different feet, including a "satin stitch" foot. My mother also has one of these (which began my love affair with the particular model) and I remember as a child in the mid 1970's, when embroidered jeans and jackets were all the rage, that she produced a masterpiece of an outfit for me using this machine.

To read the full article:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47341.asp

Starting with the Basics

Essentials of Machine Embroidery Designs

Published July 29th, 2004 in Applique Embroidery Designs

Really, when I started to write this page, I never expected to cover so much ground on this subject of machine embroidery designs. But here it is!! In this page, we will discuss the essentials that are needed for successful machine embroidery designs. I will run you through the three main parameters that make this up, except the machines, of course, which i will deal with separately. They are:

a) Threads
b) Needles
c) Stabilizers

Fabric of course is also part of the essentials of machine embroidery designs, but no less than other types of embroidery designs, so it does not find specific mention here. Machines will be dealt with separately since it forms a vast area to be covered. These days, we have various kinds of machines coming in both in the general and specialised category. With the advent of the Personal computer, embroidery machines have been getting hooked onto the PC thereby creating a new era.

So now, page by page, I will take you through the three parameters ….

To read the full article:

http://www.embroidery-designs-guide.com/2004/07/29/essentials-of-machine-embroidery-designs/

Know What You're Getting

How to avoid buying bootleg machine embroidery designs on eBay

Authored by 2 community members

13 of 14 people found this article helpful

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Every day, thousands of eBay auctions list machine embroidery designs for sale. Some are from reputable sources and are legal. Others are unauthorized copies (bootlegs) and are not legal to copy or use. How can you know what you are buying is legal?

Avoid auctions for machine embroidery designs if there are no pictures of the designs. Avoid auctions that list thousands of designs for a low price. Do not bid on auctions where the bidders names are hidden. If it seems too good to be true, do not bid.

Any CD or DVD with cartoon characters such as Disney, Looney Tunes, or TV characters such as Dora or Blues Clues are illegal copies of copyrighted embroidery designs, or unauthorized designs created from copyrighted images. Even if the seller insists that he or she has created the designs, they violate the copyrights of the original images. These CDs are never legit. If the seller lists "cartoons" as part of a CD or DVD collection of embroidery designs, do not bid.

To read the full article:

http://www.ebaywiki.com/Articles/~~How_to_avoid_buying_bootleg_machine_embroidery_designs_on_eBay~~1000000000000920

Protecting Your New Embroidery Machine

Connect that new embroidery machine with confidence

that you can survive any potential electrical problem.

By James M. (Jimmy) Lamb

Your new embroidery machine has just arrived and you can hardly wait to get it going. Carefully, you uncrate it and move it into position. Looks like it’s ready to try out, so all that’s left is to plug it in and turn it on. HOLD IT! Do you know what lurks behind that receptacle in the wall? Before you plug any electronic equipment into an outlet, it’s best to do a little bit of investigating into the world of electricity.

Ideally, the electrical power that is generated at a power plant is very dependable and reliable. However, as it travels from the generating station to your home or business, it can be affected by many variables, which can ultimately affect your equipment. While a modern embroidery machine may appear to be a heavy-duty piece of machinery, it does contain delicate electronic circuits which can be damaged by electrical variations. Your equipment depends on a steady supply of voltage to function properly: 110 volts AC for the smaller machines, 220 volts AC for the larger ones. (These values are for the United States, and may be different for other countries.) As long as the current stays consistent, everything runs great. Unfortunately, voltage fluctuations occur quite often, and may eventually damage your equipment. Let’s take a look at some of the more common power problems and the devices that are used to lessen their effects.

To read the full article:

http://www.freeembroiderystuff.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?id=499