How to Use an Embroidery Machine for Beginners – A Basic Guide!

As a beginner, trying your hands on an embroidery machine can be quite exhilarating. The nervousness is understandable because it is an upgrade in every designer’s career.

As intricate as the designs are, as complex as the machine might seem to some people.

So, for your convenience, I have gathered my experience and some tips that I would love to share with you.

You can use these simple steps to set up your embroidery machine and draw beautiful designs like a pro.

One thing that might give you a huge edge over the past era’s designers is that you have easy access to automatic embroidery machines. You do not have to go through most of the troublesome methods of creating pretty designs yourself.

Hence, I would recommend the beginners try to use an automatic embroidery machine first. This will help you in understanding the machines well and easily creating beautiful designs.

There are different embroidery machines available in the market now which all have different features and functions. So, be wise while choosing an embroidery machine for you because you should choose the one giving you extra assistance during the process.

In today’s article, I am going to share with you the most basic setup that you need to know before using an embroidery machine. These few steps will help you in setting up your embroidery machine for the first try. You can mentally prepare yourself to do these basics and then the rest you can follow by reading a manual often given by the machines. 

7 Easy Steps to Use an Embroidery Machine for Beginners!

The Perfect Kit!

The most basic step is having all the right ingredients for your designs. For this, you need to have an embroidery machine that suits your preferences and goals. For this, you need to go to the shop and inquire vividly about the embroidery machine model you are interested in.

Then comes the second step which is choosing needles and thread spools along with the fabric. You can also buy sewing kits available in the market for the basics since they have a wide range of the things you might need in the process.

The thread spools depend majorly on the type of fabric you are using and the intricacy of the design you want. Once, you have decided on your goal. Gather the list of things and you are ready to go.

The Right Equipment!

While setting up the machine, the most important piece of equipment is choosing the needle you are going to use. There is a wide range of needles available in the market which varies with their purpose. There are different sizes of needles you can choose from.

One thing that you need to keep in mind while doing the work related to needle selection is, that if you want your designs to be intricate then don’t go for larger needles.

The smaller ones will give you nice texture and intricacy in the designs. Such guidance will also be present in the manual given with the embroidery machine for better guidance.

Right Colors and Thread Spools!

The second most important thing is your selection of thread spools. There are mostly two types of threads used for embroidery which serve pretty well. The first type is polyester and mostly this is the one you would find in the market too. The other type is a rayon thread.

The difference between both them starts a long never-ending debate. So, I wouldn’t inflict my choice upon you. You can choose the one that works well with your embroidery machine and designs.

Make sure that you take care of the color schemes while trying out designs. For that, take the spools of threads and try them by putting them on the fabric beforehand. So, you can know what your end product will look like.

Setting up the Machine!

Setting up the machine is an easy task. Well, I would again recommend you to follow the instructions in the manual. But, if you are using an embroidery machine that has already been used and you have no clue where the manual is then don’t worry!

Setting up the machine is pretty much like setting up a sewing machine. Most of the machines need a power source so just attach it to one stable power source.

Using the Bobbin!

The bobbin is pretty important when it comes to keeping your design tidy. The bobbin makes sure that the front side of your design which would be displayed stays neat and dark while the designs stay as messy as they need to be on the hidden backside of the fabric.

Setting the bobbin varies with most of the models but for your convenience, try an embroidery machine that contains a pop-in bobbin. If you see any errors in the setting then rectify it as soon as you can because it can end up breaking your needle too.

Choosing Design!

So, now comes the last stage of setting up your embroidery machine. As I formerly said, you need to buy a machine that helps you the most as a beginner and it includes a machine that contains pre-set programs and stitches for you.

With their help of them, you will be able to get better control over the fabric and the design you want. There are embroidery machines present in the market containing almost 70 pre-set designs that you can choose from to create your piece. So, be wise while choosing your embroidery machine model. 

Use a Stabilizer!

A stabilizer will help you in keeping the fabric in place while you are working on the design. This little equipment is very important if you are a beginner because if the fabric slightly moves then you won’t be able to get a neat design on the fabric.