So, you are finally ready to start your embroidery business. You have purchased the embroidery machine and are now waiting for the first order to drop, right?

Well, apart from the embroidery machine, there are various essential machine embroidery supplies that you would need to complete embroidery projects. From stabilizers to embroidery needles, threads, and others, you will need these supplies constantly to keep up with the orders.

If you haven’t already gotten into the details of essential machine embroidery supplies, feel lucky since here we will be getting through some of the most essential machine embroidery supplies you would need to get started.

So, without wasting any time, let’s get started and review some crucial machine embroidery supplies you need to purchase for your embroidery business.

Essential Supplies For Embroidery Machines You Must Have to Get Started!

1. Embroidery Stabilizer:

Ok, the embroidery stabilizer is the first and perhaps the most important supply you would need for your embroidery business. If you aren’t already familiar, it’s the material that goes to the back of the fabric/item you wish to embroider. It’s one of the most important supplies since it directly influences the accuracy of the stitches on the fabric,

Now, there are various types of stabilizers, varying as per use cases and variety of fabrics. Ideally, you should invest in acquiring all different types of stabilizers to be ready for all sorts of embroidery jobs. Nonetheless, below, we will briefly look at some of the most frequently used stabilizers and their use cases so you know the suitable stabilizers to acquire (if you wish not to purchase all the various types).

1.1 Tear-Away Stabilizer

The tear-away stabilizer is one of the most widely used stabilizer types in the embroidery industry. It best suits non-stretchy fabrics like twill, towels, and others. For added convenience in embroidery, you can also purchase pre-cut tear-away stabilizer sheets. As can be taken by name, tear-away stabilizers must be torn from the back of the fabric once the embroidery process is completed for Embroidery digitizing.

1.2 Cut-Away Stabilizer

Next in line, we have the cut-away stabilizer, which is yet another important and widely used type of stabilizer in the embroidery industry. The cut-away stabilizer comes with minimal stretch, making it ideal for stretchy fabrics and knits.

Cut-away stabilizers also offer great support for dense stitch designs, allowing embroiders to keep up with the stitch density without having puckering.

As can be taken by name, these stabilizers must be removed from the design once the embroidery process is completed. Like tear-away stabilizers, these are available in rolls, or you can purchase pre-cut sheets for added convenience.

1. 3 Polymesh Stabilizer:

Polymesh stabilizers are also known as no-show mesh stabilizers in the embroidery industry. These are much similar to the cut-away stabilizers (only much softer), making them great for use with knits or light fabrics where you want to minimize the show-through.

You can choose from fusible (iron-on) or non-fusible options for the Polymesh stabilizers.

1.4 Sticky Stabilizer:

Pretty easy to get by name, these stabilizers come with one sticky side, easy to attach to the fabric. This means you won’t need an external temporary adhesive to attach these to the fabric. You can purchase any variety of sticky stabilizers, including sticky tear-away stabilizers, sticky cut-away stabilizers, and more.

1.5 Water-Soluble Topping:

If you want to embroider on a fleece blanket, fluffy fabric, or towels, you must purchase a water-soluble topping.

The water-soluble topping helps keep the stitches from falling and getting lost. Once you are done with the embroidery, the topping can be removed by simply dissolving it in water. Alternatively, you may also purchase heat-dissolving toppings, which can easily be removed with an iron.

1.5 Wash-Away Stabilizer:

Ok, last but definitely not least, we have the Wash-away stabilizer. This is a great choice when you are working with free-standing lace or tulle.

2. Blank Apparels:

Well, there is no way you can start an embroidery business without getting your hands around crucial embroidery items or blanks apparels. Before you begin marketing your embroidery business, invest in purchasing some creepy load of blank t-shirts, towels, hats, and any other product you wish to embroider.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options to cheaply source these essential machine embroidery supplies, including online apparel stores (specializing in blank apparel) and big box stores. If you wish to start producing bulk merchandise, the best way is to locate a wholesale distributor of embroidery items to source bulk products.

3. Embroidery Needles:

While you may get some embroidery needles as part of the embroidery machine parcels, we recommend you purchase a specialist variety of machine embroidery needles in bulk. This will ensure that you always have backup inventory available in case of emergency and that you are good to accept all embroidery projects.

Just to give you a brief, embroidery needles come in sizes ranging from 70/10 to 90/14 and larger. Also, embroidery needles differ concerning points, including universal, ballpoint, and sharp point embroidery needles.

If you aren’t sure which is the best fit for any project, we recommend going with a 75/11 universal embroidery needle, which is highly versatile and fits most machine embroidery project needs.

4. Embroidery Thread:

Again, you may receive single to multiple spools of threads as part of the embroidery machine package. However, these are insufficient to run an embroidery business efficiently. Ideally, you should purchase additional supplies to ensure smooth operations.

As for the thread, we recommend going with polyester, cotton, or rayon embroidery thread. Also, you will find various branded embroidery threads (we will leave it up to you to choose the brand you prefer). However, we do suggest conducting a cost analysis of multiple brands and choosing one that offers the best value for money.

5. Marking Supplies:

It may not sound crucial, but temporary marking supplies make up an essential machine embroidery supply.

Temporary markings are essential to keep the accuracy of embroidery designs. Ideally, you should purchase washable markers to get the markings washed away after the embroidery process easily. Alternatively, if you are working with dark-colored fabrics, you can use chalk wheels as temporary markers. 

6. Embroidery Scissors:

Moving on, we have the embroidery scissors, which make up essential machine embroidery supplies. While you can get started with regular scissors, there will remain a risk of puckering and damaging the fabric. Thereby, it’s highly recommended to invest in purchasing multiple types of specialist embroidery scissors.

Some more widely used embroidery scissors include double-curved embroidery scissors, duckbill applique scissors, and embroidery snips.

7. Temporary Adhesive:

Making up our list of eight essential machine embroidery supplies, we have temporary adhesive as the seventh essential supply.

This is a must-have supply that you will need to attach a stabilizer to the fabric. Ok, well, nowadays, we have sticky stabilizers available, but still, these aren’t always available or feasible for project needs. Zdigitizing provide best Embroidery digitizing services.

The best part about temporary adhesives is that these hold on to their stickiness even after several repositioning of the item. Thus, as an embroider, you would have the liberty to place the stabilizer precisely where you want without having the added pressure of getting it right the first time.

8. USB Drive:

Lastly, we have the USB drive as an essential machine embroidery supply that you would need to run your embroidery business successfully.

While some of the newer models of embroidery machines may have Wi-Fi connectivity, many still rely solely on USB to transfer data or install updates.

Conclusion:

We hope this list of essential and nice-to-have machine embroidery supplies has been helpful as you embark on your embroidery journey. With these supplies in hand, you’ll be well on your way to creating beautiful, professional-quality embroidery projects. Happy stitching!