All you ever wanted to know about embroidery

stabilizers (backings)

but were sew afraid to ask!

By Fred Lebow

This article will contain some industry terms that most of you will be familiar with and a few that only a few of you will be familiar with. For clarity sake, I will define terms as we go along.

Our 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.( Throughout this article, backing and stabilizer will be used interchangeably.)

Sewing through these items is like taking your favorite fabric shears and cutting cardboard with them – OUCH!

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 (Fabriclike 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 solid 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

Also called chemical bond – the fibers are raked or combed (carded) in one direction (m.d.) The fibers are then impregnated with a binder. It stretches in one direction & tears in one direction. You will need 2 pieces cross wise to achieve proper tension for embroidery.

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.

Random Saturate

Also Called Chemical Bond – The same solution as with Carded Saturates – Only dispersed randomly. Note the uneven quality, holes in saturate (thick and thin spots).

Please note the thick and thin spots! 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.

Wet Laid

Much like a high quality paper, fiber is dispersed in a solution. A screen rises and the solution dries (alluvial formation) yielding a multi directional and uniform nonwoven. These are made in different weights. The idea being to always use only ONE layer.

Even Quality

Won’t Stretch

Non-Directional

We do an Elmendorf tear test to assure that it tears somewhat equally in all directions.

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 discuss 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 w 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 nondirectional, 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 embroidery 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). Ask my friend Walter Floriani – the guru of digitizing.

Luckily for me, you do need a stabilizer and we get back to the best choice, a single layer of a wet laid nonwoven.

Major Question– cutaways vs tearaways

We make both – in a non-directional wet laid nonwoven. We just change our mixtures. Cutaways have longer fibers. These fibers allow the thread to wrap better and tighter. You should get better definition with a cutaway. Unless labor in trimming is a factor, as in large commercial operation, we would advocate the use of a cutaway with most unstable fabrics. We recommend a soft cutaway on apparel.

Stable fabrics, like a nylon jacket, or a Carhartt 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.

GUIDE TO SELECTING THE RIGHT NEEDLE

by Cliff Border

The Organ Needle Company works closely with some of the leading machine makers such as Tajima and Barudan. In this way, they have matched their expertise as the world’s largest needle maker, and the particular needs of each machine builder. Realizing a machine is only as good as the needle in it, each machine maker wants to be sure to have the right needle design to enhance the performance of their machine. We carry the largest variety of embroidery needles for embroidery machines. While no one can prescribe a specific needle for any situation, we hope to explain the features of those we carry. With reasonable knowledge of the available needles, any operator can make educated decisions to deal with any embroidery task.

16×257: This is the standard sewing machine needle that other needle makers offer for Tajima and similar embroidery machines. It was originally designed for high speed sewing machines and does fine for that purpose.

DB-K5: This needle is virtually the same as 16×257 but has a significant feature designed especially for embroidery machines such as Tajima. The DB-K5 needle has a one size larger eye than that found in a 16×257 needle. For example, a DB-K5 size 10/70 needle has an eye which is at least as large as the eye in a 16×257 size 12/80. Unlike
sewing thread used for general apparel sewing, embroidery threads are ”fluffier” and have less tensile strength. A larger needle eye, without increased blade diameter, allows the embroidery thread to pass easily through the needle’s eye without fraying or snapping.

DBxK5Z1: This is a modified version of the DB-K5 needle. It has a side scarf, long extended groove, longer deeper
scarf and slim Xtra Light Ballpoint. The side scarf allows less interference between the needle and the rotary hook.

The long extended groove provides more protection to the top thread. The longer deeper scarf allows the hook point to be adjusted closer to the center of the thread loop and allows for variations in registration from one needle position to the next. The slim point reduces penetration resistance for smoother piercing of the material. This all adds up to smoother, sharper embroidery.
BALL POINT: Ball Point needles are designed to alleviate making holes in knit or loosely woven materials. The cross fibers which constitute the knit or loosely woven materials are relatively far apart as compared to those in tightly woven materials. When a needle with a standard ”set” or “sharp” point encounters one of those fibers in
penetrating the fabric, it cuts right through the fiber. This creates a hole in the fabric. The Ball Point needle pushes aside the fiber it encounters in penetration and thereby avoids making a damaging hole in the fabric. (It is also recommended to use the thinnest possible needle for a particular fabric).
DB-K5kk (Short Shank): The short shank needles are intended for use in machines with raised needle hole
throat plates like in ZSK and Singer KSM models. They are also used to allow more needle penetration in very thick materials thus avoiding “shanking.” CAUTION: With a shorter shank length the needle blade has less support and is prone to deflect more than regular needles. When using short shank needles, the use of a thicker size may be required to avoid excessive needle breakage.

DBx9ST: This needle is intended for some extreme situations which have thicker than usual embroidery threads and do not allow you to increase the needle thickness. The eye of a DBx9ST needle is at least two (2) sizes larger than
ordinarily found in a given size needle. For instance, a DBx9ST size 9/65 has an eye of at least the size found in a
16×257 size 12/80.
DBx7ST: The eye of the DBx7ST is designed particularly for metallic type embroidery threads. The eye of this needle is shaped like a rectangle. The special eye design facilitates the passage of metallic threads through the needle’s eye.
DB-K5SS: The DB-K5SS needle has all the eye features of the DB-K5, but the point has a very narrow wedge to make
penetration through leather, vinyl and similar materials easier and neater. A standard “set” or “sharp” point needle punches its way through leather like materials which may make irregularly or undesirably shaped needle holes. The very narrow wedge point “slices” through the leather like materials while making a cleanly cut needle hole.
Other available wedge point needles typically have longer wedges than the DB-K5SS needles. That’s fine for most
sewing operations, but in embroidering, the stitches are very close together. The longer wedge point needles will actually punch out the design created by the close pattern of embroidered stitches. The extra narrow wedge point of the DBK5SS leaves enough distance between stitches in embroidered patterns to maintain the strength of the leather like material and avoid punching out the embroidered design.
DB-K5SD1: This needle has all of the features of the DBK5 sharp point needle with the addition of a small triangular
tip and a titanium (PD) finish. This very small triangular tip improves the penetration of hard materials like leather, for smoother stitching.

COOL-SEW: The COOL-SEW finish on needles creates a “non-stick” surface on the needle and inside the needle’s eye. It is intended to alleviate many problems that arise from using synthetic threads and synthetic materials. Synthetics usually ”stick” to the needle surfaces to some degree, more or less. These problems may also be found with certain chemically treated or dyed fabrics.

As synthetic threads pass through the eye of a needle, they create friction and heat which may melt or snap threads. In some cases, the eye of the needle may be cut. The COOLSEW finished needle eye acts as if eye is lubricated and
thereby alleviates the aforementioned problems. As an ordinary chromium plated needle penetrates through
synthetic materials, the materials may stick to the needle. This may cause some of the synthetic materials to pass
through the needle holes and create undesirable finishes. The sticking to the surface of the needle may also create
heat-buildup problems such as melting and machine jamups. The COOL-SEW finish on the needle helps alleviate the
sticking and heat-buildup problems.
PD (Perfect Durability): PD needles have a titanium-nitride ceramic finish which makes them more wear-resistant than any other needles. When embroidering large stitch patterns or penetrating very abrasive, dense or tough materials the needle points and surface will maintain its original shape and dimensions 3 to 5 times longer. PD needle points will not wear down as fast as chromium plated needle points. The use of PD needles gives you longer needle life, fewer defects due to “dulled” needle points, and increased productivity.

ny series: Tapered blade ny needles strengthen needles to resist pressure from all directions. A thinner size ny needle can perform with the strength of a thicker size needle without excessive needle breakage, fabric damage or needle holes. A comparison of strength: ordinary & ny needles 287WKH: This was the first needle made specifically for embroidery machines. It is a 16×257 needle with a larger eye and the point shortened so that it will not drag across the previous embroidery when laying down a second or third layer of stitches.

For: FINE KNITS
DBx1KN: This is a modified version of the 16×257 needle specifically for sewing thin knit fabrics. It has a slender,
straight blade with a longer, tapered Thin Ball point and a revised profile around the eye. The slender, straight blade
acts the same as using a one size thinner needle with a consistent slim shape. The longer taper of the needle point
reduces the penetration resistance in fabrics to minimize needle holes. The profile around the eye is reduced, to avoid the extra penetration resistance the normal bulge causes. DBxK23: This is the large eye version of the DBx1KN. The area of the eye is increased approximately 25% to accommodate heavier, thicker or “fluffier” threads with less stress in an embroidery application.
DF-M20: This needle has all of the features of the DBx1KN needle with the addition of a flat shank and a longer scarf. It is made specifically for the Tajima Hem-Stitching machine.

FLAT SHANK NEEDLES

15×1: HAx1, 130/705H, SY2020, SY2031, 206×15, PFx130, canu 22:15; This is the standard needle with a
flat shank and a regular size eye for most home sewing machines and home sewer based embroidery and quilting
machines. It is widely available in a large range of sizes with a sharp or ball point, also available with PD/titanium
finish.

15×1 SP: HAx1 SP; This is a special version of the 15×1 for stretch or elastic materials and tightly woven knits. It
is made to higher standards, it has a snake’s head shape due to a combination of a slightly bulged eye and a slightly
reduced blade above the eye. The bulged eye opens a slightly larger space in the material and the thinner blade above the eye reduces contact between the material and the needle. This reduces needle heat-up and prevents skip stitches. It is also available in a light ball point to separate the fibers rather than cutting them, avoiding needle holes in the fabric.
15×1 ST: HAx1 ST, 705H-E; This is a special version of the 15×1 for embroidery and decorative stitching. It is
made to higher standards for longer life. It has an oversized eye to reduce stress and tension on the thread. It also
accommodates metallic threads or heavier top stitching threads and makes needle threading easier. It is available
in sharp or ball point, also available with PD/titanium finish.

HAx130EBBR: This NEW needle was developed for use in the new Babylock EMB6 and Brother PR-600C
machines. It is an industrial quality needle with a flat shank, reinforced blade, light Ball Point and an oversized eye. It is available with a hard chrome finish. ELx705: This needle is made specifically for cover stitching. It has 2 grooves, a slightly longer scarf and a light ball point.
15×2: HAx2, HAx1LL, 130LR; This is the leather point needle with a flat shank. It has all of the same features as
15×1 with the addition of a lens shaped point to cut through leather and other heavy materials. Caution must be used when changing to this needle. Extra space must be left between needle penetrations to avoid ‘cutting out’ the
design.
HLx5: This needle is made for sewing hard, thick or heavy materials. It will sew through multiple ply applications like quilting, jeans, applique or heavy embroidery. It is actually an industrial needle with a flat shank. If you are
bending or breaking 15×1’s this needle could solve your problem. These hard chrome needles will outlast a
standard 15×1 and the PD/titanium needles are even more wear-resistant. They are available in either sharp or ball
point with a hard chrome or PD/titanium finish.
Hints & Tips: High quality embroidery is a delicate balance.

Remember when you change:
Ø The needle size or the eye size of the needle, you are changing the tension on the top thread.
Ø The needle size you are changing the relationship of the needle scarf to the hook point.
Ø The needle point you are changing the way the needle penetrates the fabric. This is not just about needles! When you change thread, backing, brand of blank product or even digitizers you may also affect the balance.

If you are a home embroiderer, chances are your machine requires some different supplies than commercial embroidery machines, and this can be confusing when trying to purchase supplies online. In this article, I’m going to try and help you figure out exactly what embroidery supplies your home embroidery machine needs.

Here is a list of some of the most common home embroidery machines:

Bernina, Brother, Elna, Husqvarna, Janome, Juki, Melco, Necchi, Baby Lock, New Home, Pfaff, Poem, Riccar, Simplicity, Singer, Viking, White, and others.

Home Embroidery Needles A.K.A Flat Shank Needles are the needles you need to look for if you are using a home embroidery machine. These needles have a flat side ground on the shank to assure proper alignment with the point of the hook (these flat shank needles can only be used on machines designed for flat shank needles). Here is a list of acceptable needles that you can use on your home embroidery machine:

Organ 15×1 HAx1 BP PD Ball Point Titanium Flat Shank Needles -This is the standard needle in Titanium finish with a flat shank and a regular size eye for most home sewing machines and home sewer based embroidery and quilting machines. It is widely available in a large range of sizes. The titanium finish makes the needle last 4 to 5 time longer than regular or chrome finish needles.

Organ 15×1 HAx1 PD Sharp Point Titanium Flat Shank Needles – Similar to the Ball Point needle above, this is the sharp point version.

Organ HAx130EBBR – This NEW needle was developed for use in the new Babylock EMB6 and Brother PR-600C
machines. It is an industrial quality needle with a flat shank, reinforced blade, light Ball Point and an oversized eye. It is available with a hard chrome finish. Available in several sizes.

Organ 15×1 Hax1 Flat Shank Ball Point Needles – This is the standard needle in Chrome finish with a flat shank and a regular size eye for most home sewing machines and home sewer based embroidery and quilting machines. It is widely available in a large range of sizes.

Organ 15×1 HAx1 Flat Shank Sharp Point Needles – Similar to the Ball Point needle above, this is the sharp point version. Available in several sizes.

Organ 15×1 ST BP PD Flat Shank Large Eye Ball Point Titanium Needles -This is a special version of the 15×1 for embroidery and decorative stitching. It is made to higher standards for longer life. It has an oversized
eye to reduce stress and tension on the thread. It also accommodates metallic threads or heavier top stitching
threads and makes needle threading easier. Available in several sizes.

Organ 15×1 ST PD Flat Shank Large Eye Sharp Point Titanium Needles – Similar to the Ball Point needle above, this is the sharp point version. Available in several sizes.

Too help select the size and point of the home embroidery needle you need, please reference the chart below.

Size, which is the middle column, is a representation of European and US sizes. The right side, or lower number, is the US size and more than likely the size you will need to reference.

This concludes Part 1 on Home Embroidery Needles for Home Embroidery Machines.

Please visit our Home Embroidery Supplies website: www.BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com

Recent embroidery news, MIM Industries and Embroidery Supplies out of Miamisburg, Ohio has shut their doors. MIM Industries was a real leader in the embroidery industry especially here in Ohio. The embroidery industry hated to see them go. Even the site www.mimind.com has already come down, and interestingly enough, Brother owns the domain.

As a fellow embroidery professional, and the President of BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com, I would like to offer MIM Industries clients a 5% discount on our already low prices on Embroidery supplies. We too are located in Ohio and offer the same quality customer support as so many of you received from MIM Industries.

To get the discount, simply use the coupon code “5off” when checking out.

Please visit our website at www.buyembroiderysupplies.com

MIM Industries, thanks for so many great years and everything you’ve added to the industry.

Sincerely,

Mark Rhodus

BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com

Before we delve into the interworking of pre-wound embroidery bobbins, I would like to share a fantastic animation of exactly how a loop stitch and a lock stitch are formed by the needle, bobbin case and rotary hook. Knowing how to embroiderer is one thing but knowing how the machine efficiently forms embroidery is another. Many times an embroidery machine will get bound up in the middle of a rush order or a large piece project and there is no time to call your friendly embroidery technician. This little nugget of embroidery gold will help you to really know what goes on under the needle plate. Follow this link to Howstuffworks.com and bookmark it. Show it to every embroiderer you know. http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine1.htm#

Styles of pre-wound embroidery bobbins are yet another choice the embroidery professional is expected to glean from some magical all knowing embroidery information stash in the sky. Many embroiderers see the difference in price and go the cost effective route, not knowing the characteristics of these to seemingly similar products. To avoid the confusion and possibly save some embroidery headaches here is the breakdown from the supplier perspective.

The first thing in determining what type of bobbin you need is matching size requirements for the hook area under the needle plate. Most styles of pre-wound bobbin threads (A.K.A. bottom thread) will work in machines that operate with L or M size embroidery bobbin. To determine if you have L size or M size bobbins in your machine compare your bobbin case to a Quarter and a Nickel. If the quarter appears to fit inside your bobbin case then you have an embroidery machine in need of M size bobbins (most likely a brother or Tajima commercial embroidery machine). If the bobbin case to Nickel comparison is a match, your machine calls for L size embroidery bobbins (this is most commercial embroidery machines and some home embroidery machines).
Typically white bobbin thread is considered the standard but black bobbin thread is often used and there are various colors available for matching bobbin thread to top thread colors. www.BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com has 2 types of white pre-wound embroidery bobbin thread.
• Continuous polyester filament embroidery thread -Soft, lightweight, and lint free, this continuous filament polyester thread is the ideal for pre-wound bobbins. It doesn’t add bulk, creating a smooth bottom thread for designs. At size 70 it is fine, yet strong. Plus, more thread can be wound on the bobbin. This bobbin thread is considered the standard for embroidery bobbins and allows for a fast, consistent, uniform final stitch.
• Spun polyester embroidery thread - Spun polyester threads are made by spinning or twisting together short, thin lengths of continuous filament polyester fibers like the polyester pillow filler. This process is similar to the way cotton threads are manufactured. A spun polyester thread gives the look of a cotton thread, but it provides superior strength and durability.
Continuous filament and spun polyester embroidery bobbins are wound and packaged as sideless , cardboard sided, plastic sided, magnetic, and the ever mysterious coreless sideless pre-wound embroidery bobbin.

• Cardboard sided embroidery bobbins- These are the industry standard for their consistency and quality. Cardboard sided bobbins have a natural friction in the bobbin case, which can help prevent backlashes. (Works with bobbin case which include a no backlash spring and bobbin cases without the no backlash spring)

(This is a bobbin case without a “No backlash spring”)

(This is a “No backlash spring”)

The no backlash spring fits inside some styles of bobbin case. It applies pressure on the embroidery bobbin to slow or stop the over spinning of the bobbin when the loop or lock stitch is made by the rotary hook. This prevents backlash or wadding, in the rotary hook, of the bobbin thread.
• Plastic sided embroidery bobbins – These embroidery bobbins can sometimes be wound with a few more yards of thread. They tend to have less friction in the bobbin case which means plastic sided bobbins have a higher tendency to backlashes without a no backlash spring in the bobbin case. If over wound with bobbin thread by the manufacturer, the fragile plastic sides will develop hairline cracks. Most times these crack do not harm anything, however always check all purchased plastic sided bobbins as if they were eggs in a carton. On rare occasions they have been known to chip or break in shipping.
• Magnetic core embroidery bobbins – These bobbins are considered sideless, plastic core embroidery bobbins. They have a magnetic ring around one end of the core that is designed to consistently pull against the metal bobbin case to provide friction that avoids backlash. Magnetic core bobbins do not work with a no backlash spring, so if you are changing to these bobbins be sure to remove the spring by popping it out of the bobbin case if it’s present.
• Coreless sideless embroidery bobbins – These bobbins do not have sides or cores like the above mentioned bobbins. The embroidery bobbin thread used for manufacturing this type product has a tendency to be waxier. Typically least expensive, coreless sideless bobbins can save money per unit. However the time and aerosol products it takes to constantly clean the bobbin case and rotary hook to keep the embroidery machine spinning at 500-900 stitches per minute will make the extra $5-$10 a box worth it.

.

Since the embroidery industry boom in the 1990’s competition for embroiderers to buy supplies has been fierce. Embroidery companies from basement single head embroidery machine shops to the thousand head embroidery manufacturing facility, have fundamental requirements to assemble a quality embroidered design or monogram. One of the worst mistakes an embroiderer can make is using poorly manufactured or improperly matched stabilizer.

Stabilizing is the foundation for good embroidery. Lay a proper foundation! (Fred Lebow)

Simply described, properly manufactured embroidery stabilizer starts as a large vat of binding chemical. This binder is homogeneously mixed with the tiny fibers you can see frayed on the edges of the backing you currently use. After the mixing process the liquid stabilizer is poured out in enormous sheets and dried. These sheets are gathered into giant parent rolls. For this specific manufacturing process there are only 3 reputable embroidery stabilizers in the world. If the backing you embroider with has a consistent, uniform appearance when drawn tight facing a light source, you most likely have a Hollingsworth & Voss backing, Wellington non-woven stabilizer or an Alstrom wet laid non-woven product. These companies produce huge parent rolls and then ship to cutting facilities that either resell the embroidery stabilizer to you or resell to a distribution center that offers a variety of products for embroiderers such as Madeira or BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com.

Textiles with embroidered designs or monogramming typically need a reinforcing material to work as a dense foundation. This “backing” material is considered necessary for proper embroidery design and monogram registration. These non-woven materials are taken for granted by laymen to the embroidery industry however the true professional embroiderer should be nearly an expert on the density of the embroidered fabric versus the termed weight or density of the backing material.

The essential characteristic that must be considered for matching stabilizer with fabric to produce high quality embroidery is:

• Does the fabric being embroidered come in direct contact with skin?

ü  Embroidery contacting skin (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts)= Cut away embroidery stabilizer

ü  Embroidery not contacting skin (coats, jackets, hats) = Tear away embroidery stabilizer

Cut-away embroidery stabilizer and tear-away embroidery stabilizer have drastically different aesthetic values.

Cut-away embroidery stabilizer characteristics

• Softer to the touch in all weights and densities
• After washing Cut away embroidery stabilizer has a material feel to it
• Cut-away backing has to be cut from embroidered fabric  which doesn’t have a precision look to the stabilizer removal process
• More time spent per garment to have a completely finished product

Tear-away embroidery stabilizer characteristics

• Stiff paper-like feel in all weights and densities
• After washing Tear-away embroidery stabilizer will be stiff under the bottom stitch but the majority of backing is knocked loose
• Tear-away backing can be torn where the needle has punched through the backing
• Typically the tear-away backing removal is much less time intensive due to the ease of removal

There are as many weights and styles for both cut-away and tear away embroidery stabilizer as there are varieties of material to embroider. To illustrate my point take a look at the list of items Hollingsworth & Voss has compiled to matchup with their numerous non-woven embroidery stabilizers.

Textile                                                 Backing     (H&V embroidery stabilizer style number)

Leonardo Da Vinci

(Designer of one the first needle Point-grinding machines)

In the beginning…

It is a little known fact that the needle was one of human kind’s first tools. Over the centuries it developed from a simple craft item to the precision tool for modern sewing machines, constantly adapted for new industrial applications and requirements. The use of sewing today does not stop at garments and furnishings, but is equally important for car seats and airbags meeting high technical safety standards. The needle has played a major role in the development of our civilization and our standard of living.

Ancient sewing needles , which date back to 28,000 BC, did not have an eye but a split end which gripped the thread to be sewn (often raffia, gut or sinew). Needles from later than 17,500 BC already had two features characteristic of the hand sewing needle today. The eye at one end and the tapering point at the other end. They were made from materials available to human society at the time, for example bones and antlers.

As people acquired skills in working metal materials, needles were also made from metal (Bronze Age approx. 7000BC), first from copper, later from iron or bronze. Although there is no positive evidence as to the precise design of these needles , excellent pieces of embroidery from the pre-Christian era suggest that they were probably fashioned almost to perfection. Unfortunately   the articles made with these needles were only partially preserved and there are barely any traces of the needles themselves. This is largely explained by the effect of oxidation, which destroys the metallic needles after a short time. Even the needles found from the 19^th century are rarely found intact.

The invention of the sewing machine gave rise to the development of the sewing machine needles.

The basic form of the hand sewing needle remained the same, thought the degree of tapering and the variation of the diameter over the length of the needle were slightly altered over the course of time. In order to be able to make comparisons, one must study the needle from its very point to just below the eye. Al though the eye and point have moved closer together, as the basic functional elements of the needle, they remain unaltered.

In 1755 a German named Weisenthal thought he had found the prerequisite for a machine sewing in his development of a two-point needle. This needle form was also used later on by Madersperger and others and it is even used nowadays in modern industrial machines for sewing shank buttons or imitating hand –made seams. An Englishman called Saint, for his machine designed in 1790, used a so-called hook needle or protruding needle similar to today’s single-chain, drop-stitch embroidery (Cornely), saddle-stitch and linking machines. Both types of needles however were of little importance for further development of the sewing machine needle.

Around 1800, Balthasar Krems (Mayen, Germany) used, for the first time, a needle which had an eye moved close to the point. One should particularly appreciate this invention because one feature that looks so simple to us today was a sensation at that time. This eye-point needle paved the way for the mechanism of sewing world-wide. Since then the sewing machine needle has been developed to the form known today. The needle has accomplished its transition from hand tool to the precision tool of the sewing machine needle.

The sewing machine needle is made up of various basic elements which are constantly arranged and rearranged in new needle designs to suit the many fields of application. These basic elements are the needle shank, the needle blade with one or two grooves and the needle point with eye.

Numerous ways in which these can be combined result in the very comprehensive selection of embroidery and sewing machine needles available today.

Needles specific to embroidery…

The start of clear embroidery design registration starts with a high quality embroidery needle. The 3 major commercial embroidery needles manufacturers competing for your business are Schmetz, Organ, and Groz-Beckert. I believe embroiderers as a whole will be satisfied with any of these commercial embroidery needles. That being said there are some differences you should be educated on concerning the basic manufacturing process for chrome embroidery needles. Keep in mind titanium (yellow in color) coated commercial embroidery needles and Teflon coated (greenish or dull grey) commercial embroidery needles have an extra process applied to a chrome embroidery needle. Also there is a difference between;

• Flat shank embroidery needle (typical of a single needle home embroidery machine)
• Round shank commercial embroidery needle (typical of a multi-needle commercial embroidery machine).

Prior to purchasing new embroidery needles find out if the model of your embroidery machine is designed for flat shank embroidery needles. There are some hybrid embroidery machines on the market that are sold as commercial embroidery machines and use a flat shank needle (brother pr600). Knowing this information prior to buying embroidery supplies will stop ordering headaches in the future.

Thank you for visiting the BuyEmbroiderySupplies.com blog. This blog will be a platform for us to share our ideas and expertise about not only embroidery supplies, but also the embroidery industry and marketing for embroidery businesses. We encourage your comments, and if you would like to share some of your own ideas or if you would like to write a post feel free to let us know.

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Buyembroiderysupplies.com is based on the need for price conscious convenience in selecting embroidery supplies. Embroidery backing, topping, bobbins, thread, needles, and aerosols can be confusing to purchase without certain embroidery industry knowledge. Embroidery supplies have a tendency to offer many variations in the same product category so we’ve rethought embroiderers purchasing habits to eliminate price and quality issues. The product brands we’ve selected for this site are time tested or are comparable to the level of integrity the main name brands uphold. The off brands are offered to relieve the extremely price conscious embroiderers concerns. The descriptions with each embroidery product should answer most questions you may have.

We look forward to your input and we hope we can somehow make your life a little bit easier.

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