When starting any kind of new hobby, it’s often anyone’s instinct to get up and get started, especially something fun like machine embroidery. Of course, this can be a great way to learn by doing, but it can also lead to mistakes and confusion. As with machine embroidery, as with any hobby, not knowing what you’re doing or what you’re doing wrong with your project can quickly pique your interest, so it’s always a good idea to get some advice from a professional embroidery digitizers before you start. Beginning from here is a list of Sweet Pea’s top 10 tips before starting your first machine embroidery project.
1 Gear Up for the Embroidery
The most important thing to remember when preparing for your first embroidery project. It is to make sure you have all the equipment you need to complete your machine embroidery project. You probably know you need an embroidery machine for machine embroidery. But it’s easy to overlook or forget other less obvious things. Nothing is more frustrating than finding out you’re in the middle of a project and don’t have the right needle, stabilizer, or fabric to achieve the desired effect. Even things like sharp embroidery scissors, while obvious, can be easily overlooked. Going through all the design steps before you begin is a great way to learn what it takes to start a machine embroidery project.
2 Time Time and Time
By spending a lot of time and setting realistic goals with your design, you’ll be sure not to get bored or frustrated. It’s okay to challenge yourself, but don’t find the hardest project and spend half an hour completing it the first time you try machine embroidery, or you won’t get what you want.
3 Read Online
There are so many blogs offering advice on almost every aspect of machine embroidery; there’s never been a better time to do a little research on what it’s like when you’re new to something. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, but a little structure can go a long way. In addition to this, MigDigitizing’s blog has several other suggested blogs and publishes a new one most weeks.
4 Test the stitch
I don’t really like testing stitches here because it’s mentioned so often on other blogs, but I can’t stress enough how important it is when working with new machines, yarns, fabrics, needles, designs, patterns, or if you’re not familiar to embroidery.
5 High Quality
Machine Embroidery Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. I know most people have to work on a budget (and I definitely do), but with that in mind, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by spending more on better yarns.
6 Know your limits
Try not to tackle projects that are too advanced, or else you may get frustrated and give up. As mentioned above, it’s important to challenge yourself but do it gradually. Meanwhile, let professionals at MigDigitizing.com take care of your complex projects.
7. Frugality
After what we’ve said about having the right equipment and making sure you’re aiming for quality, it may seem like a contradiction, but it’s important to weigh this against cost. Start thinking about spending the right money on the right things. Start with a small piece of fabric and machine it to your ability.
8 Social Networks
Share your hobbies with others and join the community! No one will appreciate your creations like other lovers, so join the Facebook community like EMBDigit.com’s page.
9 Diversify your Embroidery Projects
You should at least create different types of layouts ahead of time so you can try to master them all. If you find something you really like, you can focus on them, but in the beginning, it’s essential to diversify and experiment; whether you are going to digitize logo for embroidery or a custom patch design for your tee, enjoy the project you’re working on.
10 Make Sure its Fun
One of the most meaningful things to recognize is that this is your hobby and should be fun. Mistakes happen, but they are easy to fix. Don’t be discouraged. Machine embroidery is addicting, and once you start, you can’t go back, so enjoy every moment with your embroidery machine and learn new techniques.
