As many new embroiderers soon learn, having the right components can make all the difference in the world on a great embroidered item vs a not so great item. 

Item or Fabric Base Material
One key is to acknowledge that not every item will handle being embroidered as anticipated.  If the fabric is particularly dense or if it is has a coating on it, instead of the threads laying on top as intended, the needle may bounce from one side to the other of the fabric's thread weave and thus causing a very poor finished product - ask me how I know!  Experience is the key on knowing how certain fabrics will react to embroidery.  The trouble with experience, however, is knowing when to give a job a try and when to pass.  What may seem a simple job can become a real challenge.

Stabilizer & Design Density
Picking the correct stabilizer can also affect the finished product.  Item usage & care can play a key role in determining correct stabilizer.  Will it be laundered?  The density of the design will play a role in stabilizer selection as well.  Is the design lightweight and airy or need to drape well?  If so then you would use a different stabilizer than if you were stabilizing a dense design for a pillow.

Thread
Thread manufacturers different in strength, sheen and color selections.  Colorfast polyester threads may not be as readily available in all colors.  Rayon threads typically come in many more colors but may "grab & absorb" other colors if bleached.  If a client intends on bleaching the embroidered item, care in thread selection is necessary. 

Digitizing
Another aspect for good embroidery is a well digitized design.  Is the design "bullet proof" or does the thread coverage seem thin?  Are there gaps in the outline (registration issues)?  Is the design appropriate for the item--one wouldn't want a heavy, dense design stitched on an organza scarf but then neither would a light outline design work for a terry cloth towel or robe where the embroidery thread would easily slip between the loops of the napped fabric.

Stock or Custom Designs
There are literally billions of designs available for purchase on the internet.  In addition, embroiderers may also offer the abililty to have custom designs created.  When a client wants a custom design, it is important to remember that the thread art is different than print art.  Thread is three-dimensional and, as such, perfectly reproducing a design from print artwork may not be possible or recommended.  With thread, sometimes less is better.

All of the above components will affect how an embroiderer prices their work even before they account for business overhead and payroll expenses.  In addition most embroiderers will test sew a design before delivering the final product to ensure that all the components work well for the project.  Thread can lose its elasticity.  When that happens, the embroiderer will experience machine problems and thread breakages.  The easiest solution at times is to just toss the thread and use new. These additional expenses add to the bottom line cost of embroidery as well. 

The next time you are considering an embroidered gift, hopefully knowing the key components to good embroidery will help you realize the great value of embroidered custom made gifts.

While testing out the new embroidery machine, I stitched out a wall sampler of the poem - The Rainbow Bridge.  Almost every pet owner I know has either seen or heard the Rainbow Bridge poem or some version of it.  Now I had originally purchased this design in the hopes of stitching out the design and customizing it for clients who wanted to memorialize a pet.

With the entire design having a total of 49 color changes and a grand total of just shy of 200,000 stitches, if we were to price at the industry standard rate of $1 per 1,000 stitches, the cost for the basic sampler would be $200.  Then if we were to add customization like the deceased pet's name DOB/DOD or other text, the price would go even higher and the sampler would still need framing.

Granted this sampler would be a lasting momento but the question is, would this be a product offering that our clients would want?  And would the client understand the technical difficulties involved with such an elaborate design?

Thinking that others may be like me and are willing to pay for quality when they understand what is involved, I've decided to start a new blog topic on learning to machine embroider.  Pricing is just one facit that most new embroiderers struggle with when building up a client base for their work and still try to compete with the big name stores without going broke in the process.

We'd love to hear from our clients - what inspires you to choose an embroidered gift over a screen print design or iron-on transfer?

Christmas has come and gone and at Sew Many Paws we are enjoying playing with our new toy - the Babylock BMP8.  The BMP8, named "Spiderman" by Tom because of all the thread going every which way, is truly a fantastic new embroidery machine.   Every salesperson told us we'd love the way it stitches out but initially we attributed that as a sales pitch.  Much to our delight, however, in the 2 weeks we've had it, the BMP8 has lived up to the hype.  It trims jump stitches and seems to have a much more predictable stitch quality than our old machine.

We tried embroidering baseball caps for the first time on this new machine yesterday and while I won't say it was an easy feature to master, once I got the hang of it, things went well.

The new toy is so much fun to play around with I can't wait to try all the designs I've been saving up.  For those on our mailing list, be watching our newsletter for embroidery specials in the upcoming months.  

For now - I'm off to play with my new toy but if you have a hobby or passion and are looking for a unique gift--be sure to give me a call.  I'd love to stitch a new design for you.  Below is a design I did last week for the Love of Labs volunteer get together.  I'm hoping the winner of the jacket will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Love of Labs Volunteer Prize - Labs Resting Jacket