Impressions - September 2013 - (Page 42)

talking SHOP Embroidery Technique Essentials for Your Embroidery Shop This list of 10 necessities can help provide you with the right tools to make for an enjoyable embroidery business. By Lee Caroselli-Barnes, Contributing Writer Start with red, then the shades of colors between red and orange, then yelloworange, yellow, yellow-green, blue-green, shades of blue, then purples and maroons. The eye enjoys this transition between colors because it is calming and gives a rich appearance. Also Consider: Arrange your garments the same way — by color, not size. The difference in your shop’s overall appearance will amaze you. the number of needles you buy will depend on the number of needles on your machine. Buy enough to ensure you have spares. Thread and thread racks can be an essential part of your decorating. Make sure you have a full selection of colors and that your supplier can replenish it at a moment’s notice. Having the thread mounted on the back wall beside the machine and above the counter where you are hooping your garments is not only convenient, but it also makes for a beautiful display. Now, let’s look at some ﬁner points of the necessities for your shop. 1 3 American Embroidery Supply (left) and American & Eﬁrd (right). t he obvious cornerstone of an embroidery business is the embroidery machine itself, regardless of whether it’s a model suited for commercial or home operations. However, once you have selected your machine, the real shopping begins. There are certain standout essentials and more subtle necessities that become obvious when you ﬁnd you are without them. The obvious needs — needles, thread, backing, hoops and scissors — are the ﬁrst and easiest to address. A beginning package should consist of both 75/11 medium ball-point needles and 75/11 sharps. Look for large-eyed needles, if possible. For ﬁ ne work, you may want to pick up 65/9 needles in both sharp and ball-point varieties. If you plan to embroider caps, you will need 80/12 needles. They usually are available in packages of 10 and 100, so 42 Impressions | September 2013 2 Backing: It may be one of the least interesting embroidery components, but backing also is one of the most important. A good mid-weight cutaway, in both black and white, should be a staple in your shop. It also should feel good against your skin. There is a reason so many manufacturers now print their own labels on shirts. Rough backing can be a reason for a child to refuse to wear a garment you have created. Also Consider: Tearaway backing should be reserved for caps. However, it also can be used on top of the garment to give embroidery a clean surface and a needed shot of white that will make your embroidery pop on a vibrant color. Just lay it on top after hooping and tear it away after the majority of the design has ﬁnished sewing. Let the ﬁnal layers of thread clean up any leftover “hairs.” Among the necessities for any embroidery shop are thread and bobbins. Photos provided by The Color Wheel: A color wheel (see Image 1) will provide vital information on arranging thread colors, and is indispensable with regard to color selection. Hoops and Frames: Most of the hoops you use will come with your machine. However, make sure you have a second set. The best practice always is to impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - September 2013

Impressions - September 2013
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conferences
Outdoor Outfitting
Beat the Heat
Today’s Textile Ink Options
Shop Spotlight
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Technique
Embroidery Production
Tech Tips Embroidery
Screen Printing Production
Screen Printing Graphics & Design
Screen Printing Technique
Online Directory
Tech Tips Screen Printing
Digital Decorating
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - September 2013