What Are the Popular Embroidery Fabric Types That Used in Machine Embroidery

Machine embroidery is a popular technique used in the textile industry to create intricate designs, patterns, and logos on fabrics. When selecting the right fabric for machine embroidery, it’s essential to consider its weight, weave, texture, and color. Different fabrics have different characteristics, and the fabric choice can significantly affect the quality of the embroidery

The best fabric for machine embroidery depends on the type of embroidery design you want to create. Cotton, linen, silk, polyester, and velvet are all excellent choices; each has unique characteristics and benefits. Choosing a fabric that suits your embroidery project’s requirements and using the right needles, thread, and techniques to ensure a high-quality finish is essential.

Here are some of the best fabrics for machine embroidery:

Cotton: Cotton is the most popular and widely used fabric for machine embroidery. It’s a natural fiber that is easy to work with and provides a smooth surface for embroidery. It’s also a durable fabric that can withstand the rigors of machine embroidery, making it an excellent choice for items that will be washed frequently, such as towels and linens. Cotton fabric comes in various colors and textures, making it suitable for various embroidery designs.

Linen: Linen is a high-quality, natural fabric popular for its durability and strength. It has a unique texture provides an elegant and sophisticated look to embroidery designs. It's also a versatile fabric with various weights and textures, making it an excellent choice for various embroidery projects

Silk: Silk is a luxurious fabric popular for its soft, smooth texture and lustrous sheen. It's an excellent choice for delicate embroidery designs, such as monograms and small motifs, as it provides a beautiful, high-quality finish. However, silk can be more challenging to work with than other fabrics, so choosing a high-quality silk and using the right needles and thread is essential.

Polyester: Polyester is a synthetic fabric commonly used for machine embroidery. It's a durable and inexpensive fabric that is easy to work with and provides a smooth surface for embroidery. Polyester fabric comes in various colors and textures, making it suitable for various embroidery designs.

Velvet: Velvet is a plush, luxurious fabric popular for its soft texture and rich color. It's an excellent choice for machine embroidery designs that require a bold, eye-catching finish, such as logos and emblems. However, velvet can be challenging to work with, so using the right needles and thread and taking care when hooping the fabric is essential.

While selecting a fabric for machine embroidery, it's also important to consider the weight and weave of the fabric. Lightweight fabrics, such as chiffon and organza, are ideal for delicate embroidery designs, while heavier fabrics, like denim and canvas, are better suited for more substantial embroidery projects.

Before discussing the density of each fabric, let’s talk about the density:

“What is density in machine embroidery?

The density of the stitches refers to the number of stitches in a given design area. High density means more stitches per square inch, while low density means fewer stitches per square inch. Generally, more delicate fabrics or looser weaves require more density to prevent the embroidery design from distorting or puckering.

When it comes to machine embroidery, the density of the stitches is a crucial factor that affects the design outcome. Some fabrics require more density than others to achieve a high-quality embroidery result.
Here are some examples of fabrics that require more density in machine embroidery:
Knit Fabrics: Knit fabrics, such as jersey, interlock, and rib, have a stretchy and flexible texture, which can make them challenging to embroider. It's essential to use a higher stitch density when embroidering.

knit fabrics to prevent the embroidery from distorting or puckering. Using a stabilizer and hoop can also help prevent the fabric from stretching or moving during embroidery.

Fleece: Fleece is a soft, warm fabric that is commonly used for blankets, jackets, and other cold-weather apparel. However, the fleece texture can make it challenging to embroider, especially if the design has a lot of detail or small text. Using a higher stitch density can help the embroidery design stand out and prevent the fabric from shifting during the embroidery process.

Terry clothes: Terry clothes are another popular item for machine embroidery, but the pile of the fabric can make it difficult to achieve a high-quality embroidery design. A higher stitch density is needed to prevent the embroidery from sinking into the towel's pile. Using a water-soluble stabilizer on top of the towel is also essential to help the stitches stand out.

Satin: Satin fabrics have a smooth, shiny texture that can make them challenging to embroider. A higher stitch density is needed to prevent the embroidery from slipping or puckering. It's also important to use the right type of needle and thread to prevent snagging or damaging the fabric.

In conclusion, fabrics with a looser weave, stretchy texture, or pile require more density in machine embroidery to achieve a high-quality embroidery design. It's important to use the right stabilizer, needle, and thread for each fabric type to ensure a successful embroidery outcome.

Machine embroidery is a beautiful and creative way to add custom designs to fabric. Still, certain fabrics can cause issues such as puckering, birdnesting, and other distortions during embroidery. These problems can be frustrating and time-consuming to fix, so choosing the right fabric for your embroidery project is essential.

Here are some of the fabrics that can cause puckering, birdnesting, and other distortion issues in machine embroidery:

Thin or Lightweight Fabrics: Thin or lightweight fabrics, such as chiffon, organza, and georgette, are delicate and have a looser weave, making them more prone to puckering or distortion during embroidery. To avoid these issues, it's essential to use a stabilizer appropriate for the fabric type, and a lower density of stitches to avoid putting too much strain on the fabric.

Stretchy Fabrics: Stretchy fabrics, such as knits, jersey, and spandex, are popular for their comfortable and flexible nature, but they can also cause issues during embroidery. The fabric's elasticity can cause the embroidery design to distort or pucker, and the stitches may not be stable enough to hold the design in place. To avoid these problems, it's essential to use a stabilizer that can provide the necessary support and a higher density of stitches to prevent the embroidery from stretching out.

Coarse or Rough Fabrics: Coarse or rough fabrics, such as canvas, burlap, and denim, can also cause distortion during embroidery. The rough texture of these fabrics can cause the embroidery thread to snag or become tangled, resulting in birdnesting or uneven stitches. To avoid these problems, it's essential to use a stabilizer that can provide a smooth surface for the embroidery design, and a suitable needle and thread that can withstand the roughness of fabrics.

Pile Fabrics: Pile fabrics, such as velvet, chenille, and terry cloth, can also cause issues during embroidery. The fabric's pile can cause the embroidery design to sink into the fabric, resulting in a distorted or uneven design. To avoid these problems, it's essential to use a stabilizer on top of the fabric that can provide a smooth surface for the embroidery design to stitch onto.

Before we move towards the selection of correct underlay for fabrics of machine embroidery, let’s discuss about ‘what is underlay’?

The underlay of machine embroidery refers to the basic stitches that are sewn into the fabric before the upper stitches, it provides supports and stabilize the fabrics for machine embroidery.

The density and underlay required for machine embroidery fabrics can vary depending on the type of fabric, design complexity, and embroidery machine being used. However, here are some general guidelines on stitch density and underlay for common machine embroidery fabrics:

Cotton: Cotton fabrics are one of the most common materials used in machine embroidery. They are durable and easy to embroider. A standard underlay, such as a zigzag underlay, is usually sufficient.

Polyester: Polyester fabrics are also popular in machine embroidery. They are lightweight and come in a range of colors and textures. A zigzag underlay or a tatami underlay may be used to stabilize the fabric.

Fleece: Fleece fabrics are soft and cozy, making them ideal for embroidery on blankets and jackets. However, the texture of fleece can make it challenging to achieve a high-quality embroidery design. A zigzag underlay or satin underlay may be used to provide additional stability.
Denim: Denim fabrics are sturdy and durable, but the thickness and texture of the fabric can make it difficult to embroider a zigzag underlay or a lattice underlay may be used to stabilize the fabric.

Knit: Knit fabrics, such as jersey, interlock, and rib, have a stretchy and flexible texture, which can make them challenging to embroider. A zigzag underlay or a lattice underlay may be used to stabilize the fabric.

The specific backings and stabilizers are necessary for avoid any machine embroidery issue like puckering, bird nesting and others. Particularly, stretchy or loose fabrics such as knits, terry clothes need heavy backing and more support during machine embroidery. While, stable fabrics such as such cotton need medium- lightweight backings.

Before jumping to the stability of fabrics, let’s take a look on:

“What are the three main categories of fabrics?”

We can categorize machine embroidery fabrics into three parts: Non-woven, woven and knitted. Fabrics such as cotton, silk, polyester are woven, felt is non-woven and fabric such as yarn and terry cloth are included in knitted fabrics.

Apparently, non-woven fabrics are more stable because they are more pliable and shows less movement during machine embroidery as compare to the woven fabrics like silk and polyester, that’s why non-woven fabrics works well for machine embroidery.

Each machine embroidery fabric has its characteristics and usage, and knowing about these fabrics can improve your machine embroidery experience.

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