Personal Favs
- carlene.brooks
- Aug 29, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 19, 2024
Hey everyone! Recently I have received and influx of questions that all seem similar in nature that I am finally taking the time to share with you all here. As such - welcome to my very first blog! It's about time I address the frequent "What items do you personally use to create plushies" question. So let's get started! :)
Starting out as a plush artist can be very overwhelming to say the least, something I DO NOT forget when I initially started. It feels like you spend countless hours scrounging the internet with little to no progress as you take on the task of researching everything you can about WHAT you need to begin this endless journey. It's mentally exhausting when you have no direction, especially when you have no idea what items you need let alone what they are even called. I hope my first blog can help cut down half your time researching and take that energy to actually purchasing what you may need - bonus I will also include price points in Canadian and US dollars with what I pay for my supplies. Remember, cheap supplies is not always good supplies and you want quality over quantity with plush making.
Machines
For the context of this blog post I am solely going to be discussing embroidery/sewing combo machines. They are in my opinion the BEST bang for your buck. So what DO I actually consider when looking at machines??
* Brand names: Consider a well known brandname. My personal favourite is Brother machines due to their "work horse" nature. You can run them into the ground and they still continue to work away. Obviously yearly maintenance is recommended + routine cleaning that you can do yourself. Other well known brands I also recommend are - Babylock, Janome, PAFF, Berenia. Really the only machine I dislike is Singer's. Do not buy one unless you want cheap, poor quality where you spend more time ripping your hair out over it malfunctioning.
What about hoop size?? I found a cheap machine!?
So you found an embroidery machine and feel excited. This is totally normal! However, take a step back and assess EVERYTHING. As someone who bought used for my first few machines I know from personal experience that sellers will NOT tell you everything wrong with the machine. Basically - do not buy any machines unless you can test them out even if used. You want to assess stitch quality and overall run speed/smoothness of the embroidery. 4x4 hoops are VERY tempting due to their cheaper nature but I always stress this so so much - purchase the largest hoop possible you can afford. No matter what others say you will out grow a 4x4 hoop within a few weeks due to the limited embroidery space. Some pattern makers also do not even produce files to fit into a 4x4 hoop restricting you even further. In my experience purchasing at least a 5x7 machine will keep you happy for so much longer with many more pattern options available to you. It is truly the best bang for your buck packed with enough hoop space to satisfy any crafter.
You mentioned hoop size? What does this even mean??
All embroidery machines come with set hoop sizes that snap into an arm on the machine and allow it to stitch designs for you by reading digital files. So when you hear a crafter say 4x4 hoop this refers to 4" x 4" in size (basically a square). So if you buy an embroidery machine that only pairs with a 4x4 hoop and no larger that machine will likely never be able to read/use larger hoops; thus limiting you to certain hoop sizes for certain machines. It's also important to understand that even though your machine tells you that it will read a max of 4" x 4" - this is not entirely true. Each max hoop size specified per machine is actually a smidge smaller so that your embroidery arm/needle does not strike the outside of the hoop when stitching a design. That being said there ARE some machines that do allow you to purchase upgrade software to increase the size of your hoop that your machine can read/use but they are very pricey with little benefit.
I see some machines seem huge in size with large LED displays on them. What is the benefit of these machines?
When looking at embroidery machines you will indeed notice some have the fancy coloured LED screens. These are not entirely necessary and more for serious artists who not only want the larger machine for the hoop sizes but enjoy seeing their embroidery files in colour on the screen. Most 5x7 starter machines that I recommend will not have these LED screens but a simple smaller black and white screen to keep costs down. There are benefits to the LED screens such as editing on the screen it's self and seeing the embroidery steps coming up coloured coordinated. However, for a beginner these are just fancy add-ons and really won't benefit your workflow that much differently so don't pay too much attention to them until you're serious about plush making.
I read some cut "jump strings". Whatttt???
My machine does this! I super love it. Again your higher priced machines will do this for you. Essentially as you stitch your machine will jump to the next portion and continue stitching without stopping. The only time a machine stops is to change colours OR if you stop the machine manually. Every time the machine jumps to a new area it will leave a tail of thread. A higher priced machine has a "cutter" blade that will cut these underneath for you reducing your work time. Cheaper machines you do have to go back and cut all your jump threads either part way or at the end of your project. This is a feature that once you have - you will never go back on but is not a make it or break it deal for any embroidery machine.
My Personal Machine - Brother Dream Weaver VM6200D
Speaking of my machine it is now discontinued. You can always find one second hand but they have a newer version out that likely preforms even better! This machine is a work horse and I 110% recommend it. I purchased it when it was on sale for $4300 CAN ($3300 USD) down from the original price of $5900 CAN ($4500 USD). Yes, I know, it's a lot. This is why I do not recommend a large machine as a first time artist. Take it slow! First find out if you even like embroidery, will you even use it and better yet are you prepared for all the things needed to run it? (supplies). Only purchase a larger machine when you yourself are ready to make it a financial investment where you will make money back to pay for it.
Supplies
We've touched base on the basics of embroidery machines. So what about supplies?? Honestly supplies are pretty crucial and you cannot do much embroidery without quite a few items to make it work properly. Let's talk what supplies I prefer briefly, their costs and why they are even used.
I am a firm believer that your supplies will make our break your projects. Find something that is good quality, not too cheap but not too expensive. Just because I like these products doesn't mean you need to! These are what I have personally found work best for me - don't be afraid to explore different products yourself.
Stabilizers
I enjoy using stabilizers that are 1.5oz (so a lighter weight) that are called "tear away". You can rip your embroidery projects from the hoop and remove excess backing from the project with your fingers.
I've learned from experience that no matter what some may say - you do not need cut away stabilizer if embroidering on Shannon brand minky. This minky is thick enough and a great quality that it can handle A LOT of stitch density with very little warping of the design (in my experience). The only time I ever consider cut away stabilizer is for very very dense designs and that to me is literally never.
Purchase stabilizer in a roll to save money! You may be tempted to buy pre cut sheets that fit your hoop size but they are actually more money ;) So buy a roll and cut your own size
Thread
Finding a thread that works well in your machine may differ from machine to machine. My advice to you - don't buy a whole starter kit of thread until you buy a few colors and test them in your machine. Some machines DO NOT like random brands and will shred the thread.
For me personally I have found a brand of thread from super B that is cheaper, beautiful and lasts a long time on the smaller spools.
You will also need to consider not only needing many many colors but also the crazy amount of space all these spools take up. Do you have a place to keep them? I know mine drive me crazy piled on my table at times lol
Bobbin Thread
Yes, you read that right. Embroidery machines need their own bobbin thread too! They cannot use regular thread since it is too thick causing tangling underneath while embroidering.
I have learned that I much prefer to buy pre-wound bobbins specifically designed for home embroidery machines that are PLASTIC. If you use cardboard ones they will eventually destroy/breakdown the housing/hardware that your bobbin sits in. Do not fall for the cheaper price on them due to the cardboard bobbin style.
If you do buy the cardboard bobbin style pre-wounds on mistake, simply rewind them onto a proper plastic bobbin built for your machine! Believe me when you say you don't want to damage your machine
Water Soluble Stabilizer
Ahhhh the almighty stabilizer that will make or break your embroidery quality. This stabilizer is highly recommended if you are using any fabrics with a nap/pile to them (essentially fur that is tall) such as minky. It forces those fir fibers to stay down and the embroidery to stay up on top of the fur! Basically it does on top of the whole project while you embroider compared to the previous tear away stabilizer that is on the very bottom of your project!
Like the title says it does dissolve with any type of contact with liquids and can get sticky if you live in a humid environment just from sitting in your house. I keep mine in a plastic baggie to prevent this ;)
When I'm done stitching embroidery though I do just tear it away off the top. No need to use water unless you are getting smaller pieces to dissolve away. Definitely a must if using minky but not necessary for fleece
For now I'll leave you all with this info to consider. Researching for an embroidery machine is not easy and it CAN be somewhat stressful. I totally get that in today's economy money can be tight and thus I think it's important to talk about these actual price points for embroidery machines. The supplies are just the basics and always need replenishing which in the end lead to upkeep + costs. Embroidery is definitely a game changer with making plushies but isn't always necessary either! Take your time and be sure your decision is right for you and whether you plan on running a business or a hobby :) In future blog posts we will discuss various aspects of embroidery in more depth.
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