Features Of Embroidery Machines And Their Types
WHAT IS MACHINE EMBROIDERY?
The term machine embroidery refers to a process whereby a sewing machine or an embroidery machine creates a pattern on textiles. It is a modern style of designing fabrics and mostly for branding and advertisement purposes.
Commercially, embroidery can be used to make a set of clothes to be unique for marketing purpose. Unions and clubs do have their uniforms embroiled to show their unique appearance.
The fashion industries also use it for decorations of garments and apparel. Special gifts, clothing, and materials can be made by hobbyist and crafters using embroidery.
TYPES OF MACHINE EMBROIDERY
There are several types of machine embroidery but the two popular methods will be discussed here, they are:
FREE-MOTION MACHINE EMBROIDERY
Using this method, designs are created using a basic zigzag sewing machine but because the made is basically meant for tailoring, it will reduce the designs and unable to make special embroidery which can be found in the automatic features of the modern embroidery machines.
HOW IT CAN BE CARRIED OUT
The process of making free-motion machine embroidery involves the embroiderer running the machine and skillfully moves tightly hooped fabric under the needle to create a design needed on the fabric by lowering the machine teeth or covering it while the fabric is manually moved by the embroiderer.
The design can be created using the machine settings for running stitch and fancier built–in stitches with that, the stitches form an image on a piece of fabric.
When a filled-in effect is needed, the embroiderer can produce that by sewing many parallel rows of straight stitching and running zigzag lines can make a section thicker or border.
The method can be time-consuming because most sewing machines have only one needle making it difficult because one color of thread can be used at a time and the tailor will have to change the thread frequently based on the intended color of to be used for multi-color design.
The trimming and cleaning up loosed or connecting threads in the design after the sewing will be manually carried out.
The uniformity of design on different fabrics may not be the same since they were made with a manual method.
The main use of manual machine embroidery had been limited mostly to fiber art and quilting projects since the advent of the computerized machine embroidery.
Meanwhile, in an order to reduce cost most manufacturers had switched to the computer embroidery method.
COMPUTER EMBROIDERY AND HOW IT CAN BE CARRIED OUT
Majority of the modern embroidery machines are computer controlled and specifically engineered for embroidery.
The machine has a hooping and framing system to hold the framed area of fabric taut under the sewing needle and moves it automatically to create the design from a pre-programmed digital embroidery pattern.
However, the may require varying degrees of user input to read and sew embroidery designs based on its capabilities.
The sewing-embroidery machines usually have one needle and will require the user to change thread colors during each process. However, there are multi-needle types and they are generally threaded prior to running the design and do not require re-threading, the machines can trim and change colors automatically.
The features of multi-needle embroidery machine include;
Multiple sewing heads.
The various sewing heads can sew a particular design to a particular fabric individually onto a separate garment concurrently.
Some brands of such machines may have up to 20 or more heads with about 15 or more needles in each.
A single head of the automatic embroidery machine may be capable of producing many special fabric effects which include; cutworks, satin stitch embroidery, sequins, applique and chain stitch embroidery, etc.
THE PROCESS OF USING A COMPUTERIZED MACHINE FOR EMBROIDERY
Since the process is multiple, its process will have a great impact on the quality and appearance of the final work.
When using an automated system for embroidery issues like the type of fabric, design size, types of threads and colors, electric power stability, and good knowledge of the machine must be put into considerations.
In a generalized manner, these few steps had been highlighted as basic when trying to carry out embroidery with a computerized machine. They are as follows:
Buying the digitalized embroidery design file or creating yours and ensuring they work with the brand of machine and the type of fabric it is meant for will help to minimize time and error during the embroidery process. Though the creation may take hours, especially if the design is complex and the cost of the software for it is usually costly.
You may obtain an existing design and edit it or combine it with other designs.
Check the format of the file design to ensure compatibility with the machine, check the stitched design to ensure it fits in the appropriate hoop before loading the final file design into the machine.
Mark out the fabric placement and determine the location of embroidery placement on the fabric to be embellished.
The appropriate stabilizer should be used to secure the fabric in a hoop and then placed on the machine.
The needle will be centered on the starting point of the design.
Before initiating the full embroidery process, start and monitor the machine for some time and watch out for errors and other malfunctioning and resolve any seen problems before loading the fabric into the machine.
The following items will be with the operator when using the machine, they are needles, bobbins, a can of air or small air compressor, a small brush and scissors.
After the embroidery work, remove the work and separate the fabric from the hoop, trim the stabilizer and lose the threads, etc.
FEATURES OF MODERN EMBROIDERY MACHINES
The modern designs of embroidery machines are built with extra functionalities such as a large color touchscreen, a USB interface, auto threading, built-in design editing software, embroidery adviser software, and design file storage systems. Modern types have needle heads up to 56 head per machine.
Below are few samples of the modern embroidery machines:
- Brother Embroidery Machine, PE770, 5” x 7” Embroidery Machine with Built-in Memory, USB Port, 6 Lettering Fonts, 136 Built-in Designs
- by Brother
- $576.79
