Embriodery peeps

[JoshLoring]

Hi all-
So, my mom is retired and decided to buy some crazy embroidery machine to have some fun with. She doesn't mess around. It's taking up one of her extra rooms and is all computer automated. She took a class and wants to possibly make a little mula on the side for fun.

Any advice from the pros on what she might charge? I know most people charge by stitch count or size. She asked me tonight and since it's far from my realm I figured I would reach out.

Any guidance appreciated! Maybe she can even email a seasoned pro for advice?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Hi all-
So, my mom is retired and decided to buy some crazy embroidery machine to have some fun with. She doesn't mess around. It's taking up one of her extra rooms and is all computer automated. She took a class and wants to possibly make a little mula on the side for fun.

Any advice from the pros on what she might charge? I know most people charge by stitch count or size. She asked me tonight and since it's far from my realm I figured I would reach out.

Any guidance appreciated! Maybe she can even email a seasoned pro for advice?

I have to ask, how was this class that she took set up? Was it more like a "business in a box" type of class?

If so, there are going to be a few surprises for her.

Charging by stitch count is usually a digitizing rate, although there are some people that will charge per thousand for the physical embroidery as well, that's far less widely done then for digitizing. More often then not when it comes to physical embroidery, it's usually done by the hourly rate. Which is easy enough to calculate if your embroidery machine doesn't tell you, just by going off the spm and stitch count. That's just in my experience though.

Feel free to give her my email if she wants to ask in depth questions. I don't mind going over everything, I've done that for a couple of members on here off list as well. Only thing I've afraid of is what she was shown in that class. Typically they are geared more towards making a sale of the machine then really helping the person in a business sense. Digitizing is one thing were they really get you too in those type of classes.

Just let me know.

 

[SightLine]

My guess would be a Brother/Babylock. A place here does these classes/sales pitches all the time. I cannot imagine how many of these are collecting dust in peoples homes.

Running the machine is actually pretty easy. Getting good results, a good bit more complicated. Digitizing..... pay Evan (WildWestDesigns) to do that part. Unless you are doing it a lot, digitizing is not something you will want to mess with. Really.....

 

[WildWestDesigns]

My guess would be a Brother/Babylock. A place here does these classes/sales pitches all the time. I cannot imagine how many of these are collecting dust in peoples homes.

I have a feeling that you are right on that. Brother has always seem to me to be on the forefront of the business in a box model.

I like their machines, I have quite a few single heads networked together (there are reasons for doing that over getting a multi-head machine) of theirs. They are workhorses if properly maintained.

Running the machine is actually pretty easy.

Brother has been good about that, especially since not all machines have their own LCD screen to view patterns. A lot of the others require a laptop to view.

There are a lot of other things that I like about Brother, but there is one thing that I don't like (which relates to digitizing), but I'll digress why too much in the thread doing that.

Getting good results, a good bit more complicated. Digitizing..... pay Evan (WildWestDesigns) to do that part. Unless you are doing it a lot, digitizing is not something you will want to mess with. Really.....

Thanks for the kind words. Digitizing is my favorite thing about the whole process, but it's also the main reason why I get upset with the business in a box approach as well. Digitizing is one area that is misrepresented and it's a crucial area at that.

 

[dhamlett15]

Will she be using this more for doing names and monograms or will she be targeting the commercial side and doing business logos?

 

[Techman]

years ago.
We did some embroidery.
A single head machine will do a good enough job. But it is very labor intensive. And, the return is low. That is why so many machines sit in closets. And then it used to be that every pattern cost a lot. It would take too many pieces to pay for those patterns.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

And then it used to be that every pattern cost a lot. It would take too many pieces to pay for those patterns.

Yes and no. It takes less to recover your cost of the design then you might think if the design is as production friendly as it can be with what it's trying to be accomplished.

A good digitized design for a normal logo crest (8k stitch count roughly) will run you around 15 min of stitch time depending on your SPMs if done with production (rather "hot" production or long run production) in mind. Your cheap patterns may not cost you a whole lot for that one time fee, but you lose whatever profit from that pattern by either lower quality or longer stitch time. I've seen some take as long as 45 minutes for one pattern that should have taken 20 to 25. That cuts into your profit.

Now if a customer requires non production friendly techniques that's something else.

The biggest part (and reason why I hate that is misrepresented in most "classes" out there) is how friendly that design is for production. The longer that the needle is on the fabric, the more profit there is.

 

[JoshLoring]

Thanks guys! Let me ask her about her class and why machine she got. She just sprung this on me last night lol.

 

[JoshLoring]

Ok..
Moms said she took a two day john deer sewing embroidery class.
Then she bought a Babylock ellisimo and a serger evolution. (I have no idea what these are) lol

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Ok..
Moms said she took a two day john deer sewing embroidery class.
Then she bought a Babylock ellisimo and a serger evolution. (I have no idea what these are) lol

Sewing/Embroidery machine is what the Ellisimo is. Not something that I would have as a mainstay of my embroidery shop, but something for the quickie monogram portion.

It's one thing to have a single head with at least 6 needles, it's another to have a single head with a single needle.

I would tell her to do it for the fun of it. She'll enjoy the machine a lot more.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Was Thinking

Actually I was thinking that maybe your mom might want to focus more on applique designs. Since it's not full embroidery, the issue of just having one needle won't be as bad and applique does usually command a higher price as well.

Having one needle is going to be her biggest issue. If she does corporate work, it'll be far better for her to stick with as few colors as possible or very short runs. I would say stick within 5-10 at most with a single needle machine. Her best bet is going to be the one or two garment runs. Those may not be so bad if they have a lot of color.

Attached is what we use that's like your mom's. It's a single needle sewing/embroidery machine. It's sews/embroiders great, but it's the fact of only having one needle that gets you.

Try to have her stick with the one/two runs and the applique work. More then likely those will be the best return for money and still retain the fun factor.

 

[mnapuran]

Yea that's more of a monogramming machine... not a business class embroidery machine. I 2nd what WWD said above.

 

[SightLine]

Thirded..... single needle would really really really be unpleasant for a multi-color design if you were trying to crank a dozen shirts through. I knew it wourl either be a Brother or Babylock. For those that do not know, the majority (if not all) Babylock machines are just OEM rebranded Brother machines. Also as Evan mentioned, with the screens they have, are some of the easiest to use as well. Still a good bit of a learning curve though for figuring out what sort of backings to use for what fabrics, machine quirks, hooping, what threads work best (rayon looks nice and is what many will suggest but not nearly as durable or colorfast as polyester), artwork issues that might cause problems such as too many colors, some gradients, tiny elements/text. More to learn than you might think...

Also lots of things to start stocking like different types/thicknesses of backings, lot of different thread colors, then the extras come in like hoops, spare bobbin case, tension guage, lots of bobbins (I've come to like the pre-wound magnetic ones), scissors (the ones in your kitchen are not going to work well), oil, etc. Oh and hooping is amazingly tedious and un-fun.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

learning curve though for figuring out what sort of backings to use for what fabrics, machine quirks, hooping, what threads work best (rayon looks nice and is what many will suggest but not nearly as durable or colorfast as polyester),

I actually prefer to work with Poly. Also, you can sublimate with it as well if you use the lighter colors. Gives an embroidered look without the complex design.

I'm not a fan of the Sulky line at all. They make decent stabilizer, but don't have much luck with them.

Also metallic threads. Need to stitch those at a slower rate then normal threads. Whatever gives it that metallic affect plays hell with the machine if stitched at the normal SPM.

artwork issues that might cause problems such as too many colors, some gradients, tiny elements/text. More to learn than you might think...

Speaking of gradients. I actually did a shirt order for a user on here for his own shirts and it had a gradient effect in it.

Small text, double stroke text (for some reason there seems to have been a fade with that) can give embroidery a run for it's money. Then if you add small with script etc. I can go on all day. It is not easy going from sketch to stitch.

I did do a little intro in the premium section about setting up artwork for embroidery. Not everything translates and it takes time to be able to see where the trouble spots are going to be. I know for some it urks y'all to have something needing to be re done design wise for embroidery, but from a production standpoint it needs to happen on occasion. Mapping also plays a part as well. The logical order of stitching, how to minimize trims etc.

I can go on all day about digitizing. Like I said, it's the one portion I really enjoy about embroidery. To me it's a game to figure out how to make the design work and look good.

Also lots of things to start stocking like different types/thicknesses of backings, lot of different thread colors,

Don't forget puff either. I seem to keep a good collection of that around.

then the extras come in like hoops,

When the trade show comes to town this summer I'll be looking at getting more of those as well. Hoops can be an expensive addiction. You have the standard hoops, magnetic hoops, tension hoops etc.

My latest little addition was a few full "wrap around" hat hoops. 60mm x 360mm (2 3/8" x 14") total area. Basically ear to ear.

spare bobbin case, tension guage, lots of bobbins (I've come to like the pre-wound magnetic ones),

Same here. But don't forget the black ones as well (and black stabilizer varieties come to think about it). Also it helps to wind your own if you need specialty colors.

scissors (the ones in your kitchen are not going to work well), oil, etc. Oh and hooping is amazingly tedious and un-fun.

But can screw up a perfect design if it isn't done correctly.

 

[JoshLoring]

You guys are great. Glad to Be a member of Signs 101!
I'll send my mom a link so she can read all of this good info.