When I first learned embroidery, I remember feeling both excited and lost at the same time. I walked into a craft store, saw a huge selection of colorful thread and all kinds of tools, and thought, "Do I need all of this just to stitch one simple butterfly?" The truth is, you don’t. Starting embroidery only takes a few simple supplies, and you can collect the rest little by little as you grow into the hobby. It seems like a huge learning curve, but as the famous proverb goes, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." So let's start with the basics.
If you’re searching for beginner embroidery supplies or wondering what belongs in a simple embroidery starter kit, here’s the list I wish someone had handed me on my very first day.
1. Embroidery Hoop
I bought my first embroidery machine for $200 at Walmart, and it came with a tiny 4x4 hoop. I was really excited and bought some machine embroidery designs online. I quickly went to the store, a cheap towel, and thought I would embroider it. However, things didn't go as planned. A 4x4 design is tiny, and so is the hoop. I returned my machine, did some research, and went to Jo-Ann's to get myself a Husqvarna Viking Topaz 20. It was very expensive, and I'm sure there are a lot of options now. But whatever machine you buy, make sure it comes with at least a 5x7 hoop. I would recommend 6x10 hoops, and if you're willing to spend a little more, even larger ones.
2. Needles
When I first started I thought I could just use one type of needle to embroider all kinds of material. Oh boy, was I wrong. I quickly realized that you can't use the same needles for all fabrics.
For example, for average fabrics such as woven cotton, polyester, and some lighter-weight knit fabrics, you should use a 75/11 needle. This is considered a medium-size needle and is the most commonly used size for machine embroidery. The first number, 75, comes from the diameter of the needle shaft measured in hundredths of a millimeter, so size 75 means the shaft is 0.75 mm thick. The number 11 refers to the American sizing. This needle size also works great with the most common 40wt embroidery thread. If you want to start with a piece of quilting cotton and not with towels (like I did), a 75/11 needle would be a fantastic choice.
Other needle sizes include:
65/9 (Very Fine): Best suited for silk and thin polyester; best used with 60wt thread.
70/10 (Fine): Most suited for thin knits and polyester.
80/12 (Heavier): Mostly used for denim shirts and totes; can be used with 40wt or heavier threads.
90/14 (Heavy): Works best on fleece, terry towels, and heavy canvas; best used with heavy embroidery threads.
100/16 (Extra Heavy): Best for leather, vinyl, and upholstery fabric. This needle is usually not recommended for beginners and requires a very thick thread.
Also, when you're just starting out, think about cheap materials you can practice on. Quilting cotton works best, or old t-shirts—but be careful with these, as they're stretchy. Whatever you do, don't pick stretchable fabrics.
This brings us to our next point. I suggest starting with the most common 75/11 embroidery needle and the most common 40wt polyester thread.
3. Fabric
I'll be honest, when I started, I immediately tried to embroider on a towel. Big mistake. Don't get me wrong, embroidering on towels is a great idea—just not for beginners. I also tried denim, which was another big mistake. My needles kept breaking, and the material kept puckering. To top it all off (and don't laugh), I didn't even use any stabilizer! What a disaster that was.
So for beginners, I would recommend the most common medium-size 75/11 needles, the most common 40wt embroidery thread, and the easiest material to embroider is—drum roll, please—quilting cotton.
Why quilting cotton?
Here are four reasons:
1) It's the #1 choice for beginners.
2) It's smooth, stable, and doesn't stretch.
3) It works great with the most common tear-away stabilizer.
4) It's very cheap and easy to find at places like Walmart and other fabric stores.
Whatever you do, don't go for thin materials like silk, velvet, organza, leather, or vinyl. Instead, stick to medium-weight fabrics (not too thick, not too thin) with a smooth surface that are cheap and easy to find. Runner-up fabrics include thin denim, poly-cotton blends, and medium-weight tight-weave linen.
🚫 Hard Fabrics for Beginners:
1) Stretchy materials (leggings, t-shirts, rib knit, polyester knit, stretch denim)
2) Towels (my mistake—I wish I had this chart with a big 🚫)
3) Velvet, fleece
4) Delicate fabrics (silk, chiffon, organza)
5) Leather and vinyl
The verdict: Go for stable, smooth, medium-size woven fabrics like quilting cotton.
P.S. Don't be like me and forget about stabilizer!
4. Embroidery Thread
When I started, the one thing I did right was buying the proper embroidery thread, and it wasn't because I guessed. It was because I asked a salesperson at Jo-Ann's what the most common thread for machine embroidery was. Drum roll, please... Rayon thread!
Rayon is a type of fiber made from wood pulp or cellulose. It looks very glossy and runs well in most embroidery machines. The only downside is that it can fade and weaken with a lot of washing with bleach.
Other Types of Embroidery Threads
Polyester Thread: Stronger than rayon, less shiny, rarely breaks, and is bleach-resistant. It's mostly used on items that need frequent washing, such as towels or baby clothes.
Cotton Thread: Not shiny and softer than other threads. It's best for quilting, vintage-style embroidery, or anything that you don't want to have a glossy look.
Metallic Thread: Creates a shiny, glittery look with a metallic coating. It's best for lettering and specific holiday designs but can be tricky to work with, often requiring special needles and slower machine speeds.
Silk Thread: Less common for machine embroidery. It's mostly used for high-end embroidery, is quite expensive, and very delicate.
Specialty Threads: This category includes threads like Glow-in-the-Dark, UV/Color-Changing, Wool Blend, etc.
Common Embroidery Thread Weights
| Weight | Thickness & Use | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Very thick, heavy coverage | Heavy-duty embroidery, bold designs |
| 40 | Medium thickness, most common embroidery weight | Everyday embroidery on most fabrics |
| 50 | Slightly thinner, finer detail | Detailed designs, lighter fabrics |
| 60 | Thin, fine thread | Very fine details, delicate fabrics |
| 80+ | Ultra-thin, used mostly for quilting or hand embroidery | Fine quilting, special decorative stitches |
The best thread to start with is a 40wt Polyester thread. It's the most common and most widely available type in many stores.
5. Stabilizer
Stabilizers for machine embroidery is a special backing material used on fabric to make sure stitches come out clean, smooth, and professional. I didn't think I needed stabilizer because it was an extra thing I had to buy, but I found out the hard way that stabilizer is a superhero that comes to the rescue! Stabilizer is like a strong friend, holding the material steady so your stitches stay nice and neat. After you're done embroidering your design, the stabilizer can either stay or be torn off.
Can you embroider without stabilizer (like me 😆)? The answer is yes, but only for heavy fabrics like denim or felt. For most machine embroidery projects, you definitely need a stabilizer.
Here are four reasons why you need stabilizer:
1) It prevents fabric from puckering and stretching.
2) It prevents designs from shifting (because nothing is holding the fabric in place.)
3) It prevents stitches from sinking or getting distorted.
4) It prevents embroidery from looking uneven, sloppy, and wrinkled.
As with anything, there are tons of different stabilizers on the market. When I started, I was very confused by all the options and obviously bought the wrong one. But don't worry, you don't need to repeat my mistakes. I will guide you through it.
Now for the last piece of advice. The best and most common stabilizer for machine embroidery is Tear-Away Stabilizer. It's best for beginners and works great with quilting cotton. Tear-away stabilizer provides excellent support, is easy to use, widely available, and fairly inexpensive. Just like with other stabilizers, tear-away stabilizer itself also comes in different types, as all stabilizers are classified by weight and thickness.
📌 How Tear‑Away Stabilizers Are Classified
| Stabilizer Weight | Characteristics | Best Used For | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight (1.0–1.5 oz/yd²) | Soft and thin, tears away very easily. | Light, open designs on stable fabrics. | Redwork, outline designs. |
| Medium Weight (1.8–2.0 oz/yd²) | The most common weight. Good balance of support and easy tear-away. | “All-purpose” stabilizer for quilting cotton and general embroidery. | General embroidery on quilting cotton. |
| Heavyweight (2.5–3.0 oz/yd²) | Thick and strong, harder to tear. | Dense stitch designs or heavier fabrics like denim, canvas, or jackets. | Dense designs on denim or canvas jackets. |
Types of Tear-Away stabilizers
1) Regular Tear-Away - most common, medium weight. It's easty to tear by hand after stitching. Excellent for most stable woven fabrics like quilting cotton, canvas, and denim.
2) Soft Tear-Away - softer and thinner than regulr tear-away. Good for lighter fabrics or very detailed embroidery designs. MIght be hard to tear.
3) Heavy-Duty Tear-Away - Thicker and stronger than regular tear-away stabilizer. Best used for heavier fabrics and dense designs. Might be hard to tear.
4) Water-Soluble Tear-Away (Hybrid) - can be disolved in water or partially torn away. Good for designs that need more clean up.
Other Types of Stabilizers
1) Cut-Away Stabilizer - best for stretchy fabrics such as t-shirts, knits, and swetshirts. Offers strongerst support for embroidery designs but stays permanently behind stitiches.
2) Wash‑Away / Water‑Soluble Stabilizer - disolves completelly in water leaving nothing behind. Best used for lace, organza, freestanding lace, and sheer fabrics.
Verdict. Regular medium weight Tear-Away Stabilizer is the best choice for starting out. Runnerer up and close 2nd is Cut‑Away Stabilizer.
Heat‑Away Stabilizer - Totally disaperas with heat from an iron. Best used for fabrics that can't be wet such as velvet and satin.
Adhesive (Sticky‑Back) Stabilizer - Has a sticky surface to hold fabric without hooping. Best used for smaller or harder to hoop items such as Caps, Collars, and Velvet.
Fusible Stabilizer - Iron-on adhesive fuses to fabric. Best for slippery fabrics such as silk or knits.
Topper Stabilizer (Water‑Soluble Film) - Placed on top of fabric and removed with heat or water. Best used on thick, fluffy fabrics like towels, fleece, or velvet. Stops stitches from sinking deep inot the fabric.
6. Machine Embroidery Designs
When I started, I was looking for simple and cheap machine embroidery designs to practice with. The first mistake I made was purchasing an applique design, which requires you to place material inside the design. A lot of appliques look amazing; however, they're not great for beginners. I recommend starting with "filled-in" designs instead. Look for the word "Filled" in the title of the design. "Tis The Season To Be Jolly Christmas Filled Machine Embroidery Design Digitized Pattern"
In fact we have pleanty of Flash Sale Machine Embroidery Designs that you can try.
7. Additional Tools
Additional tools you might need are:
1) Embroidery scissors to trim jump stitches and threads close to the fabric.
2) Fabric pen or chalk pencil.
3) Tweezers.
4) Embroidery software (some machines come with it).
5) Spray adhesive / Temporary Fabric Spray to help hold the stabilizer and fabric together.
6) Extra bobbins (you can wind your own or buy pre-wound ones).
7) Good, bright lighting.
To summarize, if I had to start all over again with machine embroidery, this is what I would do:
🧵 Get an affordable embroidery machine with at least a 5x7 hoop (a machine with 4x4, 5x7, and 6x10 hoops is even better).
🪡 Buy 75/11 needles, which are commonly called medium-size needles.
🧶 Use the most common 40wt Polyester embroidery thread.
🧺 Start with quilting cotton for the fabric.
🧻 Use a regular Tear-Away Stabilizer (medium weight).
6. Get embroidery scissors, tweezers, embroidery software, spray adhesive/temporary fabric spray, extra bobbins, and good lighting.