Embroidery
What is embroidery?
Embroidery is the art of embellishing an item with a needle and thread. It dates way back to 30,000BC 
and hand embroidery has a rich history around the world, but today we can digitise designs and use our Brother and Tajima industrial machines to produce your embroidered garments.Â
We can provide a start-to-finish service that is ethical and eco friendly, for peace of mind for all of your embroidery needs.
Aprons for Rude Cookies Glasgow
Sweatshirt for Sneaky Pete’s EdinburghÂ
How does it work?
To prepare your design for embroidery we need to convert your digital image into an embroidery friendly format. This process is called digitising, where we convert your image into a virtual threaded design – one that our embroidery machines can read and physically sew out. There is an initial, one-off cost for each design. We can accept any image file, and the higher quality the better, however we can work with low res images.Â
Once we have your design digitised, we will do a sample for you before we proceed with your whole order. This is to ensure you are happy with the way it stitches out and the colours we have chosen for it.
Once you’re happy with your design, we will apply it to the garments in the position you request. We do this by hooping up the garment with stabiliser and setting up the machines, we then thread up and load your design and the machine then stitches the design onto your products! Voila!
What can I embroider onto?
Most garments are suitable for embroidery. We run into issues when people want embroidery in awkward positions (such as pockets) where we might not be able to fit the arm of the machine. If you have any unusual requests we will always aim to work with you, or provide creative solutions to make things work but some things are not possible.
Unfortunately we cannot embroider reversible garments, as the design will not look the same from the back. Infact, embroidery can look pretty messy from the back! Another issue would be if the fabric is too thick- for example, leather or over seams. This would compromise the quality of the embroidery and potentially even break our machines, eek. Other than that, we’re all yours.
We can order in any items from Continental Clothing‘s Earth Positive or Salvage ranges, or any product from Stanley/Stella. Browse their collections and let us know what you’d like to use.Â
We embroidered these amazing sweatshirts for our client @theenthusiast.co
You can order these at www.theenthusiast.co
What Threads do we use for embroidery?
We use Madeira Classic thread, a 100% natural rayon viscose thread largely used in the embroidery industry. It is suitable for all kinds of embroidery, and is available in 4 different thicknesses. The standard is No.40, but is available in No.12, No.30 and No.60. No.12 is the thickest available while No.30 and No.60 are thinner and used for smaller details.
Madeira thread, made in the European ‘green’ city of Freiburg, Germany, is our brand of choice because of the extremely high quality of their thread, as well as their focus on sustainability.
How long embroidery last?
As with everything, embroidered goods will wear over time, but they are very durable and expected to last as long as the garment will. It is more expensive than printing, and some designs are more suited for print; but considering the longevity of embroidered goods, it is considered more cost effective.
Our thread is not bleach resistant.
What do we do with garments are damaged?
Mistakes happen and quite frankly, machines can misbehave! We will never send any of our damaged garments to landfill. Instead we will use the discarded fabric for samples, and keep them on file for future orders. If we cannot use the fabric we will shred it to make macrame yarn for our craft workshops or donate to craft project workshops.
How much does embroidery cost?
Embroidery pricing varies depending on the stitch count of the design. This can be a little confusing if you’re new to embroidery, but when you send us your design we will be able to estimate a stitch count for you and create a bespoke quote. We’ve created a table that gives you a rough estimate based on the design size as well as fill percentage.
There is a one-off digitising fee for every new design, which covers the cost of turning your image into a stitch file that our embroidery machines can read. This varies depending on the stitch count of the design. We then charge a fee per embroidery, which is based on the stitch count and the quantity ordered. All prices shown below are exclusive of VAT. (we become VAT registered on 31st Jan 2021)
How long will it take to get my order?
We give a 7-15 working day turnaround depending on job size as standard. This is subject to change depending on how busy we are. On rare occasion we can rush an order but there will be additional fees incurred depending on the size of the order as we have to take overtime pay into account for staff.
How much will delivery cost?
This depends on the size of the order and where it’s going. We’re based in Scotland, UK, so anything travelling outwith mainland UK will be more expensive.Â
We calculate shipping based on weight, and we only charge what it costs us to ship. You can find a full breakdown of costs in the ‘shipping & delivery’ sections of the website.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
We have aimed to be accessible from the start, so there is no minimum order quantity.Â
This also makes this process great for drop-shipping. This is a type of ‘embroider-on-demand’ service that saves you time and money especially when you are just getting started up.Â
