Embroidery Terms To Know
Appliqué
Decoration or trimming cut from one piece of fabric and stitched to another
to add dimension and texture. Designs with appliqué can be more economical
than embroidery alone if appliqué occupies a significant amount of the
design.
Backing
Woven or non-woven material used underneath the fabric being embroidered to
provide support and stability.
Bean stitch
Three stitches placed back and forth between two points, often used for
outlining.
Birdnesting
Collection of thread between goods and needle plate resembling a
bird’s nest. May be caused by improper tensioning of the top thread or not
following thread path correctly.
Bobbin
Spool or reel that holds the bobbin thread which helps form stitches on the
underside of the fabric.
Buckram
Coarse woven fabric stiffened with glue, used to stabilize fabric for
stitching. Commonly used in caps to build the front panel.
Chain stitch
Stitch that looks like a chain link formed with one thread fed from
the bottom.
Chenille
Form of embroidery in which a loop stitch is formed on the top of the
fabric.
Complex fill
A digitizing capability that allows void areas to be so designated when
mapping perimeter points.
Condensed format
Method of digitizing in which a proportionate number of stitches are placed
between defined points after a scale has been designated.
Cross-stitch
Two stitches that cross at the center to form an X.
Denier
Unit of weight used to measure the fineness of thread. Deniers are
represented by the weight of the strands of thread, a slash, and the number
of strands per thread.
Digitize
Term for punching that reflects the computerized method of converting
artwork into a series of commands to be read by an embroidery machine’s
computer.
Emblem
Embroidery design with a finished edge usually worn on outer
clothing.
Embroidery
Decorative stitching on fabric.
Expanded format
A format where individual stitches in a design have been digitized,
generally meaning that the design can’t be enlarged or reduced more than
10-20% without causing distortion.
Facing
Material hooped or placed on top of fabrics with a surface texture that
are to be embroidered, compacting the texture and holding the stitches above
it.
Fill stitch
Series of running stitches commonly used to cover large areas.
Finishing
Process done after embroidery is complete, including trimming loose
threads, cutting or tearing away excess backing, removing facing, cleaning,
pressing and packaging for sale or shipment.
Flagging
Up and down motion of goods under action of the needle.
FOX test
Method of testing thread tension and soundness of timing. Sew the word FOX
in one inch satin stitch block letters. Examine the reverse side for
correctly balanced ratio of one-third bobbin thread to two-thirds top
thread.
Frame
Holding device for insertion of goods under an embroidery head for the
application of embroidery. May employ a number of means for maintaining
stability during the embroidery process.
Gang-loading
Variety of techniques that allow loading of multiple units to be embroidered
in a single loading operation.
H test
Method of testing thread tension. Stitch one inch block letters for each
needle bar. The reverse side of the completed embroidery should show a
ratio of two-thirds top thread to one-third bobbin thread.
Holding fixtures
Devices used to hold or frame small or unusually shaped items such as socks
or gloves.
Hook assembly
Holds the bobbin case in the machine and plays a vital role in stitch
formation. Making two complete rotations for each stitch, its point meets a
loop of top thread at a precisely timed moment and distance to form a
stitch.
Hoop
Device made from wood, plastic or steel with which fabric is gripped tightly
between an inner ring and outer ring and attached to the machine for
embroidering.
Interlock stitch
Two or more rows of overlapping satin stitches.
Jump stitch
Movement of the machine without needle penetration commonly used to get from
one point in a design to another.
Lettering
Embroidery using letters or words.
Lip hooping
Known as recessed hooping, this technique is useful when hooping
bulky or slick fabrics such as insulated jackets.
Lock stitch
Commonly referred to as a lock-down stitch, it is formed by three or four
consecutive stitches of at least a ten point movement. It should be used at
the end of all columns, fills and any element where jumps will follow.
Logo
Short for logotype, name, symbol or trademark of a company, organization or
individual.
Marking
Marking of goods to serve as an aid in positioning the frame and referencing
a needle start point.
Monogram
Embroidered design composed of one or more letters, usually the initials in
a name.
Needle
Small, slender piece of steel with a hole for thread and a point for
stitching fabric. Sharp points are for piercing heavy, tightly woven
fabrics. Ball points are for gliding between fibers of knits.
Needle bar
Bar that holds the needle and regulates the distance to which the needle is
driven into the bobbin assembly.
Punching
Conversion of artwork into a series of commands to be read by an embroidery
machine’s computer.
Registration
Correct registration is achieved when all stitches and design elements line
up correctly.
Running stitch
Consists of one stitch between two points, used for outlining and fine
detail.
SPM
Stitches per minute for measuring the running speed of an embroidery
machine.
Satin stitch
Formed by closely arranged zigzag stitches.
Scaling
Ability to enlarge or reduce a design.
Shears
Cutting utensil having a curved handle with one hole for the thumb, another
hole for two or more fingers, and an overall length of usually more than six
inches. Used for cutting fabrics on a table or other flat surface.
Short stitch
A digitizing technique that places shorter stitches in curves and corners to
avoid unnecessarily bulky build-up of stitches.
Stitch editing
Digitizing feature that allows one or more stitches in a pattern to be
deleted, lengthened or altered.
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