·         Embroidery thread in a variety of colours, in a variety of types including Rayon, Polyester, Variegated, and Metallic

·         Pre-Wound Bobbins or Bobbin thread and several bobbins to fit your machine

·         Thread stand to hold large spools and control thread flow on all your spools

·         Incredible tape to control the tangling and unwinding of thread during storage and to control thread flow during stitching

·         Double-sided adhesive tape to attach the fabric to the hooped stabilizer.  This allows you to only hoop the stabilizer and not the fabric, the double sided adhesive tape will hold your fabric in place as well as adhere to the stabilizer.

·         Needles designed for machine embroidery- size 11/75 or 12/80 for most projects & size 14 or metallic needles for machine embroidery with metallic threads.  ** Titanium needles have arrived.**  Titanium needles can be used the same way as the ordinary needles are, they last up to FIVE times as long.

·         Scissors to cut fabrics and stabilizers.

·         Clippers or embroidery scissors to clip beginning threads and jump stitches M-102 Double-Curved 3.5” Embroidery Scissors or M-519 Spring action snipper.

·         Stabilizers: At least one each of Cutaway, tearaway, and water-soluble. Specialized stabilizers for added convenience.

·         Reference Materials: Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery by Patty Albin is easy to read, with good illustrations.  For those of you who are more advanced, may be recommend yet another book by Patty Albin called Machine Embroidery Makes the Quilt.  It coes with a DVD of embroidery patterns.

Stabilizers:

Choose the right stabilizer for the best results on any project.

The purpose of using a stabilizer is to support the embroidery on the fabric and to prevent distortion. Usually the stabilizer is placed under the fabric during the embroidery process, and the excess is cut away, torn away, or treated with water or heat to completely remove it; therefore, stabilizers are available as cutaway, tearaway, water soluble, or heat-away. Some stabilizers are available with a heat-sensitive fusible backing, water-sensitive fusing, or with a tearaway backing to expose a sticky surface. Fusibles can be used to add stability to stretchy or fine fabrics before hooping. Stabilizers are also available in different weights, from lightweight to medium to heavy.

The weight of the stabilizer should be similar to the weight of the fabric, but you should also consider the stretch of the fabric, the density of the embroidery, and the way the embroidered article will be used and cared for. Thicker and more stable fabrics can support the embroidery stitches and require only a lightweight tearaway stabilizer and some require no stabilizer. Softer, thinner, or stretchy fabrics require cutaway stabilizer to support the embroidery stitches and to make the embroidery more attractive, durable, and washable. More dense embroidery requires a heavier stabilizer.  Topping films should be used when the fabric has a pile or nap to avoid fabric threads from appearing within the embroidery.  (Changing from a satin stitch to a fill stitch also controls the base fabric from migrating into the embroidery).

In some cases, hooping the fabric is not the best choice. Thick or stiff fabrics may be difficult to hoop. Some fabrics with a nap e.g. velvet may be damaged by the hoop. Stretchy fabrics recover their original size after being stretched in the hoop making the design ripple and not sit flat. In all these cases, you can hoop the stabilizer and lay the fabric on top before embroidering. Double-sided adhesive tape (our item #949 and #950) can be used for many of these applications, or you can use very careful placement of pins outside of the design area.

For a good reference book on all your embroidery needs, we recommend our item #1705 Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery by Patty Albin.  This book gives a great overview of what supplies are needed and tips on how to use many things like scissors, needles, stabilizers, not to mention pictures as to why your designs may be puckering.  A must for every machine embroiderer.

For those of you who are more advanced and looking for a project to work on, we have the book for you, item # 1704 Machine Embroidery Makes the Quilt by Patty Albin.  The book comes with a CD with designs in all formats and has pictures of how to do things.

Cutaway Stabilizers

Cutaway Stabilizers give permanent support to the fabric and embroidery. They cushion the design adding dimension and durability. Choose the best weight to provide the amount of support required.  Dense embroidery requires a heavier stabilizer.  Stretchy or thin fabrics require very stable support from the stabilizer; therefore, consider using a fusible stabilizer, a sticky-back stabilizer, or a spray fabric adhesive to attach non-fusible the stabilizer to the fabric before hooping. Trim cutaway stabilizers close to the stitching or leave 1/8 to 1/4 inch around the embroidery to support the outline. Cutaway stabilizers are usually more comfortable against the skin compared to tearaway stabilizers, so consider using them on garments and baby clothes.

Marathon Threads Canada carries several weights of cutaway, and also carries fusibles:

Tearaway Stabilizers

Tearaway Stabilizers are used on fabrics that require support during the embroidery stitching, but they don’t need support after the design has been stitched. Excess can be gently torn away close to the stitching.  All of our tearaway stabilizers tear away easily in all directions.

HINT: If you notice any puckering or distortion of the design:

-increase the weight of the stabilizer or add a second layer of stabilizer

-consider fusing the fabric to the stabilizer before hooping

-or lay the fabric over the hooped stabilizer and hold in position with double-sided tape.

Water-Soluble Stabilizers

Water-Soluble Stabilizers come in two types, films and  mesh.  Films are normally used as a topping film to control the pile on fabrics such as toweling, fleece, or velvet while embroidering. It allows the fibers of the fabric to be pressed flat for a nice clean design. Another stabilizer (cutaway, tearaway, or another layer of water-soluble stabilizer) is used under the fabric.   Mesh types are used mostly for FSL (Free Standing Lace) as well as when you need to have a stabilizer present while embroidering but you do not want any stabilizer left once you are finished with your project. 

Other Specialized Products:

Marathon Threads Canada carries several types of needles. Having a sharp needle is one of the most important factors in machine embroidery.  Note that the embroidery needle has a more elongated eye than a regular sewing needle.  Marathon Threads Canada carries Organ home embroidery needles 15x1 with a flat shank or industrial DBxK5 with a round shank in a variety types and sizes in both sharp and ball point.  Increase needle size for heavier fabrics. 75/11 or 80/12 are suitable for most light-weight fabrics. 90/14 is better for heavy fabrics such as denim and canvas. 

Sharps- Sharp needles actually pierce the fabric. Sharp needles have to remain sharp to produce clean designs and prevent damage to fabrics. Replace your needles often.  Also available in Titanium.

Ball Point- Ball point needles pass between fabric fibers reducing the chance of marking or damaging the fabric. Use a ball point needle for knits to prevent runs or holes.

Metallic/Top Stitching- Organ 15x1 ST needle as it has an oversized eye that reduces stress and tension on the thread.

Quilting- Organ HLx5 is an industrial grade chrome needle. It has the flat shank for home machines. Suitable for quilting projects with multiple layers.  Available in a variety of sizes. Some sizes also now available in Titanium.

Cover Stitching- The Organ ELx705 needle has a slightly longer scarf, a light ball point and 2 grooves and is made specifically for cover stitching.

Organ 15x1BP SP is a special version of the 15x1 needle made for stretch or elastic materials and tightly woven knits.  This needle will work on any home serger that uses a flat shank needle.

Marathon Threads Canada stocks embroidery needles made specifically for the following machines:
- Organ HAx130 EBBR needle was developed for use in the Babylock EMP6 (also known as Babylock EMB6) and Brother PR-600C.  
- Organ DBxK5-Z1 round shank needle fits industrial embroidery machines and also fits Janome MB-4 and Melco EP-4 machines.

Embroidery Threads:

Marathon Embroidery Thread: We are told that Marathon threads sew out with better coverage than some other embroidery threads.

To estimate your thread consumption: On average, app. 6.5 yards of thread would be used per 1000 embroidery stitches.  This varies depending on stitch length, fabric thickness, and tension for both the bobbin and the needle. 

Marathon Viscose Rayon embroidery thread has natural fiber properties and produces beautiful lustrous designs. Rayon can be a little more sensitive to bleaching agents compared to polyester threads, but they may run through the embroidery machine cleaner and rayon produces an embroidery with a lovely sheen.

Marathon Polyester embroidery thread is spun from synthetic fibers. It has more resistance to damage from chemicals compared to rayon e.g. bleach. Marathon's manufacturing process produces a quality thread with a much higher sheen and luster compared to some other polyester embroidery threads.  Marathon Threads Canada customers tell us they can hardly tell the difference between embroideries stitched out in Marathon Polyester compared to those stitched with Marathon Rayon. They tell us Marathon Rayon threads retain colour and appearance well after wearing and washing, but you can expect the polyester to perform even better.

Marathon Metallic embroidery threads are available in 24 colours including golds and silvers.  Metallics can accent or enhance a beautiful design and give it that special finishing touch. Marathon metallic thread is a high quality thread that feels and acts like any other embroidery thread. It runs through the machine smoothly. It doesn’t twist back on itself causing breakage. Use a special needle designed for metallic threads. Marathon’s 15x1 ST needle has an oversized eye to reduce stress and tension on the thread. It was designed to accommodate metallic or heavy top-stitching threads for embroidery and decorative stitching.  To use Marathon metallic thread in your bobbin, we suggest you wind your bobbin with metallic thread (wind at a slower speed if possible) and leave it to 'relax' overnight before embroidering with the bobbin.

Marathon 100% Rayon Variegated Embroidery threads come in two types: Ombre and Multi. Ombre has different shades of the same colour varying from light to dark. Multi has a striped or multi-coloured effect using 2, 3 or 4 different colours. The variegated threads add extra texture or colour variation to your designs.

Bobbin Thread and Pre-Wound Bobbins: Wind your own bobbins using Marathon’s 60/2 weight 100% polyester bobbin thread available in 11 colours or buy the pre-wound bobbins. The size L pre-wound bobbins come in polyester or nylon, some available in black and white. The polyester bobbins are available without sides, with paper sides, or with plastic sides. Most Singer, Kenmore, and Janome machines use a thicker bobbin, so ask for the plastic sided Size A bobbins.

Marathon Embroidery Thread Starter Kits & Hanging Box sets:

Marathon Threads Canada makes it easy for the beginner embroiderer to choose a variety of threads. Choose from our many Rayon or Polyester Starter Kits that contain 50 different colours of Marathon threads. You can buy the kits individually or think of buying two kits that were designed to compliment each other, meaning there are few or no repeats between them. Kit #1 was designed to go with Kit #2, Kit #3 with Kit #8, and Kit #6 with Kit #7. We've also made it easy for those of you on a budget with our hanging boxes, these little kits have 6 threads, either sets of polyester, or rayon or variegated or even metallic or a combination of two types.  We have 17 different hanging box sets for your convenience.

Rayon and Polyester Shade Cards: Marathon Threads can be ordered individually. The Rayon and Polyester Shade cards contain real-thread samples for accurate colour selection. The Metallic colours appear on both the Rayon and Polyester Shade Cards, and the Variegated colours appear on the Rayon Shade Card.

Variegated Thread Kit: Starter Kit #5 contains 14 Ombre and 6 Multi-coloured spools (1,000 mtr each).  We also have two hanging boxes with ombre colours and three hanging boxes with either polyester, rayon or even metallic threads.  These are wonderful stocking stuffers.

Sewing and Serger Threads:

100% Polyester Cotton-Look Threads for Serging & Sewing:

This cotton-look thread has double silicone, does not shrink, retains shape, recovers stretch and exhibits excellent resistance to chemicals. Available in beautiful matte finish colours. 5,000 mtr. (5,500 yd.) cones.  Our cotton-look shade card contains real-thread samples for accurate colour selection.  You can also see the colours in our catalog and on Marathon Threads Canada website.

-40/3 Weight Polyester Sewing Thread- Cotton-look 100% polyester thread. Available in over 30 colours.

-50/2 Weight Polyester Serging and Sewing Thread- Cotton-look 100% polyester. Available in 47 colours.

 

100% Cotton Thread:

-35 weight (heavier) 100% Cotton Thread for quilting and sewing- This long-staple cotton thread is great for handwork or machines.  This strong 3-ply thread can also be used for long-arm quilting and industrial machines as well.  The mercerizing process leaves less fluff and lint in your machines enabling them to run cleaner.  Ideal weight for decorative stitching projects, embroidery or quilting! 

Available in both 1,000 mtr. (1,100 yd.) and 2,000 mtr. (2,200 yd.) cones.
-Lighter weight 100% Cotton Thread for quilting and sewing - Marathon Threads Canada stocks 100% lighter-weight cotton thread for quilting, general sewing, serging, or embroidery.  Since it is mercerized, a smoother, high quality thread is manufactured causing less wear and tear on the machine.  This beautiful thread is available in both 1,500 mtr. (1,650 yd.) and 3,000 mtr. (3,300 yd.) cones.

Serger and Sewing Thread Kits: Marathon has collected 24 spools of the serger and sewing threads into kits. Each spool contains 500 mtrs. Available in 50/2 weight.

Bobbins:

- Marathon Threads Canada carries both pre-wound bobbins (Size A/class 15 and Size L) and cones of bobbin thread.

- Pre-wound bobbins are wound much more uniformly on the core compared to winding your own bobbins. They hold more thread and run more evenly through the machine. Marathon’s Pre-wound Bobbins come in polyester without sides (on a plastic core), with cardboard sides, or with plastic sides and in black or white.  Marathon also carries Nylon Pre-wound bobbins, which are sideless and coreless.

- The Size A, class 15 plastic sided pre-wound bobbin fits most Singer, Janome & Kenmore machines.  It is a slightly thicker bobbin than the Size L to fit the larger bobbin case of these machines.  The Size L pre-wound bobbin fits most other machine, including industrial machines.
- Bobbin Thread: If you prefer to wind your own bobbins, Marathon Threads Canada carries a 100% Polyester 10,000 mtr cone, in black, white, and 9 colours.

Creative Beginnings in Machine Embroidery by Patty Albin is an excellent resource for both the new and experienced embroiderer. Detailed instructions and clear photos cover the basics from equipment to supplies to embroidering tips. Don’t be overwhelmed! Patty makes embroidering easy to attempt.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question:  I just purchased an embroidery machine and I don't know if I should use Rayon or Polyester embroidery thread.  Which should I use and why?

Suggestion:  That is a very good question, one that we get frequently.  Rayon has been on the market far longer than Polyester and has more colours.  Our line of Rayon threads comprises 377 beautiful colours.  Our Polyester line has 306 beautiful colours.   Some of our customers prefer Rayon and some Polyester.   The advantage of using Polyester is that it's a stronger thread and colour fast.  While 20 or 25 years ago it could be said that the Polyester embroidery threads were not as shiny as the Rayon, this has certainly changed as you would not be able to tell the difference when comparing an embroidery done with the same colour with both types.  Most of our new customers go for the Polyester.  If you are embroidering on quilts, baby clothing, items that will be washed a lot or bleached, you certainly would want to go with Polyester, if you're embroidering things that will not be laundered that often, it really doesn't make a difference.

Question: I want to use my Marathon threads but the design lists thread colours from another company. According to the charts, there is no exact match in Marathon Threads. How do I match the threads?

Suggestion: Everyone has their favorite colours that they use over and over again. These colours match the colours of the items they choose to embroider. The digitizing company has probably stitched their sample on plain white fabric. If you use the exact colours but change the colour of the background fabric, the result will be different. It might be better to choose colours that look best on your background colour. Try to match the colour as closely as possible to the value of the given colours. Lay the spools on your item to see how they compliment each other. Keep track of the new colour choices for repeated embroidering. It is not unusual to change the colours if the same design is to be stitched on a different fabric colour.  You can also purchase My Thread box that we carry which is a software that converts thread colours from other thread brands to Marathon or any other brand.  It has 70+ different thread palettes, it will tell you what the closest match is.

Customer:  How do I know if I have a tension problem?

Suggestion:  If you have loops on the back, you have a problem with the top tension as it's too loose), thread breakage can be another sign of tension problems and it can be caused by the upper tension being too tight or using a needle that is too small.

Customer: My machine caused a small hole in the fabric in the center of my design. Can I repair it and continue stitching? I was stitching a design with several colours and a large stitch count. The thread caught behind the machine, pulling the threads of the fabric making a small hole.

Suggestion: If the design will stitch over the small hole and cover it completely, you can add a patch of the stabilizer on the back.  An alternative method is to add a small patch of water-soluble stabilizer over the hole. It will support the stitching during the embroidering. Clip the threads on the top and back. Reverse the embroidery about 20 stitches from the break.  Stitch past the affected area.  Stop and remove the hoop from the machine.  Trim the stabilizer patch(es).  Return the hoop to the machine and complete the embroidery.

Customer: Some people tell me that I don't have to use a metallic needle when using metallic threads, is this true?

Suggestion: There is no steadfast rule.  Many machine embroiderers use a size 14 when using metallic threads and  get very good results. 

Customer:  I use a variety of brands of thread and some tangle more than others, especially metallic threads is there anything I can do to alleviate this problem?

Suggestion:   We have just the product for you.  It's called the Wonder Thread Guide.  Totally eliminates tangling, twisting and thread pile ups.  It works with all machines with spool holders - either horizontal or vertical.   We tested it extensively and always got excellent results.   You could alternatively do what one of our customers Janice from Okotoks AB has done which was place a vertical spool holder on top of the machine in the little slot provided, put a small red felt pad down on the vertical spool holder and then placed the spool of thread on this is that the thread was standing up vertically.  Then she threaded the machine as usual.  As explained, the thread was now coming off the spool sideways (as it had been wound on), so that the thread came off without twisting.  (When you pull the thread up from the spool or unwind from the end of the spool, it "can" twist on itself which is what causes problems when the thread goes thru the tension "disks".  She says if you follow this procedure it will work like a charm.   Thank you Janice for the very good suggestion.   The only issue with this is that the machine has to work harder to pull the thread which may cause more wear and tear on the machine but is certainly an excellent temporary fix.

Other possible Embroidery Problems you may encounter:

Thread Breaks - Causes: Stitching too fast, incorrect needle size, burrs in needle eye, hook or throat plate, machine threaded incorrectly, incorrect needle bar height, tension adjustment needed, bent needle, machine needs lubrication, lint buildup, incorrect digitizing causing design to be too dense in an area, need for a silicon spray due to friction caused by thick fabrics or fabrics with treatments, pooling of thread which causes portions of the spool to wind off improperly - use Incredible Tape to prevent this
Needle Breakage - Causes: timing needs adjusting for needle & hook point, needle in machine incorrectly, bent/dull needle, 
Thread Pileups on back of fabric (birds nests)  - Causes: tension adjustment needed, machine incorrectly threaded, thread might have jumped out of one of the thread guides.
Stitching not following pattern outline - Causes: bent needles, loose hoop in frame, inadequate hooping
Flat stitching - Causes: tension tightness, topping film necessary on fabrics with a pile
Looping - Causes: tension adjustment needed for tight fabric weaves, digitized with too many stitches
Pigtailing - Cause: Top tension too tight
Skipped stitches - Causes: wrong bobbin timing, incorrect needle size
Puckering - Causes: tension too tight, backing not hooped the same tension as fabric, fabric hooped too tightly, using the wrong stabilizer for the project,  needles not sharp enough, density of design too thick and needs to be increased in size slightly.
Poor performance with metallic threads - Causes:  Sewing too fast, using wrong size needle, using an older needle.    For optimal performance when using metallic threads, we recommend that  you slow  down your machine by 25%, use a new needle, preferably a size 14 regular or an 11 metallic.  If you are also using metallic threads in your bobbin, wind at a slower speed AND leave the bobbin rest overnight, this will allow the thread to relax.

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** PLEASE REMEMBER THAT when doing machine embroidery, it is highly recommended to change your needle every 100,000 stitches (approximately 2 to 2.5 hours of machine embroidery).  While at the touch, your needle doesn't feel any different, the machine has to work harder because the needle is not as sharp on the edge.  This will cause premature wear and tear on your machine.

Are you having trouble with thread breaking?  Perhaps when you are changing threads, you are pulling the unused thread back thru the tension discs which may cause fluff to build up.  Here is a tip, cut the thread at the top of the machine and pull the waste thru the needle (towards you) and discard (or do like me and save it for an artsy quilt).  You might find that using this technique will make your life easier.

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Here is a nifty tip about changing your needles.  Make sure that you have a firm grip on that needle when unscrewing it otherwise it may fall into oblivion where you don't have access, which may require you to have your machine serviced, to avoid this, you can change your needle while  is threaded.  This way if you drop the needle, you just pull on the thread to get it back OR you can put a piece of fabric under the needle before changing it.  It could save you a servicing.

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If you have a tip we've not included here or you have a question we can answer, please contact us below and we will do our best to answer the question.  We hope these suggestions gave you some good pointers on how to produce a great design.

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