The first of the essentials machine embroidery designs is the thread. Machine embroidery thread is designed to fill in smoothly and without breaking. It has to be chosen very carefully. The thread should be strong and smooth. The final result of the embroidery design depends on the quality of thread, hence it is necessary to understand the key parameters that make or break your thread. For best results we should know which type of thread is suitable for our fabric on which we are going to make designs.

Our fabric will influence the type of thread we select as well as its fiber content. Fiber content of our thread need not be the same as our fabric. Sorry for introducing terms like fiber content but in simple words, you may say that a heavyweight fabric requires a heavyweight thread and a lightweight fabric requires a finer thread. As simple as that. Very light weight fabrics are best sewn with a very fine needle and an extra fine thread.

Using the correct thread size may reduce puckering, a problem frequently encountered when sewing lightweight fabrics there are various brands and variety of the threads. Selecting the brand can be your choice because it depends on the availability of the particular brand in your place. But the variety and the type are the things, which can be dicussed here. Nowadays many varieties of thread are available in the market. They vary in fiber content, fiber length, thread size, and intended use. A good quality thread will be easier to work with in a sewing machine. A good quality thread is strong, smooth, consistent in thickness and resists tangles. Each and every variety has its own importance and place in the field of machine embroidery designing.

Following are the different varieties of the thread, which can be used for machine embroidery designs.

Rayon—Rayon is the one of the popular types of the thread used for machine embroidery. This thread is lustrous like silk. It gives consistency in performance. It is available everywhere.it has wide range of colour-solid and shaded. Because of its shiny look sometimes it is used as the substitute of silk.

Nylon — Nylon is a monofilament thread. It is a strong and semitransparent thread, used in conventional machines, that melts in high temperatures.

Polyester — Polyester thread is popular and economical type of thread used for machine embroidery. This thread is stong and has ability to stretch. Its results are similar to rayon but the durability is much higher. It does not shrink or fade. It comes in various colours.

Cotton — These days, cotton thread is not in much use for machine embroidery designs. This is because other threads are much stronger and durable than cotton. But there are some advantages of cotton threads. This thread gives a smoother texture. It is used on natural fiber woven fabric. Cotton covered polyester thread is a commonly used thread, where the polyester core gives strength and the outer layer of cotton gives easier sewability and smoothness.

Silk – Silk thread is a bit expensive but gives a smooth and lustrous finish. It is strong like polyester and stable like cotton. It can be stretched. Silk threads come in wide range of colour and sizes. These threads are costly but good and recommended for embroidery on expensive and luxurious fabric.

Metallic — Metallic threads are for decorative embroidery designs and other free designs artista. Metallic threads give a glittering texture. This thread is made of a core wrapped with metallic foil. Polyester film coating gives it colour. Manufacturing of metallic thread is a complicated process. The most durable metallic thread is made by pasting a coating of rice paper over the centre core, which helps the core in binding to the metal. Some times it is coated with silver alloy to add extra strength. They should be sewn slowly.

Myler — Myler threads are made from piles of film, which is latered together and then cut inyo slices to form flat filament thread. These threads are strong but sometimes break in high speed embroidery machines. So, you have to be careful before you venture out with this thread. This thread is available in various colours and even in holographic hues.

Bobbin thread — there are various types of bobbin thread. These threads are very strong and same time very fine also. For machine embroidery designs the bobbin thread should be as fine as possible.the fine thread allows less build up on the back of the embroidery so that embroidery machine can run smoothly.normally lightweight polyester thread is used for bobbin but sometimes it is not much suitable then cotton thread can be used.

Special thread — Various special threads are available in the market. Like highly glazed button and carpet thread, elastic thread, flourescent neon thread and many more.

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