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Glossary of Embroidery Terms

Nicole Lovelace
Apr 5, 2015
3 min read

If you're new to machine embroidery or just new to the large online community that surrounds the craft then you may be coming across some terms and abbreviations that don't quite make sense. The list below is a basic list of terms and their definitions. If you know of another term that would be helpful please leave it in the comments below.

A

Applique: A design that is fabric filled rather than filled with stitches. Fabric is tacked down, trimmed, and edged.
Alignment - Using Rulers and Templates to correctly mark the position of your design.
Applique outline - Three lines of stitching around the fabric appliqued. 1) Placement 2) Tack down 3) Cover (usually a satin stitch)

B

Basting stithces - Long stitches that go around the edge of your hoop & prevents shifting of material during embroidery.
Birds nest - A big wad of thread underneath the fabic caused by machine malfunction.
Blank - Garment or bag that is sold blank without a design so it can be embillished by the embroider.
Bobbin Thread - Thread used on the bobbin of your embroidery machine. Often sold as a separate thread.

C

D

Density - Distance between the lines of stitches.
Design - Pattern that stitches out on an embroidery machine.
Digitize - To convert something to a digital format. In machine embroidery means to create design from artwork. Embroidery digitizing software is required to turn artwork into stitches.
Digitizer - A person who digitizes.
Dongle - A security device that must be plugged into computer to allow software to run. Looks like USB flash drive most often.

E

F

Fill Stitches - Running stitches sewn closely together to fill areas of embroidery with varying patterns and stitch directions.
Float - Stabilizer is hooped, but the garment to be embroidered is often adhered with spray adhesive or secured with pins to the stabilizer rather than being hooped with the stabilizer. Can also mean an extra piece of stabilizer is place under the hoop.
Format - What language an emboidery design is written in which determines which machines it will work in. Examples: PES, DST, EXP, JEF, SEW, etc
Free Standing Lace - Style of embroidery design stitched onto water-soluable stabilizer that is then disintegrated leaving a "thread-only" stitch out.

G

H

Hoop - Device used to hold the backer/stabilizer and fabric in the embroidery machine.
Hooping - Process of putting the stabilizer & fabric in the hoop.

I

In The Hoop (ITH) - A design that stitches out a complete project without un-hooping the fabric.

J

Jump Stitch - A stitch that moves the needle from one part of a design to another part. Usually removed after design is finished stitching.

K

L

M

N

O

P

Pull Compensation - If software allows, adjustments can be made the thicken satin stitches and fonts that were digitized thinner than desired.

Q

R

S

Stitch Count - The total number of stitches in a design.

T

U

Unzip - To extract files from a compressed (or "zipped") folder. Often done by double clicking the downloaded zip file or right clicking and selecting decompress or unzip.
Underlay - Initial series of stitches that helps stabilize the fabric before the main body of the design is applied.

V

W

WSS: Water Soluble Stabilizer - A film-like topper that is used to keep stitches from sinking into fabrics such as minky or terry cloth. Resembles plastic wrap in texture.

X

Y

Z