Rules of good embroidery

Keep the following points in mind when looking at embroidery designs, both your own and others:

Stitches are neat, smooth and even
Design looks good – shapes, colors, balance
Shapes are filled with correct fill and outline stitches
Stitches are angled to match shapes
Shapes are stitched correctly – no unwanted gaps
Details are clearly defined
Lettering is clear and easy to read.

The stitchout should also have the following characteristics:

The design sews efficiently on the machine
The fabric does not pucker around stitched areas
The design is free of loose ends.

Tip: Good embroidery quality starts with good design. You then need a good quality machine to stitch it out. But even that is not enough if you do not use the correct fabric, threads, backings, tension, and so on. Consult your machine manual for advice and get as much advice from other embroiderers as you can.