When it comes to what fabric to use for embroidery, it’s not just a question of preference it’s the difference between a flawless finish and a frustrating mess. If you’ve ever had a design turn out crooked or puckered, chances are the fabric was part of the problem. So, how do you make the right choice?
Let’s walk through seven standout fabrics that can elevate your machine embroidery, from beginner-friendly basics to advanced materials for decorative detail.
What Fabric to Use for Embroidery | Top Fabric Picks?
Best Fabrics for Machine Embroidery Our Choice
Choosing the right fabric is the foundation of a successful machine embroidery project.
Some fabrics are more stable, easier to hoop, and give better stitch quality than others.
Here are our top fabric picks that consistently deliver excellent results for machine embroidery:
- Cotton
- Linen
- Polyester
- Denim
- Felt
- Canvas
- Silk
1. Cotton: Your Embroidery Best Friend
It is one of the most commonly used fabrics in embroidery, especially for beginners. It’s a natural fiber known for its smooth texture, medium weight, and tight weave. These qualities make it extremely easy to hoop and stabilize, helping you achieve clean and consistent stitching.
Cotton handles both light and moderately dense designs with ease and works well with most stabilizers, such as tear-away or cut-away. Pre-washing cotton is essential to prevent future shrinkage, especially if you’re making wearable items.
The fabric comes in a variety of colors, prints, and thread counts, making it versatile for home décor, apparel, and quilting projects.
Price ranges from $5 to $12 per yard, depending on quality and brand.
Benefits:
- Easy to hoop and prep
- Great stitch clarity
- Wide range of weights and colors
Disadvantages:
- Shrinks if not pre-washed
- Wrinkles easily
Many professionals consider it what is the best fabric to embroider on when starting out.
2. Canvas: For Projects That Need Structure
It is a heavy-duty woven cotton fabric that’s ideal for bold, structured embroidery.
With its thick, durable texture, canvas is a top choice for items like tote bags, wall hangings, banners, and seat covers.
The stiffness of canvas makes it less suitable for delicate or intricate patterns, but it excels in handling high stitch density.
Because hooping canvas can be difficult, many embroiderers float it over the stabilizer instead.
It works well with a firm cut-away stabilizer and offers minimal shifting during stitching. The texture of canvas gives your projects a professional and rugged finish. Expect to pay $6 to $15 per yard, based on weight and blend.
Benefits:
- Holds large designs without distortion
- Doesn’t shift once stabilized
Disadvantages:
- Requires strong needles
- Can be too thick for delicate designs
If you’re tackling sturdy projects, this is arguably the best fabric for embroidery for lasting results.
3. Felt: Easy, Affordable, and Beginner-Friendly
It is a non-woven fabric made from natural wool or synthetic fibers, making it a fantastic choice for new embroiderers or crafters.
It’s soft, dense, and doesn’t fray, eliminating the need for edge finishing.
Felt is excellent for small projects like patches, applique, keychains, badges, and holiday ornaments.
It supports simple designs with light stitch density. Because it lacks a weave, it’s extremely easy to hoop, and it typically doesn’t require backing unless you’re using it for a denser pattern.
Felt sheets are also available in various thicknesses and colors. It’s extremely affordable, usually priced between $3 to $8 per yard, or even less for smaller craft pieces.
Benefits:
- Soft and stable
- Minimal prep required
- Doesn’t need edge finishing
Disadvantages:
- Doesn’t support heavy or dense designs
- Can stretch slightly under pressure
This makes it ideal for those wondering what fabric is used for embroidery when keeping things simple.
4. Silk: Luxurious but Demanding
It is a lightweight, smooth, and luxurious fabric, loved for its natural sheen and elegant finish.
It’s most often used in high-end or decorative embroidery like bridal pieces, framed artwork, or heirloom gifts.
However, silk is delicate and can be easily damaged by tight hooping or high stitch density.
Instead of hooping silk directly, many embroiderers float it over stabilizer using temporary adhesive spray or tape.
Pair it with a wash-away or no-show mesh stabilizer and always use fine needles to avoid tearing.
Silk requires slow machine speeds and test stitching. The price of silk ranges from $15 to $40 per yard, depending on its type and quality.
Benefits:
- Elegant finish with natural sheen
- Great for delicate decorative stitching
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to hoop
- Easily damaged under pressure
This luxurious fabric answers many crafters’ question: what fabric do you use for embroidery that needs a high-end finish.
5. Polyester: A Commercial Powerhouse
It is a synthetic fiber that has become a go-to fabric in commercial embroidery.
It’s commonly found in athletic wear, uniforms, polos, and promotional apparel. Polyester is lightweight, strong, colorfast, and resistant to shrinking and wrinkles.
It supports light to medium-density designs and works best with stabilizers like no-show mesh or tear-away. However, it has a slippery texture, so careful hooping or floating is important.
Since it’s heat-sensitive, you should always test your ironing settings.
Polyester blends are especially popular due to their durability and ability to hold up under frequent washing. Prices generally range from $3 to $10 per yard, depending on quality.
Benefits:
- Doesn’t shrink or wrinkle
- Ideal for bulk production and durability
Disadvantages:
- Can shift in the hoop
- Heat-sensitive and requires low-heat ironing
Many production shops agree it’s the best fabric to embroider on when doing repeat work.
6. Linen: For a Natural and Textured Look
It is a natural fiber made from flax that’s loved for its vintage appeal and breathable texture.
It’s slightly looser in weave than cotton but can hold embroidery stitches well if properly stabilized.
Linen is perfect for monograms, heirloom stitching, and elegant home décor like tea towels, runners, and wall art.
It tends to fray more easily, so edge finishing is recommended.
Always use a strong stabilizer and consider starching the fabric before stitching to improve handling.
Pre-washing is also important to reduce shrinkage. Linen typically costs $10 to $25 per yard, depending on thread count and blend.
Benefits:
- Natural, textured look
- Comfortable and classic
Disadvantages:
- Loosely woven and frays easily
- Requires proper stabilization
Looking for charm and tradition? This could be what fabric is best for embroidery with a heritage feel.
7. Denim: Tough and On-Trend
It is a heavyweight cotton twill fabric that brings both durability and style to embroidery.
It’s commonly used for jackets, jeans, tote bags, aprons, and accessories.
Denim’s tight weave supports heavy stitch designs, making it ideal for bold graphics and patches.
Because of its thickness, it requires a sturdy needle (90/14 or higher) and a strong cut-away stabilizer.
Hooping denim can be difficult, so some users prefer floating it.
You may need to reduce machine speed for better results. Denim stands up to frequent washing and wear. Pricing typically ranges from $7 to $18 per yard, depending on weight and quality.
Benefits:
- Great for dense stitching and durability
- Stylish and long-lasting
Disadvantages:
- Challenging to hoop
- Requires slower stitch speeds and stronger needles
It often stands out as a robust choice for what fabric to use for embroidery when working on apparel or gear.
Common Mistakes in Choosing What Fabric to Use for Embroidery
Many beginners make the same errors when selecting fabric, which can impact the quality of the embroidery. Here are the most common ones:
- Choosing stretchy fabric without stabilizer: Stretch fabrics like jersey or spandex can distort designs if not paired with a cut-away stabilizer.
- Skipping pre-washing: Fabrics like cotton and linen shrink after washing. If not pre-washed, your design can become puckered after the first wash.
- Using incorrect hooping techniques: Pulling fabric too tightly or loosely in the hoop causes uneven stitching or hoop burns.
- Not matching needle to fabric: Using the wrong needle type or size can leave holes, break threads, or damage the fabric.
Design too dense for the fabric: Heavy stitching on lightweight fabric can lead to puckering and tearing. Always match design density to fabric strength.
Troubleshooting Tips for What Fabric to Use for Embroidery
Still facing problems after selecting your fabric? Here are proven solutions:
- Puckering After Stitching: This is often caused by loose hooping or weak stabilizers. Use a cut-away stabilizer and ensure your fabric is hooped drum-tight.
- Fabric Slipping in Hoop: Common with slick fabrics like silk or polyester. Wrap the inner hoop with twill tape or float the fabric using embroidery tape.
- Design Not Aligning Properly: Caused by unstable fabric or too fast stitch speed. Use a firm stabilizer and reduce speed.
- Needle Holes in the Fabric: This happens on delicate fabrics when using a thick or dull needle. Use a sharp, smaller size needle and reduce stitch density.
- Stretchy Fabric Causes Wavy Designs: Always use a cut-away stabilizer and avoid stretching the fabric during hooping.
Quick Comparison of the Best Fabric for Machine Embroidery
Fabric | Texture & Feel | Durability Level | Ease of Hooping | Ideal Projects | Stabilizer Tip |
Cotton | Smooth and breathable | Moderate | Very Easy | Napkins, T-shirts, quilt blocks | Tear-away or cut-away |
Canvas | Firm and structured | Very High | Challenging (float) | Tote bags, home decor, banners | Cut-away |
Felt | Soft and dense | Low to Moderate | Very Easy | Patches, appliqué, small crafts | Optional or tear-away |
Silk | Soft with natural sheen | Low | Very Difficult | Bridal accessories, framed art | No-show mesh or wash-away |
Polyester | Slippery and stretchy | High | Moderate | Uniforms, sportswear, commercial wear | No-show mesh or tear-away |
Linen | Coarse and breathable | Moderate | Moderate | Monograms, heirloom décor | Cut-away |
Denim | Thick and rugged | Very High | Hard | Jackets, jeans, backpacks | Cut-away |
Final Verdict
By now, you’ve seen that choosing what fabric to use for embroidery affects every part of your final design, from hooping to durability. Select based on your design needs, test your setup, and prep your fabric the smart way.
Remember, whether it’s a hobby project or a professional piece, EMdigitizing can make your design fit perfectly. We offer custom digitizing optimized for your fabric type with guaranteed quality, 24/7 support, and a 50% discount on your first order.
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FAQs
A medium weight fabric, between 150–250 GSM, is best for embroidery. It’s not too thick or too thin. It holds stitches well and is easy to poke a needle through. This makes it good for both hand and machine embroidery.
The three main types are:
- Woven fabrics (like cotton and linen) – Best for stability and easy stitching
- Nonwoven fabrics (like felt) – Great for making patches
- Knit fabrics (like jersey) – Can work well with a stabilizer and care
Woven fabrics are the easiest and most common choice.
Yes, you can embroider on almost any fabric as long as a needle can pass through it. But it’s better to start with non-stretch fabrics like cotton, linen, or canvas. These are easier to work with, especially for beginners.
The fabric behind your main cloth is called a stabilizer or embroidery backing. It supports the stitches and keeps your design from moving or wrinkling. Use tear-away backing for strong fabrics and cut-away backing for stretchy or thin ones
Pick a medium-weight, tightly woven fabric made from natural materials like cotton or linen. Also, think about how the item will be used choose durable, non-shrinking fabric if it will be washed or worn often. Good fabric helps your design last longer and look better.