Embroidery machine supplies list: what to buy first

A new embroidery machine can’t stitch anything without a few supplies, and the supply aisle is full of things you don’t need yet. This list sorts everything into three groups: what to buy before your first stitch-out, what to add when a project calls for it, and what to skip for now.

Each item includes why you need it and what to check before you buy. Shopping links for every item appear at the end of the page. If you’re still budgeting for the machine itself, run the numbers in the startup budget calculator.

Check your manual before you buy anything

Three supplies depend on your exact machine. Getting them wrong wastes money.

• Bobbin size. Prewound bobbins come in different sizes. Brother lists its PWB350 as size 11.5 and “Designed for use in Brother embroidery-only machines.” Combo owners should confirm in the manual.
• Needle system. Home and commercial machines use different needles. Buy the system your manual names.
• Design transfer. Some machines use USB, some add Wi-Fi, and some are app-only. Brother’s PP1 (Skitch), for example, runs through the Artspira app. Check what your machine supports before buying a USB drive.

Essentials: buy these before your first project

These are the supplies almost every beginner needs in the first week.

Item	Why you need it	Check before buying
Cut-away stabilizer (medium)	Permanent support for T-shirts, sweatshirts and knits	Medium weight suits most first projects
Tear-away stabilizer (medium)	Temporary support for stable wovens like canvas and quilting cotton	Not a substitute for cut-away on stretchy fabric
40 wt polyester embroidery thread set	The weight Brother’s manual calls for in most embroidery	Says “embroidery thread,” spools fit your pin
Embroidery bobbin thread or prewound bobbins	Lighter bobbin thread keeps the back flat	Weight your manual names; bobbin size matches
75/11 embroidery needles	Brother’s recommended default size	Your machine’s needle system
Curved embroidery scissors	Trim jump stitches and stabilizer close to the design	Small, sharp, curved blades
Erasable marking pen	Mark centers and placement before hooping	Test that marks disappear on your fabric
Small USB drive (if your machine uses USB)	Move designs from computer to machine	Supported media in your manual

Stabilizer: cut-away and tear-away

Stabilizer is the item that is easiest to skip or get wrong. Madeira lists choosing the wrong stabilizer among common beginner mistakes: cut-away for stretchy knits and light wovens, tear-away for heavier wovens such as twill, denim and canvas. You need both to cover most first projects.

Buy rolls or packs of each rather than a single sheet. You’ll want a test stitch before every real item. The cut-away vs tear-away stabilizer guide has a fabric-by-fabric table.

Thread and bobbin thread

Brother’s manual says the upper thread should be 40-weight rayon or polyester embroidery thread for most embroidery, and that its included bobbin case is set for 90 weight bobbin thread. Polyester is the more forgiving starter choice for anything that gets washed. Start with a basic color range and add shades by project; the best embroidery thread for beginners explains how.

Needles

Brother’s manual recommends a 75/11 needle for most embroidery and a 90/14 for heavy fabric that isn’t stitching well. Needles wear quickly; Madeira estimates about 8 hours of running time per needle. Buy a full pack, not a single needle. The embroidery needles guide covers sizes and points.

Scissors and marking pen

Small curved scissors let you trim jump threads and stabilizer without cutting the fabric. An erasable marking pen lets you mark the center and orientation so the design lands where you want it. The embroidery placement guide shows standard positions for shirts, bags and towels.

USB drive

Brother machines read .pes, .dst, .phc and .pen files, and many models load them from USB. A small, plain drive is the safest choice; check supported media in your manual. The design transfer guide covers USB, Wi-Fi and app transfer.

Nice-to-have: add these when a project needs them

Item	Buy it when…	Why
No-show mesh cut-away	You stitch thin or light-colored T-shirts	OESD markets PolyMesh to prevent show-through on thinner fabrics
Water-soluble topping	You stitch towels, fleece, sweaters or velvet	Madeira: topping stops stitches sinking into pile
Adhesive (sticky) stabilizer	You embroider collars, cuffs, pockets or small items	Lets you float items you can’t hoop (Hatch, OESD)
Temporary spray adhesive	You float fabric or stitch slippery knits	Bonds fabric to stabilizer; Madeira says use it sparingly
Ballpoint needles	You stitch knits or small lettering	Brother recommends ballpoints for small letters
Thread snips	You trim between color changes often	Faster one-handed trimming beside the machine
Tweezers	You need to pull tails and lint near the needle plate	Reach into tight spaces around the presser foot

T-shirts first? Move no-show mesh, spray adhesive and ballpoint needles up to your essentials. The best stabilizer for T-shirts explains the setup.

Towels first? Add water-soluble topping right away. See how to embroider towels.

Hard-to-hoop items? Add adhesive stabilizer. How to hoop fabric for machine embroidery explains hooping and floating.

Skip for now

These items are popular but rarely needed in your first months. Wait until a specific project calls for them.

• Huge thread collections. A large set often includes colors you’ll never use. Buy a starter range, then add spools by project.
• Metallic thread. Sulky recommends a 90/14 needle, slower speed and lower tension for metallics. Learn on regular thread first.
• Heat-away and other specialty stabilizers. Sulky’s Heat-Away needs a dry iron and fabrics that tolerate 260–300°F. Useful for sheer fabrics, but niche.
• Fibrous wash-away for lace. Great for freestanding lace, but wait until you try a lace design. The stabilizer types guide explains film vs fibrous.
• Extra and magnetic hoops. Brother offers an optional 4 × 7 inch magnetic frame for the PE900 and SE2000, for example. Wait until you know which hoop you use most.
• Paid digitizing software. Built-in and downloaded designs are enough to learn on. Compare options later in best embroidery software for beginners.
• Bulk stabilizer rolls. Buy normal rolls until you know which types and weights you actually use.

A first-week shopping list

If you want one list to take to the store or cart:

1. Medium cut-away stabilizer
2. Medium tear-away stabilizer
3. 40 wt polyester embroidery thread set
4. Embroidery bobbin thread or matching prewound bobbins
5. 75/11 needles in your machine’s system
6. Small curved scissors
7. Erasable marking pen
8. USB drive, if your machine uses one
9. Plus: practice fabric, such as plain cotton and a couple of inexpensive T-shirts

Then stitch a few designs. Your first projects will show you which nice-to-haves to add next.

Practice fabric matters more than it looks. Plain, stable cotton with tear-away is the easiest way to learn hooping and threading, and a cheap T-shirt with cut-away teaches you knits before you stitch a shirt you care about.

How to keep supply costs under control

• Test on scraps. Madeira’s hooping advice (snug, no stretching, smallest hoop that fits) saves stabilizer and garments.
• Buy by project, not by catalog. Add a supply when a project needs it.
• Stay with one thread brand. Matching shades across brands is approximate; see thread color matching.
• Count supplies in your budget. The startup budget calculator adds machine, supplies, software and a test allowance, and the embroidery startup cost guide breaks down the categories.

Still choosing a machine? Start with the best embroidery machine for beginners or the Start here page.