Embroidering terry towelling: pitfalls to watch out for!
Embroidered towels or sauna towels are not only a lovely gift, but in some cases genuinely very practical as well: anyone who does sports and showers afterwards, or who enjoys going to the sauna, is unlikely to want to mix up their towel with someone else’s. If the towel is embroidered with a name, a logo or a personal symbol, the risk of confusion is reduced. However, when embroidering terry products, there are a few points that need to be considered to ensure that the embroidery is clearly visible and remains durable for a long time.
Embroidery: unique and elegant
There are various ways of applying patterns and designs. Smooth fabrics are sometimes flocked with foil to create a long-lasting decoration. Although different surface finishes are possible, the result always tends to look rather like a sports jersey – and therefore not especially elegant. Embroidery, on the other hand, allows even delicate patterns and small names to be applied to the fabric.
An embroidered towel is not only individual, but can also enhance the towel and give it a very special appearance. To achieve this, a yarn should be chosen in a colour that matches the towel well and is of good quality. After all, the embroidery should be clearly visible later on.
Problems when embroidering terry towelling
Terry towelling is a high-pile material. This means that the fibres are not smooth and flat, but stand up. Depending on the terry quality, terry towelling can therefore range from fairly firm to soft and fluffy. When embroidering, a stabiliser should therefore be placed underneath to smooth the fibres and ensure that the embroidery is clearly visible. Wash-away stabilisers are particularly practical, as they dissolve after washing or wiping and are no longer visible.
It is also important to choose the right terry quality, that is, the right type of terry towelling. The higher the pile, the more difficult it is to see the embroidery afterwards. For this reason, a less fluffy and lower-pile terry towelling may be more suitable for embroidered towels. Towels made from walk terry towelling are ideal, for example those from the MÖVE NEW ESSENTIAL collection. Anyone who still prefers something especially cosy can also have SUPERWUSCHEL towels embroidered.
Working with an embroidery machine
The classic embroidery hoop familiar from school days is not suitable for embroidering terry products such as bath towels. In this case, embroidery machines or sewing machines with an embroidery function are required: the towel is first secured in the embroidery hoop, and then the process can begin. Unlike sewing with a sewing machine, the embroidery is not carried out by the person, but actually by the machine itself: it moves the fabric and transfers the preselected embroidery file onto the towel.
Embroidery files have to be created using special software, with vector graphics serving as a basis. When embroidering text, care should be taken to choose a certain minimum font size (depending on the terry quality), so that the machine can work neatly.
Depending on the previously defined pattern and colour scheme of the embroidery file, reels of thread in different colours are inserted into the embroidery machine and processed automatically in the correct places.
New embroidery files should ideally be test-stitched first in order to check the pattern, colours and also the correct thread tension of the machine. Having towels embroidered professionally Towels for companies, sports clubs, hotels or spas often need to be embroidered in large quantities. A domestic embroidery machine quickly reaches its limits here. Professional embroidery services or embroidery services offered by towel manufacturers can help. Depending on the desired effect, weaving in lettering or logos may also be an alternative to embroidery.