Embroidery Fit Guide
Menu
How we make money

Guide · prices seen Nov 10

Starter supplies, with real prices

The machine is only part of the cost. Before the first stitch you need stabilizer, embroidery thread and needles. Our two sample baskets at Sewing Machines Plus came to about USD 82 and USD 145.

Cones of embroidery thread in yellow, pink and green Photo: UrendaMaria09 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · modified

The checklist

Stabilizer

Goes under (or on top of) the fabric so stitches don't pucker. Tear-away for stable fabrics, cut-away for knits such as T-shirts, water-soluble for towels and lace.

Embroidery thread

40-weight polyester is the common choice; start with a few colors you'll use most.

Bobbin thread or pre-wound bobbins

Thin (60–90 weight) white or black thread underneath. Brother packs a few pre-wound bobbins with its home machines.

Embroidery needles

Size 75/11 is the usual start; Brother's PP1 manual suggests 90/14 for heavy fabric.

Temporary spray adhesive

Holds fabric to stabilizer for items you can't hoop well.

Small curved scissors

For trimming jump threads close to the fabric.

What comes in the box: Brother lists three pre-wound bobbins with the PE545 and embroidery bobbin thread with the PE900; the PP1 comes with trial felt, stabilizer and one black thread.19, 20, 21

Two sample baskets

Prices at Sewing Machines Plus, seen Nov 10, 2026, before sales tax. Orders over USD 49 ship free in the lower 48. These are our picks of ordinary listings, not recommendations of a brand.

Low basket: USD 82.03

  • DIME Starter Kit: 20 tear-away + 20 cut-away sheets (8 × 8 in), 6 spools of thread, curved scissors, 6 bobbins1USD 42.99
  • Water-soluble stabilizer, 12 in × 10 yd2USD 13.99
  • Temporary spray adhesive, 6.22 oz13USD 13.79
  • Bobbin thread, 60 wt, 1,100 yd6USD 6.87
  • Embroidery needles 75/11, 5-pack12USD 4.39

Typical basket: USD 145.17

  • Polyester thread, 40 wt, 10 colors × 1,000 m10USD 39.90
  • Temporary spray adhesive, 14.7 oz3USD 21.99
  • Cut-away stabilizer roll, 10 in × 10 yd4USD 18.40
  • Tear-away stabilizer roll, 10 in × 10 yd5USD 17.48
  • Bobbin thread, 60 wt, 5,500 yd7USD 14.72
  • Water-soluble stabilizer, 12 in × 10 yd2USD 13.99
  • Double-curved embroidery scissors, 3.5 in14USD 9.95
  • Embroidery needles 75/11, 10-pack8USD 8.74
Our diagram: each bar is the item's price on the same scale. A 48-spool thread kit (USD 169) instead of the 10-color kit takes the typical basket to about USD 274.11

Kits and offers

  • Janome MC100E and MC1000: the shop includes a free Janome embroidery starter kit (stabilizer, bobbins, 12 spools of thread, a USB stick with designs), "For a limited time: 11/1 - 12/31". It sells the same kit alone for USD 499.16, 17, 18
  • The shop's USD 149.99 "Embroidery Essentials Package" offered as an add-on with machines contains tools (pressing sheet, scissors, hemostat, spool huggers and more) but no thread, stabilizer, needles or bobbins.15
  • Bobbins: the DIME kit includes "size L" bobbins. We couldn't confirm which machines they fit; Brother and Janome sell their own. Check before you rely on them.1

After month one

Stabilizer and thread are what you keep buying; how fast depends on how much you stitch. Needles are cheap; change them when stitching gets ragged. Software is optional: see file formats and software.

Find the machine that fits what you make

Sources (21) · checked Nov 10, 2026
  1. Sewing Machines Plus: DIME Starter Kit (SMP) (seen 2026-11-10)
  2. Sewing Machines Plus: Floriani Stitch N Wash water-soluble stabilizer 12 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  3. Sewing Machines Plus: 505 temporary spray adhesive 14.7 oz (seen 2026-11-10)
  4. Sewing Machines Plus: OESD Heavy Weight CutAway 10 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  5. Sewing Machines Plus: OESD Medium Weight TearAway 10 in × 10 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  6. Sewing Machines Plus: Robison-Anton spun poly bobbin thread 60 wt, 1,100 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  7. Sewing Machines Plus: OESD bobbin thread white 60 wt, 5,500 yd (seen 2026-11-10)
  8. Sewing Machines Plus: Organ embroidery needles 75/11, 10 pack (seen 2026-11-10)
  9. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Embroidery Stabilizers (seen 2026-11-10)
  10. Sewing Machines Plus: Exquisite Polyester 10 Color Thread Kit (seen 2026-11-10)
  11. Sewing Machines Plus: Floriani Polyester Embroidery Thread Kit 48 spools (seen 2026-11-10)
  12. Sewing Machines Plus: Schmetz 75/11 Chrome Embroidery Needles 5 pk (seen 2026-11-10)
  13. Sewing Machines Plus: 505 Spray Adhesive 6.22 oz (seen 2026-11-10)
  14. Sewing Machines Plus: Havels Double Curved Embroidery Scissors 3.5 in (seen 2026-11-10)
  15. Sewing Machines Plus: SMP Embroidery Starter Essentials Kit (seen 2026-11-10)
  16. Sewing Machines Plus: Janome Embroidery Starter Kit (SMP) (seen 2026-11-10)
  17. Sewing Machines Plus: Janome MC100E, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  18. Sewing Machines Plus: Janome MC1000, product page at Sewing Machines Plus (seen 2026-11-10)
  19. Brother: Brother PE545 included accessories (seen 2026-11-09)
  20. Brother: Brother PE900 included accessories (seen 2026-11-09)
  21. Brother: Brother PP1 Operation Manual (seen 2026-11-09)