My favorite embroidery supplies for making minky plush!

Updated 8/26/24: My favorite brands, high quality and the best values. Now with working links!

Embroidery Machine: Janome Memory Craft 500E

My embroidery machine is an absolute workhorse! I’ve had it for many years and it can handle a lot of density, huge hoops, and rarely needs maintenance.

I chose Janome 500E because it’s affordable, well made (a Japanese brand), and parts/repair aren’t expensive. This particular machine is embroidery only.

Budget friendly Janome option is the 400E, embroiders up to 8″ square.

Keep in mind that if you buy a cheap embroidery machine, particularly Brother or Singer, it will be cheaper to buy a new one than to get it repaired. You may also find yourself very limited to the small 4×4″ hoop.

USB flash drive

USB flash drive for transferring files from the computer. Check your embroidery machine manual to see if your USB flash drive needs to be a specific type. Not all are compatible. You shouldn’t need a huge amount of space; embroidery files are pretty small. Check if your machine has a MAX storage recommendation: My machine actually can’t read from large flash drives, and will give an error and won’t read it.

Top thread: 40 wt Rayon

I’m just going to shamelessly promote a certain embroidery supplies company here. When I was first looking for embroidery supplies, I was totally overwhelmed by the vast selection, and how expensive the supplies were. Marathon Thread is an oasis – their prices are very good, their quality is amazing, and they can make custom thread sets for you. I believe their supplies are made in South Korea.

My favorite rayon thread! The embroidery world debates on Polyester vs Rayon. I chose Rayon because I like that little extra shine and color selection for plushie eyes. Also, I don’t put my plush through heavy washing machines, so the durability of Rayon is just fine for my purposes. I have sets of the Mini-Kings, and they’re going to last me a long time.

When I only needed smaller spools enough to last me a few projects, Sulky 40 wt Rayon 250 yd spools from JoAnn’s were perfect.

Before you go out and buy all the things, keep in mind that some brands of machines just “don’t like” certain brands of threads. This is a real thing. Test with a sample spool from your local sewing store or eBay before buying a whole set.

Thread storage case

I also purchased Marathon’s plastic thread storage containers, as our low humidity would dry out the thread and make it break easily. These have handles so they’re easy for me to pull out of storage.

Thread spool holder (single)
Thread spool holder (multi)

Thread cone holders come in single or multi, depending on how much embroidery you’ll be doing. I like the multi since I don’t have to move spools of thread very often, and I have enough room for it (it’s around 16″ wide).

Bobbin thread: 60 wt Polyester or Cotton

Available in huge spools for cheap! My machine takes both polyester and cotton, but takes cotton more happily. I wind my own spools as it’s most economical this way.

Stabilizer: Medium tear-away

I’ve had best results with this tear-away for plush.

Embroidery spray: Gunold KK100

My favorite embroidery spray! Whatever brand you get, anything is better than nothing for minky and stretch fabrics. I’ve tried a few brands, and this one is my favorite. It’s strong; no slipping or puckering of the fabric at all. It does gunk up my sewing machine a bit if I’m sewing the fabric afterwards, so I clean that area of my machine with rubbing alcohol.

Water soluble film

I have the economical 25 yard roll, and just cut pieces small enough to cover the area I will embroider, and use 4 little pieces of masking tape, one on each corner. It’s very economical this way!

Masking tape

For applying water soluble film, apply masking tape at all 4 corners and top/bottom middles. Use little pieces and reuse them if they’re still sticky.

Embroidery thread scissors: Snip-a-Stitch scissors

These AMAZING thread scissors cut right down to the fabric/film. I absolutely love these because they’re small enough that I can snip thread while it’s still hooped, and they’re spring-loaded so my hands don’t get tired. Anything as small, sharp, and flat as possible is going to be good for trimming threads. A good quality pair of these is worth the investment.

Curved embroidery applique scissors

Essential for layering fabrics / applique / ITH in the hoop plushies! Most helpful between 4-6 inches long, my favorite 4 inch pair, and my favorite 6 inch pair is right here. A good quality pair of these makes a HUGE difference. My 5 inch Italian pair has lasted 8 years and going strong.

And that’s it! I know that researching supplies takes a lot of time, so maybe the results from years of my researching journey will help you on yours. :)