ImagesMagUK_March_2022

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2022 images 53 EMBROIDERY Stitched2be: Merlin 101 from GS UK Theressa Pieraccini, owner Tell us a bit about your company. Stitched2be was born at the end of 2019. I have always been a hobby/ family sewer, making and repairing items for friends and family, and I like personalised and bespoke items as they have a meaning behind them. I researched for about six months before purchasing my first single- needle embroidery machine so I could personalise clothing for my two grandsons. It was something I made for them with a lot of love – there is a great satisfaction at seeing it come together, and also seeing the person’s smile when you give them the item they had envisioned. That’s so rewarding for me. What multi-needle embroidery machine did you buy? People started to ask me to personalise items for them – I quickly grew out of my first domestic machine so it was time to upgrade and that’s where it all began. My aim is to personalise clothing for people full-time and also to expand into embroidering clothing for businesses and schools. To achieve this I knew I needed a multi-needle machine. I saw an event on Facebook for a trade event five minutes from my home. I went to get some information and got talking to Mike [Hipkiss] from GS UK. I saw the multi-needle Merlin 101 – Mike gave me all the information and answered all my questions. It had everything I needed and at £6,000, it was such a good price it was a no brainer, so I went ahead and purchased it. What features made it the right choice for your start-up? The Merlin 101 is a single-head, 10-needle embroidery machine. It comes with a stand for the machine, four different sized hoops, cap hoops and cap driver, a toolbox full of spares and tools for your machine, and 10 threads, plus you also get samples of different stabilisers. The engineer who delivers your machine spends a couple of hours helping you use and understand the machine, and teaches you to do basic maintenance. The customer service from Mike and GS UK is amazing. I highly recommend them, and all for the price of £6,000. What are its main plus points? It’s very easy to use and transferring files from the USB to the machine is extremely easy. The results are top quality. What would you like to see in an upgrade or don’t particularly like about it? It doesn’t have a lot of fonts and has no designs stored – this is one thing I would like to see if they do an upgrade. Do you have any tips on how to get the best results from it? My top tips on using the Merlin are always to make sure your fabric and stabiliser are tight and always do a test piece on a scrap fabric until you’re happy with the results. What type of work is your machine used for? My Merlin is used for embroidering hoodies, T-shirts, polo shirts, all types of baseball caps, keyrings, bags, and so much more. What is your advice for anyone setting up an embroidery business? Do your research, ask questions, join groups on social media, and watch lots of YouTube. Have a budget – because this business is extremely expensive to start up in – and don’t buy a machine that has too many extra functions that you’ll probably rarely use, because the more intricate functions it has, the more expensive the machine. If possible, test one to see how you get on with it as not all machines and users agree with each other – find the right one for you and your needs. Last of all, if you still have a passion for embroidery after you have done everything you need to, take the leap and go for it! www.Stitched2be.co.uk Theressa of Stitched2be reports “top quality” results from her Merlin 101 machine