# Embroidery Wiki: Tested Materials & Common Problems 🔍
We test materials for you 🔍, share our experiences and practical tips, and link to useful tutorials to help you get the best results from your embroidery projects.
# Material Tests 🔍
We test selected products for you and share our experiences, practical tips, and useful resources.
💡 **Beginners:** Learn which materials to use and how embroidery works at [Make Ma](https://www.youtube.com/@Makema) _(no payment received; tutorials are just very well explained)_: tutorials and material tests included.
### Embroidery Fabrics
Fabrics we have tested and their suitability for different embroidery techniques.
| Material & Description | Photo | Notes & Tips |
|-----------------------|-------|--------------|
| **Cotton fabrics:** Versatile and easy-to-embroider fabric | 
| A very beginner-friendly material |
| **Muslin:** Lightweight, absorbent, and breathable cotton fabric | 
| A very beginner-friendly material|
| **Softshell:** Soft, flexible, and slightly stretchy fabric for embroidery. | 
| For waterproof fabrics, use heat-activated seam sealing tape on the inside to keep the fabric waterproof after embroidery.
_Hint:_ For thin waterproof fabrics, do **not** tear off the stabilizer by hand after finishing the embroidery. Use scissors instead, as hand-tearing may create large holes due to the fabric’s fragility. |
| **Terry cloth (Towel fabric / Nicky):** A fluffy, looped fabric with small loops. | 
| Use **water-soluble stabilizer underneath, and a [water-soluble topping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV19zEMF_a8) on top** for a smoother embroidery finish. |
| **Soft Thin Leather:** Flexible, lightweight leather suitable for embroidery.
| 
| Use only soft, thin leather; **avoid thick or stiff leather**, as it is difficult to embroider and may damage our machine or needles.|
| **Jersey:** Soft, knitted, and stretchable fabric commonly used for T-shirts and clothing. | 
| Jersey is **stretchy**, which makes it more difficult to embroider. Always stabilize it well using a **cut-away stabilizer or fusible interfacing**. This prevents the fabric from stretching or shifting during embroidery and helps avoid puckering or distorted designs.
_Tip:_ For very stretchy fabrics, you can additionally use a **water-soluble topping** on top of the fabric for cleaner stitch results. |
> 🚧 Further testing results coming soon
### Stabilizers & Backings
Tested stabilizers for different embroidery use cases.
> 🚧 Testing results coming soon
### Effect Materials
Special materials for embroidery effects, such as 3D foam, batting (wadding), reflective films, and other experimental materials.
[](https://unikat-ilmenau.de/wiki/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/image-1771238139771.jpg)
> 🚧 Testing results coming soon
# Common Problems ⚠️🧐
Here we collect issues that occur frequently, so you can avoid them and have a smoother embroidery experience.
- Incorrect or dull needles
- Stabilizer and fabric are not properly tensioned in the embroidery hoop
- The bobbin is not evenly wound.
> 🚧 Coming soon…
# InkStitch: Tutorials and Links 💻
Here you will find tutorials for creating your own embroidery files, using InkStitch, and other helpful links. Tutorials and resources will be added in the future.
> 🚧 Tutorials and resources coming soon…