Journal

Explainers

Illustration: a band of navy satin stitches laid at 68 degrees over sand cotton twill, drawn to show how thread stands above the weave. Not a photograph.
Embroidery 5 min read

Embroidered vs. printed hats: which one actually lasts?

Thread sits on top of the cloth. Ink soaks into it. Almost everything about how a cap ages follows from that one difference.
Illustration: the name SAM stitched in gold thread on a navy cap front. Drawn, not photographed.
Explainers 5 min read

What is embroidery digitizing? How a drawing becomes stitches

An embroidery machine cannot read a picture. Someone has to decide where every stitch goes, in what order, and in which direction. That work is digitizing.
Illustration: cross-section of embroidery, showing thread loops standing above the surface of the cotton twill. Drawn, not photographed.
Embroidery 4 min read

Stitch count, explained: what 5,000 stitches looks like on a cap

The number on every product page is the one the machine actually cares about. Here is how to read it, with a reference ladder from initials to full-front fills.