Table of Contents
Getting to Know the Brother PE900
If you are new to machine embroidery—or stepping into the addictive world of In-The-Hoop (ITH) projects—this candy bear/bunny treat holder is your perfect "confidence builder." It is small, relatively fast, and acts as a masterclass in the core rhythm of ITH work: Placement Stitch (The Map) → Add Material (The Sandwich) → Tack-down Stitch (The Anchor) → Repeat.
In the featured video, the creator introduces her new Brother PE900 and immediately puts it to the test with a felt treat holder. She highlights her upgrade from a smaller chassis (the SE600) to the PE900. While the SE600 is a capable starter, the move to the PE900 represents a shift from "struggling to fit" to "room to breathe."
Upgrading from the SE600
The creator mentions she previously relied on a Brother SE600 before upgrading to the PE900. The practical takeaway here isn't blind brand loyalty—it is about workflow efficiency. When you graduate to a machine that supports a larger embroidery field, you aren't just buying the ability to stitch bigger designs. You are buying "margin for error."
On a smaller 4x4 hoop, a design that is 3.9 inches wide is living dangerously close to the metal edge. This causes "Edge Anxiety"—the fear that the needle bar will hit the frame or that the presser foot will snag the fabric clamp. With the PE900, you can run that same design in a larger field, giving your hands more clearance to manipulate felt and vinyl without fighting the machine.
Advantages of the 5x7 Hoop
The PE900’s 5x7 hoop is called out as the key upgrade because it “will let me do larger things.” However, from a technical perspective, the benefits of the 5x7 field for ITH projects are three-fold:
- Material Management: ITH projects often require you to slide your hands into the hoop area to tape down vinyl or felt. A 5x7 hoop gives you the physical space to do this safely without removing the hoop from the carriage.
- Batching Potential: With a 5x7 area, you can technically fit two of these small candy holders in a single hooping (if you have software to merge them). This cuts your stabilizer usage in half and doubles your output.
- Reduced Hoop Burn: Larger hoops allow you to float materials (more on this later) or clamp further away from delicate design elements, preventing the ugly "crushed nap" ring often left on felt.
If you are comparing hoops, keep your future workflow in mind: a larger hoop reduces the frequency of re-hooping. If you plan to make 50 of these for a craft fair, that time savings is your profit margin.
User-Friendly Threading Path
The creator emphasizes that the PE900 is beginner-friendly: the threading path is numbered, and the machine includes an automatic needle threader.
Why this matters for ITH: In a standard embroidery design, you might change colors 3 or 4 times. In an ITH project like this candy holder, the machine stops constantly to let you place materials. Often, the thread might shred or break if the unexpected thickness of felt + vinyl creates tension spikes. A numbered, easy-to-follow thread path reduces the "Friction of Restarting."
Sensory Check: When threading, listen for the resistance. The thread should not flop loosely; it should feel like it is passing through the tension discs with a distinct, smooth drag—similar to pulling dental floss between your teeth. If it feels weightless, you missed the tension disc, and you will get a birdsnest.
Warning: Mechanical Safety Hazard. Keep fingers, hair, jewelry, and loose sleeves away from the needle area while the machine is running. The PE900 moves the carriage rapidly and unexpectedly. Always stop the machine completely (wait for the green light to turn red/off) before placing felt, vinyl, trimming jump threads, or reaching near the presser foot.
Supplies for the Candy Bear Project
This project uses a classic ITH “stack”: stabilizer is the foundation, felt acts as the body, and clear/translucent material forms the "peek-a-boo" belly window.
Felt and Stabilizer Basics
From the video, the base materials are:
- Medium Weight Tear-away Stabilizer: Hooped tightly as the base.
- White Craft Felt: Placed on top (the "Appliqué" layer).
- Backing Felt: A second piece used to hide the bobbin stitches on the reverse side.
The creator’s first step is “just to put the stabilizer on the hoop and let it run the outline.” That outline is your Placement Guide.
Expert Note (Material Physics): Felt is forgiving because it doesn't fray, but it is also "spongy." If you hoop felt directly, it can stretch and distort. The superior method shown here uses the stabilizer as the "drum skin" and the felt floats on top.
- The Sound Test: When you hoop your stabilizer, tap it with your fingernail. It should make a drum-like thump-thump sound. If it sounds like paper rustling, it is too loose, and your outline will not match your tack-down stitch.
Choosing the Right Vinyl for Windows
The creator uses clear vinyl and also mentions using translucent vinyl (including a holographic/translucent sheet shown later). The goal is a window that retains the candy while showing the foil colors.
Expert Note (Vinyl Handling): Vinyl is non-porous and high-friction. It can grab the needle.
- Needle Choice: If you are struggling, switch to a 75/11 Sharp needle or a specific Anti-Glue needle. Ballpoint needles (often used for knits) can struggle to puncture vinyl cleanly.
- Speed Control: Vinyl heats up with friction. If your machine is running at max speed (650 SPM), the needle can heat up and melt the vinyl, causing skipped stitches. Slow your machine down to 400-500 SPM during the window tack-down step for a cleaner finish.
- Cleanliness: Vinyl attracts static and dust. Wipe it with a micro-fiber cloth before placing it. A fingerprint inside the window is permanent once stitched!
Using USB Drives Safely
The creator shows a USB extension cord and explains a crucial hardware preservation tip: if you damage the machine’s built-in USB port, you have ruined the motherboard.
Practical Takeaway: Use a short (6-inch), flexible USB extension cable. Leave it plugged into the machine permanently. This acts as a "Sacrificial Connector." When you plug and unplug your design drive 1,000 times, you wear out the $5 cable, not the $1,000 embroidery machine's port.
Furthermore, file organization is key. Keep a dedicated USB stick for "Production Proven" designs—files you have tested and know work perfectly. Do not mix them with untested downloads.
hoop master embroidery hooping station
Hidden consumables & prep checks (the stuff beginners forget)
The video visually confirms stabilizer, felt, vinyl, thread, scissors, and candy. However, in the real world, the smoothness of your production run depends on "Hidden Tools" that bridge the gap between amateur and pro results:
- Appliqué Scissors (Duckbill): Essential for trimming the felt close to the stitch line without cutting the stitches or the stabilizer.
- Painter's Tape or Medical Tape: You need this to hold the vinyl and felt in place while the machine moves. Fingers are too dangerous; tape is safe.
- Non-Permanent Marking Pen: For centering if you aren't using a template.
- Fresh Needles: Start a new batch with a fresh needle. A burred tip will shred felt.
- Lint Roller: Felt sheds micro-dust that can clog your bobbin case sensors. Clean the case every 3-5 projects.
Prep Checklist (do this before you load the design)
- Hoop Tension Check: Stabilizer is hooped "drum-tight" with no wrinkles or sag.
- Material Sizing: White felt cut at least 1-inch larger than the design on all sides.
- Window Prep: Vinyl cut oversized (0.5 inch margin) to ensure the tack-down stitch catches it securely.
- Backing Prep: Backing felt cut and placed near the machine (easy to forget!).
- Tape Ready: Strips of painter's tape torn and stuck to the edge of the table for quick access.
- Machine Port Safety: USB drive inserted via the sacrificial extension cord.
- Bobbin Check: Full bobbin loaded (white 60wt or 90wt is standard).
Step-by-Step Stitching Process
This is the heart of the tutorial. Success requires you to synchronize your manual actions with the machine's digital prompts. You must read the interface like a map, not just a progress bar.
Running the Placement Outline
What the video does: The creator hoops plain stabilizer and runs the very first color stop—a simple running stitch outline.
Why it matters: In traditional embroidery, the first stitches make the picture. In ITH, the first stitches are your Blueprint. They tell you exactly where the materials must live.
Success Metric:
- You see a clear, unbroken line on the stabilizer.
- Verify: Run your finger over the stabilizer. If it pushed down (bounciness) during stitching, your hoop is too loose. Re-hoop now, or the final outline will be misaligned.
Adding Felt and Vinyl Layers
This is the pivotal moment where beginners often fail—and credit to the creator, she demonstrates the mistake so you don't have to experience it.
She stops the machine, admitting she "messed up" because she skipped placing the felt. She restarts the step.
Correct Workflow (The "Sandwich" Logic):
- Placement: Machine stitches the outline on stabilizer. STOP.
- Cover: You place the white felt completely covering that outline. TAPE IT DOWN.
- Tack-down: Machine stitches the felt to the stabilizer. STOP.
- Window: You place the vinyl over the specific window area. TAPE.
- Window Tack-down: Machine stitches the vinyl.
Expert Note: When placing vinyl, do not pull it tight. Lay it flat. If you stretch vinyl, it will snap back ("memory") after you unhoop, creating ugly puckers around the stitches.
Customizing Thread Colors on the Fly
The creator points out that the PE900 screen displays the next color change. She decides to deviate from the file, choosing a black nose instead of blue.
Checkpoints:
- Trust the Screen, Not the Spool: The machine thinks in "Stop Codes," not actual colors. If the screen says "Blue," it just means "Stop #3." You can thread whatever physical color you want.
- Contrast Check: Ensure your thread color contrasts enough with the felt so the details (eyes/nose) pop.
Reading the Screen Like a “Stitch Map”
The creator highlights a practical feature: the screen arrow indicates the current needle position and the upcoming path.
This is crucial for ITH. If you see the screen show a simple running stitch moving in a square/circle, that is code for "I am about to tack something down." That is your cue to ensure your material is placed. If you see complex zigzag or satin stitches, that is "Detail Work."
The full project takes roughly 17 minutes with 8 color changes.
Productivity Insight: 17 minutes sounds fast, but 8 color stops means you are interacting with the machine every 2 minutes. This leads to Thread Change Fatigue. If you plan to sell these, this is the primary bottleneck to scaling up.
Setup Checklist (right before you press Start)
- Design Orientation: Is the design right-side up relative to where you are standing?
- Hoop Security: Is the hoop locked into the carriage with an audible click?
- Clearance: Is there anything behind the machine (wall, cables) that the carriage will hit?
- Presser Foot: Raised for placement, LOWERED for stitching (the machine will yell at you if you forget).
- Next Step Clarity: Do you know if the next button press is for a Place line or a Tack-down?
Troubleshooting Common Mistakes
ITH success isn't about perfection; it's about recovery. The video showcases excellent recovery techniques.
What to Do When You Forget a Layer
Symptom: The machine starts stitching the "Face" detail, but you realize you never put the "Body" felt down. The face is stitching onto thin air (stabilizer).
Likely Cause: Cognitive drift—you got distracted and pressed "Start" without completing the manual step.
The Fix (Panic Protocol):
- Stop Immediately: Hit the Stop/Start button.
- Assess: Are the stitches cuttable? If yes, carefully snip the loose thread.
-
Rewind: Use the
+/-stitch buttons to reverse the machine to the beginning of that color stop. - Place: Put your felt down.
- Restart: Resume stitching.
Using the Screen to Rewind Stitches
Symptom: The machine skipped a few stitches due to a thread snag, or you ran out of bobbin thread mid-ear.
Likely Cause: Thread tension issue or empty bobbin.
Fix (as shown in video): The creator uses the PE900's touchscreen interface to back up. She mentions increments like minus 100 stitches.
Expert Tip: Do not just guess. Look at the crosshair on the LCD screen. Back up until the crosshair is slightly before the gap in stitches. Overlapping a few stitches is better than leaving a gap.
Understanding “Back of Hoop” Instructions
The creator admits confusion when the instructions said to put the second piece of felt "on the back of the hoop."
Symptom: Fear of the unknown. "How do I put something under the hoop without it falling off?"
Likely Cause: Unfamiliarity with the floating technique on the reverse side.
The Fix:
- Remove the hoop from the machine (do not remove the project from the hoop!).
- Flip the hoop upside down.
- Place the backing felt over the stitch area.
- Tape it heavily. Tape the corners and the edges to the stabilizer frame. Gravity is your enemy here.
- Carefully slide the hoop back onto the machine, ensuring the felt doesn't snag on the needle plate.
Why strictly necessary: This layer covers the messy bobbin threads and creates the "pouch" for the candy. Without it, the candy falls out, and the project looks unfinished.
Production-minded “avoid the redo” habits
If you want to avoid frustation:
- The "Tape Anchor": Never trust friction. Always tape your felt and vinyl.
- The "Birdsnest Watch": Listen to your machine. A rhythmic hum is good. A harsh clack-clack-clack usually means the thread has jumped out of the take-up lever. Stop immediately.
magnetic hoops for brother embroidery machines
Finishing Touches
The stitch-out is done. Now, the craftsmanship comes into play.
Unhooping and Trimming
The creator unhoops the project, tears away the excess stabilizer, and trims the felt.
Crucial Technique:
- Tear-away: Support the stitches with your thumb while tearing the stabilizer with your other hand. Do not just rip it like a band-aid, or you might distort your satin stitches.
- Trimming: Use very sharp embroidery scissors. Angle the blade slightly away from the stitch line to ensure you don't accidentally cut the thread. A 3-4mm border of felt usually looks best.
Filling with Treats
The creator fills the vinyl belly window with Hershey’s Kisses.
Quality Check:
- Does the candy fit? If it's too tight, next time use a slightly thinner felt or ensure you didn't stitch inside the placement lines.
- Is the window clear? If there are stitch perforations (little holes) in the vinyl, your needle was too dull or your speed was too high.
Adding Ribbons and Decorations
The final step is threading a ribbon through the eyelet hole (which should have been stitched by the machine).
Expert Note: If the eyelet hole is blocked by fuzz, use an awl or a thick tapestry needle to punch it open before trying to force the ribbon through.
Operation Checklist (end-of-run quality control)
- Registration: Are the eyes and nose centered on the face? (Misalignment suggests the felt shifted—use more tape next time).
- Window Security: Pull gently on the vinyl. Is it trapped securely under the satin stitch?
- Backing: Is the back piece fully caught by the final outline stitch? (If not, the pocket will leak candy).
- Cleanliness: Are all jump threads trimmed close?
- Tactile Feel: Is the edge felt smooth, or jagged? (Needs better trimming).
Tool-upgrade paths (when your hands become the bottleneck)
The video demonstrates the workflow on a Brother PE900 with a standard 5x7 hoop. This is an excellent "Hobby Level" setup. However, if you begin to produce these in volume (batches of 20, 50, or 100), you will encounter specific physical pain points.
Use this "Trigger-Criteria-Solution" framework to decide when to upgrade your tools:
Scenario A: The "Hoop Burn" & Hand Fatigue
- Trigger (The Pain): Your wrists hurt from tightening the screw constantly, or you are noticing "hoop burn" (crushed texture rings) on your nice felt/velvet fabrics that won't steam out.
- Criteria (The Decision): Are you spending more than 3 minutes just hooping the material? Are you rejecting 1 in 10 items due to fabric damage?
-
Option (The Solution): Upgrade to Magnetic Hoops.
- Why: They snap shut instantly (zero wrist strain). They hold thick sandwiches (Stabilizer + Felt + Backing) firmly without crushing the fibers. They allow for faster localized adjustments.
- Recommendation: Look for Sewtech Magnetic Hoops compatible with the Brother PE series.
Warning: Magnetic Safety. High-quality magnetic hoops are extremely powerful. They pose a pinching hazard for fingers. They must be kept away from pacemakers, magnetic storage media, and sensitive electronics. Handle with respect.
Scenario B: The "Thread Change" Bottleneck
- Trigger (The Pain): You are making 20 bear holders. Each one requires 8 thread changes. That is 160 manual thread changes. You are spending more time threading the needle than stitching.
- Criteria (The Decision): Is your machine running less than 50% of the time because it's waiting for you to swap red for blue? Are you turning down orders because you "don't have the time"?
-
Option (The Solution): Upgrade to a Multi-Needle Machine.
- Why: A machine like a SEWTECH 15-needle commercial model holds all your colors at once. It automatically switches from the outline color to the face color without stopping. You only stop to place the felt/vinyl. This transforms your workflow from "Babysitting" to "Manufacturing."
magnetic hoop for brother pe900
Where to get the design file (comment-based reality check)
A common question in the video comments is "Where is the pattern?" The creator states she purchased this specific design on Etsy for roughly $5.
Reality Check: ITH designs are intellectual property. Always support digitizers.
- Search Tips: Search terms like "ITH Candy Holder", "In The Hoop Treat Holder", or "Peekaboo Bunny Embroidery."
- Compatibility: Ensure the file you buy includes a format your PE900 reads (usually .PES) and fits your specific 5x7 hoop size (often labeled as 130x180mm).
Quick decision tree: choosing stabilizer + holding method for felt/vinyl ITH
Use this logic to avoid wasting materials on failed attempts:
-
Is your base material stable (Felt/Vinyl)?
- Yes: Use Tear-Away Stabilizer. It is easy to remove and leaves clean edges.
- No (T-shirt/Knit fabric): Use Cut-Away Stabilizer + spray adhesive. Tear-away will result in gap-toothed stitches on stretchy fabric.
-
Are you fighting the hoop screw?
- Yes (Thick Sandwich): Do not force the standard hoop screw; you might strip it. Switch to a Magnetic Hoop or use the "Float Method" (Hoop stabilizer only, tape material on top).
- No (Standard Felt): Standard hoops are fine, provided you tighten them before inserting the inner ring completely.
-
Is the vinyl bubbling?
- Yes: Your stitch density is too high or speed is too fast. Slow down or choose a different pattern with lighter tack-down stitches.
Results
By following the sequence—hoop stabilizer "drum tight," run the placement map, create the felt/vinyl sandwich, and trust the PE900’s screen prompts—you can reliably produce a clean ITH candy holder.
The creator’s biggest "teachable moments" are the errors: showing you that forgetting a layer is fixable and that using the screen to backtrack is a vital skill. Combine that with disciplined prep (sacrificial USB extensions, sharp scissors, and magnetic hoops for volume work), and you will have a result that is not just cute, but commercially viable.