Learn how to embroider and monogram names onto fluffy beach towels in this beginner-friendly tutorial inspired by The Monogram Mompreneur. Her clear, confident walkthrough transforms plain Walmart towels into personalized summer sellers. Discover simple prep tips, smart stabilizer tricks, and a neat finish — perfect for your shop or handmade gifts this sunny season.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Summer Embroidery Fun!
The tutorial kicks off with Ashley’s energy—and a rainbow stack of beach towels ready for personalization. She explains that this first part focuses on solid embroidery, while next week’s installment will dive into appliqué monograms.
Her enthusiasm sets the tone for a season of sunny, creative projects that can double as customer favorites or family keepsakes.
Gather Your Essentials: Tools & Materials
Ashley’s supply setup is refreshingly simple: affordable towels, a multi-needle embroidery machine, fast frames, and stabilizers.
She uses sticky tear-away stabilizer as the base and water-soluble stabilizer as the topping—a combination that keeps stitches crisp and prevents them from sinking.
Step-by-Step Guide: Embroidering Your Beach Towel
Preparing Your Towel: Folding and Marking
Start by folding your towel in half to find the exact center line and mark the spot six and a half inches from the edge using a water-soluble purple marker. That small dot guides the placement without leaving a trace later.
Hooping with Precision: Fast Frames & Stabilizer
Attach your sticky stabilizer to a 14x7 fast frame and mark its midpoint with the same purple marker. When you align towel and stabilizer dots, everything snaps into perfect position.
For extra security, Ashley clips the sides with Wonder Clips—a simple trick that can save a project from shifting mid-stitch.
Machine Setup: Rotating Your Design & Adding Topping
With the towel hooped upside down, rotate your design 180° on the Brother PR655 screen. Ashley threads a bold color and positions the frame for tracing to ensure nothing hits the metal edges.
Next, she lays down two sheets of water-soluble stabilizer as a topping to protect against lost stitch definition.
If your setup differs—say you’re stitching on a single-needle unit—look into compact frames like fast frames for brother embroidery machine that adapt easily to various towel sizes.
Stitch It Up: The Embroidery Process
Tracing for Perfect Placement
Before pressing ‘Start,’ Ashley performs a quick trace. This confirms her lettering sits neatly at center and the needle path avoids the frame edges. It’s a small moment that prevents costly do-overs.
Watching Your Design Come to Life
Once satisfied, she taps the green button—and the Brother PR655 hums into motion. The towel stays secure as the name "BRODY" stitches cleanly across bright stripes.
From the comments: Viewers loved the legibility of this font, revealed as Lemonade from Applique Corner at about 2.5-inch height. Several beginners noted they achieved similar stability using brother embroidery hoops with sticky back paper for lightweight towels.
Finishing Touches: Revealing Your Masterpiece
When the embroidery is done, gently peel away the water-soluble topping.
Flip the hoop, lift the towel out, and tear off the sticky stabilizer backing. Small bits can be teased out with tweezers or rinsed away under water.
If you notice residue, don’t pull harder; instead dampen the area slightly. Stitchers with larger hoops, like brother magnetic embroidery hoops, find cleanup easier because there’s less adhesive contact.
Bonus Tips & What's Next!
Reusing Stabilizer for Cost Savings
Instead of discarding the sticky stabilizer each time, Ashley shows how to patch the used area before hooping her next towel. It’s a smart budget move for anyone selling custom pieces.
She repeats the same setup for a second towel and monograms “BAL” in subtle teal hues.
Don’t Miss Part Two
Ashley closes the tutorial with a preview—next week she’ll switch gears into appliqué monograms.
If you’re upgrading equipment, check out compatible frames such as brother pr680w hoops or brother pr 680w models for larger designs. They expand your possibilities when personalizing bulky items like robes or quilts.
From the Comments: Community Questions Answered
Fans of The Monogram Mompreneur shared praise and curiosity:
- Several asked about the machine model—confirmed throughout as the Brother PR655.
- Others wondered about stabilizer removal; gentle peeling and patience prevent loop damage.
- A few single-needle users noted they achieved success on smaller setups with adjusted hoop sizes such as brother pe800 hoop size.
Tip from a viewer: One follower in Florida suggested pairing beach bags and towels as a matching set—proof that personalized embroidery makes waves year-round!
Reflect & Create
That’s the beauty of Ashley’s teaching—she cuts through complexity to highlight joy. With every hoop click and stabilizer layer, she builds confidence for newcomers to dive into personalized sewing. Grab your towel, choose your font, and let your machine hum—because your next beach day just got stylish.