How We Chose Our Embroidery Machine and Started Our Journey with Tice Nits

How did we start embroidering?

One day, Julie drew a small illustration of two tits. Immediately, we thought it would be a fantastic idea to embroider that design onto socks. Unfortunately, the MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) for embroidered socks was quite high, making it too expensive to sell them afterward. Until we had a genius idea: “Why don’t we just make the socks ourselves?”

So Tice Nits started as a small project, with no major investments or machines. In the beginning, we did all the embroidery by hand. It was a time-consuming process, but it gave us the chance to learn the ins and outs of hand embroidery. We experimented with different fabrics, and soon friends and family began showing interest in our creations.

What started as a hobby quickly grew into something bigger. Through word of mouth, more and more orders started coming in. People requested personalized gifts and even unique designs. We realized there was a real demand for custom embroidery. At that moment, we knew it was time to take the next step.

We wanted to take embroidery more seriously and decided to build a website. That’s how www.ticenits.be was born—a place where customers could view our products and place orders. The website allowed us to attract customers beyond just friends and family.

 

 

Buying Our First Machine

As orders increased, we realized hand embroidery was no longer sustainable. The process was too time-consuming, and we could barely keep up with demand. We needed to invest in an embroidery machine. This was a big decision at the time—spending €2000 felt like a huge leap.

After lots of research and comparison, we purchased our first tabletop embroidery machine. It was a compact machine that allowed us to work faster and more efficiently, without sacrificing quality. The first few days were exciting: we explored the settings, tried different threads, and tested the software. Our first designs came out of the machine, and we immediately knew we’d made the right decision.

Still, it wasn’t always easy—we had to constantly watch the machine to make sure the fabric didn’t get stuck. And every time we wanted to switch colors, we had to do it manually. Especially with large designs, it all took way too long…

Time for an upgrade!

A year later, we were faced with another big decision. Our tabletop machine had served us well, but we had reached its limits. Orders were getting larger, and clients wanted increasingly complex designs. We knew it was time to upgrade to a larger, more professional embroidery machine.

We hesitated for a long time, comparing different models. One of our main requirements was efficiency: we wanted to be able to control multiple machines from a single computer to work faster and more flexibly. After careful consideration, we chose the Melco EMT16X. This machine allowed us to use up to 16 colors per design, which meant less time wasted changing threads. This significantly increased our production speed.

The day before placing the order, my girlfriend suddenly suggested: “Why don’t we just buy two?”
At first, this seemed like a huge risk, but after doing the math, we realized it could be a smart long-term investment. Plus, we received a nice discount for buying two machines. So we took the plunge and ordered both. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Thanks to the second machine, we could work faster and handle larger designs and orders much more efficiently.

 

After Our Purchase…

The machines were delivered just a few weeks later by Elinco. At the time, we still lived on the fourth floor (no elevator 👀), so getting them upstairs was a big task. Luckily, the supplier Nico happily helped us out…

Once the machines were in place, we received a detailed explanation of how everything worked. One of the biggest changes was that we now had to use pre-wound bobbins and thicker stabilizers. Fortunately, Elinco also gave us the contact of a reliable supplier where we could order all our embroidery supplies at great prices.

A few weeks later, Nico came back for the second part of the training. This time, we learned everything about the cap system, which meant we could also start caps embroidery. It was a real challenge, but we made it work! And if anything ever goes wrong—we can always call Elinco!

Where We Are Now

Since that upgrade, Tice Nits has only continued to grow.
We started with personalized designs for individuals. People send us photos, and we turn them into detailed illustrations that we then embroider. This results in unique and personal clothing you won’t find anywhere else.

In the meantime, we also embroider workwear for companies and provide custom solutions for clubs and organizations.

Additionally, we’ve been doing more and more live embroidery on location. We take our machines to shops, events, and even weddings, where we create personalized items on the spot. It’s such a joy to offer embroidery as a live service. The reactions we get are incredible! Everyone loves the idea of creating something themselves.

Our journey with Tice Nits started as a small project, but it has now grown into a fully-fledged business we’re incredibly proud of. We continue to grow, discover new techniques, and expand our services.