There are many different factors involved in embroidery success. We all want our finished products whether they are for a friend, child or for sale to turn out perfect every time. To assure that this can happen, you must always be aware of design quality, the stabilizer you are using (enough cannot be said about this!!), hooping, thread tension, and test sewing. If all of these items are not considered, the end results cannot be guaranteed.

Hooping
How you hoop your stabilizer and fabric will have the biggest impact on your finished product. If the fabric is not hooped properly, the outlines of the design will not register and the project will be ruined. The concept of a hoop being "as tight as a drum" is exactly what you desire. However, do not stretch the fabric out of shape. If the hoop leaves marks, you can steam them out later which is a small price to ay for a perfectly stitched design.
A lot is spoken of using sticky back and not hooping. I would discourage this practice as it is not as good as hooping your fabric and you are obviously going to be adding adhesive to your needle as it stitches and this can cause skipped stitches and other problems. If the item is too small to be hooped it is better to use a stabilizer and an adhesive spray created for embroidery.

Thread
There is nothing more critical to the quality of your design and the longevity of your embroidery machine than using quality thread. Never use old or cheap thread. It will cost you more in the long run. Also, keep your thread out of direct sunlight as it will cause it to fade and dry out.

Needles
Replacing needles is one of the most costly overlooked items in the sewing industry. in sewing or quilting, you should change your needle with every project or twice if it is a large project. With embroidery, you should replace your needles after every 10 hours of embroidery time.