What Embroidery Library does

Embroidery Library is a privately held, US-based e-commerce company founded in 2001 that operates a direct-to-consumer digital marketplace for machine embroidery designs. The company sells downloadable design files compatible with all major home embroidery machine brands (Brother, Baby Lock, Janome, Bernina, Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, Singer) across multiple file formats (ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PCS, PES, VIP). Its catalog contains over 150,000 unique, hand-designed designs that are digitized and physically tested by an in-house team before release, covering themes including holidays, animals, florals, quilting, in-the-hoop projects, freestanding lace, apparel, and home decor.

The business operates primarily on a one-time purchase model for individual designs ($0.50–$6.99) and curated design packs ($7.99–$154.67), supplemented by a subscription service called The Study ($2.99/month or $24/year) that provides design organization, search, custom collections, download management, and project instructions. Additional product lines include Maker Edition bundles with PDF instructions, a Thread Exchange customization tool, and gift cards. The company also operates a sister sub-brand, Urban Threads. Headcount is 11–50 employees, led by Nancy Vendrzyk (President/CEO) and Niamh O'Connor (Art Director).

Go-to-market is product-led and self-serve through a Shopify storefront, with discovery driven by SEO-optimized collection pages, multi-platform social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest), a 373,000+ member community Facebook group, email marketing, and promotional sales events. Customer segments are horizontal across hobbyist crafters, custom apparel makers, quilters, and seasonal/gift project makers — primarily individual consumers rather than enterprise accounts. No external funding, acquisitions, or institutional ownership is disclosed.

Name

Embroidery Library

Legal name

Embroidery Library

Website

https://emblibrary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Embroidery Library is a privately held US e-commerce company that sells over 150,000 downloadable machine embroidery designs to hobbyist crafters, quilters, and home decor makers, plus a subscription service called The Study for design organization and project management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Machine Embroidery Designs

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Asset Libraries & Template Marketplaces (stock, characters, themes) (EDAFAHAI)

Keywords

• Machine embroidery designs
• Digital embroidery files
• Embroidery design packs
• Embroidery subscriptions
• Embroidery machine formats

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnesota City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Design Downloads: One-time purchase of individual machine embroidery design files and design packs. Customers pay per design or pack and receive instant digital downloads. No recurring revenue per transaction, but repeat purchases driven by new design releases and seasonal collections.
2. The Study Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription service providing design organization tools, search functionality, custom collections, download management, and project instructions. Priced at $2.99/month or $24/year with first month free trial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Embroidery Library is a digital e-commerce platform that sells downloadable machine embroidery design files to home embroidery hobbyists. Designs are hand-created by in-house artists, digitized, and physically stitch-tested before release, and are delivered as instant digital downloads in all major machine formats (ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PCS, PES, VIP). The company complements these downloads with curated design packs, themed collections, a subscription design-organizer called 'The Study', and an online Thread Exchange re-coloring tool.

Product overview

Embroidery Library operates as a digital e-commerce platform offering downloadable machine embroidery designs. The core product is a library of over 150,000 unique embroidery design files sold primarily as individual downloads and curated design packs. The company also offers a subscription service called 'The Study' for design organization and management ($2.99/month or $24/year), a Thread Exchange tool for customizing thread colors, and Maker Edition branded packs that include project instructions. Designs are available in multiple formats (ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PCS, PES, VIP) and are compatible with all major embroidery machine brands. The product catalog spans numerous categories including quilting, in-the-hoop projects, Christmas designs, freestanding lace, t-shirt designs, and themed collections like Pooh Bear & Friends and state collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Study: A subscription service/organization tool for managing embroidery designs, offering search, sort, filter, custom collections, download access, color change sheets, and project instructions. Priced at $2.99/month or $24/year with first month free.
• Urban Threads

Products and services

• Machine Embroidery Designs Digital downloadable machine embroidery design files compatible with all major home embroidery machine brands (Brother, Baby Lock, Janome, Bernina, Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, Singer), delivered in multiple formats (ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PCS, PES, VIP) for instant use. Targeted at home machine embroidery hobbyists creating personal projects across hundreds of themed categories.
• Design Packs Curated multi-design bundles (for example North Pole Village Design Pack, Christmas Village Build-a-Scene Applique Design Pack, Doodle Favorites Design Pack) sold as themed collections with 30-70% savings versus individual design pricing. Aimed at hobbyists wanting a coordinated set of designs for a project or season.
• The Study Subscription-based design organization service that lets users search, sort, and filter embroidery designs by keyword, purchase date, order number, or collection; build custom collections; re-download design files in preferred formats; view color change sheets; and access project instructions. Priced at $2.99/month or $24/year with a first-month-free trial, targeted at embroiderers managing large personal design libraries.
• Maker Edition Enhanced design packs that bundle embroidery design files with PDF project instructions, giving hobbyists a complete craft project package rather than just the design file alone.
• Thread Exchange Standalone online tool that re-colors Embroidery Library designs to use a stitcher's preferred thread brands and colorways, sold as part of the embroidery experience to personalize designs before stitching.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold on the storefront that allow customers to give embroidery design store credit to other stitchers.
• Quilting Embroidery Designs Specialized embroidery design downloads for quilting projects, including Edge-to-Edge Quilting, Trapunto, Double Run, Quilt Labels, Baby Quilts, and Quilting Applique, sold to quilters who use machine embroidery to embellish quilts.
• In-the-Hoop Embroidery Designs Embroidery designs intended to be completed entirely within the embroidery hoop, frequently producing 3D or assembled projects without additional sewing, sold to crafters seeking self-contained embroidery project files.
• Freestanding Lace Embroidery Designs Embroidery design files that produce freestanding lace when stitched onto water-soluble stabilizer, yielding delicate lace ornaments and decorations sold to crafters creating lace-style projects.
• Christmas Embroidery Designs (Best of the Best Collection) Seasonal Christmas-themed embroidery design collection including ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, Santa, reindeer, nativity, gingerbread, and holiday home decor, featuring 125+ most-loved Christmas designs and regularly promoted at 60% off in dedicated sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ unique designs available for download
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sweet Heifer Embroidery Designs: Independent digital embroidery design studio selling machine embroidery files through its own e-commerce site. Comparable in scale, business model, and hobbyist customer base to Embroidery Library.
• Urban Threads: Operated as a sister brand alongside Embroidery Library (referenced in company sub-brands), selling distinctive edgy/artistic machine embroidery designs to the same hobbyist audience with a similar digital download model.
• Design Bundles: Online marketplace for downloadable craft design files including embroidery designs, fonts, and SVG cut files. Direct competitor serving the same hobbyist maker customer with a similar digital-download e-commerce model.
• Anita Goodesign: Long-established machine embroidery design retailer selling digitized designs, design packs, and project collections. Comparable digital download model and customer base of home embroidery enthusiasts.
• Creative Fabrica: Subscription-based digital craft design marketplace offering fonts, embroidery designs, SVGs, and craft files. Competes directly on subscription pricing and digital craft content breadth for hobbyist makers.
• Pickle Barrel Designs: Specialty machine embroidery design company focused on heirloom sewing, lace, and detailed stitch designs. Direct competitor in the home embroidery design market with similar product and customer profile.
• Applique Cafe: Online retailer of machine embroidery applique designs and digitized files for home embroidery machines. Directly competes on design catalog, format support, and hobbyist customer segment.
• HoopSisters Designs: Machine embroidery design company selling block-of-the-month style projects and digitized designs targeting home embroidery hobbyists. Similar digital product model with project-led bundling akin to Maker Edition.
• Embroidery Online: Long-running online retailer offering digitized embroidery designs, supplies, and educational resources. Directly comparable product offering and home embroidery hobbyist customer base.

Broad incumbents

• OESD (Orange Embroidery Supply & Design): Large, established embroidery supplies and design company with a broader portfolio spanning threads, stabilizers, machines, and designs. Larger and more diversified than Embroidery Library, but overlapping strongly on the digital design and supply side of the home embroidery market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/embroiderylibraryEL
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmbLibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/embroiderylibrary
• Pinterestpinterest.com/emblibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/embroidery-library-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Embroidery Library