Short answer. A hand embroidered T-shirt order includes seven things: the blank tee, the artwork redrawn for stitch, thread and needles, the artisan hours, a wash and press, packaging, and shipping. Three things usually cost extra: jumping the studio queue, a second colourway of the same design, and gift wrapping.
“What's included?” is the question we get most often on custom orders, and it is a fair one. When a printed tee costs ₹599 and a hand-embroidered one costs ₹1,517, you deserve an itemised answer rather than a vibe.
The seven things in the price
| Included | What it means | Why it matters later |
|---|---|---|
| Blank tee, 220 GSM | Combed cotton, pre-shrunk, bio-washed before stitching | Unshrunk cotton puckers around the motif after wash one |
| Artwork redrawn for stitch | Your name or motif adapted to satin, chain and back stitch | A printed logo does not translate directly into thread |
| Thread, needles, stabiliser | Colourfast cotton floss, 2 to 9 shades | Cheap thread bleeds into white cotton on the first wash |
| Artisan hours | 2 to 14 hours by a named woman artisan on our floor | This is the largest cost line, about 44 per cent |
| Wash and press | Marker lines removed, steamed from the reverse | Skip it and you get blue ghosting around the design |
| Packaging | Recycled box, folded stitch-side in | Stitches abrade against each other in transit otherwise |
| Shipping across India | Included on orders over ₹999 | Courier is ₹120 to ₹160 of real cost |
Inside the price, line by line
Tap an item to see what it covers and what goes wrong without it.
220 GSM combed cotton. Pre-shrunk and bio-washed before stitching. Unshrunk cotton puckers around the motif after the first wash.
Artwork redrawn for stitch. Your name or motif is adapted to satin, chain and back stitch. A printed logo does not translate directly into thread.
Thread, needles, stabiliser. Colourfast cotton floss in 2 to 9 shades. Cheap thread bleeds into white cotton on the first wash.
Artisan hours. 2 to 14 hours by a named woman artisan on our floor. At about 44 per cent, it is the largest cost line.
Wash, press and packaging. Marker lines washed out, steamed from the reverse, then folded stitch-side in a recycled box. Skip the wash and you get blue ghosting.
Shipping across India. Included on orders over ₹999. The courier is ₹120 to ₹160 of real cost per parcel.
What is not included
Three things, and we would rather say them here than in a chat message on day six.
- Queue jumping. Our studio queue runs three to seven days before stitching starts. Moving ahead of other customers costs more, because someone's order gets pushed.
- A second colourway. The same design in different thread shades needs re-sampling. A green-and-cream wreath is not simply the pink one with the floss swapped; values shift and the design can go flat.
- Gift wrapping and a handwritten note. Small, but not free. Available across the personalised gifts range.
The spelling proof, which we should charge for and do not
Every custom name order gets a layout proof before the needle moves. You see the exact spelling, the script, the placement and the thread shade, and you approve it in writing.
We started doing this after a Devanagari name order in 2024 where the customer's transliteration and ours differed by one matra. Fourteen hours of stitching, unusable. Now nothing gets hooped without written approval, and the reject rate on names has been near zero since.
What the spelling proof shows you
Tap a number or a button to see what you check before the needle moves.
Spelling. You see the exact spelling before the needle moves. In 2024 a Devanagari name differed from ours by one matra, and fourteen hours of stitching were unusable.
Script. The proof shows the script the name will be stitched in, so the lettering you approve is the lettering you get.
Placement. Where the name sits on the tee is shown on the proof, not decided at the hoop.
Thread shade. The floss colour is on the proof as well, and you approve it with everything else.
Approval in writing. Nothing gets hooped without it. The reject rate on names has been near zero since, and the proof costs nothing extra.
If a seller does not offer this on custom work, that is the single biggest thing to fix before you pay. Our name and initial embroidery range and Hindi name tees all go through it.
What about the care card?
Included, and please read it. Cold wash, inside out, dried flat in shade, ironed from the reverse. That routine is the difference between stitches that outlive the cotton and stitches that fray by year two. The full care guide is here.
Sizing, and what happens if it does not fit
Our tees run oversized by design on most fits. The size chart on each product page is measured flat from actual garments, not copied from a supplier PDF.
Exchange on size is straightforward as long as the embroidery is untouched and unworn. What we cannot take back is a custom name, for reasons that should be obvious. Which is why the proof step exists.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a custom embroidered T-shirt order?
The blank 220 GSM tee, artwork redrawn for stitch, thread and needles, 2 to 14 artisan hours, a wash and press, packaging, and shipping across India on orders over ₹999.
Do I get to approve the spelling before you stitch my name?
Yes, in writing. Every custom name order gets a layout proof showing spelling, script, placement and thread shade. Nothing is hooped until you approve it.
Is shipping included?
Yes, on orders over ₹999 within India. Courier costs us ₹120 to ₹160 per parcel, which is about 9 per cent of a mid-range tee.
Can I return a custom embroidered T-shirt?
Size exchanges are fine if the tee is unworn and the embroidery is untouched. A custom name cannot be returned, which is exactly why the written spelling proof exists before stitching.
Does the price include the T-shirt itself?
Yes. Every quoted price is for the finished garment on 220 GSM combed cotton. You are not supplying the blank, unlike at a local tailor.
Who wrote this
Vee Threads is a hand-embroidery label run by Vikash Tomar and Mansi from a studio in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. Every piece is stitched by hand by women artisans on the studio floor, on 220 GSM combed cotton tees and 400 GSM sweatshirts. We have shipped more than 5,000 orders. Mansi runs the studio and quality control, Vikash handles the digital side. Prices, timings and hours quoted in this article come from our own production records, not from industry averages. Browse the hand embroidered T-shirt collection or start a custom hand embroidery order.
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