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Machine Embroidery: A Marriage of Fabric and Design

comments (1) November 1st, 2008 in tools & supplies, embroidery

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Threads Magazine, editor

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Small designs scattered over a garment can maximize the embroidered effect. These shapes are from the Dot Font design card by Cactus Punch.

Small designs scattered over a garment can maximize the embroidered effect. These shapes are from the Dot Font design card by Cactus Punch.

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Another solution to this problem is to make your fabric as "average" as possible by using backings and toppings so the fabric is compatible with the stock design. Below are common problems embroiderers encounter; some are solved by and some are caused by using or misusing backings and toppings.

Troubleshooting: puckering and distortion
The most frequent complaints I hear from machine embroiderers involve puckering, poor fabric coverage or poor registration. Puckering and distortion can occur if a design is too dense for the fabric. For example, if a design has lots of full-coverage fill areas with layers of blended stitches on top, it may not be the best choice for knits or lightweight, drapey fabrics. Knits stretch horizontally and designs with vertical fill will push the knit along its horizontal axis and cause the knit to open up, creating wavy, puckered embroidery. Most puckering problems can be eliminated by adding a backing. But do you really want to take a fabric with a soft, drapey hand and create a stiff, poster-board effect on part of it? The design in question may be perfectly suitable for more stable fabric, but for a lightweight fabric or one with a loose, unstable weave, use a design with fewer fill and satin stitches.

In addition to choosing a design that's too dense for your fabric's weight and/or weave, there are other reasons your embroidery might pucker: Fabric that's stretched too tightly when hooped will relax when unhooped. Overly tight machine tensions (see Needles, threads, and tension) can also cause puckering. To test your tension balance, sew a 1-in.-tall block letter H, using a bright color in the needle and white in the bobbin. Check the wrong side after stitching. If you don't see any bobbin thread, your bobbin is too tight or your top thread is too loose, or both. If you see a bobbin thread column about one-third the width of your satin-stitch column, your tensions are balanced. But before you rush to adjust your tensions (some machines have automatic tensions), check the threading. Because rayon thread is slippery, it can jump out of the take-up lever causing tension problems. Therefore rethread the upper thread path, and check the bobbin to be sure it's threaded correctly, too.