Could someone please tell me? if you stitch out a design and the outline doesn't quit line up, is it the design or my machine and can it be fixed?????

Thank you for the question and the answer.

It has allready been stated you need more stablizer. I went to a Floriani Seminar Saturday and this was one of the problems addressed. Sometimes a fusable and floating extra sheets under the hoop is the answer. . Hope this helps . Nancy

Lots of good info and good comments here. Remember, machine embroidery is like baking: you need a good recipe. The ideal stitchout is a combination of an experienced digitizer, proper hooping, appropriate (and adequate) stabilizer, quality embroidery thread, and well-maintained machine. If you're missing any of these 'ingredients', then the result may suffer. Your dealer can usually help you identify the 'missing ingredient' if you show your practice stitchout to her.

I think Marji's answer is the best as she explained it could be the stabiliser, or it might be the digitising. Try with an extra layer of stabiliser, either when hooping or just 'floating'an extra piece underneath. If the problems remains, write to the digitiser and tell how you stitched it out (one and/or two layers of stabiliser) and ask what can be done to correct it. He or she should have tested it (or have it tested) before selling or giving it away and should be able to tell how that was done.

This can happen if your fabric is not taunt in the hoop,and not enough stabilizer. I also use the permanent marking sharpies for fill-in--a small amount--too much and it will run. H&*

yes, and it seems to have been from on designer. I tried the design 3 times same results. I was told nothing was wrong with the design. I am sorry to say I will never buy from them again.

1 comment

by sewfrenzie 14 Aug 2011

It may be the design, I know that at least one of my designs the color doesn't quiet fill to the outline. I tryed several things to fix it and fortunately its not very noticeable so I left it and shared it anyway. However I would not sell it for that very reason. If its not lining up right, I feel its not right to ask someone to pay for it.

Thanks for asking & Thanks to those who answered!

I had this problem with the large parrots that were posted. This guy was huge took over and hour to stitch out, beautiful, then the outline stitches wer all over the place. pouted then asked our cuties. All I did was 'float' an additional piece of stablizer and poof no more problem. Hope this easy fix makes all work well.

Glad you asked - now I won't have to as I have been wondering about that, but wasn't concerned enough yet to question it.

As embroiders we always see the faults but most of the time (unless pointed out) no one would notice. I also use permanant markers if something goes wrong. I agree with Margji - it usually boils down to the stablizer. I do not think that it has anything to do with your machine. Hope you come right in the future.

Really good Ideas. Thanks

i also use a marker but i prefer a narrow zigzag stitch over top of the mistake no-one will see it but you lol Carolyn

Yes in most cases you can salvage the design. I have 24 fine permanent colored markers. Try to match your color thread and fill in lightly with a marker. Most non embroiders will not even see it.
Good luck. Maureen

1 comment

by beatie58 13 Aug 2011

Really good hint!

THANK YOU GUYS> YOUR ALWAYS SO HELPFUL

Make sure you have enough stabilizer for the number of stitches in the design. Most stabilizers should tell you something like "will support 10,000 stitches" or something like that. If you have a stabilizer that will only support 25,000 stitches, and your design is dense and has 35,000 stitches, you need to float another piece of stabilizer under the stabilizer already in the hoop. Also, when digitizing the design, the digitizer has to compensate for the push & pull of the fill stitches. Stitches will "pull" the material together in the direction of the stitch lines, and "push" the material apart as the lines of stitches stack up. Underlay stitches are put to help minimize this problem, but a digitizer has to compensate for it too in the placement of the stitches in relation to the outline. This is another reason auto-digitizing is a problem, the program just doesn't do the proper push/pull compensation no matter how good the program is. And so the outline stitches where it's programmed to stitch, but the fill stitches pulling together have actually pulled the material into a different position, and they don't line up. If this is happening on a good design from a reputable digitizer, I'd say stabilize more. And do a test stitch on all new designs before you put them on something expensive and ruin it, especially if the design is possibly auto-digitized. Best of luck to you, hugs, Marji

7 comments

by snowbird42 13 Aug 2011

thank you this is very informative...you learn something new every day...soozie

by meganne 14 Aug 2011

Great explanation Marji! Thanks for always having the right words. :-)))
hugs n roses, Meganne

by blueeyedblonde 14 Aug 2011

Thanks for the exlanation - something more for me to remember??!! Oh my poor memory - where did it go?? hehe

by aussiequilter 14 Aug 2011

very useful information ,Thanks

by aussiequilter 14 Aug 2011

just wondering how you know how many stitches my stabilize will hold.

would you suggest one layer for each 10,000 for med weight

by cj2sew 14 Aug 2011

Thank you for that answer. It really explains a lot to me.

by punchy168 19 Aug 2011

Thank you. I'm new to embroidery and I had this problem with one of the designs I was doing.

The problem may be with the design underlayment stitches that stabilize the fill area. Examine the design in your embroidery software and look to see if the underlayment has the right stitching.

this has happenened to me many times, mostly it is my fault with hooping but sometimes it is the design itself.

I've had that happen if the design wasn't digitized just perfect...It happens and there isn't anything you can do if that is how it was made.

Alot of times this happens when things aren't stabilized well enough, or the hoop got bumped.

1 comment

by ssampsel 13 Aug 2011

i hate when i bump the hoop, you know you're design is doomed!