Hello everyone
I wonder if someone can offer any advice. I seem to be having a problem with 'puckering'.
I am using a Brother Innovis, which does not have a tension adjustment, so I cannot ease the tention. I have tried hooping the fabric which is 'Poly Cotton' . And I have also tried just hooping the stablelizer which is a medium weight tear away and using tacky spray adhesive to keep the four inch square of fabric to be embroidered in place. But nothing seems to stop the puckering. Everything is okay if I just stitch outlines, say a heart or a square, but when I try to stitch words say Merry Christmas, it puckers.
I have seen many designs stitches out on even lighter weight fabric so at first I thought poly cotton was too light weight, but this seems to happen on most fabrics. I try to use designs which are not to dense, which is SUCH a pity, but if it happens with words as well I must be doing something wrong. If only I could loosen the tension. Any suggestions would be most welcome.
Thanks
1657
Sounds to me like your problem is incorrect stabilization. You don't mention what kind of stabilizer you're using or the number of stitches in your design. Most stabilizers will support only 10,000 stitches, so if you have more than that, then you need to float another piece of stabilizer underneath. or hoop 2 pieces of stabilizer, on a 45degree angle to each other.
16707I never found the need to adjust the bobbin tension (I have a separate bobbin case for thick decorative threads), but the top tension is as a rule easily to adjust via the machine screen even on the simple Brother 190D.
Your manual should have a paragraph on it.
145302Hi Wishfulthinking...
I have given up using tear away stabiliser on most everything. I get a much better result using cut away.
I think you can adjust the tension on most digital machines by doing it on screen, not manually... Could that be on your machine?
just a thought...
Best of luck, Jan
2 comments
by hightechgrammy
22 Aug 2013
And.... when stitching words I use as tiny of a needle as I can find in my stash... like a size 9....
by wishfulthinking
22 Aug 2013
Hi Jan
I have a Brother Innovis 900 and quite frankly although it is a lovely machine, one cannot do much on the screen. Having had this now for a couple of years and now know more about machines...I definately chose the wron one. I should have paid more, although this was nearly a thousand, but cheap compared to others. Brother have informed me it is self tensioning and if there is a problem with this I have to take it back to the shop and have a sevice and we all know what they cost. I too am just about to give up on tear away, the problem is I did not want any stabliser left on the back as with thin fabrics when it is ironed it tends to show through, but I gues this is better than puckering. I use a 75/11 needle, do not seem to be able to find any thinner where I am. But I will now look for the smallest available. Many thanks for taking the time to reply ~x~
59631Tension is always adjustable somehow. My machine came with 2 bobbin cases. Only 1 was adjustable. Tension can be very confusing, so I am hoping the stabilizing and basting works.
1 comment
by wishfulthinking
22 Aug 2013
Brother sya NO self tensioning. If I am wrong and anyone can support this, please let me know. Itis a Brother Innovis 900 Thank you for your response
173691Have you given it a try with the pre-woung bobbin? Also I wonder if there are too many stitches [ie dense design] for a light fabric
2 comments
by wishfulthinking
22 Aug 2013
I love my avater too...he is sooooooooooo cute. I have not tried pre wound bobbins, but I am thinking may be the fabric is too light and the wrong stabilizer. I have been using tear away, but I think prehaps given the light poly cotton I should go for cut away medium. I will try this and see what happen. Thank you for your advice.
16529you can adjust the tension on a innovis 2800d if thats what you have.I have only done it once but you can find it in your manual
1 comment
by wishfulthinking
22 Aug 2013
Hi Tammy
No Innovis 900 and Brother said no. But thank you for your reponse, if I have been informed incorectly I would love to know.
199Try adding another layer of stabilizer. Sometimes 1 layer is not enough. I never play around with my tension but find the problem is usually not enough stabilizer. And I am very grateful that I do not have to mess around with tension because I am bad with getting it back. Thank goodness my machines have default settings. Hope this helps.
1 comment
by wishfulthinking
21 Aug 2013
Thank you 02kar. I will try this as it is something I have never done. I am currently reading a link which Pennifold kindly supplied and am finding it both very informative and interesting. Lots and lots of good advice and projects too. So much so that I keep straying away from the puckering advice to read other advice. I have a feeling I will return to the site on a regular basis.
Thank you all so much.
~ x ~
169064Hi Wishful,
I'm sorry to inform you but Meg has removed all her designs, you can download them for free on Secrets of Embroidery. I hope this is of some help to you. Love Chris
www.secretsof.com
1 comment
234492The rubber strips are about half way down the page. Love Chris
www.emblibrary.com
234492Hi "wishful", I always find the main thing for puckering is that the fabric is not hooped correctly. Also you need the correct stabiliser. I don't know why you can't adjust the tension on your machine as all machines should allow that option.
I've added a page about puckering for you. I do hope you can find some relief, as it must be very frustrating to say the least. Love and blessings Chris, Newcastle, Australia.
www.emblibrary.com
2 comments
by wishfulthinking
21 Aug 2013
Hello Pennifold. I agree it is very odd, but there is no mention of tention in the guide book and when I rang the machine shop, they told me the Innovis Embriodery machine...self tentions and it cannot be alterd! I also think it should have one. I will read your link. I have tried hooping in several differnt ways and several different types of stabiliser. I spent ages researching on stabilisers and read many recommendations, to no avail, I just confused myself. I have read that if one uses lightweigh fabric then to use lightweight stabiliser, then on here I read just the opposite, light fabric heavy stabiliser, I am now so confused. Yes it is frustrating, I spent over a thousand on this machine as I dearly wanted to embrioder, but it is not happening for me and all I use it for is straight sewing. I am so disappointed. I have tried every which way, so now I think it must be me and I am about to give up trying. I waste so much cotton and fabric trying. :( Thank you I will read your link ~x~
by pennifold
21 Aug 2013
Ooh! another thing try those rubber hand mits that grip things. I've cut one up into small strips to put on the hoop at different times. Love Chris
234492