Secrets to stitching beautiful machine embroideries

Are there any secrets for stitching out beautiful embroideries? I’m referring to those embroideries which do not have any puckers, where the top thread and the bobbin thread remain within their own parameters and where we are not testing the stitchouts time and again to achieve that sought after perfection. The answer is YES, definitely YES. A design is nothing more than stitches. Our embroidery machine is the means to achieving that embroidery and that is where we need to be prepared before we even take the design to the machine.

Before I even attempt to explain anything about machines, I want to draw attention to some other items that are essential to creating beautiful embroideries. The two most important ingredientsto stitching out embroideries, apart from the embroidery machine, are thread and stabilizer. It is important that we understand their role and how they work.

Thread comes in a variety of weights. The most commonly used weight for machine embroidery is 40 wt. My understanding from many years was that the home embroidery machines came pre-set with 40 wt tension from the factories. That understanding, now, however, has changed due to the majority of home embroidery machines being manufactured in Japan where majority of the embroidery thread weight is 50. The higher the count, the finer the thread and the lower the count, the thread is thicker. Thus, when we digitize our designs to use with 40 wt threads (yes digitizers, you can create your designs based upon thread weight), we often find that the bobbin thread comes to the top. This begins a whole new set of adjustments and loss of time etc in creating our projects.

The most easiest method before any embroidery project is to test your embroidery machine’s tension using the thread and bobbin that you will use. Bobbins come in a variety of weights as well and just like the embroidery threads can be of polyester or cotton. But before I digress again, let’s keep it simple and go on with the process of making it easier rather than trying to understand it all.

Everyone’s machine has built in alphabets. My advice is to select the capital I and using the stabilizer and threads, stitch it out on a scrap piece of fabric. If the tension of the threads is perfect, you should see a 60/40 look on the underside of the embroidery, with 60% being the bobbin thread (in the middle) and 40% should be the top thread (on either side). If this tension test works, you are set to start stitching out your design.

But, what happens if you encounter some other configuration? I have myself encountered tension problems on Brother, Babylock, Pfaff and Janome machines. Talking to the users and working on them myself I found the best way to avoid any problems is to do a tension test sew out as described above. If the tension is tight (and I am referring to the top tension, not the bobbin tension), then simply loosen the top tension until the tension test sew out is satisfactory. I personally would strong advice against changing the tension on the bobbin case. That is to be done only as the last resort. If the embroidery machine is serviced once a year, there is no need for anyone to ever mess with the bobbin tension. If the top tension is loose, where the I is completely covered with the top thread, then tighten the top tension. This little test saves so much time in the long run.

Once the tension is set, let’s talk a bit about stabilizers. Stabilizers are a definite necessity to beautiful stitchouts. I am not going to burst anyone’s bubble on home made stabilizers, but will only warn that coffee filters, dryer sheets, typing paper, etc are not good stabilizers in my opinion. Your needles will not last long using paper or any of the above mentioned products. Moreover, paper has a fine white residue which can create problems in the bobbin area of the embroidery machine. As all stabilizers are manufactured at a handful of companies worldwide, it pays to shop around for the best types. Surprisingly, you will find the same kind of stabilizers as sold by your dealer at any shop where Pellon products are sold (ofcourse your dealer will have them branded by someone else). For cottons, medium weight tearaways are best. For knits use polymesh and for items where the backside will be showing, use water soluble stabilizer (vilene). The stabilizer should always be hooped in such a manner that it creates a thump sound when hooped….that’s how tight it should be. If it is wobbly and moving around in the hoop, chances are that your embroidery will not be perfect.

I normally always hoop the stabilizer and then pin the fabric to the stabilizer. As I found out lately that many friends cannot use pins, I went on a hunt to find an alternative. Well….how does fabric glue stick sound! It dries fast and will hold the fabric taut and washes out easily. The trick is to always have the stabilizer tight in the hoop. I have heard where friends will float a piece of stabilizer underneath the hoop. That stabilizer is actually doing nothing for the embroidery. All it will help with is shortening the life of the needle and also make it harder on the machine.

The hardest fabric to embroider upon is muslin and general tendencies are to use two sheets of tearaway stabilizer. A note to friends….the more the stabilizer, the more harder on the machine and you will have puckers galore. The butterfly blocks showcased in this blog were stitched upon muslin using one sheet of medium weight tearaway stabilizer. After embroidery and removal of stabilizer, there were hardly any puckers. Puckers happen when fabric is stretched in the hoop for embroidery. Once the tension of the hooping is released, the fabric puckers around the embroidery. That is one of the major reasons why I do not prefer to hoop.

To read up more on threads, I recommend reading Choosing Machine Embroidery Threads. It is a wonderful site to visit and explore. In the end, I would only say that no two people digitize alike and when dealing with a multitude of variables, it is best to narrow them down and find a suitable method. I test my tension every few weeks and definitely before starting a huge project. It has saved me umpteen hours of re-stitching and fussing, hope it will help others as well.