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From: Dianne Walker
Date: 01-13-2005, 04:01 PM (1 of 14)
Thought I would start of a new thread as the other seems to be going on for ever with various topics. Had disasters today!!!! I bought some material from the Machine shop in Derby to try and embroider a couple of nursery pictures to frame - total disaster. I don't know if the material was too thin but it puckered up terribly - particularly after I took it out of the hoop. I put stabilizer on the back as they said in the shop and they said that the material they sold me was the stuff to use. After you saying you use a material a bit like canvas, I think mine was too thin. What do you think? Also the stitching was quite a way out - when it did an outline it was not accurate at all. That's the first time that has happened. Afterwards I tried the same design on a square of felt and it was perfect. I know you said don't through mistakes away - but these - Oh dear - no hope!!!  Won't be daunted though - try again tomorrow. Hope you are getting on fine though as I am sure you will be. What project are you working on ? All the best Dianne 
Dianne
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User: Dianne Walker
Member since: 01-05-2005 Total posts: 59 |
From: Chrysantha
Date: 01-13-2005, 06:13 PM (2 of 14)
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Thin fabric needs MORE stabilizer....the stiffer the better. If you don't have the fabric hooped correctly (taut) it will pull and the outlines will be WAY off. Make sure the fabric is drum tight, WITH the stabilizer. Make sure the hoop is supported. You CAN loosen the top tension if you need to, but make sure the bobbin thread doesn't show on the top. Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: Mother in Law
Date: 01-13-2005, 11:43 PM (3 of 14)
Hey Dianne, Yes Chrys is right. It's probably because the fabric was too lose in the hoop. It needs to be stable. The next best thing to use is Sulky Sticky. It will stick to the fabric so it can't move in the hoop. Put the Stablizer in the hoop and then score the top layer of the stablizer and peel back the top layer so that the sticky part is now exposed. Then place the fabric on top of the sticky stablizer and press it down so that it's taut. You don't want to stretch the fabric but it needs to be tight or it will pucker. By doing it this way it can't more and shift in the hoop on you when you sew it out. That's what it did because it's thiner fabric. If you can't get the stiffy, try a temporary spray adhesive for embroidery. Don't use any other kind or it will gum up your needle. Read on the can and make sure it's for machine embroidery. With that you hoop the stablizer, a heavy stablizer and then spray the stablizer with the spray and then lay the fabric down and smooth it out so it's tight on the stablizer. They also make an iron on stablizer but I don't like using that one personally I never can get in ironed on right. Let me know how you make out tomorrow. Hang in there REMEMBER You do learn from those mistakes. The felt is stable that's why it sewed out perfect. At least now you know it's not the design it's the fabric and stablizer. Sometimes it can be the design especially if you got the design for free off the internet.  Keep trying you'll get it right.
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User: Mother in Law
Member since: Total posts: |
From: mommydionne
Date: 01-14-2005, 06:56 PM (4 of 14)
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I've never used sticky but I often use a tight cut away stabilizer only in my hoop and then use 505 temp spray adhesive to hold things such as thin fabric, knits (ie rtw t shirts) and heavier stuff that you don't want lines on such as velvet.
Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838 
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From: Dianne Walker
Date: 01-17-2005, 09:19 AM (5 of 14)
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Thanks so much for all the sound advice. At the moment I only have iron on stabilizer but the sticky stuff or spray sounds to be the stuff that can help. I did try again with 3 layers of the iron on. It was better but still a long way from perfect. I think I had better go shopping !!! I am enjoying myself though and am quite pleased with some of the results. At the moment I am working on a pillow case which I am very pleased with. I still only used the 3 layers but must have got it more taut in the hoop as it is fine at the moment. Fingers crossed !!! I will certainly get some of the other type as soon as I can and will let you know how I get on. In the meantime - thanks a million to all of you who keep responding to my trials and tribulations (especially Susie who has been an absolute gem from the start). It is very reassuring when you don't know what you are doing !!!! Di 
Dianne
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User: Dianne Walker
Member since: 01-05-2005 Total posts: 59 |
From: MaryW
Date: 01-17-2005, 09:30 AM (6 of 14)
Dianne, there are some great girls on this site. They are always willing to help. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Mother in Law
Date: 01-17-2005, 05:29 PM (7 of 14)
You gals are making me have a big head   Dianne, Just remember to keep what you hoop very tight. That's very important. Anything that is slacking in the hoop will not stitch out straight. If you are stitching out a really thick design with alot of stitches you need to sometimes put stablizer in the hoop and a layer or two under the hoop. If the design is what they call "bullet proof". Best thing to do in that case is try and find another design that's not so thick. Sometimes it's the design and nothing you do can make it better. But don't give up. |
User: Mother in Law
Member since: Total posts: |
From: luv2sew
Date: 01-17-2005, 06:53 PM (8 of 14)
In the case of a really thick design, can you adjust the density on the machine so as to reduce the thickness of the design? Thinking just now of another.....when I do a test and get the tension adjusted it stitches ok. When I do the "real thing" there is too much upper thread on the underneath. What am I doing wrong, pleeeeeease.  luv2sew Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174 
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From: Mother in Law
Date: 01-17-2005, 07:40 PM (9 of 14)
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Question # 1. You can not adjust the density of the stitch on the machine. It has to be done in a program that digitizes. I don't have a clue of how to do that but it's complicated and I guess I could learn but as of now I don't know how to do that even though I have a program that does that. With Embird you can do that but I wouldn't try without knowing how to do it. Also some designs have to be thick with stitches in order to stitch out right. There is also push and pull compensation that needs to be taken into account which is why some designs don't follow the outline the same way on different fabrics. The more stretch a fabric has the more pull it will have when sewn and then cause the outline to pull away from the main part of the design. It gets very complicated and I'm not too familiar with this part of embroidery but did listen to a lecture by a few digitizers on this subject. I wouldn't adjust the tension on the machine it's probably more a stablizer issue then a tension issue. Stablizer will keep the fabric from stretching out when the design is being sewn. They told us at the conference that even some of the big design companies have "bullet proof designs" that sew out thick. When you embroidery on a garment it is suppose to become a part of the fabric and flow with the fabric like butter on bread. If it doesn't it's too thick and becomes harder to stablize. |
User: Mother in Law
Member since: Total posts: |
From: Dianne Walker
Date: 01-20-2005, 05:16 AM (10 of 14)
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Very interesting to read all these comments although some of it is a little bit beyond me at the moment. I did find in Embird how to enlarge a design and to adjust the stitch density in proportion and that seemed to work OK. I like the Embird software very much and find it extremly useful for being able to see the number of stitches where the colour changes. I have used this several times when the bobbin has run out or something. I think some of the problems I have had have been no enough stabilizer as you have said. The shop where my machine, threads etc came from only sells the iron on, and water soluble types. The iron, even with two layers does not seem enough on thin fabric. In the box of bits that came with the machine there was some thicker stabilizer which seemed much better. They say that Janome only recommend the iron on I've got but when I go on the beginners course on the 1st Feb I shall ask about it. The sticky stuff that Susie told me about also sounds useful. I don't think you are getting big headed Susie - it's good to be able to pick your brains. Keep up the good work - this novice is very very grateful. Dianne Dianne
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User: Dianne Walker
Member since: 01-05-2005 Total posts: 59 |
From: Mother in Law
Date: 01-20-2005, 10:19 AM (11 of 14)
Now to give you the big head Dianne. I never tried to adjust the density of a design in Embird. If you did this and succeeded then you are ahead of me.  I like Embird because it's user friendly for us that have problems with comprehending instructions. Usually the instuctions is the last thing i look at when trying something new. Which is the first thing I should do because it's always where I wind up, but with embird you don't have to, you just play and it works. I like to use different types of stablizers. I have the Janome 9000 but my friend has the 10001 like you and she uses all the different stablizers with her machine and has wonderful results. The stablizer should match the fabric you are using first then density of the stitch. I don't think the machine has a lot to do with the type of stablizer you are using. Stablizing the fabric is the most important thing when embroidering, in my opinion, it's the fabric is not stable in the hoop the design is going to pucker or stretch out and you will not get good results. A little advice about using spray, you have to be careful what kind you use, if you use the wrong kind it can gum up the machine then you will have problems. I love you picking my brain Dianne. Pick Pick Pick |
User: Mother in Law
Member since: Total posts: |
From: plrlegal
Date: 01-20-2005, 10:44 AM (12 of 14)
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Instead of using the adhesive spray, why not use the sticky stablizer and save yourself some grief with your machine? My sister who has been embroidering scrubs, children's clothes, sports clothing for a sporting goods shop, etc. now for about 10 years highly recommends the Hydro stick stablizer in lieu of using the spray adhesive which, when I priced it a Hancock's, almost gave me heart failure at the price of that iddy biddy can for $13.00! Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: Hogmami
Date: 01-20-2005, 10:55 AM (13 of 14)
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Here are a couple sites that might help.www.insideembroidery.com/Education/stabilizer%20chart.asp http://www.diamondthreadworks.com/stabilizer_chart.htm
Carolyn
Michigan |
User: Hogmami
Member since: 09-30-2004 Total posts: 800 
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From: Dianne Walker
Date: 01-27-2005, 06:34 AM (14 of 14)
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Thank you Caroline, Patsy and of course ever helpful Susie for all your sound advice. I must certainly look more at the stabiliser issue as it does seem to be the vital thing. It looks as though I might have to order it off the internet as the shop I go to in Derby have nothing except the thin iron on that I have got and I do not know of any other shops likely to stock such things. I have not done much sewing this week as my Mum in law died last Thursday so we have been busy seeing to all the formalites and arrangements. Unfortunately John's brother had just flown out of the country to go on holiday so we have had it all to do. Very sad but I am sure you are not interested in that. I am going on the Janome course on Tuesday and am really looking forward to it. All my initial questions have been so satisfactorily answered on here that I now have very little to ask. It is so good having this forum to log on to and to get replies from such a friendly and helpful bunch. thanks so much. Dianne
Dianne
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User: Dianne Walker
Member since: 01-05-2005 Total posts: 59 |
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