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From: rls
Date: 03-06-2007, 09:56 PM (1 of 12)
| I just bought a Brother 270D about a month ago and I have been working with it just fine with just a few learning glitches. But today I was trying to embroider a baby blanket with a name and for some reason the bobbin thread was fine but the top thread was all sketchy, not embroidering the full letter, skipping stitches in the letter if you know what I mean. So I tried loosening the thread tension. Tried taking out and re-loading the thread cassette thinking it was a problem with the upper thread but kept getting the same error. I thought it might be because I had enlarged the design so I reduced it to the original size; same problem. I then tried a new piece of cloth with a new color thread. Same problem. I had it skip part of a letter once before but not skip 60% of the upper threading. The back is almost completely white, no color thread. I think it has to be a machine setting but the manual offers no clue where to start! Does anyone know how to fix this? |
User: rls
Member since: 03-06-2007 Total posts: 4 |
From: Tom Land
Date: 03-06-2007, 11:42 PM (2 of 12)
|
My first guess would be a bad needle or improper needle. The all white bottom is an indication that either the bobbin tension is too loose or the upper thread is too tight. It is also possible that you are using the wrong stabilizer. If its none of these things you have a machine problem. This is all assuming that you are threading the machine properly. The worst thing about the 270d is that there is no selling dealer or store to turn to for help. If it doesn't straighten out do not assume you are doing something wrong. Take it back. I see numerous machines purchased at Wal-Mart or similar mass market stores that don't get returned in time because the owner thinks its her/him. Have fun or don't do it, Tom
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User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: lazyolazys
Date: 03-07-2007, 12:58 PM (3 of 12)
| I am sorry for the issues you are having. I had a few issues like that as well with my 270D and assumed it was me. I also had a lot of issues with looping in the thread in certain spots where the letter would take a curve. Not sure what that is about. Tom, I noticed that you indicated in a reply to me that most techs will not work on the 270D. Is this true of all Brother machines or just the 270D? What is it about this machine that people shy away from? |
User: lazyolazys
Member since: 03-04-2007 Total posts: 17 |
From: rls
Date: 03-07-2007, 11:26 PM (4 of 12)
| Thanks - I had the blanket sandwiched between a tear away stabilizer with a water soluble stabilizer on the top to keep the stitches from getting lost in the nap. It worked okay on my trial piece (which was a thinner fabric) - do you think it would be worth trying again with just the top stabilizer? |
User: rls
Member since: 03-06-2007 Total posts: 4 |
From: paroper
Date: 03-08-2007, 09:29 AM (5 of 12)
|
You would never do away with the bottom stabilizer. If you think you can, you don't understand the purpose of the stabilizer. The bottom stabilizer does just that. It is made so that it doesn't stretch, unlike interfacing that is made to give with the body. If you pull on interfacing it will either give or it will fall apart. Stabilizer, on the other hand is not made quite the same way and when you hoop it tightly, it holds up and doesn't stretch. When you lay the fabric on the stabilizer, the stabilizer withstands the pull of the needle. As you embroider, moving the needle back and forth, the needle wants to "scrunch the design together...like would happen if you took a needle and thread and made a loop in fabric and pulled it tight. The purpose of the stabilizer is to keep the fabric from following this natural trend. When your fabric is not properly stabilized you tend to see things that are puckered and pulled together. The outlines are off...in short, it is a mess, eventhough your fabric is hooped. There is seldom a fabric that doesn't have some give on the bias..even denium and duck has a bias that will stretch. The weight of the needle and the weight of the stabilzier should match the weight of the fabric. You wouldn't put a light weight stabilizer behind a denium...there would be no contest with a dense design...the design would win over the stabilizer. For the most part, I've had loops with two problems...a dull needle (remember, embroidery needles should be changed often) and I once made the HUGE mistake of using an INTERFACING (looking for a certain color of heavy stabilizer...could only find it in interfacing...BAD MISTAKE) on a stretch fabric (double witching hour). You could easily have the same type of problem with the wrong size needle. The other time I had a looping problem was a misaligned part in the machine (kind of complicated). The rule of thumb is to always use a cut away stabilizer with a stretch fabric. The exception to this rule as far as I am concerned is when it comes to fleece blankets. I usually use a water soluble stabilizer on fleece blankets...it is a matter of looks. I really prefer the water soluble over the tear away because not only will it "stay with you"...not perforate and tear away before you are ready, but it will also wash completely out. I have problems getting all the tear away out of the design and I think it is tacky. Some people think that the tear away is super because it stays in the design. The fact is, according to OESD (Oklahoma Embroidery Supply and Design) educators, who train and market the stabilizers, the tear away stabilizer perforates on the inside of the design and is unstable in the design (does not stay attached) which means that it doesn't support the design after it is done, just as it often comes loose on the outside, more stitches mean that it is totally loose on the inside. For wash away I use Aquamesh, a similar product is Villene. I have also used Badgemaster, a heavier product. If I were going to do without, I'd be more likely to do without the film topping, although it does keep the top smoother. You don't have as much nap with the fleece as with some fabrics and it isn't as likely to "poke" though the design. I've done it with and without on fleece. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 03-08-2007, 03:10 PM (6 of 12)
|
Tear away as the bottom stabilizer on fleece does not work well because, as Pam says, it starts separating as it is penetrated by the needle and the fleece becomes very unstable and stretches when the stablizer starts separating. I ended up with a birds nest when I tried tear away on the bottom with fleece. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 03-08-2007, 10:06 PM (7 of 12)
|
RLS, What type of thread are you using. I had similar problems with a Brother machine and it was the thread. it was some cheap stuff I had to put thread socks on the thread and then it worked out fine. Thread socks are the little nets that you slip over your thread to keep it feeding evenly.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118 
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From: Sewhappie
Date: 03-09-2007, 10:25 AM (8 of 12)
| Are you using your bobbins for that machine in it? I tried using the pre-made ones and they will not work right. I ended up just winding that bobbin onto the ones that come with the machine |
User: Sewhappie
Member since: 10-27-2001 Total posts: 1427 |
From: rls
Date: 03-09-2007, 02:42 PM (9 of 12)
|
OK - I have a lot of information to digest! I am using Coats & Clarke thread. with the brother bobbin thread included with the machine. The bobbins are brother bobbins I wound with teh machine. I am trying to embroider a baby security blanket (fortunately I bought 2!) and the material is a polyester with give in one direction but not the other. I've only embroidered about 10 designs and used the sewing machine about 10 times - could the needle go so quickly? If I do need to replace it, any suggestions on what type of needle would work best? The owners manual just says use a home sewing machine needle but when I look on the web there are lots of different machine embroidery needles with different weights shapes, etc. I never knew this could be so complicated! So much for the quick wal-mart impulse buy! Thank you for all your help and direction as I am beginning to realize I am even more of a beginner than I thought! |
User: rls
Member since: 03-06-2007 Total posts: 4 |
From: paroper
Date: 03-09-2007, 02:58 PM (10 of 12)
|
I don't care if you've sewn 50 years, this embroidery thing is a whole new world. Yes, depending upon the density of the design, you could easily "play" a needle out in 10 hoopings. Some people say to change the needle about every 40, 000 stitches but many of my designs are 40,000 stitches. Many times when I am doing a simple name on a baby blanket, it is 13-17,000 stitches. Now, I don't change my needle out at 40,000. I listen to the sound of the machine and there are subtile differences in the way the stitching looks when the needle is getting old, but those are things that come with experience. I don't have a Brother so I'm not sure about the Brother needles. There will be several along, I'm sure that can give you an idea. In my Bernina it is suggested that I use Organ needles for embroidery and Schmentz for sewing. The Organ brand are pretty reasonable and you can get 100 for around $15-20 with just a little looking. Personally, most of my stitching is done with sharps that are size 11-12. I do have a few 14's and I keep some balls but I don't use them much. I tend to use balls when I'm going to be doing something knit with a light design. I tend to look at the design and if it is a little dense, I use a sharp because many more of your stitches are in the design than the knit and the sharps help you penetrate the design better. 14's Are really good when you are doing a very dense design. I have no use for Universal needles when doing embroidery...they are neither sharp nor are they ball, which means that they are already somewhat dull...so forget those all together. You'll probably get some really good suggestions on needles. In the long run, your experience will help you determine what works best with your machine. Coats is not the best brand for embroidery, although it works OK in some machines. Sulky tends to break a fray a lot as does Thread ART. Mettler, Marathon, Madera poly and rayon, Isacord (my personal favorite), AR, there are several brands that will give you much less trouble. Be sure you always use the 60 wt bobbin thread too. You'll find that most embroidery thread will be either Rayon, Poly or Metalic. There will be a few other things available to you..and some blends that are interesting. The majority of embroidery weight thread is 40wt although you'll also find some that is 30. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Sewhappie
Date: 03-11-2007, 07:33 PM (11 of 12)
| I have a brother and use the Organ needles for embroidery. These seem to work the best in mine. |
User: Sewhappie
Member since: 10-27-2001 Total posts: 1427 |
From: rls
Date: 03-16-2007, 11:56 PM (12 of 12)
| after several days of changing fabric/needles/stabilizers/thread combinations, I took machine in and my local brother service center responded that this was not an unheard of problem -- hmmm - wish they had listed that in the trouble shooting section and saved me a lot of time and money |
User: rls
Member since: 03-06-2007 Total posts: 4 |
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