Customer Help Desk
Basic idea of Appliqué
1. Machine will do a single running stitch around the area for the fabric and stop.
2. Place your fabric covering the outlined area.
3. Machine will do a double outline around the area and stop.
4. Trim away the excess fabric close to stitching with appliqué scissors.
5. Machine will satin stitch over the rough edges.
Each design will be different. You may have several areas of double outlined stitching/trimming in a row before any satin stitching begins. Follow the directions included with each design for specifics.
Breaking Needles Issue
There is a metal bar with a small tab that fits into a small notch at the top of the hook assembly. There is a small slot immediately behind the notch where the needle enters. The tab keeps the slot from rotating with the hook. If the slot has moved, when the needle comes down, it will hit metal and not enter the hook area. That could cause your needle breaks.
There will be a tiny movement because the tab is slightly smaller than the notch, but the notch should not be able to move past the tab.
There has to be a gap between the tab and the back of the notch of about the diameter of a needle. Too little and the thread can't pass between smoothly, too much and the notch will rotate out of position.
It may be easier to see if you remove the bobbin, needle plate and side covers. Rotate the main shaft by hand watching as the needle enters the hook area. Look at the top of the hook assembly as the needle penetrates and you'll see the slot that I mentioned. Adjust the retainer tab by loosening the two screws. The centre of the tab should line up left and right with the centre of the needle as it penetrates. I use an old needle between the tab and notch to check the front to back clearance.
Buying your first embroidery machine
I am starting out in embroidery, what is the best machine to buy?
Diagnosing Thread Pull Out's on your Embroidery Machine
Diagnosing Thread Pull Out's on your Embroidery Machine
The most common reason for thread pull outs on embroidery machines is improper tension. Look at the back of the design and you can determine this by the ratio of upper thread and bobbin thread showing in the back of the design. For instance, if on the back of the design you see little bobbin thread showing, then either your bobbin is too tight or the top tension is too loose. Make sure that you have an inch to an inch and a half drop to the bobbin. If the bobbin drop test looks good then tighten up the top tension. Remember whenever you turn the tension knobs always provide a good balance by turning both the small and the larger tension knobs to reach the desired look.
Read more: Diagnosing Thread Pull Out's on your Embroidery Machine
Embroidered Garment Holes
My embroidered design on a t-shirt is puckering and has pin holes. What am I doing wrong?
Embroidery Distortion
When we are embroidering T-shirts, we are finding although the design is of a circle, it is coming out as an oval? Help.
Embroidery is puckered
My embroidery on pique fabrics is puckered? I use three pieces of embroidery backing and the stitch count is in excess of 10,000 stitches. What can you advise?
Embroidery Placement Chart
Embroidery Placement Chart
Item……………………………Location
Clothing
Polo
7"-9" down from left shoulder seam centred between placket and side seam or 3"-5" from centre.
T-Shirts
7"-9" down from left shoulder seam centred between placket and side seam or 3"-5" from centre.
Embroidery Topping
I am never happy with the finish of my embroidery on towels or fleeces, it never looks good - always sunken and hard to see. Is there anything I can use to make this look better?
Embroidery Waterproofing
My customer has given me some Golf Jackets to embroider. The customer does not want to loose the waterproofing or breathe ability of the jacket once the embroidery has been applied. How do I get around this problem?
Fixing looping on your embroidery machine
1. Change the needle.
2. There are 3 needle plates, one is for tubular frames, one is for caps, one is for border frames/table. If you use the wrong needle plate for the job you may get looping.
3. The relationship between the upper tension and the main tension is touchy. If the upper tension is too loose it may allow looping to occur. Tighten the upper tension slightly, a bit at a time to see if this solves the problem.
Fixing thread breaks on your embroidery machine
Inspect the needle, and ensure that it is inserted onto the needle bar correctly. There are two things to look for.
1) That the eye of the needle is not facing to the left at all, you can have it facing straight on and slightly right but never left.
2) You need to ensure that the correct side of the needle is facing the front of the machine. On one side of the needle there is a long groove that starts from the eye of the needle and goes all the way along the shaft of the needle up to the part where it starts to widen out. On the other side just above the eye of the needle is the scarf of the needle, a slight indentation cut out of the shaft of the needle.
Hook comes down and gets stuck on the Presser foot
Hook comes down and gets stuck on the Presser foot
The wiper or Upper thread Hook comes down and gets stuck on the Presser foot.
Read more: Hook comes down and gets stuck on the Presser foot
In-house Digitising
I find digitising quite expensive, would you advise doing this in house?
Lettering on Polo Shirts
The lettering on my polo shirt embroidery is too close together and hard to make out. Please advise?
Metallic Thread Use
Why do Embroiderers not like using Metallic Threads?
Sub-Road to Sublimation Success: Full Throttle
Road to Sublimation Success: Full Throttle
Without a doubt, the face of sublimation has changed dramatically over the last few years. We now have hundreds of new and exciting products including iPhone and iPad covers, SubliSLATE™, and ChromaLuxe® photo panels that have helped with the industry’s incredible surge in popularity. One great resource to see lots of examples of these new substrates and what other digital decorators are doing with them is our client image gallery at; www.conde.com/gallery.php
Thread coming out of needle
Problem:
Needle was becoming un-threaded at the beginning of every letter. (Oddly, designs stitched perfectly, larger fonts stitched perfectly, only the smaller fonts would become un-threaded at the beginning of each letter).
Solution:
Thread is frayed after it is cut
I am experiencing thread breaks on most of the needles...not all the time just enough to be annoying. I noticed that the thread is frayed after it is cut. I have a 1501 SWF. Any ideas how I may correct this. Thanks!
Solution:
Thread Tension Gauge
The directions that come with your tension gauge tell you to test with the thread through the eye of the needle.
Threads are not trimming
Remove your needle plate to be able to fully inspect the knives. Under the needle plate you will find a silver articulating knife and a black knife that has SWF engraved on it. Look at the leading edge of the black knife and inspect it for any burrs or nics. Use your thumb nail to detect if it has a nic on it. If it does then it will have to be replaced.
Too many sheets of backing
Too many sheets of backing?
"I need to use several sheets of embroidery backing on difficult embroideries and not only is it difficult to frame up - let alone tear - it makes the embroidery very stiff and spoils the way the garment drapes. Can you Help"
Helpdesk Response.
Why use toppings?
Why do Embroiderers use Topping? This is a very good question and one that is asked very frequently these days.
The reason for using a Topping is to enable the embroidery design to be applied clearer, sharper and flatter, without the fabric pile coming through the design.
