From Embroidery-Digest Vol. 1 n118 From: llg534@optimum.com (Lindee Goodall) Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 19:46:06 -0400 Subject: EMB: Re: Too Much Thread Pull (Long) Jared, > I'm new to embroidery and am working through a problem. >I've stiched out a pattern that has fish that are outlined in black. >The fill-stitch pulls the fabric so that when the outline is stiched >it creates a gap where there should be stitching. > >What are some possible solutions? You're very observant to notice this push and pull of the stitches on the fabric. It takes most new embroiderers much longer. If you were to look more closely, you would notice that the stitches pull most along their length, particularly where they reverse direction and then actually push out along their width. For example, a satin stitch block "I" will be taller due to pushing and narrower due to pulling. As others have commented, the best way to combat this phenomena is with proper hooping and backing techniques. Most of us were not taught to hoop with the backing in the hoop, yet that method (which is more difficult) yields the best results. Another thing to remember (more a problem with samples and scraps when you just want to see what a design looks like) is to have your design running with the grain of the fabric. Which backing should you use? It depends on how stable your garment is. Backing compensates for lack of fabric stability and is one the "equalizers" in the embroidery process. Some very stable fabrics need no backing at all. Don't base your notion of stability on the weight or thickness of the fabric. Organza is extrememly stable and can be embroidered with no stabilizer whatsoever. Knits, on the other hand, are very stretchy and require a firm backing that won't deteriorate while sewing, such as cutaway (organza is very useful here also). Think about why a tearaway tears away--you are perforating it with the needle. How well can it hold/stabilize once it gets perforated? After sewing on cutaway, use your scissors to trim around the embroidery about 1/4" rounding all corners (so they don't poke). Do hoop your backing with the garment. Smooth the fabric over the backing then lay on top of the outer hoop. Press the inner hoop evenly into place. Did the hoop go in easily? Then you need to remove your hoop and tighten the screw. The hoop should be a fairly snug fit. This is called pre-tensioning your hoop. Contrary to what many of us have been told, it is not necessary to crank down the screw with a tool. This only serves to strip your screw. Once you have have a snug placement with the hoop, you do not need to adjust your screw as long as you are using this fabric and backing combination. How tight should your fabric be in the hoop? Most of us have been instructed "drum tight." But think about it. If you stretch your fabric and then force stitches into it, you will be distorting your fabric. I've seen knits with dense stitching that could have been used as a bowl afterwards!!! Your backing should be taut and your fabric should be neutral. In fact, if you properly hoop a knit tshirt, you can drag your finger with a little pressure and cause wrinkles. That's ok. If you should see wrinkles though without the finger test, then you need to re-hoop. Re-hoop?!?!?!? Why not just tug on it a little and pull the wrinkles out? Try that and then observe the grain of your fabric. Better yet, try it with a striped knit and you'll see why. You can't keep it straight. You may smooth out one wrinkle but you will probably introduce another. Is tighter hooping better? No, not necessarily. You can get hoop marks (very easy on denim shirts) and you can even distort the weave of the fabric with the hoop which is call hoop burn. If your garment tolerates water, you can often mist out marks with a light pressing after dampening with water that has some white vinegar added. Wrapping your hoops can cut down on hoop marks and increase holding power. In general, just wrap the straight edges of your hoop because this is where you are loosing the holding power. Solvy. Use Solvy (or even dry cleaner bags--but not the areas that have ink) as a topping to keep stitches from sinking into the garment on knits (especially sweaters and pique) and on terry cloth and things like corduroy and other piles or naps. You don't even need to hoop it with the garment. I cut large pieces and then just keep repositioning to get the max. use possible. Save your scraps in a zip lock bag to use as a PerfectSew replacement. (Keep your good stuff in a zip lock bag as well!) Try these and see if your sew-outs improve. You may find you have to mail order cutaways because they are relatively new to sewing stores. You should be able to find organza in fabric stores. (Hancock's has it.) It won't take high heat though. It will drape better and is more translucent which is better for most summer weight knits. It will ravel but that won't show from the front. Organza's low melt temperature makes it fun to use for "soldering iron cutwork." Instead of cutting the areas with scissors, lay your fabric on a piece of glass and use the soldering iron. Experiment first--it does take practice! ********************************************************** Lindee Goodall llg534@optimum.com http://www.cactus-punch.com/ **********************************************************