Preventing Puckering
When manufacturers make fabric, they don't anticipate that anything will be added to it. When we embroider on fabric, the weight and tension of the stitches adds stress to the fabric. Stabilizer and hooping work to counteract that stress. When embroidering a design, focus on three factors: Fabric choice Stabilizer choice Hooping Choose fabric that will support the complexity of the design. Light and open designs can be stitched on nearly any kind of fabric. More complex designs perform best on sturdier fabrics. Once you have your design and fabric choice, choose the stabilizer that will support the fabric. The lighter or weaker the fabric, the sturdier the stabilizer. The sturdier the fabric, the lighter the stabilizer. For example, Jersey knits, quilter's cotton, fleece, and terrycloth are all "weak" fabrics, so will require cutaway stabilizer. Canvas and duck cloth are sturdier fabrics, so in many cases will only need tear-away stabilizer. Puckering occurs most often when using tear-away stabilizer with light or stretchy fabrics. To avoid or eliminate puckering, use a medium-weight cutaway stabilizer. Over the past several years we've published dozens of Fabrics 101 articles that demonstrate how to embroider on different types of fabrics. You'll find a list of those articles here. We're always adding more, so check that list often, and send ideas for new topics to stitch@emblibrary.com. When setting up the fabric and stabilizer for embroidery, we find that using a temporary adhesive spray between the two is great for getting a nice, tight bond. We use Gunold's KK100 adhesive sprays. Just a quick, light spritz on the stabilizer, then smooth the fabric on top. Hoop both together firmly. If your hoop has weakened over years of creative use, then consider using rubberized shelf liner to get an extra-tight grip. More helpful information is provided in the article, All Puckered Out. And, excellent tips for hooping -- including using rubberized shelf liner -- are in this Perfect Hooping with Anne Campbell article. If you'd like additional assistance after reviewing those articles, please send an email to stitch@emblibrary.com. Include: **Your order number **The name of the design that you are working with **The type of fabric you are using **The kind of stabilizer (tear-away, cutaway, water-soluble) you are using **A description of where the puckering occurs Include all of the above information in your email. We'll be glad to review the information and the design!