Good Tension: How to Take the Tension Out of Setting Bobbin Tensions!

Proper bobbin tension is essential to good embroidery. If tension is too tight, unwanted bobbin thread may begin to show on top of your garment and you may begin to experience frequent thread breaks which wastes time and money.

Improper bobbin tension can cause the bobbin thread to show through your top thread

Tips for Good Bobbin Tension:

• Bobbin tensions should be 18 to 22 grams (up to 25 grams when embroidering caps).
• Proper tensions for satin stitches should reveal 1/3 bobbin and 2/3 top thread color on the underside of the embroidery.

Manual Bobbin Tension Test

• Start with a fresh bobbin
• Take the thread out of the pigtail. Pull out 9" to 12" of bobbin thread and hold in one hand
• Drop hand abruptly while holding onto the bobbin thread
• Bobbin case should drop 1" to 1.5"
• If it drops less, loosen the tension screw. If it drops more, tighten the tension screw 

 

If you are still experiencing bobbin thread on top of your garment after tensioning your bobbin thread, be sure that you are not using a damaged bobbin case, as this may cause undesirable results.  Other factors can include improper top thread tensioning and damaged needles. Old needles may produce burrs and lead to frequent thread breaks.

Stop Embroidery Stitches from Getting Lost!

With fall firmly here in front of us and winter right around the corner, embroidery jobs on fleece and similar high profile materials will likely rise. Make sure your embroidery looks great and really "pops" by making sure to use a water soluble topping!

When embroidering onto a high profile fabric (fleece, sweaters, terry cloth...), be sure to use a water soluble topping, such as Madeira's E-Zee Aqua® Supreme. A water soluble topping prevents the stitches from sinking into the pile and getting lost. When used on intricate designs, it is extremely effective in “elevating” the stitches and enhancing the detail.

The image on the left uses E-Zee Aqua on fleece. Notice the clear details in the lettering on the bottom. The image on the right does not use E-Zee Aqua and some of the embroidery is lost in the nap of the fleece fabric.

Used on top of a high profile fabric, such as fleece, the topping holds down the fabrics nap, or pile, while embroidering.  On sweaters, fleece, corduroy, and other soft knits, it stops the stitches from sinking into the pile and getting lost.

How to use E-Zee Aqua® Supreme Topping:

1. Use a pre-cut piece of E-Zee Aqua® Supreme topping or cut off a piece from a roll to fit your hoop size.
2. Hoop by placing on top of the garment, or you may simply lay a piece on top prior to embroidering the design (using tape to hold it in place may be necessary).
3. Embroider the design and remove the embroidered item from the hoop.
4. Tear off the excess topping and wad it into a ball.
5. Using a steamer or spray bottle with water, moisten any left over pieces of topping on the design, giving it time to become tacky.
6. Moisten one side of the excess ball of topping until it is tacky (you may need to add more topping to make the ball big enough to work with).
7. Finish by using the "bubble gum method to remove the left over pieces of topping on the design by dabbing at them with the tacky side of the ball of topping.

For additional information on using our E-Zee Aqua topping, please visit our T.H. Reads instructional sheet here. Additional T.H. Read instructional sheets can be found here.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Trends: Embrace all things embroidered

We admit it. Autumn/Winter fashions are some of our favorites. It likely stems from the return to cooler temperatures which calls for heavier and luxe fabrics such as wool and velvet - perfect for embellishing with embroidery and it looks like we're not the only ones who think this. This season, we see many designers also embraced this thought and it was reflected in their collections.

"Gilded embroideries, luxe velvets and ornate details ruled the runways for fall. Dolce & Gabbana led the pack with a collection of almost entirely black and gold Baroque looks. Ferragamo interpreted the reference for a lady of drama, while Balmain used all-over embellishments to show the grandeur of the bygone era." - Harper's BAZAAR Magazine

Here's a few of our favorite looks from the runways:

Left to Right, Dolce & Gabbana, Jason Wu, Ralph Lauren. Images provided by: Harper's Bazaar

Left to Right, Balmain, Versace, Oscar de la Renta. Images provided by: Harper's Bazaar

Read more: Very Versailles Dolce & Gabbana - Best Fashion Trends for Fall 2012 - Harper's BAZAAR

Cash in With Performance Wear!

Are you missing out by not expanding your embroidery services to include performance wear? Performance wear is a multibillion dollar segment of the fashion and apparel industry - especially when you consider all the embroidery created for the active lifestyle markets like team sports, the golf industry and also casual retail consumers. However, performance wear can be challenging to embroider onto. The August issue of Stitches Magazine features an article by our own Marketing Communications Director, Alice Wolf, with some helpful tips on working with performance wear that's worth a look. Check it out here and turn to page 38.

Did You Miss Madeira's 60 Weight Webinar?

Madeira hosted a webinar on embroidering with 60 weight and invited digitizing experts, Pat Williams and Rich Medcraft to help explain the uses of 60 weight thread as well as tips and tricks for using it in your embroidery. Loaded with tons of useful information for all embroiderers, you can catch the full recording of it below and on our youtube channel! 




Enjoy!