Troubleshoot: Design Puckering
Go Back to Swak 101 Articlesby Michelle of Abigail Michelle Embroidery
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Stabilizing correctly is the most important part of machine embroidery. If it is done incorrectly, it can turn a wonderful design into a nightmare. Practice makes perfect and the more you do it, you will learn the tricks of the trade.
See our article on Stabilzers at SWAK101 here.
Knowing the correct ways to stabilize does not always insure success. It's inevitable that once in awhile a pucker will happen. Don't fret, your design may not be ruined!
If you see a pucker forming in your design area, it may be more important to know what not to do rather than what to do. When it's happening, the first thought is to pull the fabric in the hoop a little tighter. Resist this temptation. Doing that will almost assuredly pull the design off center. This will be especially bad if your design has an outline that will stitch later.
More times than not, just leaving the design to complete on the machine will have the best result.
Don't see this moment as a problem, use it as a learning experience. It can help you to learn to do things differently the next time you stabilize.