Troubleshooting Common Embroidery Machine Problems

Machine Embroidery has become a popular hobby and profitable business. However, when a new embroiderer gets his machine and learns to embroider, mistakes and mistakes are bound to happen.

Here’s a list of common Embroidery Machine problems with a few essential solutions that will help you to address and solve them.

To avoid embroidery thread breakage, ensure that the thread flows freely through the machine, replace the needle if needed, clean the bobbin case and rethread your machine. Also, use high-quality branded thread instead of cheap ones to get the best results.

To fix and troubleshoot this bobbin thread embroidery machine problem, follow these essential steps:

• Remove the thread from the eye of the needle and rethread your machine.
• Properly clean the upper thread path and the bobbin area.
• Change your needle (if necessary).
• Check the thread top and re-adjust the tension of the thread.

If the stitches continues skipping, check the needle, may be your needle is bent, so check and replace it and follow the instructions in the manual to rethread the machine and make sure the foot is up:

• Ballpoint needles give better results when using stretchy fabrics. Never use a thread thickness of less than 20, as it may damage the sewing machine.
• If the problem persists after changing the needle and verifying the needle/fabric combination is correct. Your machine may have timing issues. Ensure the threading line indicator on the flywheel is up and reread the upper thread (this will move the thread take-up lever to the correct threading position 3).

This is the most terrible thing to experience during machine embroidery. If your embroidery machine needle keeps breaking, ensure the needle isn’t touching anything when you move it, and the thread isn’t getting in the way.

Also, ensure the needle is installed correctly, and consider a new or larger, sharper needle.

To fix bird nests and thread loops on the back of fabric, try rethreading with the presser foot raised, clean the upper thread path, check the bobbin case for damage, or increase the upper thread tension. Make sure to thread correctly, and check tension settings manually.

If you’re facing fabric puckering during machine embroidery, you can reduce the minor puckers initially by pressing the back of your embroidery with a heat iron.

This technique may not be worked for some embroidery machine because sometimes extreme fabric puckering cannot be fixed, but you can prevent the occurrence of fabric puckering and wrinkling by following these steps:

• Hoop your fabric properly (Try not to hoop too stretched loose).
• Choose a stabilizer (topping or backing) that is more suitable for the type of fabric.
• Rethread the top of the sewing machine and clean the tension disc to ensure good thread feeding.
• Choose the correct needle according to your fabric and switch to a new one.
• Change to a thin thread that matches the fabric.

If you notice large holes around your design stitches, try to use a new needle with a sharper tip or use a smaller needle for a more rigid fabric with a tighter weave. Reduce the design density in that particular area or pick a thinner thread for you embroidery machine.

You may need to replace the thread trimmer if you notice that the embroidery machine is not trimming the jump stitches.

However, removing the needle plate and gently cleaning around the thread trimmer with a brush is often necessary. (Thread stuffing may require tweezers.)

If you don’t see the low bobbin warning, clean the bobbin area and sensor to ensure the sensor isn’t blocked by lint or small pieces of thread.

Then try another coil. Sometimes pre-wound bobbins don’t work well with machine sensors. Also, you can replace the sensor of your embroidery machine.

To avoid hoop burn-in, you can either use a magnetic embroidery hoop or float your embroidery project. However, stains can also be removed by a trip in the washing machine, magic spray sizing, or steaming the fabric with a hot iron.

To avoid embroidery machine trouble:

• Check bobbin winder shaft direction.
• Thread machine & ensure flywheel thread line is up.
• Set stitching leg up before threading.
• Set bobbin correctly.
• Ensure presser foot is down before sewing.

Missing or skipped stitches can be a hassle, causing production delays. Check your design’s back to ensure the top and bottom thread ratio is correct. If you can’t see the bobbin thread, adjust the tension. In your case, raise the upper thread tension and double-check the machine’s thread.

If your machine isn’t picking the lower thread, ensure the needle is not bent and replace it with a new needle if necessary. Also, rethread the machine according to the threading instructions in your embroidery machine manual guide.

Although this is not a comprehensive list of embroidery machine problems and solutions but it can be sufficient for the initial trouble shooting.

With this embroidery machine trouble shooting guide, you’ll learn about the most frequent problems, along with the solutions & standard operational process of embroidery machine.