Thread breaking, bird nests, puckering, gaps or skipped stitches? Pick the problem, answer a couple of questions and get the likely causes in order, with the fix for each.
What's going wrong?
Every problem at a glance
Common embroidery problems and their fixes
Top thread keeps breaking
The needle thread snaps or frays partway through the design.
Worn, burred or wrong needle. Put in a new 75/11 embroidery needle (a 90/14 topstitch or metallic needle for metallic thread). Burrs strip the thread at the eye.
Top tension too tight. Loosen the top tension a little and check the I-test on the back: about a third of the column width should be bobbin thread.
Threading or spool problem. Rethread the top with the presser foot up so the thread seats in the tension discs, and use a spool cap or thread stand so it unwinds smoothly.
A tangle of top thread builds up on the underside or jams the machine.
Top thread not in the tension discs. Rethread the top with the presser foot raised so the discs open and the thread seats between them. This fixes most nests.
Loose thread tail at the start. Hold the top thread tail for the first few stitches, or let the machine trim it, so it can't be pulled under the fabric.
Fabric flagging in a loose hoop. Hoop drum-tight with the right stabilizer so the fabric doesn't bounce with the needle and let loops form underneath.
Stabilizer too light for the fabric. Use cut-away on knits and anything stretchy, and a medium tear-away or cut-away on thin wovens. Tear-away alone lets knits stretch.
Fabric stretched in the hoop. Hoop the fabric smooth but not stretched; stretched fabric relaxes after unhooping and pulls into waves. Float knits on sticky stabilizer if needed.
Design too dense for the fabric. Lighter fabrics need lighter fills. Lower the density or choose the fabric's preset when you digitize, so underlay and pull compensation suit it.
Fabric shows between colors, or outlines don't line up with fills.
No pull compensation or underlay. Stitches pull the fabric in, so shapes need to overlap slightly. A file digitized for the fabric adds pull compensation and underlay to close the gaps.
Fabric shifting in the hoop. Hoop tighter with a firmer stabilizer (cut-away on knits) so the fabric can't creep between colors.
Fill sinking into a pile fabric. Add a water-soluble topping and a knockdown or denser underlay on towels and fleece so the stitches sit on top.
White bobbin thread peeks through on the right side of the design.
Top tension too tight. Loosen the top tension until the I-test shows about a third bobbin in the middle of the column on the back.
Bobbin tension too loose or wrong bobbin. Use the bobbin type and weight your machine specifies (usually 60 or 90 wt bobbin thread) and check that the bobbin case tension isn't too loose.
Top thread not seated in the tension discs. Rethread with the presser foot up; a thread outside the discs behaves like very loose top tension.
Needles bend, snap or hit something during stitching.
Design too close to the hoop. The needle hits the hoop when the design is larger than the stitch field or off-center. Check the design size against your hoop.
Needle too fine for the fabric. Use a 90/14 or larger needle on denim, canvas, caps and thick seams, and avoid stitching across seams where you can.
Too many stitches in one spot. Stacked layers and very dense fills deflect the needle. Check the file's density and re-digitize with lighter fills if needed.
Gaps where the machine misses stitches, often in runs or satins.
Dull or wrong needle. Change to a fresh needle; on knits and performance fabric use a ballpoint, and size up on thick items.
Fabric flagging. Hoop tighter with cut-away, or add a layer of stabilizer, so the fabric doesn't lift with the needle and keep the hook from catching the loop.
Threading. Rethread the top thread and the needle eye front to back; a thread off one guide can cause skips.
The design doesn't show up on the machine or gives an error.
Wrong format for the machine. Convert the file to your machine's format (PES for Brother and Baby Lock, JEF for Janome, DST for most commercial machines).
Design too big for the machine's hoop. Machines often hide designs that are larger than their largest field. Check the size and resize or split it.
USB stick or folder problem. Use a small FAT32 USB stick, put the file in the root folder and keep the name short, with no special characters.
A fresh needle of the right size and type for the fabric.
Top thread rethreaded with the presser foot up.
A clean bobbin area and a full, correctly seated bobbin.
Stabilizer matched to the fabric, hooped smooth and firm.
The design checked for size, density and long stitches.
A test sew-out on a scrap of the same fabric.
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FAQ
Questions
The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. With a free account, digitizing and previewing cost nothing and take about a minute.
What causes most machine embroidery problems?
Most come down to five things: the needle (old, wrong size or type), threading and tension, the stabilizer and hooping, the thread itself, and the design file (too dense, no underlay, lettering made for another size). Check them in that order before you call for a service.
How do I know if the problem is the embroidery file?
If a problem shows up in the same spot every time, follows dense areas or small lettering, or happens with one design but not others, suspect the file. Open it in the file checker to see density, long and tiny stitches, and re-digitize it if needed.
What's the first thing to try when embroidery goes wrong?
Rethread the top thread with the presser foot up, put in a new needle, and check the bobbin is seated and clean. Those three steps fix a large share of thread breaks, nests and loops.
When should a machine go in for service?
When problems continue on several designs and fabrics after a new needle, rethreading, a clean bobbin area and the right stabilizer, or when you hear knocking or the needle hits the hook area. Timing and hook issues need a technician.
Is the troubleshooter free?
Yes. The troubleshooter and the file checker are free to use. Re-digitizing a design in Embrizo needs a free account.
