Machine embroidery troubleshooting please

[Morrie]

Hi, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with picking the right tension/needles/stabiliser/thread for my project and would like some help to point me in the right direction please, I'm new to embroidery, and I've started a satin stitch project.

I've got it looking a lot better, having read all I can about the different variables, but I'm still not happy with the output. Here's what it looks like currently -

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This is what I'm using - heavy tearaway stabiliser that was attached with fabric spray adhesive, sulky rayon gutermann embroidery top thread, gutermann embroidery bobbin thread, a sharp gold embroidery 70/14 (off the top of my head) needle, and sateen coutil fabric. My machine has auto-tension, but I have tried changing the top tension (from 3 to 1.5) with no changes. It doesn't have a satin stitch so it is a tight zigzag. My buttonhole stitch weirdly runs backwards so I can't see the pattern markings, so I'm not using that.

I'm hoping to stop seeing the bobbin thread showing at the top, for the edge to be smoother, and for there to be no weird little pilling bobbles that appear next to the embroidery. Also, my current needle makes a plinking noise inconsistently, although it's new. But so far it's the best result I've been getting, so I'm loathe to go back to my previous needles. Is there anything anyone could suggest me trying please? I've tried a few different needles but don't have my list with me. I can give you a list if that's helpful. Thank you :)

[Celia]

Ok first question what machine are you using? Is it an embroidery machine or are you doing this freehand?

[Morrie]

I'm using a janome decor excel II 5024. It's not an embroidery machine sadly, but I'm starting to look at affordable embroideries I could buy. They're so expensive!

[Acorn]

I have a Husqvarna Viking Topaz 25 which I love.  I got it as almost-new from a dealer (Coles) at not much more than half price - it had been returned just about unused by someone who had bought it and then decided they wanted the next one up.  Now that's extravagance!!!

[Morrie]

Wow! Hmm maybe I should look for second hand then

[Lachica]

Firstly, if you buy an embroidery machine you'll have to either buy a ready digitised design, pay someone to digitise your design or buy the digitising software and digitise it yourself. It looks to me as though you've chalked your design onto your fabric and are following that freehand. I'd say you're doing a good job of it but when I zoom in I can see that the edges aren't quite perfect. I can't  see any white bobbinfill pulled up but understand that you can see it. I would use the embroidery thread in the bobbin so that any bobbin thread pulled up will not show. Some may say that's cheating but it will work.

Did you hoop the fabric? Maybe that would help but I can't see puckering so maybe not.

What does the underside look like? I have a Pfaff Creative 3 with embroidery module, so it selects the tension etc for me, but I always have top thread pulled through to the underside, so since you've got bottom thread pulled through to top, try reducing the top tension, though I'm guessing you've already tried that.

What is the fabric to be used for? Will people get close enough to see any irregularities? Sometimes 'good enough' is good enough.

[Morrie]

The sorts of designs I want to do are much bigger than most of the machines embroidery sizes I've seen, so I doubt I'll be buying anything soon! All the more reason to try to get a good result freehand.

Yes the design is chalk - I used carbon transfer paper and traced it on there. The bobbin thread isn't white, it's black, and it can be hard for me to tell if it's bobbin thread I'm seeing or a gap, although I'm taking a lot of care to rotate on the outer side of curves. Thank you, I'll try replacing that thread with the top thread.

Here's a photo of the back:

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I haven't hooped it for a few reasons - I don't have an embroidery foot, so I can't get the hoop under the foot (I'll buy one if you think that would help? I'm using a see-through open toed foot at the moment), I find hooping quite painful (nerve pain problems in my hands), and I'm worried about messing with the fabric grain. I need it to stay straight, as it's for a single layer corset, and if the grain isn't straight, then the pattern will be off and I've heard that could cause problems with the fit. I'm willing to try though as a last resort. It will be quite heavily boned and pulled taught, so I'm hoping that will offset any ripples in the fabric, but I don't know yet.

I've tried reducing the top tension from 3 to 1.5 but it doesn't seem to make any difference to top or bottom sides of the stitching which I thought was weird. I was wondering if the auto-tension function was over-riding it, I should check the manual.

Even though it's for clothing, I don't think people will really see as many problems as I see. Especially as in all likelihood it'll just be occasional evening-wear. But I know it's there, and that's irking me a bit. I'm also planning to submit it as next years foundations revealed competition entry, so that's driving me to push for a bit better too.

I'll let you know how replacing the bobbin thread goes, and I'll have another look at the tension. Thank you for your suggestions :)

[Ohsewsimple]

It could be something as simple as different bobbin thread.  Some machines like a smooth bobbin thread while others like a slightly more fluffy one.   I think the Gutermann is a bit fluffy.  If you can get hold of a fine silky one try that instead.  Using the embroidery thread might work but that thread might be thicker and I could work out expensive.

[Morrie]

If you can get hold of a fine silky one try that instead.

Thank you :). Do you have any brand suggestions?

[Lachica]

Looking at the back of the work, the tensions look to be pretty much perfect, in that the bobbin thread looks as neat as the the embroidery on the right side. So your machine is doing a good job!. You're using a clear open toe foot which is obviously allowing you to follow the curves quite well but this is not the same as a foot for free machine embroidery. Google this, it might help.

[Ohsewsimple]

@Lachica the back of the work should show a small amount of top thread for the tensions to be right.  Even on a zig zag stitch that would be correct.
@Morrie Brother do a couple of different ones.  And I can’t remember which is which. 
Ah just checked it’s my mum who has some.  . The grey reel is the smooth one. 

[Morrie]

the back of the work should show a small amount of top thread for the tensions to be right.  Even on a zig zag stitch that would be correct.
@Morrie Brother do a couple of different ones.  And I can’t remember which is which.  -<
Ah just checked it’s my mum who has some.  :). The grey reel is the smooth one.

I can't turn my top tension up any more than it already is, so would that mean I should lower the bobbin tension in order to see more of the top thread on the under side? Thank you for the bobbin thread details, I'll buy it and try it out :)

[Morrie]

You're using a clear open toe foot which is obviously allowing you to follow the curves quite well but this is not the same as a foot for free machine embroidery. Google this, it might help.

Thank you, I've found the right for I need for my machine now, and I'll buy it when I get paid :)

[Ohsewsimple]

I can't turn my top tension up any more than it already is, so would that mean I should lower the bobbin tension in order to see more of the top thread on the under side? Thank you for the bobbin thread details, I'll buy it and try it out

The top tension needs to be looser but I would try a different bobbin thread first. And I would probably use a white one rather than black.  We very rarely used black where I worked and we had loads of dark clothing etc. 

[Morrie]

Ah I thought black would be better but now I see that it's really unhelpful when trying to figure out the right tension.

I had a real face palm moment today - the dial I thought was the top tension dial is actually the foot pressure dial! And I found the actual tension dial. I've turned it down to 1 from (I think) 4, which shows some top thread underneath, but only on one side of the stitching line. I'm feeling a bit broke so I'm going to wait a few weeks till I get paid, to buy different bobbin thread and an embroidery foot.

 I tried using the top thread as bobbin thread but it seemed to be a bit out of control, maybe it's too slippery? (It's rayon and quite slippery anyway.) I'll go back to it with new knowledge about my machine if I can't get the settings right with the new bobbin thread.

In the meantime I'm going to keep going and see it as practice if I get a better result with a new foot and thread. I'm starting to think that I would like to make it again anyway for the competition, with metallic gold and copper thread. But I'm probably getting a bit ahead of myself. (I don't know if this will work for a corset, and Ive heard that metallic thread is a serious pain!

Thank you everyone for your help. I'm still very interested in any other suggestions anyone might have :)