Why Is My Fabric Pulling When I Embroider?

Good Hooping

Good hooping is the base of good embroidery. If your fabric is pulling, the first thing to check is your hooping. Whether embroidering by machine or hand, check to be certain your fabric is taut in the hoop. If the fabric isn't tight enough, it can appear as though the fabric is pulled or puckered around the stitches. If fabric is too tight, you can stretch the grain, which literally pulls apart the fabric's fibers.

Incorrect thread tension can cause fabric to pull as well. If you are embroidering by hand, you may be pulling the thread too tight as you stitch. To correct, simply loosen the stitches and redo with less pull. Machine embroiderers will have to adjust their machines. Check your embroidery machine manual for specific instructions on how to loosen the thread tension. It can be quickly done on most machines by simply turning a knob counterclockwise.

Machine embroidered items need stabilizer of some sort. Without stabilizer, the needle will pull on fabric each time it goes back up. The type of stabilizer you need depends on the type of project you're making. Embroidery on light colors requires tear-away, so it cannot be seen from the front; cut-away is fine for darker fabrics. Use water soluble on top of fleece and terry cloth, so the design will be prominent despite fluffy fabric.

If your fabric is pulling when you embroider, the problem could be that you have selected the wrong type of fabric for the project. A large design heavy with embroidery would not be good on light-weight fabrics like thin polyester. Polyester does not have a weave, so it is more difficult for the needle (hand or machine) to puncture. It is more likely to pull extra fabric into the stitches because of this.