Aug. 11, 2026
Episode 10: How to Troubleshoot Your Embroidery Machine Like A Pro
Grab the free SOS - Stitchout guide for quick fixes for UGLY LEFT CHEST LOGOS
https://hopeyoder.myflodesk.com/guide
Your embroidery machine is not “broken” every time it starts acting up - and in this episode, Hope Yoder shows you how to diagnose the real problem fast before you waste fabric, thread, and patience. If you’ve ever dealt with thread breaks, bird nesting, skipped stitches, needle snaps, or designs that shift out of alignment, this is the troubleshooting guide you’ve been waiting for. Hope walks through the exact checks she uses in her own studio, from the needle tracking board and scrap-fabric test stitch to the simple rules that tell you whether the issue is top thread, bobbin tension, or something deeper.You’ll discover:
- How to spot whether the problem is your top thread or your bobbin case
- Why the “third rule” is the fastest way to judge tension
- The bobbin drop test Hope trusts after 30 years in embroidery
- How to prevent thread shredding by checking needles, insertion, thread paths, and speed
- Why bird nesting usually starts with one missed click in the bobbin case
- How to recover from a bird nest without making the damage worse
- What causes skipped stitches, needle breaks, and design misalignment
- Why scrap fabric is your best insurance policy before stitching anything valuable
Hope also shares the studio habits that keep her machines running, including her needle tracking board, when to replace needles, why polyester thread beats rayon for commercial work, and how slower speed can save you from expensive mistakes. She even breaks down the hat-stitching issues that trip up beginners and how the right hooping and stabilizer choices can completely change your results.If you embroider for business or you’re tired of guessing every time your machine misbehaves, this episode will save you time, money, and a whole lot of frustration. Essential listening for anyone who wants fewer failures, cleaner stitches, and more confidence at the machine. Speaker: Hope Yoder, host of the Embroidery Profit Podcast, shares decades of hands-on embroidery experience and practical troubleshooting advice for real-world machine problems.
🌐Needle Tracker Board: https://hopeyoder.com/product-category/downloads/embroidery-pattern/pdf-organizational-files/
🌐Needle Ease & Birdsnesting Tool: https://allstitch.com/products/needle-ease-needle-changing-tool?ref=hope (this is my go-to for all embroidery supplies including the birdsnest tool and poly thread) https://allstitch.com/products/needle-ease-needle-changing-tool?ref=hope
🌐Mighty Hoops: https://hoopmaster.com/ref/HopeYoder/
🎓 Ready to go all in? Train hands-on with Hope in her Sarasota, FL studio at Embroidery Profit Academy — Small Group or 1-2-1 Training - the small group commercial embroidery workshop that people fly in from across the country to attend. Seats are extremely limited and sell out fast. 👉 Register & read student reviews: https://hopeyoder.com/product-category/courses/in-person-workshop/
🌐Downloadable Fillable Embroidery Forms - Every business needs https://hopeyoder.com/product/emb-bundle/
🌐Instagram Made Simple Mini Course - https://hopeyoder.mykajabi.com/offers/vkdxwpoz/checkout
🌐Asana YouTube Training - https://youtu.be/9PLcLYZqIp0?si=fhhVs91vP4kKC4QI
📌 Connect with Hope: 🌐 hopeyoder.com 📸 Instagram: @hopeyoder 🎓 Courses: hopeyoder.mykajabi.com 📍 Hands-On Embroidery School in Sarasota
👥 Facebook Community: Embroidery Lounge
👥 Facebook Community: Engraving With Hope Yoder
WEBVTT
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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back, everyone.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Hope Yoder, and this is the embroidery profit podcast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Have you ever wanted to throw your machine out the window?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and that's me too, but you know what?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not strong enough to pick it up and throw it out of the window, so that's not an option.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll even have a window in my space.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Today, we're talking about troubleshooting the guy that nobody gave you when you bought your embroidery machine.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You guys
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[SPEAKER_00]: and come back every time something goes wrong.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The first part of what we're going to talk about is stopping the trouble before it starts.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I always like to say there's two types of inverters, those who practice and those who wish they did.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So every time you get a new digitized file, you want to stitch it out on scrap fabric before it ever touches your apparel.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is how my morning looks.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I walk into the studio and the night before I've cleaned my machine meaning I've blown out any thread that's in the Bobbin case area.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I remove the Bobbin case and I spray it with oil.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I let that sit overnight when I walk in and turn on my machine.
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[SPEAKER_00]: How I remember that I've oiled it is the Bobbin case is still out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm gonna start.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna turn it on.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna insert the Bobbin case and then right away, here's what I do.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I go to my needle tracking board.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, if you guys don't know what a needle tracking board is, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You need this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because if I told you today, hey, go and pick a needle that has a ballpoint needle on it
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to go up there and go, they all look alike.
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[SPEAKER_00]: How do I do that?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So the needle tracking board is kind of my, I don't want to say it's my Bible, but I live by it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I have it hanging off of each machine and one for each head.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And on this, I have the type of needle that's on needle bar 1 through 20, whether it's a sharp, whether it's a ballpoint, titanium, or anything specialty.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I also have the size needle, so it's 75, 11, 14, 90.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I also have the date it was inserted and last but not least, at the end of using it each time, I track how many hours it has because you shouldn't use your machine or your
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's a problem if you're using your needle longer and you know what students tell me all the time I don't think I've ever changed the needle so needle tracking board.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I come in I insert the Bob and I look at my needle tracking board.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I check the thread colors
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I decide if I'm working on knit which ballpoint needles I want to use and if I'm working on non woven or rather woven non stretchy fabric I go for the sharp needles my needle tracker board tells me which needles to use I change the color.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If I need to, and I test it out, the design on scrap fabric.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, right there it does take a little extra time, but I'm doing two things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm checking to make sure the machine is running good.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, the design is good, and I'm checking those specific needles are working good and attention is adjusted.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you're thinking I need hopes, needle tracking board, you can make a simple one.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I made one in Canva and printed it on paper, but then I upscaled it and I went a step further and I actually UV-print them in my shop and print them on to acrylic and it comes with a marker and little hooks.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll leave that in the show notes if you want to pick up one of those.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, another common mistake that I hear and see in almost every Facebook group is thread breakage.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, let's walk through the reasons why your thread will break or shred.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, could be a dull needle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If your needle has been used more than that six or eight hours or if it's bent for if it has a little scratch inside of the eye or on the shaft, that means that that could be the culprit, all right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And when we talk about a little scratch, think about a little razor blade inside of the hole of the needle and every time the thread passes in and out, it's like a razor blade and it's going to shred the thread and make it break.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So one reason could be the needle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The second reason could be the needle insertion.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what I mean by that is if you're listening or watching and you have a hobby home machine, a multi needle machine that you bought in an authorized dealer,
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[SPEAKER_00]: You've got flat back needles.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That means the front is curved and the back is flat.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that means that it's almost impossible for you to put your needle in cock-eyed or crooked.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But what could happen if you have a flat back needle system is you didn't push it up all the way.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you have it inserted the needle to its highest position.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That definitely is going to cause shredding.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you are like me and you have a true commercial machine, your needle is completely round front and back, and it's almost impossible when you're a newbie to get that needle in straight.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That hole for the needle needs to be...
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[SPEAKER_00]: completely straight when you're standing in front of it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I struggle with this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I got to be honest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So for me to put the needle in straight, I had to buy a needle east tool and you can get this from all stitch.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll link that below as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So when I switched from trying to use a second needle to insert it and using this tool,
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[SPEAKER_00]: Man, I never, ever get the needle in wrong.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's super easy to use.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I still have to be careful that it's inserted at its highest position.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you do have thread breaks and you know that you've changed the needle and you've checked to make sure it's in straight and fully seated, the next thing that I'm going to do is I'm going to check all of my thread paths starting at the very top.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I used to say, it's threaded right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I know it is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Noah wasn't almost every time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was wrong.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So instead of doing that, set your ego aside like I had to do and start at the top, make sure that it's through every single thread path.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you need to get a ladder to stand up on top of it because you're short like me,
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[SPEAKER_00]: Do it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you're going to re-thread that one missed guide on your thread path can cause shredding and breaks.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now the next thing would be tension.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If your tension is too tight, the thread can snap.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And on the Bob intention, you want to run a tension test if you think
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[SPEAKER_00]: that it is your tension and you're going to go by the third rule.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So you can run a tension test usually your manufacturer gives you a design that you run.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You take the hoop off the machine, turn it upside down, and good tension should be a third rule.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Meaning you're going to see a third of the needle thread, a third of the Bob and thread, and another third of the needle thread.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You can check with your manufacturer about that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, another reason for shredding and snapping of the thread is going to be the type of thread you use.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, when I first started sewing and embroidery, I was on a hobby machine, a flatbed machine, a cost of fortune, and I loved it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I bought my threads based on the containers or the storage units that I could put them in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I bought rayon thread.
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[SPEAKER_00]: People told me it has more shine,
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I love the little containers that they snapped in, so I bought all rayon thread.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, today, while I love the look of rayon thread, I never ever use it with commercial embroidery.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I only use polyester thread.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Polyester Thread is color fast, so think about those baby onesies that maybe you're embroidering, grandma buys for her first grandchild.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The baby spits up a lot, the mother puts it in a little bit of bleach or brightener, and then the thread fades.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And instead of being bright purple, it's white.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, Polyester Thread is color fast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's never going to fade and it has a higher tensile strength, meaning it's not going to break.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, another reason, machine speed, maybe you're just so into darn fast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you can go 1200 stitches a minute, maybe all those vibrations are causing an issue, and if you could try to slow it down, friction with going fast means more friction, which means heat, so try slowing your machine down and see if that helps.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And last but not least, sometimes all of those are correct, and this is not a DIY fix, maybe the timing on your machine is off.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's the case, you want to submit a support ticket with your manufacturer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They'll be happy to tell you what to do or to face time or send a check out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, since we've been talking about needles, I want to tell you this because every student who comes through my courses tells me the same thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If they're in person and I teach them to use my needle tracker board, I give them the needle ease tool, and I say, okay, I want you to change the needle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to watch to make sure you have the technique.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Here's what they do.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They get the needle out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They hand it to me and they say, well, this one we just put in.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's only been used in hour.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Where should I put it?
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[SPEAKER_00]: The answer is always file 13.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The garbage.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Needles are the cheapest thing in your shop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: A hundred needles are like 21.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's less than a quarter.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You can't even buy a cup of coffee for a quarter anymore.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So this, my friends, is not time to
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[SPEAKER_00]: throw it away, regardless of how new it is or what you think it looks like, all right, toss it away.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You'll think me for it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Don't put it back in the box.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that happens that we want to troubleshoot is called bird nesting.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, you may not have heard this term before and you may not have experienced and what that tells me.
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[SPEAKER_00]: is you just need some hours and some time under your belt.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because no matter how good you are, how long you've been embroidery, you will experience bird nesting and you need to know the cause and how to fix it so you can get up and running again.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So if you have, let's say you're embroidering and all of the sudden the machine stops, you see this tangled mess of thread between the hoop and your throat plate, and it's down and jammed in the bobbin.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It looks like a bird and nested there with twigs, but instead of twigs, it's thread.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's what a bird's nest is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, you guys, it could be one of the most frustrating things in embroidery.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Because usually, whatever your embroidery on is ruined, a lot of times it'll cut a hole into your blank, which means you need to replace it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Which is another reason why you may not want to accept customer supplied blanks, because now you have to replace it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about what the common cause could be for bird nesting.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the number one cause in my experience.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The Bob and Case was not seated properly.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So that means maybe you were stitching fine and then all the sudden bam, you have a bird's nest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what I don't want you to do is let your pride get hurt or in the way and say, but I know I put that bobbing case in, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, chances are even if you did put it in right, it popped out through all the vibrations in the movement.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So, here's how I teach my students to insert the bobbing case.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, I hold the little latch and I insert the bobbing case by just gently pushing it, not all the way.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But I'll push it and then I make my students actually turn away so they can't see and then push it hard and you'll hear a click.
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[SPEAKER_00]: No click means reinsert it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So if you don't hear that click, then it's not seated all the way.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that my friends is the number one cause of a bird nest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now you could also have lint build up in your Bobbin case.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Lots of videos out there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You could take a business card or a lint cleaning tool and clean that little slot on your Bobbin case.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You can have a bent or dull needle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This could prevent the rotary hook from catching the top thread in your Bobbin.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, all of those are the reasons why you could have a bird's nest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Let's say you have one, how are you going to recover?
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[SPEAKER_00]: This is your fix.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's not quick, but it is the fix.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So the number one thing I'm going to tell you, if you don't own this already, buy a bird's nest tool.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll link below from all stitch.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I love all stitch.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I order a lot of my supplies from them, and they have this thing called a bird nest tool.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Once you have it, there's two pieces to this.
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[SPEAKER_00]: One looks like a hook and it's angled.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so once you have a bird's nest, you're going to put the hook underneath your hoop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So it rests between the hoop and the throat plate.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then you're going to push it up.
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[SPEAKER_00]: to get some leverage, all right, and that lifts the hoop up, and then you're going to take in your other hand, and you're going to take the blade that comes in the kit.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So with one hand, you're lifting the hoop up, you're going to take your blade and angle it down a little bit towards the floor, and you're going to saw back and forth that blade actually cuts right through the bird's nest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why I tell you to angle it down towards the floor,
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[SPEAKER_00]: There's a small Spartan chance that you may not ruin the garment and be able to use it again, and my experience most of the time it's toast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so then once you've got the hoop, so you can get it off the machine because you've cut the bird nest.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Here's your next step.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And my friends don't skip any one of these.
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[SPEAKER_00]: There's no shortcuts because what you don't want to happen is skip a step, even though you know you shouldn't.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You start the next thing and the same thing happens again.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So once that hoop is off the machine, you're going to take your screwdriver and you're going to remove the throat plate and the side portion.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to remove the bobbin and you're going to take tweezers or can of air or whatever method you use and you're going to make sure there's no loose threads anywhere in the bobbin case.
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[SPEAKER_00]: then take your little brush and go ahead and give it a spa bath.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now it's the perfect time to do your maintenance.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to remove all the threads.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to brush or blow out the lint.
15:36.220 --> 15:39.822
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to add more oil and you're going to check the bobbing case.
15:40.122 --> 15:44.164
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you're going to put the bobbing back in the bobbing case.
15:44.484 --> 15:49.686
[SPEAKER_00]: Push it in so it clicks and then you should be back up and running again.
15:50.186 --> 16:03.892
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I would go back and I check all those thread paths to make sure nothing bad happened, and if it was me, I would probably go the extra mile and I would test that design on scrap fabric before I loaded a new garment.
16:04.553 --> 16:05.833
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I hope that was helpful.
16:05.853 --> 16:09.295
[SPEAKER_00]: That was a lot of information about bird's nesting.
16:09.555 --> 16:13.337
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that can happen when you're embroidering is skipped stitches.
16:13.738 --> 16:17.760
[SPEAKER_00]: This happens when the needle fails to connect with a bobbin.
16:18.200 --> 16:20.782
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you embroider it's like knitting or crochet.
16:20.862 --> 16:26.245
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't do either, but it's kind of like those where the top thread comes down and it loops through the bottom thread.
16:26.685 --> 16:29.787
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it's not catching, that's going to be skipped stitches.
16:30.207 --> 16:31.328
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the common causes.
16:31.668 --> 16:33.489
[SPEAKER_00]: Needle could be dull or bent.
16:33.809 --> 16:35.010
[SPEAKER_00]: You want to change that first?
16:35.190 --> 16:43.994
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, it also could be like we talked about before the needle insertion maybe the needle isn't seated all the way or maybe it's crooked so check it.
16:44.574 --> 16:51.417
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be as simple as you have a lens in the bobbing case and you want to clean that out or it could be the dreaded
16:51.937 --> 16:52.938
[SPEAKER_00]: machine timing.
16:53.078 --> 16:58.920
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, in that case, you're going to fill out a support ticket with your manufacturer, probably not going to touch that yourself.
16:59.040 --> 17:02.601
[SPEAKER_00]: The next trouble shooting or the next thing that could happen.
17:03.102 --> 17:08.164
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is actually happened to me is the needle actually breaks.
17:08.804 --> 17:09.224
[SPEAKER_00]: Bam.
17:09.484 --> 17:12.185
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it takes a lot for a needle to break.
17:12.285 --> 17:14.126
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's happened to us all.
17:14.366 --> 17:15.526
[SPEAKER_00]: It's really scary.
17:15.767 --> 17:18.768
[SPEAKER_00]: And especially when you're working on hats, that can happen.
17:19.740 --> 17:24.542
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if the needle breaks, it could be a couple different reasons.
17:24.822 --> 17:27.683
[SPEAKER_00]: One reason could be that your needle or the screw is loose.
17:27.863 --> 17:39.188
[SPEAKER_00]: During the embroidery, especially at higher speeds, the screw where you tighten the needle could have vibrated loose and the needle falls out and into the rotary hook.
17:39.328 --> 17:41.549
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my gosh, you guys ask me how I know.
17:42.129 --> 17:43.230
[SPEAKER_00]: That happened to me.
17:43.850 --> 17:50.295
[SPEAKER_00]: and I felt like a loser when that happened and so I couldn't figure it out how to get it fixed.
17:50.775 --> 17:57.120
[SPEAKER_00]: So I called my husband who came over to the shop and it took us a lot to get this out.
17:57.140 --> 18:00.903
[SPEAKER_00]: And in fact, I was using a titanium needle which
18:01.363 --> 18:02.023
[SPEAKER_00]: was a good thing.
18:02.403 --> 18:06.384
[SPEAKER_00]: That needle is harder to snap into, but it's gold tipped.
18:06.524 --> 18:14.207
[SPEAKER_00]: So we were able to see it with a flashlight because instead of being silver inside of a silver rotary hook, it was gold.
18:14.847 --> 18:16.447
[SPEAKER_00]: And we had to get support in there.
18:16.587 --> 18:17.908
[SPEAKER_00]: And we had to dig it out.
18:17.948 --> 18:19.708
[SPEAKER_00]: And my husband did a great job of that.
18:19.848 --> 18:21.289
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't damage anything.
18:21.449 --> 18:22.549
[SPEAKER_00]: But that taught me a lesson.
18:22.609 --> 18:25.990
[SPEAKER_00]: And I want you to learn the lesson without having to go through that scare.
18:26.010 --> 18:26.070
[SPEAKER_00]: And
18:26.210 --> 18:34.193
[SPEAKER_00]: Every so often, check the screws that hold your needles in and make sure that they're not over-tightened, but they're tight.
18:34.374 --> 18:40.136
[SPEAKER_00]: There is tight as they can go without putting pressure on them because believe they're not those do loosen.
18:40.336 --> 18:44.958
[SPEAKER_00]: So you want to check that and make that a habit and part of your routine.
18:45.358 --> 18:51.421
[SPEAKER_00]: Now if you're working on hats and your needle breaks, this almost always is a U problem or a me problem.
18:52.021 --> 19:06.035
[SPEAKER_00]: This means a couple things that you probably don't have that hat whooped correctly, so you can go to my YouTube channel at the Hope Yoder and look for the hat video where I did from start to finish.
19:06.215 --> 19:14.323
[SPEAKER_00]: So the hat is moving back and forth, the needle deflects and it snaps, and almost all of that is in the hooping process.
19:14.563 --> 19:19.585
[SPEAKER_00]: Also, while we're talking about hats, you want to probably slow your speed until you know you're good to go.
19:20.005 --> 19:32.850
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe 500 to 600 speed instead of full blown when you're working on caps because remember it's going back and forth like a rotisserie, so slower is probably going to be better than faster.
19:33.470 --> 19:38.854
[SPEAKER_00]: and also another reason it could break is you're not starting in the right place with the hats.
19:39.094 --> 19:51.643
[SPEAKER_00]: So if all of this still causes your needle to break and you know that you have it hooped correctly, which more than likely is the problem, you could try going to a larger needle.
19:51.743 --> 19:54.265
[SPEAKER_00]: Check with your manufacturer to see what you use.
19:54.305 --> 19:59.048
[SPEAKER_00]: Now me, normally I use a 75-11 sharp needle on all my hats.
19:59.388 --> 20:04.193
[SPEAKER_00]: with very little issues now that I've learned to master how I hoop them.
20:04.413 --> 20:07.896
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that can go wrong is a design misalignment.
20:08.316 --> 20:11.319
[SPEAKER_00]: So the design shifts or the elements don't line up.
20:11.519 --> 20:18.125
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe when you get to the end, if it had a little border around it, the border doesn't sit on the design.
20:18.305 --> 20:19.827
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just misaligned.
20:20.187 --> 20:21.849
[SPEAKER_00]: And the problem with this,
20:22.349 --> 20:24.710
[SPEAKER_00]: is usually improper hooping.
20:25.130 --> 20:30.771
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you hoop fabric, I see people do two things wrong, and they're kind of on the opposite end.
20:31.111 --> 20:34.972
[SPEAKER_00]: One thing is their fabric is too loose in the hoop.
20:35.132 --> 20:40.733
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're using the manufacturer hoops, and you hoop it, and there's a lot of play in it.
20:40.853 --> 20:46.374
[SPEAKER_00]: So every time that needle penetrates the fabric, it gets saggyer and saggyer.
20:51.555 --> 20:53.897
[SPEAKER_00]: and there was always jokes about the pantyhose.
20:54.337 --> 20:58.140
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I've seen people trying to hoop like that.
20:58.160 --> 21:07.366
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so what you want your hoop to be is the fabric to be taught, not tight, no wrinkles, no sags.
21:07.686 --> 21:12.049
[SPEAKER_00]: Another reason for misalignment could be you have the wrong stabilizer.
21:12.449 --> 21:16.452
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is a really common problem with beginners and it's a 100% preventable,
21:17.793 --> 21:25.199
[SPEAKER_00]: Just get some skills and some knowledge on how to pair the right stabilizer with the right fabric in that's avoidable.
21:25.380 --> 21:30.524
[SPEAKER_00]: Because let's say you're working on a Teraway stabilizer on a knit fabric.
21:30.584 --> 21:32.746
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the wrong choice all the way around.
21:32.886 --> 21:40.913
[SPEAKER_00]: And like we said in a previous episode, it doesn't matter how many layers you add if it's the wrong stabilizer, you're just compounding the problem.
21:41.253 --> 21:48.818
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if this isn't stabilizing the fabric and the taro-way stabilizer is going to tear it before you're done in bordering, that would cost misalignment.
21:48.958 --> 21:55.942
[SPEAKER_00]: So, my recommendation for you is to what I do, just invest in the mighty hoops for consistent commercial work.
21:56.362 --> 21:58.564
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you're going to get the same placement every time.
21:59.204 --> 22:01.726
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's going to hoop it perfectly taught.
22:01.846 --> 22:06.909
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's going to remove the sag, the wrinkles, and it's going to help you get better work.
22:07.169 --> 22:10.111
[SPEAKER_00]: And a bonus, mighty hoops are more than hooping.
22:10.471 --> 22:12.152
[SPEAKER_00]: They have to do with a lining.
22:12.553 --> 22:20.818
[SPEAKER_00]: If I wanted to embroider 100 of these polos for my team, mighty hoops would help me get it in the same spot every time.
22:21.038 --> 22:29.082
[SPEAKER_00]: Another problem that occurs quite often, especially with new people, is the top thread versus the Bob and Thread.
22:29.502 --> 22:31.563
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe your tension isn't right.
22:32.063 --> 22:46.990
[SPEAKER_00]: Now there are some machines that have automatic tension, and I hope one day to have those in my studio, they do cost a pretty penny, usually they're about $10,000 more, but if you struggle with that, that might be a good solution for you going forward.
22:47.310 --> 22:56.352
[SPEAKER_00]: So checking the top thread versus the bobbin when you're looking at the tension, the first thing that you need to do after you run a tension test is to side.
22:56.712 --> 23:00.293
[SPEAKER_00]: Do I have a problem with the top thread or the bobbin?
23:00.653 --> 23:07.755
[SPEAKER_00]: And so after you've run that tension test, you're going to look at the wrong side of your fabric and here's what you want to see.
23:08.195 --> 23:09.055
[SPEAKER_00]: Perfect tension.
23:09.655 --> 23:19.302
[SPEAKER_00]: is a third of the colored top thread showing, a third of the white bobbin thread, and then a third of the top thread again.
23:19.482 --> 23:20.663
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's the third rule.
23:20.843 --> 23:28.929
[SPEAKER_00]: So here's how you're going to tell when you look at the backside, if you don't see that perfect tension, you're going to look for one thing.
23:29.309 --> 23:36.334
[SPEAKER_00]: If the tension is messed up on every single needle, then it's a bobbin case issue.
23:36.614 --> 23:37.955
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if some of your
23:39.236 --> 23:46.479
[SPEAKER_00]: good and some of them don't, then that tells me that it's a top thread tension on those isolated needles.
23:47.299 --> 23:52.321
[SPEAKER_00]: Now you're going to check with your manufacturer to see how they recommend you adjust the tension and go for that.
23:52.401 --> 23:59.323
[SPEAKER_00]: But the simple rule is if it's messed up and it's messed up the same on all of the threads, it's a bobbin case issue.
23:59.684 --> 24:02.925
[SPEAKER_00]: It's only messed up on a few isolated areas that's a top
24:03.845 --> 24:12.707
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, one thing I have learned about bobbins, I see all these crazy things people say, and one of them is about how to test the tension on the bobbin.
24:13.087 --> 24:14.768
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I've been embroidery for 30 years.
24:14.808 --> 24:22.570
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys, I've been in the industry a long time, and all those fancy, fancy, bobbin tests, the gadgets that you can buy.
24:22.970 --> 24:24.310
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't use any of those.
24:24.490 --> 24:26.391
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, they're very inaccurate.
24:26.771 --> 24:32.158
[SPEAKER_00]: depending on the way you pull them each time so I do what you call a bobbin drop test.
24:32.338 --> 24:34.561
[SPEAKER_00]: And you're going to put the thread in the bobbin.
24:34.781 --> 24:37.685
[SPEAKER_00]: If your bobbin has a pig tail, keep it out of the pig tail.
24:38.005 --> 24:42.150
[SPEAKER_00]: So put your bobbin in and you're going to drop the bobbin like a yo-yo.
24:42.430 --> 24:43.572
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, one drop.
24:43.872 --> 24:53.578
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it drops freely and the bobbin lowers like a like a yo yo, that means that your bobbin tension is too loose.
24:53.918 --> 25:00.562
[SPEAKER_00]: If you drop the bobbin and it doesn't move at all, that means your tension is too tight.
25:00.742 --> 25:08.226
[SPEAKER_00]: So the sweet spot where you want to be is you drop it and it lowers just a little bit when you tug on it.
25:08.426 --> 25:09.567
[SPEAKER_00]: It'll go a little lower.
25:09.847 --> 25:11.088
[SPEAKER_00]: That's just right.
25:11.148 --> 25:12.849
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys can find videos online.
25:13.249 --> 25:14.730
[SPEAKER_00]: Look for the drop test.
25:14.890 --> 25:18.652
[SPEAKER_00]: So in wrapping this up, all of this is a learnable skill.
25:19.072 --> 25:23.275
[SPEAKER_00]: The fastest way to learn that is with some training and person.
25:23.735 --> 25:28.658
[SPEAKER_00]: And I wanted to stop and tell you about an amazing resource that we have.
25:28.898 --> 25:33.401
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys saved this episode, come back when you're fighting with your machine.
25:33.822 --> 25:44.129
[SPEAKER_00]: From thread breaking, a quick recap is check the needle, rethread the tension, check the thread type, the speed, and last resort check with your manufacturer.
25:44.469 --> 25:49.073
[SPEAKER_00]: Bird nesting, a recap is to check to make sure the Bobbin was clicked in.
25:49.633 --> 25:53.376
[SPEAKER_00]: To clean it up, use the bird nesting tool, clean the housing,
25:55.237 --> 25:57.158
[SPEAKER_00]: And check the thread path.
25:57.198 --> 26:01.541
[SPEAKER_00]: Gips stitches could be the needle or you have lent in your Bobbin case.
26:01.982 --> 26:09.286
[SPEAKER_00]: The needle breaking most likely is due to hats and proper hooping or that screw loosens over time.
26:09.506 --> 26:10.527
[SPEAKER_00]: And misalignment.
26:10.907 --> 26:16.891
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that probably means that you didn't use the right stabilizer or you didn't hoop properly.
26:17.452 --> 26:22.795
[SPEAKER_00]: And last but not least, the Bobbin's do a Bobbin test or attention test.
26:23.135 --> 26:28.063
[SPEAKER_00]: and see if is it the bobbin that's the issue or the top thread that's the issue.
26:28.444 --> 26:37.679
[SPEAKER_00]: But above all else you guys please if you heard nothing practice on scrap fabric every time without exceptions.
26:37.999 --> 26:43.568
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey you guys as we're wrapping this up share this with a friend who has a machine that's fighting them.
26:43.989 --> 26:47.474
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Hope Yoder and this is the embroidery profit podcast
00:00.171 --> 00:01.211
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back, everyone.
00:01.451 --> 00:05.272
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Hope Yoder, and this is the embroidery profit podcast.
00:05.592 --> 00:10.613
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you ever wanted to throw your machine out the window?
00:11.214 --> 00:13.574
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and that's me too, but you know what?
00:13.594 --> 00:18.995
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not strong enough to pick it up and throw it out of the window, so that's not an option.
00:19.115 --> 00:20.936
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll even have a window in my space.
00:21.276 --> 00:27.998
[SPEAKER_00]: Today, we're talking about troubleshooting the guy that nobody gave you when you bought your embroidery machine.
00:28.318 --> 00:28.578
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys
00:30.338 --> 00:33.781
[SPEAKER_00]: and come back every time something goes wrong.
00:33.942 --> 00:39.447
[SPEAKER_00]: The first part of what we're going to talk about is stopping the trouble before it starts.
00:39.747 --> 00:46.473
[SPEAKER_00]: I always like to say there's two types of inverters, those who practice and those who wish they did.
00:46.814 --> 00:54.541
[SPEAKER_00]: So every time you get a new digitized file, you want to stitch it out on scrap fabric before it ever touches your apparel.
00:54.961 --> 00:56.342
[SPEAKER_00]: This is how my morning looks.
00:56.603 --> 01:05.631
[SPEAKER_00]: I walk into the studio and the night before I've cleaned my machine meaning I've blown out any thread that's in the Bobbin case area.
01:06.011 --> 01:09.394
[SPEAKER_00]: I remove the Bobbin case and I spray it with oil.
01:09.695 --> 01:13.598
[SPEAKER_00]: I let that sit overnight when I walk in and turn on my machine.
01:13.918 --> 01:17.582
[SPEAKER_00]: How I remember that I've oiled it is the Bobbin case is still out.
01:17.942 --> 01:19.323
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm gonna start.
01:19.503 --> 01:20.524
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna turn it on.
01:20.744 --> 01:25.167
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna insert the Bobbin case and then right away, here's what I do.
01:25.687 --> 01:28.469
[SPEAKER_00]: I go to my needle tracking board.
01:28.489 --> 01:35.134
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, if you guys don't know what a needle tracking board is, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.
01:35.634 --> 01:37.355
[SPEAKER_00]: You need this.
01:37.695 --> 01:44.340
[SPEAKER_00]: Because if I told you today, hey, go and pick a needle that has a ballpoint needle on it
01:47.622 --> 01:49.623
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to go up there and go, they all look alike.
01:49.723 --> 01:50.643
[SPEAKER_00]: How do I do that?
01:51.003 --> 01:51.864
[SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
01:52.284 --> 01:57.266
[SPEAKER_00]: So the needle tracking board is kind of my, I don't want to say it's my Bible, but I live by it.
01:57.646 --> 02:01.888
[SPEAKER_00]: So I have it hanging off of each machine and one for each head.
02:02.368 --> 02:12.732
[SPEAKER_00]: And on this, I have the type of needle that's on needle bar 1 through 20, whether it's a sharp, whether it's a ballpoint, titanium, or anything specialty.
02:13.312 --> 02:19.137
[SPEAKER_00]: I also have the size needle, so it's 75, 11, 14, 90.
02:19.778 --> 02:32.590
[SPEAKER_00]: I also have the date it was inserted and last but not least, at the end of using it each time, I track how many hours it has because you shouldn't use your machine or your
02:35.612 --> 02:44.445
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a problem if you're using your needle longer and you know what students tell me all the time I don't think I've ever changed the needle so needle tracking board.
02:44.545 --> 02:48.751
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I come in I insert the Bob and I look at my needle tracking board.
02:49.131 --> 02:50.733
[SPEAKER_00]: I check the thread colors
02:51.294 --> 03:06.877
[SPEAKER_00]: And I decide if I'm working on knit which ballpoint needles I want to use and if I'm working on non woven or rather woven non stretchy fabric I go for the sharp needles my needle tracker board tells me which needles to use I change the color.
03:07.397 --> 03:13.060
[SPEAKER_00]: If I need to, and I test it out, the design on scrap fabric.
03:13.080 --> 03:17.743
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, right there it does take a little extra time, but I'm doing two things.
03:18.263 --> 03:21.485
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm checking to make sure the machine is running good.
03:21.505 --> 03:28.709
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, the design is good, and I'm checking those specific needles are working good and attention is adjusted.
03:29.229 --> 03:34.574
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you're thinking I need hopes, needle tracking board, you can make a simple one.
03:34.734 --> 03:48.265
[SPEAKER_00]: I made one in Canva and printed it on paper, but then I upscaled it and I went a step further and I actually UV-print them in my shop and print them on to acrylic and it comes with a marker and little hooks.
03:48.625 --> 03:51.448
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll leave that in the show notes if you want to pick up one of those.
03:52.142 --> 04:01.748
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, another common mistake that I hear and see in almost every Facebook group is thread breakage.
04:02.249 --> 04:08.293
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, let's walk through the reasons why your thread will break or shred.
04:08.933 --> 04:11.755
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, could be a dull needle.
04:12.075 --> 04:25.103
[SPEAKER_00]: If your needle has been used more than that six or eight hours or if it's bent for if it has a little scratch inside of the eye or on the shaft, that means that that could be the culprit, all right?
04:25.463 --> 04:38.171
[SPEAKER_00]: And when we talk about a little scratch, think about a little razor blade inside of the hole of the needle and every time the thread passes in and out, it's like a razor blade and it's going to shred the thread and make it break.
04:38.811 --> 04:40.933
[SPEAKER_00]: So one reason could be the needle.
04:41.274 --> 04:45.057
[SPEAKER_00]: The second reason could be the needle insertion.
04:45.558 --> 04:55.568
[SPEAKER_00]: And what I mean by that is if you're listening or watching and you have a hobby home machine, a multi needle machine that you bought in an authorized dealer,
04:56.128 --> 04:58.310
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got flat back needles.
04:58.350 --> 05:01.792
[SPEAKER_00]: That means the front is curved and the back is flat.
05:01.952 --> 05:09.397
[SPEAKER_00]: And that means that it's almost impossible for you to put your needle in cock-eyed or crooked.
05:09.897 --> 05:17.022
[SPEAKER_00]: But what could happen if you have a flat back needle system is you didn't push it up all the way.
05:17.382 --> 05:21.625
[SPEAKER_00]: So you have it inserted the needle to its highest position.
05:21.805 --> 05:24.067
[SPEAKER_00]: That definitely is going to cause shredding.
05:24.667 --> 05:37.297
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you are like me and you have a true commercial machine, your needle is completely round front and back, and it's almost impossible when you're a newbie to get that needle in straight.
05:37.778 --> 05:40.460
[SPEAKER_00]: That hole for the needle needs to be...
05:40.840 --> 05:44.344
[SPEAKER_00]: completely straight when you're standing in front of it.
05:44.524 --> 05:45.645
[SPEAKER_00]: I struggle with this.
05:45.685 --> 05:46.446
[SPEAKER_00]: I got to be honest.
05:46.486 --> 05:53.293
[SPEAKER_00]: So for me to put the needle in straight, I had to buy a needle east tool and you can get this from all stitch.
05:53.413 --> 05:54.834
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll link that below as well.
05:55.014 --> 06:00.960
[SPEAKER_00]: So when I switched from trying to use a second needle to insert it and using this tool,
06:01.681 --> 06:05.264
[SPEAKER_00]: Man, I never, ever get the needle in wrong.
06:05.404 --> 06:06.885
[SPEAKER_00]: It's super easy to use.
06:07.005 --> 06:11.027
[SPEAKER_00]: I still have to be careful that it's inserted at its highest position.
06:11.228 --> 06:27.119
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you do have thread breaks and you know that you've changed the needle and you've checked to make sure it's in straight and fully seated, the next thing that I'm going to do is I'm going to check all of my thread paths starting at the very top.
06:30.861 --> 06:33.202
[SPEAKER_00]: I used to say, it's threaded right.
06:33.302 --> 06:34.042
[SPEAKER_00]: I know it is.
06:34.362 --> 06:36.163
[SPEAKER_00]: Noah wasn't almost every time.
06:36.423 --> 06:37.063
[SPEAKER_00]: I was wrong.
06:37.143 --> 06:47.507
[SPEAKER_00]: So instead of doing that, set your ego aside like I had to do and start at the top, make sure that it's through every single thread path.
06:47.527 --> 06:51.288
[SPEAKER_00]: If you need to get a ladder to stand up on top of it because you're short like me,
06:51.888 --> 06:52.348
[SPEAKER_00]: Do it.
06:52.768 --> 06:53.069
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
06:53.329 --> 07:00.872
[SPEAKER_00]: So you're going to re-thread that one missed guide on your thread path can cause shredding and breaks.
07:01.052 --> 07:02.932
[SPEAKER_00]: Now the next thing would be tension.
07:03.433 --> 07:06.954
[SPEAKER_00]: If your tension is too tight, the thread can snap.
07:07.494 --> 07:11.776
[SPEAKER_00]: And on the Bob intention, you want to run a tension test if you think
07:12.276 --> 07:15.478
[SPEAKER_00]: that it is your tension and you're going to go by the third rule.
07:15.678 --> 07:22.301
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can run a tension test usually your manufacturer gives you a design that you run.
07:22.841 --> 07:29.044
[SPEAKER_00]: You take the hoop off the machine, turn it upside down, and good tension should be a third rule.
07:29.104 --> 07:38.029
[SPEAKER_00]: Meaning you're going to see a third of the needle thread, a third of the Bob and thread, and another third of the needle thread.
07:38.349 --> 07:40.510
[SPEAKER_00]: You can check with your manufacturer about that.
07:41.010 --> 07:48.874
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, another reason for shredding and snapping of the thread is going to be the type of thread you use.
07:49.314 --> 07:57.298
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, when I first started sewing and embroidery, I was on a hobby machine, a flatbed machine, a cost of fortune, and I loved it.
07:57.799 --> 08:04.782
[SPEAKER_00]: And I bought my threads based on the containers or the storage units that I could put them in.
08:05.282 --> 08:06.983
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I bought rayon thread.
08:07.083 --> 08:09.264
[SPEAKER_00]: People told me it has more shine,
08:10.705 --> 08:15.993
[SPEAKER_00]: And I love the little containers that they snapped in, so I bought all rayon thread.
08:16.374 --> 08:23.104
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, today, while I love the look of rayon thread, I never ever use it with commercial embroidery.
08:23.304 --> 08:25.247
[SPEAKER_00]: I only use polyester thread.
08:25.387 --> 08:33.574
[SPEAKER_00]: Polyester Thread is color fast, so think about those baby onesies that maybe you're embroidering, grandma buys for her first grandchild.
08:33.974 --> 08:43.303
[SPEAKER_00]: The baby spits up a lot, the mother puts it in a little bit of bleach or brightener, and then the thread fades.
08:43.543 --> 08:46.585
[SPEAKER_00]: And instead of being bright purple, it's white.
08:46.886 --> 08:49.448
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, Polyester Thread is color fast.
08:49.948 --> 08:56.751
[SPEAKER_00]: It's never going to fade and it has a higher tensile strength, meaning it's not going to break.
08:56.931 --> 09:01.593
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, another reason, machine speed, maybe you're just so into darn fast.
09:01.793 --> 09:16.020
[SPEAKER_00]: If you can go 1200 stitches a minute, maybe all those vibrations are causing an issue, and if you could try to slow it down, friction with going fast means more friction, which means heat, so try slowing your machine down and see if that helps.
09:16.620 --> 09:27.192
[SPEAKER_00]: And last but not least, sometimes all of those are correct, and this is not a DIY fix, maybe the timing on your machine is off.
09:27.352 --> 09:32.397
[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's the case, you want to submit a support ticket with your manufacturer.
09:32.878 --> 09:38.184
[SPEAKER_00]: They'll be happy to tell you what to do or to face time or send a check out.
09:38.744 --> 09:49.473
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, since we've been talking about needles, I want to tell you this because every student who comes through my courses tells me the same thing.
09:49.653 --> 09:59.081
[SPEAKER_00]: If they're in person and I teach them to use my needle tracker board, I give them the needle ease tool, and I say, okay, I want you to change the needle.
09:59.401 --> 10:01.963
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to watch to make sure you have the technique.
10:02.163 --> 10:02.824
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's what they do.
10:03.164 --> 10:04.025
[SPEAKER_00]: They get the needle out.
10:04.445 --> 10:08.207
[SPEAKER_00]: They hand it to me and they say, well, this one we just put in.
10:08.267 --> 10:09.968
[SPEAKER_00]: It's only been used in hour.
10:10.048 --> 10:11.289
[SPEAKER_00]: Where should I put it?
10:11.449 --> 10:14.771
[SPEAKER_00]: The answer is always file 13.
10:15.072 --> 10:15.872
[SPEAKER_00]: The garbage.
10:16.332 --> 10:18.234
[SPEAKER_00]: Needles are the cheapest thing in your shop.
10:18.454 --> 10:20.295
[SPEAKER_00]: A hundred needles are like 21.
10:20.475 --> 10:21.616
[SPEAKER_00]: That's less than a quarter.
10:21.856 --> 10:24.478
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't even buy a cup of coffee for a quarter anymore.
10:24.918 --> 10:27.379
[SPEAKER_00]: So this, my friends, is not time to
10:30.181 --> 10:36.306
[SPEAKER_00]: throw it away, regardless of how new it is or what you think it looks like, all right, toss it away.
10:36.586 --> 10:37.527
[SPEAKER_00]: You'll think me for it.
10:37.747 --> 10:39.668
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't put it back in the box.
10:39.869 --> 10:45.733
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that happens that we want to troubleshoot is called bird nesting.
10:46.033 --> 10:52.278
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, you may not have heard this term before and you may not have experienced and what that tells me.
10:52.687 --> 10:56.010
[SPEAKER_00]: is you just need some hours and some time under your belt.
10:56.370 --> 11:07.280
[SPEAKER_00]: Because no matter how good you are, how long you've been embroidery, you will experience bird nesting and you need to know the cause and how to fix it so you can get up and running again.
11:07.922 --> 11:24.100
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you have, let's say you're embroidering and all of the sudden the machine stops, you see this tangled mess of thread between the hoop and your throat plate, and it's down and jammed in the bobbin.
11:24.560 --> 11:30.186
[SPEAKER_00]: It looks like a bird and nested there with twigs, but instead of twigs, it's thread.
11:30.486 --> 11:31.807
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what a bird's nest is.
11:32.047 --> 11:36.732
[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, you guys, it could be one of the most frustrating things in embroidery.
11:37.092 --> 11:37.473
[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
11:37.573 --> 11:46.502
[SPEAKER_00]: Because usually, whatever your embroidery on is ruined, a lot of times it'll cut a hole into your blank, which means you need to replace it.
11:47.062 --> 11:54.668
[SPEAKER_00]: Which is another reason why you may not want to accept customer supplied blanks, because now you have to replace it.
11:55.029 --> 11:55.329
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
11:55.569 --> 12:01.694
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about what the common cause could be for bird nesting.
12:01.914 --> 12:05.497
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the number one cause in my experience.
12:05.677 --> 12:10.141
[SPEAKER_00]: The Bob and Case was not seated properly.
12:10.501 --> 12:17.864
[SPEAKER_00]: So that means maybe you were stitching fine and then all the sudden bam, you have a bird's nest.
12:18.205 --> 12:25.368
[SPEAKER_00]: And what I don't want you to do is let your pride get hurt or in the way and say, but I know I put that bobbing case in, right?
12:25.728 --> 12:32.652
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, chances are even if you did put it in right, it popped out through all the vibrations in the movement.
12:32.792 --> 12:36.734
[SPEAKER_00]: So, here's how I teach my students to insert the bobbing case.
12:37.234 --> 12:45.198
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, I hold the little latch and I insert the bobbing case by just gently pushing it, not all the way.
12:45.458 --> 12:54.663
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'll push it and then I make my students actually turn away so they can't see and then push it hard and you'll hear a click.
12:55.243 --> 12:57.664
[SPEAKER_00]: No click means reinsert it.
12:58.144 --> 12:58.485
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
12:58.505 --> 13:02.166
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you don't hear that click, then it's not seated all the way.
13:02.407 --> 13:06.108
[SPEAKER_00]: And that my friends is the number one cause of a bird nest.
13:06.308 --> 13:09.430
[SPEAKER_00]: Now you could also have lint build up in your Bobbin case.
13:09.610 --> 13:11.131
[SPEAKER_00]: Lots of videos out there.
13:11.551 --> 13:17.254
[SPEAKER_00]: You could take a business card or a lint cleaning tool and clean that little slot on your Bobbin case.
13:17.534 --> 13:19.435
[SPEAKER_00]: You can have a bent or dull needle.
13:19.495 --> 13:23.597
[SPEAKER_00]: This could prevent the rotary hook from catching the top thread in your Bobbin.
13:24.157 --> 13:28.318
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, all of those are the reasons why you could have a bird's nest.
13:28.659 --> 13:31.980
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's say you have one, how are you going to recover?
13:32.440 --> 13:33.700
[SPEAKER_00]: This is your fix.
13:33.920 --> 13:36.161
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not quick, but it is the fix.
13:36.561 --> 13:42.323
[SPEAKER_00]: So the number one thing I'm going to tell you, if you don't own this already, buy a bird's nest tool.
13:42.683 --> 13:44.664
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll link below from all stitch.
13:45.004 --> 13:45.964
[SPEAKER_00]: I love all stitch.
13:46.144 --> 13:50.766
[SPEAKER_00]: I order a lot of my supplies from them, and they have this thing called a bird nest tool.
13:51.386 --> 13:54.188
[SPEAKER_00]: Once you have it, there's two pieces to this.
13:54.548 --> 13:57.449
[SPEAKER_00]: One looks like a hook and it's angled.
13:57.689 --> 14:01.972
[SPEAKER_00]: And so once you have a bird's nest, you're going to put the hook underneath your hoop.
14:02.512 --> 14:05.574
[SPEAKER_00]: So it rests between the hoop and the throat plate.
14:05.954 --> 14:07.655
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you're going to push it up.
14:08.275 --> 14:17.861
[SPEAKER_00]: to get some leverage, all right, and that lifts the hoop up, and then you're going to take in your other hand, and you're going to take the blade that comes in the kit.
14:18.261 --> 14:32.470
[SPEAKER_00]: So with one hand, you're lifting the hoop up, you're going to take your blade and angle it down a little bit towards the floor, and you're going to saw back and forth that blade actually cuts right through the bird's nest.
14:32.690 --> 14:36.333
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why I tell you to angle it down towards the floor,
14:36.993 --> 14:45.095
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a small Spartan chance that you may not ruin the garment and be able to use it again, and my experience most of the time it's toast.
14:45.275 --> 14:51.476
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so then once you've got the hoop, so you can get it off the machine because you've cut the bird nest.
14:51.736 --> 14:53.456
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's your next step.
14:53.696 --> 14:55.957
[SPEAKER_00]: And my friends don't skip any one of these.
14:56.017 --> 15:02.538
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no shortcuts because what you don't want to happen is skip a step, even though you know you shouldn't.
15:03.038 --> 15:05.540
[SPEAKER_00]: You start the next thing and the same thing happens again.
15:05.941 --> 15:14.307
[SPEAKER_00]: So once that hoop is off the machine, you're going to take your screwdriver and you're going to remove the throat plate and the side portion.
15:14.707 --> 15:25.776
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to remove the bobbin and you're going to take tweezers or can of air or whatever method you use and you're going to make sure there's no loose threads anywhere in the bobbin case.
15:26.116 --> 15:29.037
[SPEAKER_00]: then take your little brush and go ahead and give it a spa bath.
15:29.237 --> 15:32.359
[SPEAKER_00]: Now it's the perfect time to do your maintenance.
15:32.399 --> 15:33.819
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to remove all the threads.
15:33.839 --> 15:35.800
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to brush or blow out the lint.
15:36.220 --> 15:39.822
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to add more oil and you're going to check the bobbing case.
15:40.122 --> 15:44.164
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you're going to put the bobbing back in the bobbing case.
15:44.484 --> 15:49.686
[SPEAKER_00]: Push it in so it clicks and then you should be back up and running again.
15:50.186 --> 16:03.892
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I would go back and I check all those thread paths to make sure nothing bad happened, and if it was me, I would probably go the extra mile and I would test that design on scrap fabric before I loaded a new garment.
16:04.553 --> 16:05.833
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I hope that was helpful.
16:05.853 --> 16:09.295
[SPEAKER_00]: That was a lot of information about bird's nesting.
16:09.555 --> 16:13.337
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that can happen when you're embroidering is skipped stitches.
16:13.738 --> 16:17.760
[SPEAKER_00]: This happens when the needle fails to connect with a bobbin.
16:18.200 --> 16:20.782
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you embroider it's like knitting or crochet.
16:20.862 --> 16:26.245
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't do either, but it's kind of like those where the top thread comes down and it loops through the bottom thread.
16:26.685 --> 16:29.787
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it's not catching, that's going to be skipped stitches.
16:30.207 --> 16:31.328
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the common causes.
16:31.668 --> 16:33.489
[SPEAKER_00]: Needle could be dull or bent.
16:33.809 --> 16:35.010
[SPEAKER_00]: You want to change that first?
16:35.190 --> 16:43.994
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, it also could be like we talked about before the needle insertion maybe the needle isn't seated all the way or maybe it's crooked so check it.
16:44.574 --> 16:51.417
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be as simple as you have a lens in the bobbing case and you want to clean that out or it could be the dreaded
16:51.937 --> 16:52.938
[SPEAKER_00]: machine timing.
16:53.078 --> 16:58.920
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, in that case, you're going to fill out a support ticket with your manufacturer, probably not going to touch that yourself.
16:59.040 --> 17:02.601
[SPEAKER_00]: The next trouble shooting or the next thing that could happen.
17:03.102 --> 17:08.164
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is actually happened to me is the needle actually breaks.
17:08.804 --> 17:09.224
[SPEAKER_00]: Bam.
17:09.484 --> 17:12.185
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it takes a lot for a needle to break.
17:12.285 --> 17:14.126
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's happened to us all.
17:14.366 --> 17:15.526
[SPEAKER_00]: It's really scary.
17:15.767 --> 17:18.768
[SPEAKER_00]: And especially when you're working on hats, that can happen.
17:19.740 --> 17:24.542
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if the needle breaks, it could be a couple different reasons.
17:24.822 --> 17:27.683
[SPEAKER_00]: One reason could be that your needle or the screw is loose.
17:27.863 --> 17:39.188
[SPEAKER_00]: During the embroidery, especially at higher speeds, the screw where you tighten the needle could have vibrated loose and the needle falls out and into the rotary hook.
17:39.328 --> 17:41.549
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my gosh, you guys ask me how I know.
17:42.129 --> 17:43.230
[SPEAKER_00]: That happened to me.
17:43.850 --> 17:50.295
[SPEAKER_00]: and I felt like a loser when that happened and so I couldn't figure it out how to get it fixed.
17:50.775 --> 17:57.120
[SPEAKER_00]: So I called my husband who came over to the shop and it took us a lot to get this out.
17:57.140 --> 18:00.903
[SPEAKER_00]: And in fact, I was using a titanium needle which
18:01.363 --> 18:02.023
[SPEAKER_00]: was a good thing.
18:02.403 --> 18:06.384
[SPEAKER_00]: That needle is harder to snap into, but it's gold tipped.
18:06.524 --> 18:14.207
[SPEAKER_00]: So we were able to see it with a flashlight because instead of being silver inside of a silver rotary hook, it was gold.
18:14.847 --> 18:16.447
[SPEAKER_00]: And we had to get support in there.
18:16.587 --> 18:17.908
[SPEAKER_00]: And we had to dig it out.
18:17.948 --> 18:19.708
[SPEAKER_00]: And my husband did a great job of that.
18:19.848 --> 18:21.289
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't damage anything.
18:21.449 --> 18:22.549
[SPEAKER_00]: But that taught me a lesson.
18:22.609 --> 18:25.990
[SPEAKER_00]: And I want you to learn the lesson without having to go through that scare.
18:26.010 --> 18:26.070
[SPEAKER_00]: And
18:26.210 --> 18:34.193
[SPEAKER_00]: Every so often, check the screws that hold your needles in and make sure that they're not over-tightened, but they're tight.
18:34.374 --> 18:40.136
[SPEAKER_00]: There is tight as they can go without putting pressure on them because believe they're not those do loosen.
18:40.336 --> 18:44.958
[SPEAKER_00]: So you want to check that and make that a habit and part of your routine.
18:45.358 --> 18:51.421
[SPEAKER_00]: Now if you're working on hats and your needle breaks, this almost always is a U problem or a me problem.
18:52.021 --> 19:06.035
[SPEAKER_00]: This means a couple things that you probably don't have that hat whooped correctly, so you can go to my YouTube channel at the Hope Yoder and look for the hat video where I did from start to finish.
19:06.215 --> 19:14.323
[SPEAKER_00]: So the hat is moving back and forth, the needle deflects and it snaps, and almost all of that is in the hooping process.
19:14.563 --> 19:19.585
[SPEAKER_00]: Also, while we're talking about hats, you want to probably slow your speed until you know you're good to go.
19:20.005 --> 19:32.850
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe 500 to 600 speed instead of full blown when you're working on caps because remember it's going back and forth like a rotisserie, so slower is probably going to be better than faster.
19:33.470 --> 19:38.854
[SPEAKER_00]: and also another reason it could break is you're not starting in the right place with the hats.
19:39.094 --> 19:51.643
[SPEAKER_00]: So if all of this still causes your needle to break and you know that you have it hooped correctly, which more than likely is the problem, you could try going to a larger needle.
19:51.743 --> 19:54.265
[SPEAKER_00]: Check with your manufacturer to see what you use.
19:54.305 --> 19:59.048
[SPEAKER_00]: Now me, normally I use a 75-11 sharp needle on all my hats.
19:59.388 --> 20:04.193
[SPEAKER_00]: with very little issues now that I've learned to master how I hoop them.
20:04.413 --> 20:07.896
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing that can go wrong is a design misalignment.
20:08.316 --> 20:11.319
[SPEAKER_00]: So the design shifts or the elements don't line up.
20:11.519 --> 20:18.125
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe when you get to the end, if it had a little border around it, the border doesn't sit on the design.
20:18.305 --> 20:19.827
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just misaligned.
20:20.187 --> 20:21.849
[SPEAKER_00]: And the problem with this,
20:22.349 --> 20:24.710
[SPEAKER_00]: is usually improper hooping.
20:25.130 --> 20:30.771
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you hoop fabric, I see people do two things wrong, and they're kind of on the opposite end.
20:31.111 --> 20:34.972
[SPEAKER_00]: One thing is their fabric is too loose in the hoop.
20:35.132 --> 20:40.733
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're using the manufacturer hoops, and you hoop it, and there's a lot of play in it.
20:40.853 --> 20:46.374
[SPEAKER_00]: So every time that needle penetrates the fabric, it gets saggyer and saggyer.
20:51.555 --> 20:53.897
[SPEAKER_00]: and there was always jokes about the pantyhose.
20:54.337 --> 20:58.140
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I've seen people trying to hoop like that.
20:58.160 --> 21:07.366
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so what you want your hoop to be is the fabric to be taught, not tight, no wrinkles, no sags.
21:07.686 --> 21:12.049
[SPEAKER_00]: Another reason for misalignment could be you have the wrong stabilizer.
21:12.449 --> 21:16.452
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is a really common problem with beginners and it's a 100% preventable,
21:17.793 --> 21:25.199
[SPEAKER_00]: Just get some skills and some knowledge on how to pair the right stabilizer with the right fabric in that's avoidable.
21:25.380 --> 21:30.524
[SPEAKER_00]: Because let's say you're working on a Teraway stabilizer on a knit fabric.
21:30.584 --> 21:32.746
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the wrong choice all the way around.
21:32.886 --> 21:40.913
[SPEAKER_00]: And like we said in a previous episode, it doesn't matter how many layers you add if it's the wrong stabilizer, you're just compounding the problem.
21:41.253 --> 21:48.818
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if this isn't stabilizing the fabric and the taro-way stabilizer is going to tear it before you're done in bordering, that would cost misalignment.
21:48.958 --> 21:55.942
[SPEAKER_00]: So, my recommendation for you is to what I do, just invest in the mighty hoops for consistent commercial work.
21:56.362 --> 21:58.564
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you're going to get the same placement every time.
21:59.204 --> 22:01.726
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's going to hoop it perfectly taught.
22:01.846 --> 22:06.909
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's going to remove the sag, the wrinkles, and it's going to help you get better work.
22:07.169 --> 22:10.111
[SPEAKER_00]: And a bonus, mighty hoops are more than hooping.
22:10.471 --> 22:12.152
[SPEAKER_00]: They have to do with a lining.
22:12.553 --> 22:20.818
[SPEAKER_00]: If I wanted to embroider 100 of these polos for my team, mighty hoops would help me get it in the same spot every time.
22:21.038 --> 22:29.082
[SPEAKER_00]: Another problem that occurs quite often, especially with new people, is the top thread versus the Bob and Thread.
22:29.502 --> 22:31.563
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe your tension isn't right.
22:32.063 --> 22:46.990
[SPEAKER_00]: Now there are some machines that have automatic tension, and I hope one day to have those in my studio, they do cost a pretty penny, usually they're about $10,000 more, but if you struggle with that, that might be a good solution for you going forward.
22:47.310 --> 22:56.352
[SPEAKER_00]: So checking the top thread versus the bobbin when you're looking at the tension, the first thing that you need to do after you run a tension test is to side.
22:56.712 --> 23:00.293
[SPEAKER_00]: Do I have a problem with the top thread or the bobbin?
23:00.653 --> 23:07.755
[SPEAKER_00]: And so after you've run that tension test, you're going to look at the wrong side of your fabric and here's what you want to see.
23:08.195 --> 23:09.055
[SPEAKER_00]: Perfect tension.
23:09.655 --> 23:19.302
[SPEAKER_00]: is a third of the colored top thread showing, a third of the white bobbin thread, and then a third of the top thread again.
23:19.482 --> 23:20.663
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's the third rule.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So here's how you're going to tell when you look at the backside, if you don't see that perfect tension, you're going to look for one thing.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If the tension is messed up on every single needle, then it's a bobbin case issue.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if some of your
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[SPEAKER_00]: good and some of them don't, then that tells me that it's a top thread tension on those isolated needles.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now you're going to check with your manufacturer to see how they recommend you adjust the tension and go for that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But the simple rule is if it's messed up and it's messed up the same on all of the threads, it's a bobbin case issue.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's only messed up on a few isolated areas that's a top
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, one thing I have learned about bobbins, I see all these crazy things people say, and one of them is about how to test the tension on the bobbin.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I've been embroidery for 30 years.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You guys, I've been in the industry a long time, and all those fancy, fancy, bobbin tests, the gadgets that you can buy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't use any of those.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, they're very inaccurate.
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[SPEAKER_00]: depending on the way you pull them each time so I do what you call a bobbin drop test.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you're going to put the thread in the bobbin.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If your bobbin has a pig tail, keep it out of the pig tail.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So put your bobbin in and you're going to drop the bobbin like a yo-yo.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, one drop.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if it drops freely and the bobbin lowers like a like a yo yo, that means that your bobbin tension is too loose.
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[SPEAKER_00]: If you drop the bobbin and it doesn't move at all, that means your tension is too tight.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So the sweet spot where you want to be is you drop it and it lowers just a little bit when you tug on it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It'll go a little lower.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's just right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You guys can find videos online.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Look for the drop test.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So in wrapping this up, all of this is a learnable skill.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The fastest way to learn that is with some training and person.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I wanted to stop and tell you about an amazing resource that we have.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You guys saved this episode, come back when you're fighting with your machine.
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[SPEAKER_00]: From thread breaking, a quick recap is check the needle, rethread the tension, check the thread type, the speed, and last resort check with your manufacturer.
25:44.469 --> 25:49.073
[SPEAKER_00]: Bird nesting, a recap is to check to make sure the Bobbin was clicked in.
25:49.633 --> 25:53.376
[SPEAKER_00]: To clean it up, use the bird nesting tool, clean the housing,
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[SPEAKER_00]: And check the thread path.
25:57.198 --> 26:01.541
[SPEAKER_00]: Gips stitches could be the needle or you have lent in your Bobbin case.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The needle breaking most likely is due to hats and proper hooping or that screw loosens over time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And misalignment.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that probably means that you didn't use the right stabilizer or you didn't hoop properly.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And last but not least, the Bobbin's do a Bobbin test or attention test.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and see if is it the bobbin that's the issue or the top thread that's the issue.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But above all else you guys please if you heard nothing practice on scrap fabric every time without exceptions.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Hey you guys as we're wrapping this up share this with a friend who has a machine that's fighting them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Hope Yoder and this is the embroidery profit podcast
