Needle Breaks; Skipped Stitches; Puckering - Brother BES-100E Workbook

Needle breaks

Cause
Improper timing
Needle inserted incorrectly
Bent needle
Dull needle
Holding loose end of
thread during start-up

Skipped stitches

Cause
Wrong needle size
Too tight or too loose twist
on thread
Incorrect timing

Puckering

Cause
Tight tensions
Improper hooping tension
Unstable fabric
Column stitches are too
long
Dull needles
Design densities are too
heavy
If the needle and hook point are not timed properly, damage to both could result.
Also stitching quality suffers. Replace damaged parts and re-time machine.
Follow your machine manual's instructions for inserting the needle. Make sure
that it is all the way up into the needle bar shaft, it is rotated properly, and the
needle screw is tight.
Always replace a needle if it hits, or even grazes, a hoop or other hard object.
Dull needles with bow in an effort to push through the fabric and eventually
break.
Pulling the thread too tight and either wrapping it around the holding disk or
holding it in your hand causes the needle to bend, and the needle and/or thread
to break.
Needles are too small or large in relation to the thread size and make it difficult
for loops to form.
Improper twist results in irregular loop formation. Try a new cone or different
color to test this possible cause.
The bobbin hook is not catching the loop. Reset timing.
Adjust tensions for specific garment and thread. For example, polyester thread
will stretch during sewing, especially if tensions are too tight. After the stitching
is complete, the thread returns to its original strength, puckering the garment.
Hoop sturdy, woven fabrics tightly; loose hooping will cause the fabric to bunch
up under the stitching. Hoop soft knits tautly, using a stable backing; over-
stretching the garment will cause it to look puckered when removed from the
hoop.
Use a backing, and be sure to hoop it with the garment. For added stability, use
an adhesive spray designed for embroidery to affix backing to garment or use
an iron-on tearaway backing.
Re-punch as fill stitching or multiple rows of column stitching.
Dull needles push fabric down instead of pushing between or piercing the
weave. Replace needles.
Too many stitches in an area pull the fabric causing it to look puckered.
Decrease density, increase the design slightly (5% to 10%) or use a thinner
thread.
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