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Warning--leaving the presser foot up while sewing will not work because raising the presser foot releases the tension!!! You'll likely end up with a huge knot of thread to remove and possibly damaged fabric.
Fine fabrics present some issues for most machines but there are several things you can do to alleviate or even eliminate issues.
Be sure to use lightweight needles for knits (ball point). Use a good quality fine thread. Loosening the tension will help alleviate some of the puckering. In addition, using a wash-away stabilizer to add body to the fabric will help with puckering. (Even using paper under the fabric will be enough to remove puckering--however, it tends to dull the needle faster than usual--but a new needle is an inexpensive solution to an age-old problem. Also, using a roller foot, teflon foot, or walking foot may be beneficial in feeding the fabric. Some people will starch the fabric to add body.
Puckering is usually a result of incorrect tension, ie too tight. Be sure you are using a new needle and thread that are compatible with the fabric you are stitching. A heavier thread like Coats & Clark cotton-wrapped polyester may be too thick for sewing silk. Another thing you may want to check is the presser foot pressure adjustment (the amount of pressure the presser foot applies to the fabric and feed dogs). This should be discussed in your user's manual. Something else that may help is using a walking foot or teflon foot that allows the fabric to advance smoother, rather than the presser foot "pushing" the fabric as it advances through the machine.
Another thing that may be contributory is the type of fabric. Some fine fabrics, ie silk, chiffon, have a natural tendency to pucker.
If the fabric is puckering when stitching, usually it is because the tension is too tight. You may need to loosen both the top and bobbin tensions.
Another time the problem occurs is when sewing fine fabric (like chiffon). The fabric does not have enough body to lay flat, so it puckers. You can utilize a stabilizer to help give the fabric body (washaway or tearaway stabilizer, or even use light-weight paper such as adding machine tape or even toilet tissue). Sometimes some spray starch is enough to help it lay flat.
If the fabric is puckering when you sew, it is most likely because the thread tension is too tight. Make sure you are using a brand-new needle compatible with your fabric--using a 70 or 80 needle and a lighter weight thread may work better as a 90 or higher needle is big enough that it can stretch the fabric before penetrating it, causing puckering.. Puckering also occurs more frequently when sewing light-weight fabrics and may necessitate using a walking foot or a stabilizer to help give the fabric more body as it is stitched (wash-away stabilizer would probably be good when sewing washable fabrics). Another thing that may cause puckering is when the bobbin is wound at a fast speed. Slowing down when winding the bobbin will reduce the amount of stretch added to the bobbin thread. If it is stretched going onto the bobbin, it will shrink back up when it is stitched to your fabric. Also check whether your machine has a presser foot pressure adjustment. The pressure should be lighter when sewing finer fabrics, ie silk, and heavier when sewing thicker fabrics like wool or denim.
A lot depends upon what you're sewing on, thread, needle, etc. But here are some basics for this problem:
1. Clean your machine! The most common cause of many sewing problems is smutz caught in the bobbin area or tensioning disks.
2. Change your needle and be sure it's the right weight and type for what you're doing. Using a heavyweight needle on lightweight fabric or a 'sharps' needle on knits or an old needle are common causes of puckering.
3. Make sure the thread you're using is appropriate for the fabric and needle. Using light thread on heavy fabric or vice versa can cause puckering as well.
4. Check your tensioning, both upper and bobbin.
5. Take it in and have the timing checked.
This is usually caused by incorrect thread tension. Light weight fabric with the tension too high will pucker fabric. Thread that is too heavy or light for the fabric throws the tension off.
#1 Use only Mettler or Gutermann thread. Coats thread is very rough and will pucker the fabric.
#2 Make sure that the tensions are balanced.
#3 Use the regular zig zag foot.
#4 Use a new needle, universal, size 80/12. A blunted point will pucker the fabric.
a wide zig-zag on a light weight fabric single layer is almost guaranteed to pucker up, just because the thread is under tension and this is often stronger than the fabric being pulled together by the stitches.
However, if a straight seam is puckering, this could be caused by a blunt needle, too big needle, or too tight tension or too long stitch length. You should be able to vary some of these variables to reduce the puckering and improve the stitch appearance. Other things to check might be the top thread being caught up somewhere in the thread path and pulling on the stitching.
If I am finishing the cut edge of aa single layer of light weight fabric I would use a three step zigzag to hold the fabric firmly and neatly.
Does it pucker when you are embroidering or just sewing in general? If its puckering when your embroidering it could be a few things. 1. no stabilizer 2. the fabric stretched in the hoop too tight. 3. check you tension
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