Impressions - April 2014 - 50

Embroidery Technique

Thread must be stored properly to preserve it. Most spools now have a snap base that holds the end of the thread. For brands that don't have this feature, it's important to know how to tie a proper knot to secure the thread to the cone. First, pull a length of thread about a foot long and loop it back to the cone, holding it in a loop against
the cone (left). Next, rotate your hand three times, slip the outer loop over the cone, pulling the loose end through the loop (right). Make sure it is pulled snug.
maining thread tails or missed trims; removing tearaway stabilizer, water-soluble
topping and cutaway stabilizer; embroidery removal; and folding and bagging.
Hooping and backing selection also is
important. If the trainee started by performing ﬁnishing tasks, that person should
have developed an understanding of backings in the process. For example, the trainee may notice that knit shirts always have
cutaway stabilizer, towels have water-soluble topping and so on.
Explain the ﬁner points of stabilizer
selection by providing an explanation of
when and why each stabilizer is used. The
rules aren't hard and fast, but it's helpful
to provide a printed reference chart.
Hooping is an important skill and sufﬁcient time must be spent on this. Never
tell a trainee her hooping is good if you really believe she could do better. This is a
skill that must be practiced to do well, so
allow the trainee plenty of opportunity to
practice, and make sure you give feedback.
When it comes to needle selection and
changes, instruct the trainee about blade
sizes and point types, as well as symptoms
that indicate the needle point has deteriorated. Teach the necessary procedure that
must be followed for changing a needle. Be
sure to caution your trainee about loosening the needle set screw too much, allowing the presser foot to become detached.

THREAD HANDLING & NEEDLES
Following are a few areas of importance regarding thread for your training
curriculum:
Thread Type: Educate the trainee
about the kind of thread your shop uses.
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Impressions | April/May 2014

Talk about the ﬁber type and explain why
you chose it for your particular work.
Knot Tying: The easiest way to change
thread on a multineedle machine is to tie
a knot that joins the old thread color with
the new color. Show the trainee how to
tie a weaver's or square knot that will pass
through the needle's eye. This is an important skill that greatly reduces downtime
for threading.
Threading from the Cone: Every machine operator must know how to thread
the entire thread path - from cone to needle. This is essential not only for threading,
but also for troubleshooting. Sometimes,
thread may jump out of tensioners or become tangled around a thread guide. If
the thread path is a mystery, an operator
may not be able to identify a problem or
may be reluctant to attempt to rethread.
Like most items on this training list, this
is a veriﬁable skill that should be tested.
In a small-shop setting, this may seem like
overkill, but it's essential to avoiding unnecessary downtime for a very simple and
easily corrected problem.
Thread Storage: Thread must be stored
properly to preserve it and to ensure it can
be found when needed. Most spools now
have a snap base that holds the end of the
thread. For brands that don't have this feature, it's important to know how to tie a
proper knot to secure thread to the cone.
Color Changeover and Needle
Threading: Some machines now offer automatic threading, which is a great feature.
For those that must be threaded manually,
there are two methods that should be mastered. When a needle has sufﬁcient blade
and eye size, the new thread can be tied to

the old thread using either a weaver's or
square knot. Just be sure not to tug a knot
through, as it could bend the needle.
Alternatively, for manual threading
through the eye, teach the trainee to place
the thread in the groove of the needle and
push it down and through the eye. This
eliminates the need to see the eye and hit
the target.
Tensions: This is a skill that is not
mastered quickly, but the principles and
appearance of proper tension should be
taught. Instruct your trainee by using the
"H" and "FOX" tests, both of which entail
sewing out those letters.
Encourage the trainee to turn over
each piece of completed embroidery during training to verify tensions are correct.
Supervise the trainee when she is making adjustments to the tensioners during
training. This will help you give guidance
and build that person's tension troubleshooting logic.
Bobbin Changes: Regularly checking
the amount of thread left on the bobbin is
a good work habit for your trainee to develop. Allowing a bobbin to run out costs
time and could cause poor-quality embroidery. Train new operators to check bobbin
thread levels frequently. This is particularly important when doing sewouts on caps
or other items that could make a bobbin
change challenging in the midst of the embroidery process.
It's common for trainees to make the
mistake of not getting the bobbin case
clicked in properly. When that happens, the
machine simply spits it out. Make sure the
trainee understands that this never happens
with a properly inserted bobbin case.
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Impressions - April 2014

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