How to troubleshoot poor embroidery quality?

Embroidery mistakes aren’t just visual—they waste materials, delay delivery, and hurt your brand. But are skipped stitches¹, broken threads, or bead loss caused by technique, machine settings, or material mismatch?

To solve embroidery quality problems, you must diagnose the root cause from stitch type, fabric properties, to machine settings. Every defect has a fix—but only if you know where to look.

I once ran a batch of knitwear with metallic threads. By the time the samples came back, 40% had snapped threads. That experience taught me to check compatibility—not just trust "standard settings."

Analysis of skipped stitch problems: machine settings or improper fabric tension?

Skipped stitches can ruin the clean lines of any design. The cause could be loose fabric, dull needles, or incorrect thread tension.

Skipped stitches usually result from poor needle penetration, unstable fabric tension, or incompatible speed-thread-needle settings.

Machine Embroidery

In which fabrics and pattern structures do skipped stitches most often occur?

Common problem zones:

• Knits and stretchy fabrics
• Fine tulle or mesh with open weave
• Dense satin stitching areas
• Sharp corners or tight curves in patterns

These fabrics stretch or shift during stitching, breaking the rhythm of the needle and causing misses.

How to solve the skipped stitch problem by adjusting the needle type, speed, and backing paper?

Try this checklist:

• Use ballpoint needles for knits, sharp needles for woven
• Reduce machine speed for tight curves or delicate areas
• Apply a water-soluble topping for tulle or knit
• Use proper hooping: fabric must be taut, not stretched
• Add tear-away or cut-away stabilizer based on fabric type

Frequent thread breakage²? Look at the comprehensive matching of wire material, tension, and needle

When thread breaks frequently, production stalls. It's usually a sign that tension or material isn't optimized.

Thread breakage often comes from a mismatch between thread type, needle size, machine tension, or poor thread quality.

Which embroidery threads are more likely to break? Do gold and silver threads and sequin threads require special settings?

Yes. High-risk threads include:

• Metallic (gold/silver): fragile core, prone to snapping
• Sequin threads: thick, inflexible
• Cheap rayon: frays quickly at high speed

Use:

• Larger eye needles (#90/14 or topstitch)
• Lower speed (500-600 rpm)
• Looser upper tension
• Specialized thread guides or silicone thread lubricant

Is thread breakage caused by needle wear or excessive tension? How to quickly determine the root cause?

Quick test:

• If thread breaks at the same point repeatedly → check path friction or tension
• If thread frays → check needle wear or burrs
• If breakage improves at low speed → reduce machine tension or use thread cone stand

Needles should be replaced every 8–10 hours of stitching.

Severe shrinkage after embroidery? Fabric elasticity and embroidery density should be coordinated

Fabric shrinking after embroidery usually means over-embellishment or lack of support from backing materials.

The more elastic the fabric, the more sensitive it is to high-density stitching. Use balanced patterns and stabilizers to control distortion.

Technical causes of waving/deformation after embroidery on knitted, tulle, and silk?

• Knits: Pulls from dense fill or poor hooping
• Tulle: Shrinks when over-stitched or lacks water-soluble support
• Silk: Wrinkles from high tension or tight curves

Avoid edge-to-edge fills. Maintain underlay stitches to smooth the surface before heavy areas.

Should bottom process support such as water-soluble film and stable backing be used?

Yes, especially for soft or stretchy fabrics:

Backings should be pre-shrunk and tested for wash durability.

Beads fall off and beads are offset? Both handmade and computerized embroidery may have problems

Even beautiful beaded embroidery loses value if it sheds during washing or transport.

Falling beads are usually due to weak thread locking, poor stitching position, or friction during wear or wash.

If beads fall off after washing, is it because the sewing is not strong enough or the glue is the problem?

Most bead fall-off cases are from:

• Loose knotting
• Beads too close to stitch edge
• Poor thread quality
• Inconsistent locking of final bead

Glue-only methods are not reliable. Reinforce all beads with lock stitching. Avoid single-strand fastenings.

Can the presser foot/clamp of the embroidery machine be adjusted to improve the stability of the sewn beads?

Yes. Use:

• Raised presser feet designed for beads or sequins
• Slow-speed modes for multi-bead runs
• Adjust foot pressure to allow smooth glide over beadwork

For better results, bead embroider manually over machine base stitch, especially for high-value garments.

Conclusion

Embroidery flaws aren't random—they’re signals. Understand your machine, fabric, and thread behavior, and you'll transform problems into precision.