Ann The Gran Community

Hello all, brand new here and to ME in general and am enjoying the ATG site.  I have a Viking Designer SE with the 4D Extra Software.  I has a Quick Font Wizard that allows you to create a stitchable font from Windows.  I am stitching some little T-Shirts for my sister's Daisy Scout Troop and we chose the Chaucer font.  I am not all that happy with how it is stitching out.  I have followed the advice in this forum for stitching on T-Shirts (Thank You!).  I am wondering if fonts would stitch out better if I was to buy them rather than create them?

Also, is there anyone out there with a Designer SE that has a lot of loops underneath when stitching lettering?  Too many stops and starts?  Is there a fix for this?  Looks like a rats nest under there!

Many thanks from New England!

I would try again before making a decision to purchase the fonts.

What you are experiencing (loops under the stitching) is referred to as "bird nesting". 

(1) Remove the needle and bobbin.

(2) Clean away any lint or thread snips that may have accumulated in and around the bobbin case.

(3) If you changed the tension, put it back to the factory recommended setting.

(4) Replace the bobbin, being sure the thread is feeding off the spool in the correct direction and through the guides.

(5) Replace the needle with a new one.

(6) Re-thread the EM with the presser foot up.

(7) Use cut-away stabilizer on knits.

(8) Do a test stitching on a scrap of like fabric and stabilizer.

If you are still having the problem, then a font may be the answer.

Pattiann

Welcome to AnnTheGran (ATG) and machine embroidery (ME).  You will love what you are doing when the issues have been addressed and fixed.

Pattiann is right, and may I add that you might want to use a ball point needle.  T-shirts, in general, are stretchy and a ball point will 'slide' the fabric thread aside rather than  cutting it.  Cutting the fabric thread can be a problem when washed multiple times.

Be careful to not stretch that fabric! 

You may also consider taking your machine into be serviced, even a new machine can have been bumped enough to need looking at.  Take your project with you and have them help you with it. 

Your stabilizer specifically needs to be an adhesive type, and cut away is fine.

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer

Hi New England,  I also own the 4D Extra Software and have used the Quick Font Wizard many times. I can tell you from experience that sometimes it doesn't always digitize the way it looks. I have had to re-do the font and the second time it stitched much better. Unfortunately I don't have the Chaucer font in my Windows. (strange that I don't)  Dd you follow all the guides listed in the Quick Font?  I will ask for the style and  character set. Try the Western 1. The next window asks for  stotcj tu[e , output and make sure you click options to pick your fill stitch. You would then click preview. The next window will ask where you want the font to go. I always save them in my fonts, then they are easy to delete if I am not happy with them. There is also a help box in quick fonts that may be helpful to you. Unfortunately, whoever writes the instructions for Viking software is not alway the best. I have found that trial and  error is a wonderful lesson. We really learn a lot by our mistakes.

Now for the birdnesting. That is usually caused by the threading of the machine. When you thread you machine you will hear the thread click in the tension disks.  That way you will know for sure your thread is where it should be. ( Presser foot up) Sometimes it is the needle. It muct be placed all the way up. The SE has a needle threader and if you turn your machine on and the needle threader goes right thru the needle, the you will know it is inserted correctly.For T-shirts the ball point needle is the way to go. I also use the cut away stabilizer or the iron on tear away. Just make sure that your lettering is not too dense for the lightweight knits. Make sure that you don't stretch the knit while hooping. It is best to practice hooping on an old t shirt, so you don't have to pull your t shirt. Tighted the screw and try to hoop your fabric without pulling.  It should be taught but don't stretch it.

Since you are new to ME. I would practice my hooping. Try it on a piece of muslin, or an old tee shirt.

Hope this helps, Happy Embroidering,   Marlene

Or do what I do and don't hoop! I found I have a lot more success if I don't hoop heavy or stretcy fabric.  I do a baste in the hoop and often use  the spray glue. Also, some fonts don't digitize as well as others.  But I have to agree, if your new, trial and error will help lots.

Hi! I have a Viking also. Didn't have much succes getting fonts from Windows.  But you DO have to click on the resize button on the top if you're changing the size you have designed. I found that out the hard way. Always practice on a scrap first. Good Luck!

Hello New England,

I just recently purchased the SE so am still learning.  Have you tried turning off the jump stitch when you have the rats nest?  One of the Viking instructors suggested doing so if we were geeting too much thread underneath.

I do love this machine!

Happy Embroidering,

Kansas City

Hello ,

I belong to a group in Yahoo for people who own a Designer Se. You probably will get very good help from the people there.

Elyse

Hello in New England,

I have a Designer SE as well as the 4D software.  I have experienced exactly what your are experiencing now.  First, turn the jump stitch feature OFF when doing any lettering.  Otherwise, it will be a "rats nest" underneath.  Go to the little tool icon on the machine screen and turn off that feature.  You will need to of cource remember to turn it back on when you finish your lettering.  That features just doesn't work  well when you are stitching lettering.

As far as the fonts in the software vs. purchased fonts, I say choose purchased fonts.   I don't like the quick fonts.  They are not smooth and I just don't see any good use for them.  I have purchased several fonts in multiple sizes and find the results are much, much better.  I do use the fonts in the 4D lettering, just not the quick fonts.  The only disadvantage is you must place each letter one at a time.  Spell out your lettering  and place it in the correct order as you go so that your machine will stitch out each letter in order of first to the last.  Other wise it might stitch out the fourth letter first and the first letter last.  I found that out too. LOL!

Hope this helps.

Tabrewer

I have used QuickFont Wizard successfully, but there is a little trial and error involved.  Not all fonts are suitable for all styles of embroidery.  I took a look at the Chaucer font ( http://www.searchfreefonts.com/free/chaucer.htm ) and see that the letters are very thin.  I can see that being difficult to stitch on a knit fabric.  You may have better luck with another font.

When you have created your text, I suggest zooming in and looking at the embroidery with 3D View turned off.  You will see the actual stitches rather than a simulated fill or satin column.  Obvious problems will show up this way, but test embroidering is still a good idea.

I won't repeat the very good answers about thread nesting.

Good luck.

Carol Brown

I don't understand - - how do you not hoop your fabric?

I hoop my stabilizer and then put the fabric on top.  I use a temporary basting spray to hold the fabric in place until I get to my embroidery machine.  My machine will baste around the perimeter of a design if I select that option and that holds my fabric well enough.  There are also a few stabilizers that are sticky.

For a lesson on how I position my fabric in the hoop please go to

http://www.annthegran.com/cs/blogs/jumble-fun/archive/2008/10/31/piggyback-hooping.aspx

You can download the lesson from that blog.  I use the same technique when I position only one design in the hoop, so it is worth seeing even when you do not have a lot of embroidery to do.

Hooping the stabilizer alone is fairly common.  "Hoop burn" can ruin the appearance of some fabrics like velvet, and other fabrics just don't want to stay hooped.  If you don't have the baste feature, you can pin the fabric in place and then baste by hand.

Carol Brown

I love your name - mehoopany!  To hoop or not to hoop, that is the question.

Another method of 'hoopless' embroidery can be found at my blog which is a different method than Carol is discussing in her blog.  That does not mean that her method is wrong, it just means that these two methods are different.

As with many things in life, there is more than a single way, and frankly, with hoopless, there are still more methods to try.  Some make sense to an embroiderer and some won't, that is why we have multiple methods. 

Enjoy your machine embroidery!  It is a craft with many great aspects.  My personal favorite is the fact that you can create a memory, heirloom and keepsake, just with some thread and fabric.

Pat, The Avid Embroiderer