I have digitized a logo and it stitches out nice on my test stitch but when I stitch it on t-shirts it ends up with gaps between the colours. I've overlapped slightly in the digitizing and upped the pull compensation.

Thankyou to all who answered. I have done the best I can.
I adjusted the pull compensation some more and that helped the most. Doesn't help that the ladies all supplied their own t-shirts, and they are different fabrics. The stretchy ones were the worst to get a good result on. The normal T has stitched out well and I have one left to go, a poly/viscose fabric, fingers crossed on that one!

Ok. here are the things that I would play with, firstly are you well practice at hooping knits? because knits are not stable they need to be well stabilized, use 2 layers of cutaway. make sure that when you have it in the hoop you can run your finger over the hooped part and it does not move around. Next thing I would do is play with the stitching order. I would start with one of the blocks of yellow then do the green that goes around it then the next block of yellow and the green around that bit and so on, yes this is a pain if you have a single needle machine, but by stitching the parts that need to line up together you will reduce the chance of them moving. I hope that makes some sense.
Alice.

2 comments

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

As I said off to the machine to try some more. I have stitched a lot of tees etc for my girls, with other peoples designs on that have come out fine. I think it most likely is my digitizing which as I said is very amateur, or the combination of the satin stitches and all of the above!

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

satin stitches and everything else!

ttt

What I am seeing is that your satin stitches are too dense, thus pulling the fabric in. Lower your density, some and loosen the tension a bit. Then try it.

3 comments

by sewdoctor 30 Sep 2011

I see that the size of your design is for a 4x4....bring your density down to about 5.5, the default in Embird is 4..lower number more stitches,,,,You will see that your stitches are laying flatter.

by sewdoctor 30 Sep 2011

You could also put a piece of woven fabric behind your t-shirt in addition to the stablizer.

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

Thankyou. Off to the machine to try again

This is my stitch out. The photo isn't great and it looks even worse in the photo than on the shirt!

1 images:[1]

This is the jpg from Embird. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
I really appreciate more and more those of you who have mastered digitising and do it so well!!!

1 images:[1]

2 comments

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

or not... all it is showing me is an image box. I'll try again tomorrow. :(

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

Yeah the pic is showing up now. My main gapping problem is between the green and yellow. To start with it was the small writing, the design is in a 4x4 so it's quite tiny.

I was tearing my hair out over the same problem when I first started as well. I then read about using an iron on cutaway stabilizer ( I use floriani
mesh) and a ballpoint needle with knitted fabric.
Works perfect every time now. :)

1 comment

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

I haven't tried a ballpoint needle - next one I will. Was using no show mesh I think it is called. Irons on, is a cutaway supposed to be good for t-shirts.

As greysewist has said, make sure all things are equal, test on the same fabric using the same stabilizer. Sometimes changing the direction of the stitches can help if there are gaps, but if you test using the same materials you should get the same result.

2 comments

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

Most tests were on calico, cause I haven't got any old tshirts. I found a really old really thin remains of one of hubbys in the ragbag and tried on that, and even that stitched out fine. The tshirts are cotton with elastine in them. I will try and load a pic if I can.

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

some pictures. I know some would say 'blind man would be glad to see it' but I know it's not right and it's really annoying that I can't get it to stitch up to my standard.

Did you test on similar fabric -ie a tshirt type fabric? Same stabiliser as well? You could always sew onto a woven fabric then applique onto shirt if that works out better. Could you get someone else to test design for you as well and see what results they have? Hope this helps. Best of luck!

2 comments

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

Most tests were on woven - I haven't got any tshirt fabric to test on. I did try on some thicker sweatshirt fabric, and even that was OK. I am sure my machine does it the minute I put the 'real thing that costs money to stuff up' in it just to stress me out.

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

stress me out. I guess the comments are still getting cut short.

ttt

Sorry I cant help you, but I will keep on bringing it to the top til some nice Cutie answers you :)

1 comment

by jasanne 30 Sep 2011

Thankyou :)

ttt