Are you tired of your beautifully embroidered designs turning into puckered, uneven messes? Puckering in machine embroidery can be a frustrating issue that undermines your hard work and creativity. In this blog post, I'll share the practical tips and techniques I use to prevent puckering and achieve smooth, professional-looking results. Whether you’re a seasoned embroiderer or just getting started, this post will guide you through the common causes of puckering and how to effectively tackle them, ensuring your projects turn out exactly as you envision. Let’s dive in and perfect your embroidery technique!

Have you ever started an embroidery project only to end up tossing it away because it puckered and looked like this . . .

Puckered Mess

when you wanted it to look like this?

No Puckering!

This tutorial will help you achieve the results you are looking for. Preventing puckering in machine embroidery is all about taking a few extra steps and preparing both your fabric and your machine for success. Taking the extra time to prevent puckering will give you results to be proud of.

Supplies

Other items not pictured are an embroidery frame, threads, and appropriate needles for the type of fabric being used.

Supplies Laid Out

For the best results, it is very important to prepare your fabric.

Wash, dry, and press to eliminate shrinkage and all wrinkles. You want the fabric to lay flat with no crease.

When I first started to machine embroider, I thought you would put the stabilizer and fabric inside the hoop, pull it tight, and start the design. Countless times I was so disappointed with my results.

Stabilizer and Fabric Tight in Hoop
Stitching on Tightly Hooped Fabric

Using this method, it starts out flat, but within a few stitches the fabric begins to pull and pucker. 

As you can see in the end result, the fabric has pulled away from the front and back leaving it so puckered it is unusable. This is neither the fault of the design nor the fabric. The project is just not prepared properly.

Puckered Result
Puckered Result Back

Using the same design and same size cotton fabric, I will prepare both fabric and machine to get much better results.

Project #1

Supplies

Quilt Basting Spray

Iron the fabric (Best Press is recommended but optional) to remove all wrinkles. Cut a piece of SF101 and iron to the back. This gives extra support to lightweight fabrics.

Front
Back With SF101

Secure a piece of no-show mesh into your hoop. Spray the back side of the fabric (the side that has the SF101 ironed on it) with the temporary adhesive spray, and lay it on top of your hooped stabilizer. This is called floating the design. It will keep the fabric from pulling away from the hoop and prevent puckering. Finger press the fabric flat.

Hooped No-show Mesh
Spraying Temp Adhesive
Basting Box

Take the hoop to the machine. Before starting the design, add a basting box if your machine has this option. Slow the machine stitch speed down to around 500 spm. This will create less tension while stitching and allow the fabric to lay more naturally and prevent puckering. A slower-running machine will give you a much cleaner finish.

Design Without Puckering

As you can see, the design is stitching very well with no puckering. If you have a dense design (this one is over 52,000 stitches), I recommend adding another piece of stabilizer at around 30,000 stitches. This is done by simply sliding the stabilizer under the hoop. No need to remove the hoop from the machine and definitely do not remove the design from the hoop to do this. 

Extra Stabilizer

When finished, remove as much stabilizer as possible. This is where a good pair of applique scissors and little snip scissors come in handy.

Finished Back
Finished Front

Give your fabric a good press with a hot iron and a pressing cloth and admire your results!

Project #2

I embroidered this cute design on a napkin using a sticky-back tear-away stabilizer.

Spring Garden Applique

Supplies

Preparing Supplies

Wash and dry fabric to prevent future shrinkage and iron to remove all wrinkles. 

Cut a piece of SF101 large enough to cover the design area. Iron it to the back of your fabric or napkin where you have determined the design will go.

Cut SF101 Underneath

Cut a piece of sticky-back tear-away stabilizer and hoop the stabilizer only. Lightly score the top, being careful not to cut through. Peel away the paper to expose the adhesive. 

Hooped Stabilizer
Peeled Back

Take the hooped stabilizer to the machine and mark where the bottom of the design will be.

Setting Machine Bottom
Marking Bottom on Project

Remove the hoop and place it on a flat surface. Now you can place your fabric exactly where you want the design to stitch. I have marked the center of the fabric and have aligned it with the mark on the stabilizer. Make sure to always use an erasable fabric pen.

Aligned Markings

Finger press flat, making sure all wrinkles and creases are gone.

Take back to the machine and add a basting box. Slow the machine down to around 500 spm before beginning. Remember, a slower stitch gives you the best results.

Basting Box

Continue with the design until finished. When doing applique, you can add SF101 to the back of the applique fabric. I do this if my fabric is thin and needs extra support for the satin stitch. Once the design is finished, remove it from the hoop. Remove the basting box and stabilizer from the back. Remove any markings. 

I like the back of my design to look as nice and finished as the front, so I take the time to remove the stabilizer as well as the SF101. This gives my fabric a soft, natural feel. Give the design a good press.

Fresh Off the Machine
Removed Stabilizer and SF101

Project #3

When embroidering on clothing, I always use wash-away stabilizer. You can also use it in place of the sticky-back stabilizer in the previous project. These projects were made using the same steps.

Bakers Word Art on Tea Towel
Celebrate Spring Sketch 2 on Shirt
Baseball Run on Shirt

Supplies

Gathered Supplies

Wash and dry fabric and iron out all wrinkles. Cut a piece of SF101 slightly larger than the design. If you do not have a shirt placement ruler, find the center of the shirt and measure down from the top. I recommend two fingers width down for a child's shirt and three fingers for an adult. Mark with a straight pin or erasable fabric pen. Iron the SF101 at this mark on the inside of the shirt. 

SF101 Inside Shirt

Turn the shirt right side out and re-mark the placement using a straight pin or an erasable fabric pen. 

Placement Marked with Pin

Hoop only the wash-away stabilizer and pull tight. Take the hoop to the machine and mark the top center of the design. I use my needle down position to do this.

Hooped Stabilizer
Lined Up Marking

Spray the stabilizer with the temporary adhesive and line up the marking on the shirt with the marking on the stabilizer. Finger press the fabric flat, taking care not to pull or distort the fabric. You want it to lay flat and natural. Return the hoop to the machine. 

If embroidering on a T-shirt or a fabric with any stretch, change the needle to a 75/11 stretch. Slow down the speed to 500 spm or less.

75/11 Stretch

Add a water-soluble topper and basting box. I find the topper film adds a little extra support for the fabric. Always make sure the fabric continues to lay straight and flat while the basting box is stitching. A basting box will help ensure the fabric does not move or stretch, giving you a nice, pucker-free finish.

Topper and Basting Box

Stitch the design.

When finished with the design, remove as much stabilizer as possible. Washing will remove the small, hard-to-get-to pieces. Iron with a pressing cloth and admire your new shirt! 

Design Stitched on Shirt

Sulky Tender Touch Stabilizer ironed to the inside will keep the stitches from irritating skin. 

Taking the time to properly prepare before stitching will give you pucker-free results on your next embroidery project!

As always, share your creations with us on social media using the hashtag #designsbyjuju!

Teresa Baron

Teresa Baron

I am a wife, mother, and doting grandma. I am an avid crafter who’s always looking to create and learn new things. I love handmade gifts. I also enjoy teaching and sharing the joys of sewing and embroidery.