TROUBLESHOOTER W


hen the needle passes through the fabric it should do so without causing damage but when this does not work as it should the result is called ʻpin-holingʼ and, although this can happen on any fabric, it is more likely to happen on knitted fabrics, so that is where we will concentrate our attention. Although the result of this damage is, as the name suggests, a hole it is not always immediately obvious. Because of the nature of embroidery and the number of stitches tightly packed together, the problem is often hidden.


If the damage is on the edge of the design, such as an applique border, then it will be more noticeable but the damage, however, is the same.


The strength of the fabric has been weakened and the hole is likely to grow even though it may not be obvious to the end user until after a few washes. A good way of spotting this problem is to hold the garment against a bright light and look for damage around the edge of the design. But be careful that you donʼt mistake an expanded loop in the fabric for damage. If you suspect a problem look at it under a magnifying glass.


Expanded loop


So what is an expanded loop? Knitwear is a connected series of two different size loops – one large, one small. In general sewing the size of the needle to be used is determined by the maximum expanded size of the small loop. This ensures that, as the needle passes through the loop it will not expand to the point of destruction so, firstly, needle size is important. Secondly we need to consider the point. When the needle passes through knitwear it should, most of the time, NOT penetrate the yarn but rather pass through one of the aforementioned loops. To achieve this, knitwear needles have a ball point which will cause the fibre to slip around the tip of the point and therefore not suffer damage. The most common of these point forms is the ʻlight ball pointʼ which will handle most knitted fabrics. Different needle manufacturers may use


different terminology so, if in doubt, always check. By the way, something that we mentioned in an earlier edition and that is worth reminding you about is the topic of ʻchanging the needleʼ. Many wait until the needle is damaged but needles do wear out and, if you are using the correct needle and the problem we are discussing occurs then maybe the first consideration should be to change the needle. The needle, however, is not the only cause of fabric damage – the fabric itself is sometimes at fault. When knitted fabric is dyed a ʻsoftenerʼ may be used to give the knitted yarn suppleness and flexibility and therefore be able to expand or stretch (remember


the small loop). If no, or insufficient, softener is used then the yarn may lose this ability and become dry and brittle. You can demonstrate this in a domestic situation by washing a knitted garment using a washing agent with no softener. The difference in the feel of the garment will be immediately noticeable in that it feels coarse and dry. With a softener present the fabric will be ʻlubricatedʼ, making it soft and flexible and less susceptible to damage when sewn.


abric/garments can lose some of the effect the softener has had on them due to poor storage or other such factors resulting in you being the first to experience the problem. Whatever the reason, the fact is you have to work with what you have and that may be a garment that will suffer needle damage no matter what needle you use so, how do you overcome this?


F Flexibility


Well, if the suppleness and flexibility is missing from the fabric then we somehow have to reintroduce it. One of the old ways of doing this with 100% cotton was to introduce an element of moisture to the fabric.


This could mean anything from storing the cotton garments in a damp environment or even lightly spraying them with water. Whilst these solutions may still work they are not advisable. Apart from anything else your machine is made of


Give pin holing the needle


Roy Burton, MD of YES Ltd, discusses the problem of pin holing. It’s not something that you encounter every day, but when it does occur, it can be a real nightmare. Follow these simple rules and you can’t go wrong.


metal and we all know what happens to that if it gets wet or damp so letʼs stay away from that one.


the same result. The best known of these is silicone which is often used as a general lubricant where oil cannot be used and giving difficult fabric a light spray will, in most cases, help the problem.


T Some rules for consideration


If, however, we are going to introduce a foreign agent into the embroidery process there are a few rules we need to consider: n Ensure that it is 100% pure silicone. Recycled silicone is available but is more likely to cause staining. n Try it on a piece of fabric first. Even though pure silicone is safer to use there are some fabrics that may still stain. Better to find out before you have embroidered 200 of your customers garments. The product we supply here at YES Ltd (Free and Easy) has been fully tested but we still recommend a pre- production trial. n Use it sparingly. You only need the smallest amount – think perfume atomizer. If you spray this stuff wildly around it will get everywhere and dust particle etc. will stick to it especially on the surface of your machine. You may solve one problem but create another. n Check with your customer first before using it. This is probably the most important one. If, for instance, they are going to be performing any gluing or heat applications they certainly will NOT want silicone around as it forms a barrier that does not allow anything to stick. A good example of this is silicone release paper. Silicone also has an incredibly long life span and so will stay around for a long time.


With improved techniques in fabrics, dyeing etc., problem fabrics are not the difficult area they used to be but problems still occur. As mentioned earlier in this piece this wonʼt be a problem that you will see on a regular basis but at least now, if and when it occurs, you will have the ammunition to attack the problem.


n For information contact Your Embroidery Services Ltd on 01623 863343 or email sales@yesltd.co.uk www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk


December 2012 | 55 |


hankfully there are products on the market that create less risk for the fabric and the machine yet achieve


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