HELP!! Why is my applique puckering???
05-30-2011, 06:48 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: San Gabriel, CA
Posts: 152
I decided to applique small teddy bears in the middle of my blocks...16 of them. The first bear I did, I used a glue stick to adhere the bear and then backed the square with a medium stabilizer, then zigzaged around the bear. To my dismay, the square wouldn't lie flat...it seems puckered. So I tried another square using spray adhesive with no stabilizer on the back and the same thing happened! The square doesn't lie flat. What am I doing wrong?? Can anyone help me??? :cry:
05-30-2011, 10:07 PM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,830
Originally Posted by maine ladybug
It sounds like a stitch problem to me. I would start by trying different tensions until it looked right. It makes me think that the stitches are just too tight.
05-31-2011, 01:28 AM
#10
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
try lengthening your stitch-
one thing about applique is...
it NATURALLY draws up the fabric a little bit-this is why we cut our squares an inch larger than needed, do the appliques then trim the blocks...the process of applique and embroidery cause the fabric to draw up a bit...it is normal- the process of the technique you are using- the drawing up sometimes looks a bit like puckering---you should be able to press pretty flat--but the fabric will still be drawn up a bit- you are not doing anything wrong. If it is actually PUCKERED a looser stitch may help...but if it is simply the natural drawing up- ...
even when hand appliquing it still draws up.
for machine applique i use either an invisible stitch, zig-zag or blanket stitch- with a stablizer- unless i'm using fusable (like heat n bond lite) which is a stablizer on it's own.
one thing about applique is...
it NATURALLY draws up the fabric a little bit-this is why we cut our squares an inch larger than needed, do the appliques then trim the blocks...the process of applique and embroidery cause the fabric to draw up a bit...it is normal- the process of the technique you are using- the drawing up sometimes looks a bit like puckering---you should be able to press pretty flat--but the fabric will still be drawn up a bit- you are not doing anything wrong. If it is actually PUCKERED a looser stitch may help...but if it is simply the natural drawing up- ...
even when hand appliquing it still draws up.
for machine applique i use either an invisible stitch, zig-zag or blanket stitch- with a stablizer- unless i'm using fusable (like heat n bond lite) which is a stablizer on it's own.
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