Everyone loves birds and mean no harm to their nests either. These cute flyers can lift anyone’s mood. Many among us have them as pets also. Unfortunately, the term Bird nesting in Embroidery world means catastrophe. Ask any professional embroiderer and if looks could kill you’d be dead already.
Note: If you are into ‘bird watching’, this blog post is not about wildlife, but relates to a terminology that coincides with it.
Why Do We Get Birdnesting in Embroidery?
There are many reasons for the embroidery machine to stop abruptly and you realize something unwanted has happened – Birdnesting in particular. When I started embroidery, I carefully checked everything to avoid an unpleasant stoppage. No matter how careful I tried to be, as a novice, I ended up making silly mistakes. On many occasions I inserted the bobbin wrong or completely forgot about it and noticed flagging. As a result, the thread in the needle stuck badly between the bobbin plate and the bottom of the hoop. I couldn’t understand at first if I should stop the machine and it kept stitching. The hoop bounced unceremoniously creating bigger birdnesting.
Incorrect threading of the upper thread can ruin the embroidery process. It is always advised to read the instructions carefully and ask your assistant to do the same in case you have an intern. I’ve experienced many birdnesting moments during my career. There were times when the fabric just popped out of the hoop. It was a terrible sight because it tore to shreds and was beyond repair. I’m sure many of you experts have also experienced this horrendous activity during your early days of embroidering.
I’m not a big fan of floating fabric under the needle. Many embroiderers see hooping the fabric as a waste of time but I prefer to be extra careful. My personal experience is, a secured fabric produces better results. When you are working commercially it is always best to be careful and avoid anything unpleasant with the fabric.
There Are More Reasons to a Birdnesting
Tension adjustment is also a major contributing factor. If your bobbin is too tight and the top thread is loose or vice versa, the outcome can be erratic. Tension adjustment is a major contributing factor. When you’ve just fine tuned your machine, tension issues can happen. Always do a test run on a sample piece of cloth before working on the actual one. Adjust the tension settings to be perfect before beginning work.
Mechanical issues are also a huge problem. It is more prevalent with the industrial machines where a team of mechanics apply fixtures. Carelessness by the maintenance staff is unavoidable at some point. It is up to you to have a watchful eye and analyze if the rotary timing has malfunctioned or the needle height is incorrect. In any such case, the birdsnesting is likely to happen.
How to Avoid Birdnesting during Production
The honest answer to this question would be to take care of the standard guidelines. During rush hours we tend to be more lenient towards rules only to finish the task quickly. It is natural to feel the pressure because during work many issues can arise that disrupt our planning and schedule. It is handy to have a reliable set of tools so that the problem can be taken care of quickly.
Try not to be aggressive with the fabric but take it out with care by creating space between the bobbin and the hoop. If you’re lucky to have stopped the machine before tearing, retrieving the cloth would mean you are promptly back in business.
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