Issue link: https://docs.hic.us/i/403552
C C h h a a p p t t e e r r 1 1 – – T T h h e e E E l l e e m m e e n n t t s s O O f f E E m m b b r r o o i i d d e e r r y y Contrary to popular belief, the embroidery machine does not do all the work. In order for a design to be sewed successfully, several elements must all work together. It takes the right needle, the correct backing, proper hooping and ideal thread tensions to make it all work. If any of these elements is missing or not suited for the job, then poor quality embroidery will be the result. Embroidery Sewing Needles Needle Orientation There are two sides to a needle: front and back. To properly insert the needle, first locate the straight side with the long groove. This is the front side. It should be facing you when it's inserted into the machine. The purpose of this groove is to guide the thread to the eye during the sewing process. It runs almost the entire length of the needle and its width is 40% of the needle width. This limits the maximum diameter of the sewing thread that can be used. The back of the needle contains the "scarf", which is a short indentation above the eye. Its purpose is to enable the bobbin hook to pass close to the centerline of the needle. (The bobbin hook contains the bobbin case, and rotates around it while sewing.) There are several variables to consider when selecting a needle. Application, current size in use, needle eye size and thread type are all viable factors. Specific needle characteristics are as follows: needle size, needle points, and system number. www.hsi.us care@hsi.us 178