Why embroidery puckers
Puckering around the design is the most common defect, and it is rarely the machine’s fault. It comes from three places.
In the file: density and pull
Every stitch pulls the fabric. Too much density, missing underlay and no pull compensation make the fabric shrink around the design. A file digitized for the right fabric already has this adjusted.
In the hoop
Loose fabric shifts while stitching. Fabric stretched too tight springs back when unhooped and puckers. The right tension is firm without distorting the weave.
In the stabilizer
Knits and thin fabrics need a stabilizer that supports the stitches. Without it, not even the best file holds the fabric.