Tension control

With Schiffli designs, it is very important that stitching is loose and does not pull or push the fabric. Lacework has to be soft. This means that the thread tension has to be right. Larger movements pull more thread and increase tension. If there is too much, the fabric distorts and needles may break. Schiffli machines have special devices for precise tension control. The thread goes through the tensioning mechanism which allows for subtle variations. The mechanism can be controlled by the software. Special functions – Stepp (tight) and Blatt (loose) – are provided and the necessary codes added to the output file.

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In addition to the Blatt function, some machines use Fadenleiter for even finer tension adjustment. ES Schiffli also supports this.

Tip: ‘Overshooting’ is a technique sometimes used by Schiffli digitizers to feed more thread from the cone and reduce thread tension. This can be done in ES Schiffli by means of Manual stitches.

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