Why is my embroidery design shrinking?

The most common reasons an embroidery design appears to shrink are fabric pulling inward, insufficient stabilizer, tight or improper hooping, a design that is too dense, or excessive resizing.

Fabric is pulling inward
Dense embroidery can pull the fabric toward the center of the design, making the finished design look smaller than expected. This is especially common with lightweight or stretchy fabrics.

Not enough stabilizer
Stabilizer helps prevent the fabric from being pulled out of shape during embroidery. If the fabric needs more support, the design can become distorted or appear smaller after stitching.

Hooping is incorrect
Fabric should be smooth and secure in the hoop without being stretched excessively. If the fabric is stretched tightly while hooping, it can relax after being removed from the hoop and make the embroidery appear smaller.

Design is too dense
A design with heavy stitching can cause significant fabric pull. If the design consistently shrinks in the same areas, stitch density may be contributing to the problem.

Design was resized
Embroidery designs are digitized for specific sizes. Enlarging or reducing a design too much can affect stitch spacing and coverage. Excessive resizing can make the finished embroidery look different from the original design.

Fabric is stretchy
Stretchy materials can move and contract during embroidery. Use the appropriate stabilizer and avoid stretching the fabric while hooping.

Thread tension is too tight
Excessive thread tension can pull stitches tightly and contribute to fabric distortion. Check the upper-thread tension and test the design on a scrap piece of the same fabric.

Fabric changes after washing
Sometimes the embroidery itself is not shrinking—the fabric is. Cotton and other natural fabrics can shrink after washing or drying, which can change the size and appearance of the finished embroidery.

Best tip: Measure your fabric and design before stitching, then measure the finished embroidery after it is removed from the hoop. If the design is consistently smaller, check your stabilizer, hooping, thread tension, and design density.

Source of information: With over 200,000 customers and a private Facebook group with more than 2,000 members, we have heard just about every embroidery question and troubleshooting problem you can imagine. This question has come to us directly from customers by email, through our Facebook page, and in our private Facebook group.

Have another question? See all the answers in our machine embroidery designs FAQ.