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My First Embroidery Machine Project: Why the Front Looked Terrible (But the Back Looked Great!) Hi there! I'm brand new to the embroidery world, and I recently gave my very first machine embroidery a try using my Brother SE700. I was super excited, but... let’s just say, things didn’t go exactly as planned. I used: Simthread 40wt embroidery thread on top Simthread 60wt embroidery bobbin thread Sulky Cut Away Plus Midweight stabilizer The result? The front looked awful—loose, gappy, and uneven—while the back looked amazing… as if it was meant to be the front! Totally confusing, right? Take a look: My Embroidery Looked Backwards?! I tried adjusting the top tension (each “B” in my test has a different setting), but nothing fixed it. The middle bar of the “B” even looked like it wasn't attached to the vertical stroke. I had no idea what was going wrong. I started wondering things like: Did I hoop my fabric upside down? Could the design file be corrupted? Was the machine trying to stitch from the wrong side?! The online community (thank you amazing folks!) chimed in with some solid tips, hilarious theories, and reassuring support. Here's a breakdown of what I learned. Top Lessons I Learned (So You Don’t Have to Go Crazy Like I Did) 1. Tension Matters... A LOT Several people pointed out that my bobbin tension was likely too loose. That would explain why all the bobbin thread was being pulled up and dominating the front. Fix: Tighten your bobbin tension in tiny increments. A quarter turn clockwise on the tension screw is a safe place to start. Pro Tip: If you're nervous about messing with it, just get a second bobbin case to play with. They're cheap! 2. Thread Weight Differences Count Using a 60wt bobbin thread and a 40wt top thread is totally normal—but it means your tension has to be dialed in perfectly. The thicker 40wt should dominate on top, but if the bobbin tension is too loose, the thinner thread will get yanked to the surface. 3. Threading Must Be Perfect Yep—rethread the machine from scratch. Make sure your presser foot is raised when threading so the thread goes through the tension disks properly. A lot of machines won’t apply correct top tension if this step is skipped! 4. Double Check Your Bobbin Direction Several people mentioned that a backwards bobbin can cause major chaos. So if you’re seeing weird results, reinsert it carefully and make sure it’s turning the correct way in the case. 5. Stabilizer Is Your Best Friend Turns out, I got drastically different results depending on whether I used stabilizer or not. When I skipped it? Disaster. When I used it? Much better! Always use stabilizer (especially as a beginner!) and consider topping it with a wash-away if you’re working on stretchy or textured fabric. The Verdict? It was a mix of things: bobbin tension, thread weight difference, and possibly threading mistakes. But now I know, and I hope this helps you avoid the same frustrations. Most importantly, if your embroidery looks better on the back, don’t panic—you’re not crazy. You’re just learning, and we’ve all been there. Thanks to everyone who helped troubleshoot—I genuinely would’ve gone nuts without you Have you ever had a similar embroidery fail? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear your story (and feel a little less alone ). Happy stitching, A New Embroidery Addict