Brother Super Ace 3 Manual

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SEWING STRETCH FABRICS AND ELASTIC TAPE
Stretch fabrics can be sewn and elastic tape can be attached.
*Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less.
Observe the corresponding precautions when performing each of the following stitching operations.
Stretch stitching
aAttach zigzag foot “J”.
bSelect stitch  .
cSew the fabric without stretching it.
Elastic attaching
When elastic tape is attached to the cuff or waist of a 
piece of clothing, the finished dimensions will be that 
of the stretched elastic tape. Therefore, it is necessary 
that a suitable length of the elastic tape be used.
aPin the elastic tape to the wrong side of the 
fabric.
Pin the elastic tape to the fabric at a few points 
to make sure that the tape is uniformly 
positioned on the fabric.
aElastic tape
bPin
b
Attach zigzag foot “J”.
cSelect a stitch.
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Stretch stitchJ03Sewing stretch fabrics and decora-
tive stitching1.0 (1/16)
1.0–3.0
(1/16–1/8)2.5 (3/32)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)Yes
( J )No Rfc.
3-point
zigzag stitchJ05Overcasting on medium weight or 
stretch fabrics, attaching elastic, 
darning, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5–7.0
(1/16–1/4)1.0 (1/16)
0.2–4.0
(1/64–3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Elastic-attaching 
stitchJ 21 Attaching elastic to stretch fabrics4.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)1.0 (1/16)
0.2-4.0
(1/64-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
●Be sure to turn off the main power before replacing the presser foot. Otherwise, injuries may occur if 
the foot controller or   (start/stop button) is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
CAUTION
1
2 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
dSew the elastic tape to the fabric while 
stretching the tape so that it is the same length 
as the fabric.
While pulling the fabric behind the presser foot 
with your left hand, pull the fabric at the pin 
nearest the front of the presser foot with your 
right hand.
●When sewing, be sure that the needle does 
not touch any pins, otherwise the needle may 
bend or break.
CAUTION 
						

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APPLIQUÉ, PATCHWORK AND QUILT STITCHING
The stitches that can be used for sewing appliqués, patchwork and quilts are described below.
*Do not use reverse stitching. **Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less.
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Zigzag stitchJ 04 Overcasting and attaching appliqués3.5 (1/8)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)1.4 (1/16)
0.0–4.0
(0–3/16)**
Yes
( J )*
YesRev.
Zigzag stitch
(for quilting)J46Appliqué quilting, freemotion quilt-
ing, satin stitching3.5 (1/8)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)1.4 (1/16)
0.0–4.0
(0–3/16)No Yes Rfc.
Appliqué stitchJ 12 Appliqué stitching3.5 (1/8)
2.5–7.0
(3/32–1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.6–4.0
(1/16–3/16)**
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Appliqué stitch
(for quilting)J 47 Attaching appliqués and binding 1.5 (1/16)
0.5–3.5
(1/32–1/8)1.8 (1/16)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)No No Rfc.
J 48 Attaching appliqués and binding 1.5 (1/16)
0.5–3.5
(1/32–1/8)1.8 (1/16)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)No No Rfc.
Piecing straight 
stitchJ43Piecing straight stitching (with a 
seam allowance of 6.5mm from the 
right edge of the presser foot)5.5 (7/32)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)2.0 (1/16)
0.2–5.0
(1/64–3/16)No Yes Rfc.
J44Piecing straight stitching (with a 
seam allowance of 6.5mm from the 
left edge of the presser foot)1.5 (1/16)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)2.0 (1/16)
0.2–5.0
(1/64–3/16)No Yes Rfc.
Joining stitchJ15Patchwork stitching and decorative 
stitching 4.0 (3/16)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)1.2 (1/16)
0.2–4.0
(1/64–3/16)**
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J16Patchwork stitching, decorative 
stitching and sewing overcasting on 
both pieces of fabrics, such as with 
tricot 5.0 (3/16)
2.5–7.0
(3/32–1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)**
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J17Patchwork stitching and decorative 
stitching 5.0 (3/16)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)1.2 (1/16)
0.2–4.0
(1/64–3/16)**
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Hand-look 
quiltingJ45Straight stitch quilting that looks 
hand-sewn0.0 (0)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)No No Rfc.
Quilting
stipplingJ49Quilting background stitching (stip-
pling)7.0 (1/4)
1.0–7.0
(1/16–1/4)1.6 (1/16)
1.0–4.0
(1/16–3/16)No No Rfc.
●Be sure to turn off the main power before replacing the presser foot. Otherwise, injuries may occur if 
the foot controller or   (start/stop button) is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
CAUTION 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Appliqués
You can create an appliqué by cutting a different 
piece of fabric into a shape and using it as a 
decoration.
aBaste the cut design to the fabric.
bAttach zigzag foot “J”.
cSelect stitch  .
dSew along the edge of the fabric with the 
needle dropping off the edge at the right.
aAppliqué fabric
bNeedle drop pointe
Remove the basting, if necessary.
Memo
●Make reinforcing straight stitches at the 
beginning and the end of stitching.
Patchwork (crazy quilt) 
stitching
aFold the edge of the top piece of fabric and 
place it over the lower piece.
bSew the two pieces of fabric together so the 
pattern spans both pieces.
Piecing
Sewing together two pieces of fabric is called 
“piecing”. The fabric pieces should be cut with a 
6.5 mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance.
Sew a piecing straight stitch 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) from 
either the right side or the left side of the presser foot.
aBaste or pin along the seam allowance of the 
fabric that you wish to piece together.
bAttach zigzag foot “J”.
cSelect stitch   or .
●If glue is used to hold the cut design in place 
on the fabric, do not apply glue to areas that 
will be sewn with the machine. If glue is 
attached to the needle or race, the machine 
may be damaged.
CAUTION
●Be careful that the needle does not hit a pin 
during sewing, as the needle can break. You 
may also be injured.
CAUTION 
						

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d
Sew with the side of the presser foot aligned 
with the edge of the fabric.
■For a seam allowance on the right side
Align the right side of the presser foot with the 
edge of the fabric, and sew using stitch  .
a6.5 mm (1/4 inch)
■For a seam allowance on the left side
Align the left side of the presser foot with the 
edge of the fabric, and sew using stitch  .
a6.5 mm (1/4 inch)
Memo
●To change the width of the seam allowance 
(the needle position), adjust the stitch width. 
For details, refer to “Changing the needle 
position” (page 47).
Quilting
Sandwiching batting between the top and bottom 
layers of fabric is called “quilting”. Quilts can easily 
be sewn using the optional walking foot and the 
optional quilting guide.
Note
●Only use the walking foot with straight or 
zigzag stitches. Do not use other patterns. 
Reverse stitches cannot be sewn with the 
walking foot.
Models equipped with a needle threader
●Thread the needle manually when using the 
walking foot, or only attach the walking foot 
after threading the needle using the needle 
threader.
aBaste the fabric to be quilted.
bRemove the presser foot and the presser foot 
holder.
 For details, refer to “Removing the presser 
foot holder” (page 35).
cHook the connecting fork of the walking foot 
onto the needle clamp screw, lower the 
presser foot lever, and then use the presser 
foot holder screw to attach the walking foot 
to the presser bar.
aConnecting fork
bNeedle clamp screw
cPresser foot holder screw
d
Select stitch  ,   or  .
ePlace one hand on each side of the presser 
foot, and then evenly guide the fabric while 
sewing.
Note
●When sewing with the walking foot, sew at 
a speed between slow and medium.
1
1
●Use the disc-shaped screwdriver to tighten 
the screw securely. If the screw is loose, the 
needle may strike the presser foot and cause 
injury.
●Be sure to turn the handwheel toward the 
front of the machine to check that the needle 
does not strike the presser foot. If the needle 
strikes the presser foot, injury may result.
CAUTION 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
■Using the optional quilting guide
Use the quilting guide to sew parallel stitches that 
are equally spaced.
aInsert the stem of the quilting guide into the 
hole at the rear of the walking foot or presser 
foot holder.
†Walking foot
†Presser foot holder
bAdjust the stem of the quilting guide so that 
the guide aligns with the seam that has 
already been sewn.
Free-motion quilting
With free-motion quilting, the feed dogs can be 
lowered (using the feed dog position lever) so that 
the fabric can be moved freely in any direction.
The optional quilting foot is needed for free-motion 
quilting.
Note
Models equipped with a needle threader
●Thread the needle manually when using the 
quilting foot, or only attach the quilting foot 
after threading the needle using the needle 
threader.
aRemove the presser foot and the presser foot 
holder.
 For details, refer to “Removing the presser 
foot holder” (page 35).
bAlign the quilting foot with the lower-left side 
of the presser bar.
The pin on the quilting foot should be 
positioned over the needle clamp screw.
aPin on quilting foot
bPresser foot holder screw
cNeedle clamp screw 
						

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c
Hold the quilting foot in place with your right 
hand, and then tighten the presser foot holder 
screw using the disc-shaped screwdriver in 
your left hand.
aPresser foot holder screw
d
Slide the feed dog position lever, located at the 
rear of the machine on the base, to   (to 
the right as seen from the front of the machine).
aFeed dog position lever
(as seen from the rear of the machine)
XThe feed dogs are lowered.
eTurn on the sewing machine, and then select a 
stitch.
fUse both hands to hold the fabric taut, then 
move the fabric to follow the pattern.
Reinforcement stitches are sewn at the 
beginning and end of sewing.
aPattern
g
After sewing is finished, slide the feed dog 
position lever to   (to the left as seen from 
the front of the machine) and turn the 
handwheel to raise the dogs.
 Normally, the feed dog position lever is 
positioned at  . ●Be sure to securely tighten the screws with 
the disc-shaped screwdriver, otherwise the 
needle may touch the presser foot, causing it 
to bend or break.
CAUTION 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
REINFORCEMENT STITCHING
Reinforce points that will be subject to strain, such as sleeve holes, inseams and pocket corners.
*Auto Rfc.: Automatic Reinforcement **Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less.
Triple stretch stitching
Use triple stretch stitching to reinforce sleeve holes 
and inseams.
aAttach zigzag foot “J”.
bSelect stitch  .
cStart sewing.
 For details, refer to “Starting to sew” 
(page 39).
Bar tack stitching
Bar tacks are used to reinforce points subject to 
strain, such as pocket corners and openings.
As an example, the procedure for sewing bar tacks at 
pocket corners is described below.
aDetermine the desired length of the bar tack.
Set the button guide plate on buttonhole foot 
“A” to the desired length. (The distance 
between the markings on the presser foot scale 
is 5 mm (3/16 inch).)
aPresser foot scale
bLength of bar tack
c5 mm (3/16 inch)
 A bar tack with a maximum length of about 
28 mm (1-1/8 inches) can be sewn.
bAttach buttonhole foot “A”.
cSelect stitch  .
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Triple stretch 
stitchJ02Attaching sleeves, sewing inseams, 
sewing stretch fabrics and decora-
tive stitching0.0 (0)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)**
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Bar tack stitchA42Reinforcing openings and areas 
where the seam easily comes loose2.0 (1/16)
1.0-3.0
(1/16-1/8)0.4 (1/64)
0.3-1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
●Be sure to turn off the main power before replacing the presser foot. Otherwise, injuries may occur if 
the foot controller or   (start/stop button) is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
CAUTION
1
2
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d
Position the fabric so that the opening of the 
pocket faces toward you, and then lower the 
presser foot lever so that the needle drops 
2 mm (1/16 inch) in front of the pocket 
opening.
a2 mm (1/16 inch)
Pass the upper thread down through the hole 
in the presser foot.
 When lowering the presser foot, do not push 
in the front of the presser foot, otherwise the 
bar tack will not be sewn with the correct 
size.
aDo not reduce the gap.e
Pull down the buttonhole lever as far as 
possible.
aButtonhole lever
The buttonhole lever is positioned behind the 
bracket on the buttonhole foot.
aButtonhole lever
bBracket
f
Gently hold the end of the upper thread in 
your left hand, and then start sewing.
XOnce sewing is completed, the 
machine automatically sews 
reinforcement stitches, then stops.
gRaise the needle and the presser foot lever, 
remove the fabric, and cut the thread.
hRaise the buttonhole lever to its original 
position.
Memo
●If the fabric does not feed, for example, 
because it is too thick, increase the stitch 
length. For details, refer to “Selecting a 
stitch” (page 37).
1 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
DECORATIVE STITCHING
Various decorative stitches can be sewn with this sewing machine.
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Fagoting stitchJ19Fagoting, smocking and decorative 
stitching5.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J20Fagoting, smocking and decorative 
stitching5.0 (3/16)
2.5-7.0
(3/32-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Joining stitchJ15Patchwork stitching and decorative 
stitching 4.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)1.2 (1/16)
0.2-4.0
(1/64-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J16Patchwork stitching, decorative stitching 
and sewing overcasting on both pieces 
of fabrics, such as with tricot 5.0 (3/16)
2.5-7.0
(3/32-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J17Patchwork stitching and decorative 
stitching 5.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)1.2 (1/16)
0.2-4.0
(1/64-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Shell tuck stitchJ 13 Sell tuck stitching4.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
0.2-4.0
(1/64-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Smocking stitchJ18Smocking stitching and decorative 
stitching5.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)1.6 (1/16)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Satin scallop 
stitchN 14 Scallop stitching5.0 (3/16)
2.5-7.0
(3/32-1/4)0.5 (1/32)
0.1-1.0
(1/64-1/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
Decorative stitchJ 22 Decorative stitching4.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)3.0 (1/8)
2.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
J 23 Decorative stitching4.0 (3/16)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
J 24 Decorative stitching5.5 (7/32)
0.0-7.0
(0-1/4)1.6 (1/16)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
N25Decorative stitching and elastic-
attaching5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(1/64-1/4)1.0 (1/16)
0.2-4.0
(1/64-3/16)*
Yes
( J )No Rfc.
N26Lace sewing, decorative hemming, 
heirloom stitching, etc. 3.5 (1/8)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.6-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N27Decorative hemming, heirloom 
stitching, etc. 6.0 (15/64)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)3.0 (1/8)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N28Decorative hemming on thin, 
medium weight and plain weave 
fabrics, heirloom stitching, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)3.5 (1/8)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N29Decorative hemming on thin, 
medium weight and plain weave 
fabrics, heirloom stitching, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)4.0 (3/16)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N30Decorative hemming on thin, 
medium weight and plain weave 
fabrics, heirloom stitching, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)2.5 (3/32)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
*Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less.