Brother Super Ace 3 Manual

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Fagoting
Stitching across an open seam is called “fagoting”. It 
is used on blouses and childrens clothing. This stitch 
is more decorative when thicker thread is used.
aUse an iron to fold the two pieces of fabric 
along their seams.
bBaste the two pieces of fabric, separated by 
about 4.0 mm (3/16 inch), onto thin paper or 
a sheet of water-soluble stabilizer.
 If you draw a line down the middle of the 
thin paper or water-soluble stabilizer, 
sewing is easier.
aThin paper or water soluble stabilizer
bBasting stitching
c4 mm (3/16 inch)
c
Attach zigzag foot “J”.
dSelect stitch   or  .
eSet the stitch width to 7.0 mm (1/4 inch).
 For details, refer to “Selecting a stitch” 
(page 37).
fSew with the center of the presser foot 
aligned along the center of the two pieces of 
fabric.
gAfter sewing is finished, remove the paper.
Decorative stitchN31Decorative hemming on thin, 
medium weight and plain weave 
fabrics, heirloom stitching, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)2.0 (1/16)
1.5-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N32Decorative stitching, smocking 
stitching, heirloom stitching, etc.6.0 (15/64)
1.5-7.0
(1/16-1/4)1.6 (1/16)
1.0-4.0
(1/16-3/16)No No Rfc.
N33Decorative stitching, smocking 
stitching, heirloom stitching, etc.5.0 (3/16)
1.5-7.0
(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.
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
CAUTION
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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Scallop stitching
The wave-shaped repeating pattern that looks like 
shells is called “scalloping”. It is used on the collars 
of blouses and to decorate the edges of 
handkerchiefs.
aAttach monogramming foot “N”.
bSelect stitch  .
cStitch along the edge of the fabric, making 
sure not to sew directly on the edge of the 
fabric.
 For better results, apply spray starch onto the 
fabric and press with a hot iron before it is 
sewn.
dTrim along the stitches.
 Be careful not to cut the stitches.
Smocking
The decorative stitch created by stitching or 
embroidering over gathers is called “smocking”. It is 
used to decorate the front of blouses or cuffs.
The smocking stitch adds texture and elasticity to 
fabric.
aAttach zigzag foot “J”.
bSelect the straight stitch, and then adjust the 
stitch length to 4.0 mm (3/16 inch) and loosen 
the thread tension.
 For details, refer to “Selecting a stitch” 
(page 37) and “Thread tension” (page 41).
cSew parallel stitching at intervals of 10 mm
(3/8 inch).
a10 mm (3/8 inch)
 Do not sew reverse/reinforcement stitches or 
cut the thread.
dPull the bobbin threads to create gathers.
Smooth the gathers by ironing them.
eSelect stitch   or  .
fStitch between the straight stitches.
gPull out the threads for the straight stitches.
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Shell tuck stitching
The gathers that look like shells are called “shell 
tucks”. They are used to decorate trims, the front of 
blouses or cuffs made of thin fabrics.
aFold the fabric along the bias.
bAttach zigzag foot “J”.
cSelect stitch  , and then increase the thread 
tension.
 For details, refer to “Selecting a stitch” 
(page 37).
dSew while making sure that the needle drops 
slightly off the edge of the fabric.
aNeedle drop point
e
Unfold the fabric, and then iron the tucks 
down to one side.
Joining
Decorative bridging stitches can be sewn over the 
seam allowance of joined fabrics. This is used when 
making a crazy quilt.
aAttach zigzag foot “J”.
bSew together the right sides of the two pieces 
of fabric, and then open up the seam 
allowances.
aWrong side of fabric
b6.5 mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance 
cStraight stitch
c
Select stitch  ,   or  .
dTurn the fabric over so that the right side 
faces up, and then sew over the seam with the 
center of the presser foot aligned with the 
seam.
aRight side of fabric
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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Heirloom stitching
When sewing with the wing needle, the needle holes 
are enlarged, creating a lace-like decorative stitch. 
This is used to decorate hems and tablecloths on thin 
or medium weight fabrics in addition to plain weave 
fabrics.
aInsert the wing needle.
 Use a 130/705H 100/16 wing needle.
 For details on inserting a needle, refer to 
“Replacing the needle” (page 30).
bAttach monogramming foot “N”.
cSelect stitch , , ,  ,  ,  ,   or .
dStart sewing. ●The needle threader cannot be used with the 
wing needle, otherwise the sewing machine 
may be damaged. Manually pass the thread 
through the eye of the needle from the front 
to the back. For details, refer to “Upper 
threading” (page 23).
●Select a stitch width of 6.0 mm (15/64 inch) 
or less, otherwise the needle may bend or 
break.
●After adjusting the stitch width, slowly turn 
the handwheel toward you 
(counterclockwise) and check that the needle 
does not touch the presser foot. If the needle 
hits the presser foot, the needle may bend or 
break.
CAUTION
CAUTION 
						

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SEWING CHARACTERS (for models equipped with character stitches)
55 characters can be sewn by following the procedure below.
Selecting characters
■Selecting a character
[Example] Selecting stitch “C” (No. 03).
aTurn on the sewing machine.
bPress the stitch category selection key twice 
and confirm that the character stitch indicator 
lights up.
aStitch category selection key
bCharacter stitch indicator
Memo
●When you select a character, check that 
there are no characters in memory.
aThis indicator shows that no character is stored.
If there are any characters in memory, 
delete them. (For details, refer to “Deleting 
characters” 
(page 75).)
cPress   (stitch selection keys) to select 
pattern No. 03.
 For details, refer to step 
c of “Selecting a 
stitch” (page 37)
.
dPress the “+” side of   (stitch width 
adjustment key) to enter the selected 
character.
aStitch width adjustment key
XThe following display is shown on the 
LCD.
aSelected pattern No.
bThe position of the selected pattern No.
cThe total number of entered characters
e
Attach the presser foot indicated on the LCD.
aThe presser foot to use
 For details, refer to “Replacing the presser 
foot” (page 34)
.
fIf you would like to only sew this single 
character, start sewing.
If you would like to sew a sequence of 
characters, go to step 
a on “Combining 
characters” (page 74).
 For details on sewing characters, refer to 
“Sewing the character stitches” (page 76).
N
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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
■Combining characters
You can easily sew names, messages, etc. by 
combining the character stitches. Up to 35 
characters can be combined.
[Example] Selecting stitches “COME”
(No. 03)+(No. 15)+(No. 13)+(No. 05)
aFollow steps a through e in “Selecting a 
character” (page 73) to select the first 
character “C” (No. 03).
bPress   (stitch selection keys) to select the 
next character, “O” (No. 15).
cPress the “+” side of   (stitch width 
adjustment key) to enter the selected 
character.
a Stitch width adjustment key
d
Repeat steps b and c to add “M” (No. 13) 
and “E” (No. 05).
Memo
● To enter a space, select “_” (No. 30).
eWhen you have finished combining 
characters, check the entered characters and 
their order.
 For details on checking characters, refer to 
“Checking characters” (page 75).
Memo
● A new character can only be added next to 
the last character. You cannot insert a new 
character between characters or before the 
first character of the sequence.
fAfter checking the entered characters, start 
sewing.
 For details on sewing characters, refer to 
“Sewing the character stitches” (page 76).
Memo
● The combination of characters will be 
stored in memory even if you turn off the 
machine.
■Adding new characters after sewing
After sewing a combination of characters, you 
can add characters to the combination using the 
following method.
Memo
● When you have finished sewing, the pattern 
No. of the first character in the current 
combination is shown on the LCD.
aSelect the character stitch by pressing the 
stitch category selection key.
a Stitch category selection key
b
Add new characters by following the 
procedure described in “Combining 
characters” (page 74).
X New characters are added next to the 
last character of the combination.
N
N
N
N
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■Making a new combination of characters after 
sewing
Memo
●When you have finished sewing, the pattern 
No. of the first character in the current 
combination is shown on the LCD.
aSelect the first character of the new 
combination.
bPress the “+” side of   (stitch width 
adjustment key).
a Stitch width adjustment key
XThe old combination of characters is 
cleared from memory, and the pattern 
No. shown in the LCD is entered as the 
first character of a new combination.
cAdd characters by following the procedure 
described in “Combining characters” 
(page 74).
Checking characters
You can check the characters in a combination with 
following method.
aPress the “+” or “-” side of   (stitch length 
adjustment key) repeatedly.
This will display the characters that have been 
entered one by one on the LCD.
You can check the pattern No. and position of 
each character.
a Stitch length adjustment key
b The position of the selected pattern No.
c The total number of characters in the 
combination
d Selected pattern No.
Deleting characters
You can delete characters from the combination.
aPress “-” side of   (stitch width 
adjustment key) to delete the last character in 
the combination.
aStitch width adjustment key
XThe last character will be deleted.
Memo
● Repeat step a to delete more characters.
● You can only delete the last character in a 
combination.
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N
N
N
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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Sewing the character stitches
All character stitches are sewn with monogramming 
foot “N”.
aSelect a character stitch.
 For details, refer to “Selecting characters” 
(page 73)
bAttach monogramming foot “N”.
 For details, refer to “Replacing the presser 
foot” (page 34).
cStart sewing.
XThe stitch is sewn in the direction 
indicated by the arrow.
Memo
●When sewing characters, the machine 
automatically sews reinforcement stitches 
for each character.
●While sewing, the LCD shows the pattern 
No. currently being sewn.
dWhen you have finished sewing, use scissors 
to trim off any excess threads at the beginning 
of the stitching and between the characters. 
						

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ADJUSTING STITCHES (for models equipped with character stitches)
Your stitch pattern may sometimes turn out poorly, depending on the type or thickness of fabric, the stabilizer 
material used, sewing speed, etc. If your sewing does not turn out well, sew trial stitches using the same 
conditions as the real sewing, and adjust the stitch pattern as shown below.
Memo
●The character stitches “034” (No. 31 + No. 
34+ No. 35) are used for making 
adjustments.
aAttach monogramming foot “N”.
 For details, refer to “Replacing the presser 
foot” (page 34).
bCombine the character stitches “034” (No. 31 
+ No. 34 + No. 35).
 For details, refer to “Combining characters” 
(page 74).
XWhen you have finished creating the 
combination, the following is displayed 
on the LCD.
cSew the combination of characters and check 
how it turns out.
 For details, refer to “Sewing the character 
stitches” (page 76).
A: Correctly sewn 
(with proper spaces between characters) 
B: Bunched or shapeless
(There is no space between characters.) 
C: Overstretched
(The stitch “0” has a gap.) 
If the pattern you sewed does not look like A, 
use the following steps to adjust the stitches.
dSelect No. 59 (for making adjustments).
XThe LCD goes into the stitch adjustment 
mode. The total number of combined 
characters (1) changes to 
“--“.
eAdjust the character stitches by pressing   
(stitch length adjustment key).
Each press of “+” or “-” side of   (stitch 
length adjustment key) widens or narrows the 
stitches.
aNo. for making adjustments
bThe stitch adjustment level
cWidens the stitches
dNarrows the stitches
†If the pattern is bunched (B)
Press the “+” side of   (stitch length 
adjustment key) to widen the stitch.
†If the pattern is overstretched 
(The stitch “0” has a gap.) (C) 
Press the “-” side of   (stitch length 
adjustment key) to narrow the stitch.
Memo
●The stitch adjustment level can be set 
between -9 and 9.
●The setting is saved in memory even if you 
turn off the machine.
N
A
B
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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
fSew the characters “034” again.
Memo
●You can sew when you are in the stitch 
adjustment mode.
If the stitch pattern still comes out poorly, 
adjust the stitch again. Adjust the stitch until 
the stitch pattern comes out correctly.
gAfter you have finished adjusting the pattern, 
press the stitch category selection key three 
times.
XThe display returns to the normal 
character stitching mode.
N