Why is my tufting cloth coming through on the front of my rug?

February 19, 2026

If cloth is coming through on the front of your piece while you're tufting, this is usually caused by one of the following:

1. The pile height on your machine is set too low. Read our article on pile height adjustment to understand how to correctly adjust the pile height on your machine to ensure the yarn is being pushed further through the cloth and creating loops of the correct length.

2. You're moving the machine too quickly. When you tuft too fast, the needle doesn't have time to fully push the yarn through the cloth and form a loop on the other side. Slow down and make sure you're applying consistent forward pressure.

3. The cloth is too loose on the frame. If there's any sagging in your cloth, this can cause the needle to push the cloth through rather than piercing it cleanly. Make sure your cloth is stretched tight.

4. You're tufting at too steep of an angle. The machine should be held at roughly 90 degrees to the cloth. Tufting at a sharp angle can cause the foot of the machine to drag the cloth and pull it forward.

Check out our quick start video for additional tips on technique. If you're still having issues, contact us at support@tufttheworld.com.

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