Machine for sewing, embroidery or quilting

A method for sewing, embroidering or quilting using a machine (M), the method comprising:

• a) moving up and down a needle bar (NS) arranged above a stitch plate (SP), to which a needle (N) is attached, which has an eye with an upper thread received therein, wherein the needle (N) and the eye with the upper thread are repeatedly moved up and down from above to below and back through an opening or recess (A0) of the stitch plate (SP);
• b) simultaneously and synchronized with the upward and downward movement of the needle bar (NS), rotating or reciprocating a gripper system (GS) arranged below the stitch plate (SP), to which a gripper is attached which has a gripper tip, the gripper system providing a lower thread and the gripper picking up the upper thread with the gripper tip and brings the upper thread together with the lower thread;
• c) simultaneously moving a flat section (T1) of a textile structure (T) in a stretched state and pressed against a textile structure support area (TA) adjacent to the stitch plate (SP) and/or against the stitch plate (SP) in a plane parallel to the stitch plate (SP) at a speed (v) relative to the stitch plate (SP), so that the flat section (T1) lies flat against the stitch plate (SP), forming stitches joining the upper thread and the lower thread on the textile structure (T);
• d) detecting a property and/or a state of the moved flat section (T1) of the textile structure (T) by a detector module (DM), wherein the detector module (DM) comprises an E/M source (EMQ) which is adapted to emit an electromagnetic signal (S1) which can pass through the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) at a first passage area (DB1) of the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) to a lower side of the flat section (T1) of the textile structure (T) facing the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) and is adapted to be irradiated onto a lower side of the flat section (T1) of the textile structure (T) in order to generate an electromagnetic return signal (S2) reflected or scattered by an underside of the moved flat section (T1), and an E/M sensor (EMS) which is adapted to absorb the electromagnetic return signal (S2) reflected back or scattered from the underside of the moved flat section (T1) and scattered by the underside of the moved flat section (T1) and which is adapted to pass through the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) at the first passage area (DB1) or at a second passage area of the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) to the E/M sensor (EMS;
• and
• e) adapting an operating mode of the machine (M), depending on the detected property and/or the detected state of the moved flat section (T1) of the textile structure (T) by a control unit (SE);
• wherein at least one of:
• a) a distance measured along an upper surface of the textile structure support area (TA) and/or the stitch plate (SP) between the opening/recess (A0) for the passage of the needle (N) and the first passage area (DB1) is less than 30 mm;
• or
• b) the passage area (DB1 and/or DB2) is located between two adjacent rows of feeders/conveyors or feed dogs (TR1, TR2, TR3) of the stitch plate (SP).