SOLVE
Your Sewing Machine Problems

You CAN learn to diagnose and fix your own sewing machine problems to save yourself unnecessary trips to the dealer and unwelcome repair bills.

Diagnosis is straight forward.

You can see the evidence of the problem in your stitching. Learn that by adjusting one thing at a time, you can usually fix the problem yourself.

Remedies are simple and easy to do.

This is the list of the sewing machine problems that are covered.

• Tension Problems
• Breaking Needles
• Breaking Needle Thread
• Breaking Bobbin Thread
• Fabric Won't Feed Properly
• Skipped Stitches
• Thread Nest Forms on the Bottom

Do take a minute to watch the video on our page, Learn How Sewing Machines Work, (this link opens in a new window) to get a better understanding how all the parts function together. It illustrates why the simplest things are so important.

Now let's get to the problems!

Breaking Needles

This usually happens when there's a physical impediment—like the needle is off center but you're using a straight stitch throat plate and the needle NEEDS to be centered—or the thread is pulling the needle out of position so it hits the throat plate.

• Properly insert a new needle. Your needle may have broken because it was defective.
• Make sure the needle you are using is appropriate for the thickness and density of the fabric you are sewing on. A dense, high thread count fabric like a batik or pima cotton calls for a Microtex Sharp needle. Check out our Sewing Machine Needle Guide for more information.
  
• Don't pull your fabric as you sew. It is common for new free motion quilters to pull on the fabric when they are learning to quilt. This bends the needle and it breaks when it hits the throat plate.
• Check for a proper tension setting.
• Is your needle in the proper position. If you are using a single stitch throat plate the needle must be in the center position. Is it?
• Don't sew over pins. If you hit a pin, change the needle. Hitting a pin can throw off your sewing machine's timing.
  
• Make sure that the foot, the throat plate and the needle are inserted correctly and tightened appropriately.

Click here to read about the problems our readers have had with breaking needles and the remedies offered.

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Fabric Won't Feed Properly

• Make sure your feed dogs are in the “up’ position.
• Make sure your feed dogs are clean and free of lint and dirt.
• Check that you are using pressure foot pressure. Have you recently been machine quilting and removed the pressure?
• Is your presser foot installed correctly so that it is making contact with the fabric?
• Is your stitch length set higher than 0? Again, with free motion machine quilting you may have forgotten to reset your stitch length.

If none of these work, your timing may be off. It's time for a dealer visit.

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Skipped Stitches

Skipped stitches happen because the thread is not delivered to the exact point at the exact time for the stitch to be formed. Either there is no loop for the shuttle to catch and form a stitch or the loop forms at the wrong time.

• First change to a new needle.
• Make sure the needle is correctly installed and in good shape – no burrs, not bent, no nicks.
• Is there enough pressure on the presser foot? Have you recently reduced the pressure foot pressure because you were quilting and forgotten to increase it again?
• Check your needle tension. A too tight tension can cause skipped stitches.
• Make sure the machine is properly threaded. Is the thread in the take up lever?
• Consult your manual to confirm you are using the correct brand of needle for your machine. Some machines use slightly longer or shorter needles.
  

If none of these fixes work, there is a good chance that your machine's timing is off. This can only be fixed by a trained repairman.

Click here to read the skipped stitch problems other quilters have reported and the suggested solutions. Your particular set of circumstances may be listed here.

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Thread Nest Forms on the Bottom

This is a 'not enough tension' issue. But almost always NOT because of your tension settings. If you see thread vomit (a much more descriptive term, don't you think?!), your thread has skipped a guide somewhere or is not seated in the tension disk (needle) or tension spring (bobbin).

• Re-thread your sewing machine making sure that the thread is in the tension guides, as well as in the take up lever.
• Raise your feed dogs if you are piecing and not quilting.
• Hold the both the bobbin and needle thread tails in your fingers as you begin a line of stitching. This will keep the tails from tangling on the underside.

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These are easy to do fixes for the simple sewing machine problems that happen.

Again, and I can't stress this enough, many of these sewing machine problems are caused by your needle being damaged. And most times you won't be able to see it. Keep plenty of needles on hand in different types and sizes.

If you are unsure or are uncomfortable with any of the remedies to any of these sewing machine problems, consult your dealer for assistance.

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