Really basic sewing machine help please

[wolfbrother]

I am incompetent. Use the sewing machine about once every 5 years.
Today is that day. All was going well until I had to wind bobbin. Followed the instructions, although admittedly the bobbin is a bit over wound. Rethreaded machine, put bobbin back, raised bobbin thread according to instructions in booklet. (See, incompetent-have to use booklet for everything.)
Started again.
HELP!
Now the stitches under the material are a forest of loose cotton. Completely hopeless. Stitches on top are looking normal.
What should I do? It must be something simple that is wrong, surely?
I know I'm an idiot, but please be patient.

Have you checked that you have in fact re-threaded the machine properly? I have this problem with my machine and it's normally because it isn't threaded correctly. To check, thread machine up, put the foot down, then gently pull the top thread. You should meet resistance. If it just keeps coming, then rethread. On my machine, when you thread it through the actual gubbins of the machine (when you go down and then up in to the arm bit) you need to keep the thread relatively tight.

Alternatively, you may need to adjust the bottom tension. There should be either a dial or a screw dial somewhere.

I'm certainly not an expert (as you can tell from my ropey way of desribing the 'gubbins' of the machine!) but I hope this helps!

What are you making?

You've cocked up putting the bobbin back and forgotten to wind it round a tension spring I bet.

Don't tinker with adjusting the tension, just check you've put it back properly

agree with the others onless you have wound bobbin so full it does not fit right when put back in.

and it was working fine before you re loaded the bobbin?

I'm a bit rubbish at all this as well - but one thing a repair man told me once when my stitches were tangling, was that when you thread the needle the foot must be raised.
Cocks up the tension or something if you leave it down.

Cost me £25 that tip.

Yeah it was working perfectly before I had to do the bobbin.
I think the machine is threaded properly mascarpone.
I'll have another go with the bobbin.

Is it right that the stitches underneath come from the bobbin end then?

Thanks for replying all of you.

completley unwide the bobbin and rewind it using the machine, mine does this if the bobbin isn;t wound tightly enough.

Lost my last post somewhere...

Fixed it.

I have abandoned the bobbin (decided it was doomed) and replaced bobbin and thread, rethreaded etc and it works again.

Now I am sewing the remaining seams with the wrong coloured thread-bright purple-but it is only a Christmas Stocking for my Mum, who will be visiting, and I doubt she will notice or care about the colour!

I think allluckedout that you are correct and I must redo that bobbin. What a waste of thread. Miles of it.