Aaarggh - sewing maching help! Urgennt!

[Bumperrlicious]

Something is not right with my sewing machine. I am trying to sew a sling and the top thread keeps getting caught in the bobbin bit IYKWIM? Plus the stitches aren't forming properly, the top bit is loop underneath and the bottom bit is straight rather than stitch shape.

I was using a thick thread on top and a thinner one on bottom as per the advice of my craft shop, tried using both thick and both thin but still the same problem. I'm quite a novice so not really sure what I am doing, but it was working fine yesterday, and earlier I managed a zig zag stitch fine.

The reason why it is urgent is that I get very little time when the baby is asleep and happy to do this and I have already wasted over an hour tonight :(

It sounds as if you have a problem with your tension. Can you try adjusting the tension a little and trying it out on a spare bit of fabric?

If you've got loops on the under side of the fabric, then either your bobbin tension is to tight,(most likely I'd say) or top thread tension too loose (less likely because its harder to adjust accidentally).

If the thread is getting tangled underneath also check you have both top thread threaded correctly and bobbin threaded and inserted correctly. HTH

I would check your top thread is threaded correctly.... good luck

Agree with the above wise words.

Are you sewing a stretch fabric? If so you should be using a ballpoint needle. Using the wrong needle (or even a slight bent/blunt one ) can cause havoc.

I would check the tension and rethread with a new needle.

There is loads of stuff online now. When I had a bit of trouble with my machine I googled it and found a video! It was brilliant.

I've tried adjusting the tension but still no good, not sure if I did it properly though. Would that explain why it keeps getting jammed with the top thread getting caught?

I'm not sure if I did something wrong. When some thread got jammed I had to take the bit where the bobbin goes apart and a bit fell out. I think I put it back properly but my manual isn't clear. The jamming was happening before that but I think that may have been the start of my stitch problems.

Thanks for the quick replies btw! Baby awake now so havent managed to get anything done!

My machine is sewing but the stitching is looking crap. The top is fine but the underside doesn't look right. The bottom stitch just looks straight.

Wise words indeed from the ladies above. First of all I would change the needle because it is probably bent and/or blunt and not picking up the stitches properly.

Secondly, it's usually best to use the same thread in the bobbin and top thread. Is the bobbin thread wound evenly?

What weight of fabric are you sewing with? If it is a thick canvas, a domestic machine may not be able to cope and you have bent something.

'A bit fell out'. Oh dear! that sounds ominous - can you describe what it looked? A tiny little screw from the outside of the bobbin case? This could be the part that regulates the under thread tension.

The problem you describe happened to me with my sewing machine and I had to take it in for a service. For me, it was the tip of a broken pinhead that jammed underneath and the mechanism that makes the needle go up and down became misaligned when the needle kept hitting the bobbin case. Forty quid later it's working fine.

Good luck and tell us how you get on.

Definitely not the needle. It's a new one & I have tried two different sizes and two different threads. The bit that fell out was the hook from the hook racer. It's meant to come out apparently. Think it is back in fine. The machine was working fine yesterday. I am using canvas but yesterday it went through two layers & batting just fine. It's just that the stitches aren't forming properly underneath. I think I have solved the problem with the thread getting caught, apparently you need to make sure the needle is as high as it will before you release the presser foot.

what thread would you usually use in your machine. My machine works perfect with cotton thread and if I change to polycotton, I get looping all over the place.

Using your normal cotton and a piece of scrap fabric try sewing and see what happens.

If you've changed the needle and adjusted the tension then the only thing I can think of is to oil the machine. Refer to the manual on how to do this. Tension like problems can often appear if the machine hasn't been oiled in a while.

Once you get the stitching right with your usual cotton and fabric you can try with the fabric you're using for the sling.