brother sewing machine X5 new user!! Help!!

[bossboggle]

Just purchased a brother sewing machine which is fairly easy to thread. Can't get the bottom bobbin thingy in too well though. Have managed and then tried to 'practice' sew a piece of material but can't get the tension right, looks okay on one side but full of loops etc on the other - is it trial and error or what? Would love to be able to use it properly but can't - need advice and some encouragement!! Haven't used a sewing machine since grammar school - help!!

have you put the bobbin in the right way? with my Brother the thread has to unwind from the top left

Thanks, I'll try that, I have no idea if it will work though, not the advice - er me with a sewing machine!!.........

Stitch tension is pretty much dependent on 2 things- top and bottom!

First, as already said, check you have the bobbin inserted the right way round and that the thread on the bobbin (did you wind it yourself?) is reasonably well tensioned. Sometimes when I'm not concentrating mine go all slack and sloppy!

Check you haven't got the sheared off end of a needle in the gubbins (happened to me once!)

Re the usual problems:

The top stitch tensioner one is the one you practically always have to adjust (usually a knob set around '0' with the option of turning clock- or anticlockwise).

The bobbin underneath is a bit more complicated if that's the problem.The metal open case thing you drop the (usually) plastic bobbin in will have a tiny screw on its side that you can turn to 'tension' the thread coming out of the bobbin. I readily confess that's beyond my ability to tweak!

The other things are:

Are your feed dogs engaged? Some machines allow you to disengage them, and, is your foot pressure right? the big hand turned screw (usually) on top of the machine (usually!) that you turn depending on whether you are sewing thin cottons or thick corduroys, for instance.

There'll be a good explanation!

HTH.

Oh, and are both lots of thread of a similar weight?

LittenTree - Thankyou so much!! Followed your instructions and I managed to get the machine to work!! I have had such fun today!!

I'm very pleased.

There's nothing more bleddy disheartening than a machine that just won't Do It Right

LittenTree - question....it doesn't seem to like to sew thicker material - denim together (I smashed a needle finding out!! Hee hee!) Is there anything I need to know how to sew thicker stuff together if I need to. I lifted the foot up and it helped a little but is there some method if you have to sew thick stuff together?

It sewed two layers of denim together but didn't like it much when I got to a seam. I was converting old denim jeans into something else.

Am scarcely more than a sewing machine virgin, but denim Shouldn't smash a needle.

You tried to sew thru an existing seam?

To be honest most modern machines struggle through thick fabric!

You need a very sharp needle, the correct pressure on the foot (that hand-turned screw usually on the top of the machine) but the reality is, as others have said, you'll struggle to get the needle through existing, commercially sewn seams. IF I'm taking jeans up, what I do is to sew as far as the seams using proper thick 'jeans' thread;(the presser foot starts to rise up over the ridge, I stop, lift the foot, pull the fabric out and snip of a fair bit of the thread (6"?) then restart sewing straight after the seam (at the first part the presser foot will feed the fabric properly) and carry on to the next seam.

I then use those 6" lengths to hand sew the hem up through the original hems (use a thimble!) as neatly and 'convincingly' as possible.

Thank you once again!! MN is so good when you can get info from people who know what they are doing!!

hi I have just purchased a brother X-5 and cannot get the empty spool out from underneath to fill it any help would be appreciated