| Your sewing machine is a wonderfully useful machine when
working properly, a frustrating, confusing monster when it's not. Oddly, a
vast majority of machines sent to repair shops for repairs, could be
repaired at home with little or no technical knowledge.
The first thing to remember is not to panic! Don't let your frustration
get in the way of your good sense. Depending on the type of problem you're
having, the following suggestions may be of immediate help to you.
TENSION: As you change projects and start sewing on different weight
materials, you should test stitch on a piece of scrap material of the same
weight before beginning the actual project so you can adjust your upper
tension to that particular fabric. As an example, if you're changing from
a denim type fabric to a silky fabric, you would definitely want to make
sure the tension is correct and the stitching looks right before you start
to sew the garment.
To determine whether the upper tension is too tight or too loose for
the fabric you're wanting to use, try the following test. Take a small
scrap of the fabric, fold it, and stitch a line ON THE BIAS of the fabric,
using different colors of thread in the bobbin and on top. Grasp the bias
line of stitching between the thumb and the index finger. Space the hands
about 3 inches apart and pull with an even, quick force until one thread
breaks. If the broken thread is the color of the thread in the needle, it
means that the upper tension is too tight. If the broken thread is the
color of the bobbin thread, the upper tension is too loose. If both
threads break together and take more force to break, it means that the
tensions are balanced.
BOBBIN: The most probable cause of the lower thread breaking is an
improperly wound bobbin. Regardless of where you wind the bobbin, inside
the machine, on the top of the handwheel or on the front side near the
hand wheel, the basic "bobbin" rules apply.
** Always start with an empty bobbin. Never wind one color over another
color. ** Don't wind the bobbin so full that it would be tight and hard to
insert into the bobbin case. Most machines have an automatic "shut
off" when the bobbin gets full, but if yours does not, be careful not
to fill it too full. ** Wind the bobbin evenly across and in level layers.
** Never mix different sizes of thread in the bobbin and on the spool,
unless you're doing sewing machine embroidery or some specialty type of
sewing. Using different weights of thread on the spool and in the bobbin
for general sewing will cause ragged stitches as well as other stitching
problems.
NEEDLE: Probably 25% of machine repair jobs I go out on, the only
problem was that the needle was put in backwards. I know you're probably
saying "I've been sewing most of my life and I know how to put the
needle in the machine"; however many times a seamstress will get in a
hurry and not give the needle a second thought when putting a new one in
the machine. If your machine will not pick up the bottom thread or skips
stitches badly, in most cases it's because the needle is in wrong.
Each sewing machine requires that the "flat" side of the
needle be put in a specific way - facing the front, the back, etc.,
depending on your particular make and model. If you have a sewing machine
that takes a needle that doesn't have a flat side, you'll notice that each
needle has a groove in it where the thread lays as it penetrates the
fabric. Depending on whether your machine shuttle system faces to the
front or to the left, the groove of the needle will also face front or
left.
MACHINE THREADING: An additional area to check for stitching problems
is whether the sewing machine is threaded properly. Each machine has a
certain sequence for threading, and it only takes one missed step in the
sequence to cause your machine to skip stitches. If you're in doubt, take
the top thread completely out and start all over again.
Many times it's the small things that cause frustration and loss of
sewing time. Taking just a few minutes before starting a project to make
sure everything is in order can save hours of "down" time, not
to mention frayed nerves and the possibility of having to take the machine
to the repair shop unnecessarily.
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About the author:
Reuben O. Doyle, a sewing machine repairman for over 25 years has
written four sewing machine, serger and treadle repair manuals. For
additional repair information and help, visit http://SewMachineRepair.com.
(c) Copyright 2003, Reuben O. Doyle. All Rights Reserved.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print,
free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of
your publication sent to me at support@SewMachineRepair.com would be
appreciated. |
