Now You Know Common Sewing Machine Problems

Common Sewing Machine Problems - A Perspective

R.S.BALAKUMAR
M.A.(SOCIOLOGY ), M.L.M.(Labour Management), Pursuing MBA(EXECUTIVE) in (FASHION-TECH), MISTE., Chennai, India
Cell: +91-9283182955
Email: rsbalakumar1953@gmail.com

Introduction: The student needs to understand the common problems that may be there while sewing and should be able to rectify these as they are common and irritating and slow down the sewing process. A person operating the machine should be able to rectify these and solve the problems.

The student needs to understand the common problems that may be there while sewing and sho Now You Know Common Sewing Machine Problems

Sewing machine and its parts

Sewing machines problem occurred in the following elements:

Bobbin

1. Does not wind: Make sure the thread is wrapped around the bobbin in proper direction. Check to see if bobbin has been placed properly in the winder. The rubber ring might be worn out and needs to be replaced.

2. Winds unevenly: The thread may not be inserted in the thread guide. You may be running the machine too fast. The tension spring may need adjustment.

3. The Needle moves up and down during winding: Needle has not been disengaged

Fabric

1. Layers feed unevenly: Presser foot pressure incorrect. May need to stitch slowly. The fabric may be very light weight use tissue paper while stitching.

2. Does not feed in straight line: Presser foot may be loose or bent . Pressure of the presser foot may be incorrect. Needle may be bent. There may be a defect in the machine feed. You may be pushing or pulling the fabric.

3. Puckers when stitched: Many fabrics pucker when stitch in a single layer. The stitch length may be not in correct relation to the fabric type. If the fabric is sheer or light weight, the presser foot tension may need to be regulated . Thread may be too thick. Needle may be coarse Bobbin thread may be uneven Stitch tension may be unbalanced . Feed dog may be worn out

4. Shows feed mark on the underside: Presser foot pressure may be too heavy. You may need to put tissue paper between the fabric and the feed. The feed may be damaged or set too high

5. Fabric is damaged or holes around the stitches: Needle may be blunt or too coarse or wrong type for the fabric. Check for the nick in the throat plate, foot or feed

Machine

1. Motor does not run :

Cord is not plugged.
Power stitch off.
Knee or foot accelerator may be jammed or improperly attached to power source.

2. Motor runs but hand wheel does not turn :

Thread or lint may be caught or tangled in the bobbin case area.

3. Motor runs, hand wheel turns, but needle does not move :

The needle may have been disengaged for bobbin winding and not tightened back to sewing position
If needle has been tightened but still does not move, the motor belt is slipping because it is loose or worn.

4. Motor, hand wheel and needle moves but fabric does not feed :

Make sure the presser foot is down
Check the stitch length regulator
The pressure regulator may at the least/ light pressure. If fabric is heavy, more pressure may be necessary for fabric to feed.
The feed dog may be in the lowered or “down” position

5. Motor, hand wheel, needle and fabric moves but no stitch is formed :

Thread may have come out of the needle.
Needle may be threaded in the wrong direction.
Needle may be inserted backward or may not be pushed all the way up into the clamp.
Needle may be the wrong length for the machine.
Machine may be threaded incorrectly
Bobbin may be empty
Bobbin and / or case may be inserted incorrectly
The timing of the machine might be off

6. Runs sluggishly :

Bobbin winder may still be engaged
Knee or foot control might be improperly positioned
Machine may be in need of oiling and / or cleaning

7. Runs noisily :

Machine probably needs oiling and / or cleaning
The needle could be bent and hitting against foot or throat plate
Bobbin and / or case may not be tight enough
Bobbin may be almost out of thread.

8. Will not stitch in reverse :

If machine is very old, it may not have this capability
If it is a recent model, check the stitch control. If may be set for “stretch stitch” or “buttonhole”, sometimes these stitches cannot be reversed manually.

Needle

1. Unthreads :

Insufficient thread may have been pulled through the needle before the seam was started
Machine may be out of top thread

2. Breaks :

You may be using the incorrect presser foot
Presser foot and / or throat plate may be loose or improperly fastened.
Needle might have become bent and hit the presser foot and /or throat plate
Needle may be incorrectly inserted
Needle might be too fine for the fabric being sewed and for the job being done
You may have pulled too hard on fabric while stitching
Check machine settings.
Needle may be defective

Stitches

1. Are uneven lengths :

You might be pushing or pulling the fabric too much
Pressure on the presser foot could be either too light or too heavy for the fabric
There could be lint or other clog between the teeth of the feed dog

2. Have loops between them :

If the loops are large, the machine is improperly threaded
If loops are small tensions are unbalanced
Bobbin may be wound unevenly
There may not be enough pressure to hold the fabric taut during stitch formation

3. Skip here and there :

Needle may be blunt or bent
Needle may be inserted backward or it might not be all the way up into the clamp
There may be insufficient pressure on the presser foot
Throat plate may be wrong for the purpose
You may be stitching at an uneven speed 6. While stitching, you may be pulling too hard on the fabric

Thread

1. Needle thread breaks :

Usually this is caused by the needle being inserted backward or threaded backward
Thread may be caught in the spool notch or it could be wrapped around the spindle
There may be a rough or burred place on a thread guide
The needle may be blunt
Needle may not be all the way up into the clamp
Needle may be too fine for the thread, causing it to fray-often the case with silk buttonhole twist

2. Bobbin thread breaks :

Bobbin case may not be threaded properly and / or the case not inserted properly
Bobbin may be too full
Check for dirt or clog in the bobbin case
Bobbin tension may be too tight

3. Bobbin thread cannot be raised through hole in throat plate :