Hello Stitching Community!
In the weekly update sent on Monday, March 20, I started to talk about the frustration people are having with their sewing machines. Some of the frustrations that I hear about on a very regular basis are:
- "Nests" of threads on the underside of the fabric. Sometimes called thread barf.
- The machine scissor:
- Does not cut the thread
- Only partially cuts the thread
- Jams and makes a horrible noise
- The fabric is sucked down into the opening in the throat plate and gets stuck there.
- Tangles of thread form below the throat plate, in the bobbin area, which results in
- Thread jams
- The bobbin case pulling out of position
- Stitching through the bobbin case
- Needle breakage
I will start with "The Cure" for the issues stated above. I will then move onto the why it happens, I will also add all of this information to my Know Your Machine Class. Click here to register!
"The Cure" will seem so simple that you won't believe this will solve your issue, believe me it will!
First a quiz!?!
At the Beginning of Stitching
- Where do you position your fabric when you start to stitch? Think about it!
- Is it in front of the opening in your throat plate?
- Is it covering the opening in your throat plate?
- It doesn't matter?
- I can't tell because I can't see the opening in my throat plate?
- Does the picture below show the correct positioning?
- ANSWER! The positioning in the above picture is WRONG!
- Positioning of your fabric does matter!
- Your fabric has to cover the opening in your throat plate!
- If you can't see where your fabric is positioned, change to an Open Toe Applique Foot or mark your throat plate with blue tape!
At the End of Stitching
Where is your fabric when you activate your tie off mode, activate the scissor function or just plan "finish" stitching?
- What is the position of your fabric when you have "finished" stitching your seam? Think about it!
- Is it behind the opening in your throat plate?
- Is it covering the opening in your throat plate?
- It doesn't matter?
- I can't tell because I can't see the opening in my throat plate?
- Does the picture below show the correct positioning?
- ANSWER! The positioning in the above picture is WRONG!
- Positioning of your fabric does matter!
- Your last stitch has to be on the fabric when you activate your scissor function!
- If you can't see where your fabric is positioned, change to an Open Toe Applique Foot.
- Practice activating the end sequence in your machine or back stitching or whatever it is that you do to "finish" but your final stitch MUST be in your fabric!
So what is "The Cure"? The Correct positioning of your fabric at the start and finish! If you pay attention to correctly positioning your fabrics your problems will be cured!
The "Why" to this is a more lengthy answer which I will go into in detail in a following email or a video. It has to do with your machine's hook, how your machine forms a stitch as your thread passes over the bobbin case and how your scissor cuts your thread.
For now, just pay attention to how your fabric is positioned at the beginning and the end of stitching and see for yourself if it makes a difference....I know it will!
Thanks for joining me!
Be Sew Smart!
Cathy | 