Sewing Machine Troubleshooting – Solve the Problem Fast

Some people just love lists: shopping lists, to-do lists, event lists and checklists. All good ideas and helpful ways to keep your life organized! Getting a list of sewing machine troubleshooting is a great way to save time on your day to day sewing activities.

When you meet a problem and your sewing project seems to be going wrong, referring to a checklist just gets you some simple solutions right away. Have this little list on hand, print it out and put it close by.

Regardless of the problem, most sewing issues can be traced back to one of the following causes. Start at the beginning and eliminate each issue.

Sewing Machine Troubleshooting – Common Solutions

1. TENSION
   Your tension may be too tight or too loose. Make any adjustments slowly until you get it right. Big turns of your tension dial can cause more problems.
2. NEEDLES
   Check for bent, blunt or broken needles. Also, ensure you are using the correct needles for the fabric. (Read Needle Size Guide) Make sure the needle is inserted correctly. The flat part of the needle should be facing towards the back of the machine and the screw should be tight.
3. THREADS
   Don’t use cheap threads which may break. Check also if your thread is knotted, twisted or caught.
4. DUST AND DIRT
   A dirty machine cannot function at its best so start cleaning. Ensure the power is turned off and the cord removed before you start.
5. INCORRECT THREADING
   Even if your machine looks correctly threaded, rethread it now. Don’t forget to rethread the bobbin! When threading your machine make sure the needle is in its highest position.
6. CHECK THE KNOBS
   If the machine needle is not moving at all – Check the bobbin winder is not engaged. If little fingers have been playing with the buttons on your machine, you may have to reset them.
7. THROAT PLATE DAMAGED
   If your throat plate has been nicked by you sewing over a pin it will snag the bobbin thread and cause tension problems. New throat plates are inexpensive and readily available from most dealers.

Refer to these specific articles that for more specific solutions to sewing machine problems:

• How to Clean a Sewing Machine
• How to  Stop Puckered Seams
• Sewing Machine Tension Problems
• How to Stop a Needle Breaking
• How to Stop Threads Breaking
• Sewing Machine Skipping Stitches

A trusty list is a good resource to fall back on and save time for more creative ideas.  Keeping your list close by enables you to add to it as you go along and build up your own personal guide to sewing machine troubleshooting.

Sew…Keep your list by your side and your sewing machine in top condition, you will be a force to be reckoned with!

And if everything fails?

Call a technician! Sometimes it is not you – your machine just needs help and a tune up.