Sewing Machine Help

[novemberlily]

I feel like a total noob lol

I have a singer esteem, if that helps.

So all day yesterday my machine was working fine. I finished two christmas projects and then it started bunging it up. It seems to be a bobbin problem, it gets all loopy on the bobbin side when I sew, and then it gets jammed up.

I've threaded two new bobbins, I've gone through every setting on my machine, stitch, width and tension. I have no idea what the problem is and I have a bunch of christmas gifts to finish.

Help please?!

[mgmsrk]

Have you done all the basics?

clean out tension disks

rethread

rewind bobbin

check bobbin is installed correctly

changed the needle

[novemberlily]

I've done all of that except changed my needle because I don't have a replacement needle and I live in a rural area and wasn't going to town any time soon.

I think I re-wound the bobbin, and re-installed it, re-threaded the machine about 50 times. I tried pretty much every different combination of tension/width/length on my machine and it still happened. Cleaned out the entire machine (although it's practically new so that was a total waste of time)

It's just weird because it was working fine all day yesterday. I shut it off, cleaned up my sewing room and went to bed last night, came back to it today and that's when it started :S I didn't change anything besides flipping the switch.

Lol ugh, so frustrating when you get into sewing mode and can't.

[novemberlily]

Could it be my bobbin maybe?

My mom said she always used metal bobbins cause the plastic ones never worked well for her. Would that make a difference? I just use the plastic ones because that is what came with the machine.

[mgmsrk]

Originally Posted by novemberlily It's just weird because it was working fine all day yesterday. I shut it off, cleaned up my sewing room .

Well there is your problem, never clean when working on crafts. Takes away all the fun of spending time digging through the piles to find what you were looking for and instead find another project you just must do. That could just be for those of us with Craft OCD.

As you did the rest then it's likely the needle. They need to be changed fairly often and can wreck havoc when something is wrong with them.

I do prefer metal bobbins but use both. There are a few different kinds of bobbins and they don't fit in all machines but since you are using the ones that came with your machine they should be correct.

Joanns had a coupon code good for free shipping on any purchase, I think it was good all week. I ordered 4 yards of unbleached muslin from them Monday. All I needed and so much easier than dragging 2 kids to a fabric store that is a hours drive. If you don't don't get their emails I can look it up for you.

[boomgirl79]

No great advice but I hope this is easily resolved!

I was smack dab in the middle of a custom order the other week when my sewing machine started acting up big time. I was about to completely throw in the towel and kick my machine when I realized there was a tiny thread sticking out of the top of my bobbin from when I threaded it. Just for kicks, I snipped it short and tried again...all problems resolved! It had been catching and screwing up all the tension.

Sewing machines can be so finicky and frustrating! Hope this is an easy fix!

[NooneeWilga]

When you are trying to figure out a sewing machine problem, remember the following:
* mess on the under side of the fabric = most often a problem with the top thread/threading/tension
* mess on top of the fabric = most likely a bobbin problem

I usually find that a problem with the needle results in skipped stitches or damaged fabric - but I guess different machines might react differently.

In your case, if it isn't fixed already, I would unthread the top thread. Get out the manual and rethread while following the diagrams carefully

When you put the presser foot down, check that the tension disk is engaging properly.

[Rdesonia]

I would not switch bobbins. I would use what came with your machine. (I HATE the plastic bobbins but I use plastic in my modern machine. I use metal in my 1960's machine). I did purchase some plastic bobbins that were generic but said they were the right size for my modern Singer machine I had. Everytime I used them I had issues with thread tangle on the bottom or really bad tension. I went back to only using name band and stopped having an issue.

You might have a piece of thread snagged in the feed dogs. I would lower them (clean them with a little lint brush and raise them and clean them again. I think that is the only thing that pp didn't mention.

[RockinLou]

Are you 100% sure you are winding the bobbin properly? When I miss a loop for the thread when winding the bobbin the tension on the bobbin is too loose and it gets all crazy.

[novemberlily]

So I got it working with a metal bobbin. But now the top thread is getting tangled on the thread take up :S :S It's not really affecting my sewing, it's just annoying because whenever I stop stitching I have to re thread everything.

I would have just gone to my manual but I lost it when I moved (it actually came with a dvd but yeah, lost it) I'm going to check if I can order one from the manufacturer.