Quick and Easy Fixes for Common Sewing Machine Problems

Is your sewing machine breaking thread? Jamming the fabric? Having tension issues? Making loops and bird’s nest instead of stitches? Rabeea to the rescue! I have listed down all the common sewing machine problems and their solutions in this blog post.

Learn how you can solve upper mentioned issues yourself! Troubleshooting a sewing machine is not as hard as you might think. With the right knowledge, you can fix most of the issues by yourself at home.

How it begins!

You start sewing on your sewing machine, it was working fine yesterday. But today it decided to break the thread, jam, breaking the needle, and making loops. You are so frustrated by its temperament! And that keeps you away from sewing. It is no longer enjoyable.

You look up in the sewing machine manual. Nothing makes sense. “Why don’t my machine behave!” you say to yourself. What do you do?

Just like any other electronic device, the sewing machine can have issues. But it does not happen suddenly. Something somewhere has caused the balance off.

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Troubleshooting Sewing Machine

How to Fix Thread Tension

This is the cause of uneven stitches, thread jams, loops, and bird’s nest (the jumble of thread that forms on the bottom of fabric). As the sewing machine uses thread from 2 different places (top and bottom), we first need to investigate which thread is causing the issues.

• A handy tip is to see where the machine is making loops or uneven stitches. If it is on the bottom side of the fabric, it means the top thread needs to get fixed. If the stitching on top is uneven, then the bobbin thread is the culprit.

You can check it in another way too.

• Lift the presser foot. Take out the thread from the needle. Pull the top thread coming from the hook above the needle. 

If it is coming without any resistance, it means the tension is loose. 

• To fix that inncrease tension on tension dial.

• If the thread is coming out too tight, decrease the tension on the tension dial.

If the resistance is slight, then check the bobbin thread.

Incorrect Threading – Common Mistakes People Make When Threading their Machines

• Rethread your machine. It might have not been threaded correctly and skipped a crucial pass.
• Always thread your machine with the presser foot in the up position. If you thread when it is down, the thread pass has already tightened for stitching. The thread will either get stuck on it or it will  go over it. This can cause thread breakage and jamming.

• Pass the thread correctly from where it is supposed to be. Especially the hook above the needle. If you skip it, it will put pressure on your needle, causing it to imbalance and bend.

• Are you using a felt base for your vertical spool pin? If not, then use it. If you do not have it, cut a small round piece from felt. Make a hole in the center to pass it through the spool holder. This can make a significant difference in your stitching.
• The thread should be coming out from the back of the spool, not the front. This is just a minor detail but is important in getting good results.

• Are you using a spool cap? A spool cap is used when the spool is on the horizontal pin. It stops the spool from moving and helps feed the thread evenly. It comes in 3 sizes. Use it according to the size of your spool.

When changing thread color, never take out the thread from a machine by pulling it from the spool. The thread pass is not made to work backward. It can really mess up the thread tension. I have done this and suffered a lot.

Correct Method to Unthread Sewing Machine

• Cut the thread near spool. Take it out from needle first, and then pull it from the hook above needle. This way it will not put pressure on needle as well.

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How to Fix Bobbin Issues

If your upper thread tension is correct, time to check on your bobbin thread. Pull it and see how the thread is coming.

• If it is tight, or loose take out the bobbin and insert it again and check.

• Make sure you are inserting it correctly. If your bobbin needs to be inserted in bobbin-case first, make sure the screw on it is not too tight or too loose. Same is for drop-in bobbin shuttle.
• The thread on bobbin should not be wound tightly or too loose. This will also cause thread tension issues.

• The thread should be coming off in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Refer to your machine manual for the correct direction.

Fix Needle Issues

• Change the needle. When was the last time you changed the needle? The common rule is to change the needle after every 8 to 10 hours of sewing. The sharp end of the needle gets blunt as it sews the fabric. The result is skipped stitches.
• Use the right kind of needle. Maybe you are using the wrong kind of needle. The type of needle should be according to the type of fabric you are sewing. Your sewing machine manual may have a needle chart.

For example, you need a universal needle for woven fabrics, ballpoint needle for jersey/knit and jeans for denim.

• Use the right size of the needle. You might be using the right kind of needle, but the size could be wrong. Thinner (lower number) needles are for thin fabrics and thicker (higher number) needles are for thick fabrics.

Use 75/11 for chiffon and lawn, 90/14 for medium-weight cotton and 100/16 for thicker fabrics.

• Use correct shaft. The sewing needle has a shaft that is inserted into the machine. They are of two kinds, round and with a straight cut. You will need to make sure which kind of shaft is compatible with your machine. It is just a minor detail but can throw the balance off. It has happened to one of my friends. So, check-in your manual and buy the needles accordingly.

• Insert the needle to the highest position in needle bar. If the needle is not in the correct place, it will not sew properly. Or worse, get stuck in the bobbin and break!

• Insert the needle in the correct position. In some machines, the eye of the needle should be on the sides. In others, it needs to be front to back. Make sure you set it according to your machine.

Is Your Sewing Machine Eating your Fabric? How to Avoid Fabric Jamming!

Sometimes there is a nick or cut on the needle plate where the needle goes down. The needle might have hit it and caused a nick. It can cause the fabric to distort while sewing. 

• Take it off and run your fingertip on it. If you sense any unevenness, file with down with sandpaper or nail-filer.

• Keep thread tails around 5 to 6 inches long when you begin sewing. Smaller threads tend to go down in the needle plate and can jam the bobbin.
• Always hold both thread tails in your fingers before you start stitching. If not, they will go down inside and get stuck.
• If your fabric is getting sucked down in the needle plate, leave half an inch of fabric before sewing. Sew few stitches and then backstitch to secure. Then sew as you normally would.

Sewing Machine Maintenance 

If you try all the above and it does not work, then try to remember when the last time you cleaned and oiled your sewing machine. Just like a car, it needs regular maintenance. 

• Take out the cleaning brush that came with your sewing machine and start cleaning.

lint in bobbin area of sewing machine

• Do not blow air into your machine. This will result in moisture and rust in machine parts. Also, it will further push the dust bunnies into the machine. Clean the bobbin part and top part. Oil it according to your machine’s manual instructions. Lint buildup in the machine is also the cause of thread jamming and breakage.

Last step!

If you try everything mentioned above and it does not fix your machine, time to take it to a sewing machine shop and get it professionally cleaned and oiled. I procrastinated for a long time before taking it for repair. It should not be more than 12 to 18 months before you take it for maintenance. Most of the issues will disappear by themselves. Regular service of machine will increase its work life and will save you from a lot of frustrations later.

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I hope this comprehensive guide on Fixing common sewing machine problems is what you need. Thread tension, needle issues, thread jam, bobbin jam, thread breaks, and loops are easy to fix if you know what to do. Now you know what steps to follow to troubleshoot your sewing machine next time it causes any issue. It is such a great feeling to fix your stuff yourself. It gives confidence and empowers us that we can do much more than we can imagine.

Happy learning!

Rabeea 🧵🧰