Quick Tip – Sewing Machine Tension Issues

frustrated quilterWhen your sewing machine, is acting weird, thread is breaking, skipping stitches, getting incorrect readings on the screens of your electronic machine, loops on the back from you top thread, tight stitches, loose stitches…whatever…and you don’t know what is wrong…before you take it in, follow the next few steps to see if it is a simple fix.

  1. rethread the needle from the spool to the needle
  2. remove the bobbin, reposition it back in
  3. change your needle
  4. air out the bobbin case of the machine
  5. test sew…better?
    1. if not, change your thread brand in your bobbin and or upper thread.
    2. still no good?
      1. change the other thread.

Some machines are thread picky, some can’t sew with built up lint, you might even have a little piece of thread  in the path.

I had to remind myself of this tip this last week. It had gotten down to crunch time and all 3 of my machines, the serger, sewing machine and the quilting machine were all having issues. My Babylock (sewing machine) kept telling me that the thread was broken, I would have to wait 3 seconds for the screen to clear, to be able to sew for 2-3″ just to get the warning again. I couldn’t figure it out. I had to use my sister’s machine as I couldn’t figure it out and didn’t have the time to troubleshoot it. Then the thought came, try it again, but change the needle and thread. And it worked. I worked on another project and I had the loops from the upper thread…change the thread and again we are back in business.

It is good to remember before you get frustrated, change needles and thread, air it out, try it again and see if that hasn’t fixed the issue. Happy quilting and Merry Christmas!


2 thoughts on “Quick Tip – Sewing Machine Tension Issues

  1. This is a great reminder. I can’t figure out the connection between needles and jumped stitches, but I’ve seen it. I guess our machines know what they like, just like us!

  2. I don’t know the connection eitger…but some how it all works out witha just a few minor changes.

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