Sewing machine help?

[ArcticChicken]

I have a Pfaff Hobby 1132. I think the tension's gotten wonky, but what I know about sewing machines could fit comfortably in a thimble, and the users manual is MIA, and I can't find one online.

Whats happening is that the needle thread is laying on top of the cloth and the bobbin thread is showing through the cloth. Sometimes the bobbin thread is getting all bunchy on the back, but only sometimes.

I've tried adjusting the needle tension, but nothing changed, I messed with the bobbin tension a little but still couldn't make it do anything differently.

I can take the damn thing to the local sewing store if I have to, but I barely remember the overview of the thing they gave me when we bought it, and I know I'll learn a lot better if I can fix it myself.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'm no expert, but sometimes the thread wound on the bobbin is loose and sloppy, and you might not notice it, but that can screw with the tension. It does sound like a tension problem.

When was the last time you gave it a good oiling? That helps things run smoothly, too (just run it a bit so you don't splash oil particles on your fabric).

I don't undestand what you mean when you say the bobbin head is showing through the cloth, though. More details, please?

Problems I've had that can make the thread bunch in the back, in no particular order:

Thread catching in the mechanism that controls thread tension

Foot tension set too high or low

Thread on bobbin wound improperly

Bobbin thread tangled inside bobbin housing

Lubrication in machine thick and tacky with lint and age...needs cleaning and oiling

[ArcticChicken]

When was the last time you gave it a good oiling? That helps things run smoothly, too (just run it a bit so you don't splash oil particles on your fabric).

According to the manufacturer, I don't need to oil the machine.

I don't undestand what you mean when you say the bobbin head is showing through the cloth, though. More details, please?

The needle thread is like a flat line and the bobbin thread is like a wave, with the peaks being clearly visible on the top of the fabric.


As soon as my aunt is done her nap (the machine is in her bedroom) I will go double check the bobbin. Something tells me you may have hit upon at least part of the problem.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Ah. Okay. I understand now.

I have an older model metal Singer, and the moving parts get gunked up every now and then with lint particles. I dont' know about yours, I just know mine needs to be popped open and maintained once it gets some miles on it.

Definitely sounds like a bobbin or a foot problem. I've spooled off thread onto a bobbin before and if the spool of thread is really light, or approaching the end, there isn't enough tension to spool it onto the bobbin properly. And the thing moves so fast you can't see what a mess it is until you pop it off and look closely. You put that sucker in and start sewing, you get a mess.

I now keep a finger on the thread when I'm spooling off onto a bobbin so I can keep an even tension on it. Seems to help.

[Kanalah]

I think RK's pretty well taken care of this for me.

I second everything she's said here. I have a bernina activa 220 as my main sewing machine and when I put the bobbin in the shuttle the wrong way the bobbin thread on the bottom gets all wonky too. Also cleaning the dust out/oiling it if it requires it does wonders for performance as well.

[Mikkel]

It is the thread tension which is unbalanced. Try loosening the needle tension or tightening the bobbin. They should balance so the thread gets pulled down and up into the middle.
If the bobbin gets bunched up, it is pulled out in wads. That means it's probably too loose. There should be a spring you can tighten on the shuttle.

[Kogarashi]

The examples pictures in my Viking manual also point at it being a tension issue. Sounds like everyone else has given you some good tips to start with.

I like how my bobbins spool. I rarely if ever have a problem with how they wind since the thread actually feeds through the regular tension system on the machine down to the needle, and then over to the bobbing spooling part. It also means I don't have to re-thread the machine after refilling my bobbins when they run out partway through a project.

[monolayth]

Mine does that whenever the bobbin is incorrectly threaded.

[Seshat]

I also find that the quality of thread makes a difference. Cheap-ass thread is made of short fibres, which break off and make lint easily and quickly, and also tangle in the bobbin mechanism. Good thread is made of long fibres, which spin in more tightly and operate more smoothly in your machine.

Oddly enough, sometimes just changing an old needle for a new one will mysteriously clean up sewing problems.

My particular machine has a bobbin mechanism which it's easy to put in too loosely. When it's too loose, the needle thread gets tangled in the mechanism, and I sometimes don't notice until I have a bobbin tangle. (I TRY to always sew a test piece on scrap fabric when I replace the bobbin mechanism, but I forget.)