Anyone who can sew... helpmeee ;A;

[iPanda]

So, instead of studing for finals, i've been making pillows.
Lots of pillows. keke.
For some reason, my sewing machine works perfectly for everything but.... THIS.
WHY IS IT DOING THIS.

Here is the front where it's nice and pretty like it's supposed to be...



and then here is the back where it's all... SDOJPKSOKOPFAPFASDL.

[kpzra]

On my machine it means the tension is wrong, usually on the bobbin.

[Food Lady]

Yes, the tension needs to be adjusted.

[iPanda]

Lesser or more? I've tried both ways but it won't work.... sob. maybe I'm doing it wrong...

[Food Lady]

I think the bobbin is too loose.

[dalesys]

Lesser or more? I've tried both ways but it won't work.... sob. maybe I'm doing it wrong...

#1: Remember your towel
#2: Don't panic

It's been 40+ years since I sewed, even a little bit, but...
Lower bobbin tension? Seems like the primary tension adjustment is for the upper thread feed.

Do you have a manual for your machine? or can you find it online?

Check the threading path for the lower thread.

Like FL said, bobbin wound too loose?

[sms001]

Your machine may need oiling too, although tension is the usual culprit.

[Kanalah]

What kind of sewing machine do you have?

I have a Bernina and when mine is doing that I just re-thread the upper thread (make sure the presser foot is down) and take the bobbin out, make sure it's loaded in the shuttle the correct way and put it back in the machine. Of course I bought a Bernina because they're just about moron-proof. I've broken 2 sewing machines already. /hide

[Seshat]

Clean the bobbin area. Lint-free cloth, the little brushes that came with the sewing machine, or new paintbrushes bought for the purpose (and never used for painting - you want them *clean*. Brushes intended for children are fine - you just want them small and brushy.)

Oil the moving parts with "light machine oil" aka "sewing machine oil" - it's called by both names in Australia. If in doubt, buy it at a sewing supplies shop.

If you can find the manual, it'll tell you where to put the oil. If you can't, take the bobbin bits apart as much as they 'naturally' (easily?) go apart, put oil on anything that is intended to move, move them by hand to work the parts (with no thread in them), and then reassemble. Take photos while you're disassembling, so you can refer back to get it all back together.

Basically, the two threads (upper and lower) are getting stuck on something in the bobbin area, while the needle is below the fabric. Then when the needle comes up, the thread pulls up multiple loops - 'cause that's what's in the bobbin area.

Once you have all the dust out of the bobbin area, and the machinery is oiled, put the same type of thread in the same brand in both upper and lower areas, but you want two different colours.

Then adjust the machine so that on the upper side, you can only see the upper thread colour; and on the bottom side, the lower thread colour. If you see bobbin thread colour on the upside, the bobbin is too loose or the upper thread is too tight. Upper thread colour on the bottom, it's the other way around.

If the stitches are tending to pucker the fabric, whichever it is, is tight. If the stitches are tending to be loose, it's loose. Once it starts to be close-to-right, though, it can be harder to tell.


Another cause of the dreaded loopies is your bobbin winder on your machine dying - if the tension of the wound bobbin isn't even, then it's going to be hard for your machine to keep an even tension during the sewing.

Yet another is cheap, short-staple thread. Hold the thread in your hands and give it a good, sharp yank. If the thread breaks, it's too short-staple. If it hurts your hands instead, it's probably fine. (Don't worry, I've never had it actually cut my hands. Just make imprints that faded away over ten minutes or so. :P )

If the thread feels fuzzy in your hands, when you run it through your fingers, it's causing dust in your machinery. All that fuzz is being stripped off in the tensioners, and blocking them up, and causing uneven tension.

Once you have the machine clean, are working with long-staple, non-fuzzy thread, and have tensioned it with two-different-colours of thread, put in the thread used for your project, and some scrap fabric. Test the tension with the thread and fabric of your project; using the right number of layers. (Two for most things, probably three or four for quilting.)


If it STILL does the loopies after all of that, and noone else here has suggestions, check sewing sites. That's the most common problem people seem to have.

[iPanda]

the thread, feels sturdy and thick but is very flimsy by breaking when you snap it. i think that was the issue because i yelled at the sewing machine, then begged, and put the tension back to what I was working with before all the issues and it started working again.
i mean, seriously, my sewing machine just hates me.

[auntiem]

Another cause of the dreaded loopies is your bobbin winder on your machine dying - if the tension of the wound bobbin isn't even, then it's going to be hard for your machine to keep an even tension during the sewing.

This. Did you wind a new bobbin of that thread color before sewing this project? My winder has to be watched carefully - it will wind badly at some points in the wind- leading to a frustating even tention/ crppy tension situation.
Also, for some reason, I can only use the three bobbins that came with the machine. If I use any others even if they specifically say they are for my machine, I will get the same result as in the OP's pix regardless if they are wound perfectly or not.

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

IPanda, you also might want to check to make sure the thread is threaded in correctly (I don't know sewing by any means, but my mom has for yrs & that's what she suggested

Good luck

[JoeGould1111]

the thread, feels sturdy and thick but is very flimsy by breaking when you snap it. i think that was the issue because i yelled at the sewing machine, then begged, and put the tension back to what I was working with before all the issues and it started working again.
i mean, seriously, my sewing machine just hates me.

Reminds me of the time my mom got super angry at her sewing machine, so she threw it. Outside. In the middle of winter. And left if there for about a week.

The sad part is, it seemed to help it, as it was working fine when she brought it in...

[Andara Bledin]

Ah. The amazing impact recalibration technique. Works for all sorts of things, including those things with no moving parts.

^-.-^