Beginners to sewing machines here. A few weeks ago, we purchased a basic White model and began teaching ourselves with it. Recently, we began experiencing a problem with the top thread getting caught somewhere inside the shuttle race mechanism, where the bobbin is housed. We were no longer able to go more than a couple of stitches before the top thread got stuck and tangled (independently, separate from the bobbin thread) beneath the needle plate.
We spent quite some time threading and rethreading, adjusting settings, reassembling the shuttle race, until cleaning and oiling the shuttle race seemed to correct the problem.
Unfortunately, now when we attempt a zig-zag stitch, it’s bandy and loose and doesn’t resemble a zig-zag much at all. Is there a sewing maven in the house who can help us figure out what exactly is going wrong here? Is the original problem with the top thread getting caught in the shuttle race related to the deformed stitch? What steps can we take to fix the problem and keep it fixed once and for all?
We’ve uploaded a couple of photos for your reference. Thanks.
It looks to me like your tension settings are off. It’s especially noticable in the first pic where the upper thread is just sitting inside those little loops. They should be equally looped, if that makes sense. Sorry, I know none of the technical lingo, but I’d try adjusting the tension bit by bit to see how it affects the stitching problems. Even a tiny nudge on the dial can make a difference sometimes.
If you have your handbook, it should have a trouble shooting section telling you which way to adjust the tension depending on whether it’s the upper or lower thread that is stitching too loosely.
Hard to go into a lot of detail here on a message board, but be sure you are also using the right kind of thread and needle foe the fabric you are working with. This is definitely not a one size fits all situation.
There are a lot of decent books out there that have helpful charts in them…I would recommend the Singer Reference Library series. They are very easy to understand, and very helpful.
Word on the street is that the electronic uber-machines tend to foul up when using cheap thread (like Coats & Clark Dual Duty) because they shed lint. I doubt that’s a problem with a basic White machine, but I just thought I’d throw it out there. Thread does tend to degrade over time, however. You should definitely be using new-ish top quality thread like Mettler or Gutermann.
Oh yeah, and Bella’s right. Your tension is totally wack.
Yeah, it’s your tension. Where did you get your machine? If you got it at a real sewing machine shop or similar they’ll probably show you how to do all sorts of adjustments on your machine like that, perhaps even offer a class.
It appears you have no bottom thread tension whatsoever. Possibly too much tension on the top, as well, but the loose bottom is overpowering everything else.
There’s a pretty nice PDF that describes some “rule of thumb” methods for checking bobbin tension. Normally, bobbins only need adjusting once for every fifty times you adjust the top tension, but there’s obviously something wrong with yours.
Check that you have the bobbin inserted into the machine so it turns the right direction. I’ve seen flipped bobbins cause some crazy problems, so this is worth looking at. The thread should come off the bobbin and make a u-turn as it leaves the case and goes under the tension spring.
If your bobbin case comes out of the machine to put the bobbin into, make sure that the case is snapped completely back into its little recess in the shuttle race. It should click audibly into place.
For a really good, all-purpose reference to sewing, go to your local public library and look for “The Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.” The book itself is fairly old, but it contains a lot of really good explanations, with very clear illustrations, that will show you how the sewing machine works and how to adjust it.