why is the thread getting sucked to the bobbin?

[Thursday Girl]

so i am sewing one of the wavy type borders all along the edges of my baby wrap. the thing is every so often the fabric gets stuck inone place because all the thread gets sucked into the bobbin hole. i have to stop pull the thread and fabric out (the fabric isn't going in but it gets pretty tight to the throat plate) cut and start sewing some more. what could i be doing wrong?

courtney

[rubelin]

regular machines are really not meant to sew along hte edges of fabric, especially of knit fabrics. You can try using an overedge foot, which has a thin wire that helps hold the edge steady so it doesn't get driven down by the needle, or use a water soluble backing that can be washed away after, or even tissue paper (not facial tissue, which is too soft and doesn't tear off easily)

[Thursday Girl]

well it's not on the edge edge of the fabric there is actually fabric on both sides of the foot. could i just be sewing to fast? and why would the thread near the spool be wrapping around underneath thespool on the little sprocket the spool goes on?

courtney

ps if you can;t tell i am a total beginner.

[DeepGreen29]

Check and double check the threading....every time I get a tangled mess, never fails, the machine has come unthreaded or misthreaded.

Your manual should have a diagram, I'd check that at least once to be sure.

Other than that, I don't have any idea

I hope you get going smoothly again soon

[fek&fuzz]

My standard checks when my machine does this:

Take out all thread and bobbin thread.
Take out bobbin housing and check for stray threads or dustballs.
Put different thread in and try stitching on different cloth (to see if it's the thread or cloth).
Rethread both.
Check thread tension.
Try again.

[Hera]

Originally Posted by DeepGreen29

Check and double check the threading....every time I get a tangled mess, never fails, the machine has come unthreaded or misthreaded.

I was actually convinced that my machine was broken, and took it back to the store. It was just threaded wrong. Mortifying.

[boingo82]

Things that could cause that:

Bobbin case is not popped in all the way. This causes the top thread to get wrapped and knotted on it in a big giant mess.

Using a "sharp" needle - for knits you must use ball-point.

Using an old or dulled needle.

Top tension too loose.

[Thursday Girl]

oh it's probably the needle. i only have one and it is probably pretty old. my machine is a 1970's singer i bought at a garage sale, beautiful piece in a nice table. I will have to look into buying some more needles.

courtney

[leafylady]

When I teach sewing to my 7th & 8th graders, the most common cause of that problem is when a student does not maintain a consistent speed with the sewing. They start and stop or go slow and then go fast.
When you mention a wavy type border, I think that it would be easy to be slowing down and speeding up as you follow the curves. That could be causing your problem.

[boingo82]

Originally Posted by jewelysmommy

oh it's probably the needle. i only have one and it is probably pretty old. my machine is a 1970's singer i bought at a garage sale, beautiful piece in a nice table. I will have to look into buying some more needles.

courtney

Yes, that happens to me all the time. What happens if you use a "sharp" needle on knits, is it tries to poke through the threads and instead pushes them down because they're stretchy. You need a ball point needle, which instead of pushing through a thread, will slip off it and go through a hole that's already in the fabric.

Since wovens are not stretchy, you do want a needle that will pierce them, so in that case you want "sharps".

Luckily needles are not very much money, you can get a pack of 5 for around $2.

Sounds like you got a bargain on your machine. My machine is also a yard-sale machine but from the 60s or so. Older metal machines are pretty awesome.

[Thursday Girl]

my sewing machine is actually kind of painful for me. i did get it for $75 and it had all sorts of attachments with it and lots of thread, but i used to have an old metal singer sewing machine from the 30's. it was my great grandmother's/ due to me being stupid and leaving it at a house that i had lived at until i could get it and then they moved and someone stole the machine. I should have FOUND a way to get it.