Sheesh, what am I doing wrong??

After years of pretending I had a clue about sewing and thinking my sewing machine was broken (which it may be or I might just be worse that I thought) I bought a very cheap mini machine just to sew basic stuff. Anyway i have made one thing and bammo this machine is doing what my old one did. Basically i am sewing thin material using the normal basic stitch. This new machine has no settings it just does the basic stitch. It was all set up when I got it and all I had to do was plug it in.

The problem, the bobbin thread keeps bunching up in the fabric. Top thread fine but I have 'clumps' of the otehr thread in the material.....any ideas?? Cause Im about to turf it in the rubbish too :redface:

TIA

i have clumping issues too,i figure its the universes way of saying, no skye, u cant sew, dont bother ;)

Sorry, I have no idea. Sometimes when I'm sewing something when I first start sewing I get those clumps on the underside from the bobbin thread too but it seems to fix and sew normally after a two seconds or so. ( not sure if yours does or not) I'm not sure why it did or anything either. I just thought it could have been the material I was using at that time since it doesn't happen all the time.


Again I'm sorry I can't help. I'd also love to know.
xox

Could you be putting the bobbin in upside down?

Could the thread on the bobbin be too tight or too loose and not coming off evenly?

I know how frustrating it can be. DO you have a sewing machine shop you can go to and ask them to take a look?

sounds like the bobbin thread may be wound too loose. Or the tension is out. has your old machine had a service recently? maybe a good service on the old machine will make it brand new again! good luck and i hope it sorts itself out soon

Yep, I was going to say tension too. Is the fabric you are sewing very thin? I find mine tends to do this with thinner fabrics. Also try starting your stitiching a little way in, not right on the very edge of the fabric where it can catch.

One more thought, are your bobbins specific to your machine? some machines are more particular about the size of bobbins (i think Singer is one that really like only SInger bobbins)

It came with its own bobbins that were full and already threaded when I opened it. It really is a mini machine, I mean tiny!

The bobbin lays flat not upright like a normal machine, does that change things?

I had the old machine serviced and when I got it home it was doing the same clunking bunching crap on me *sighs*. I think I might just be like Skye, not meant to sew ;)

ETA: I changed the colour of the bobbin and in my very fancy sewing skills opinion, its actually the top thread bunching and it isnt picking up the bobbin thread....does that change things again?

maybe put a new needle in your old machine and see if that makes a difference.

with the bobbin laying flat, depends on what brand of machine you are using. some are top loading and others are front loading. sounds like your old machine could be a front loading one. otherwise maybe go to your local sewing machine centre and see what they suggest.

Agree with checking tension, putting new needle in & make sure the presser foot is down before you start sewing (!) Also check that you are using good thread as not all thread is created equal.

Also drag out the manual and check you are threading the machine properly. If you miss one of the little hooks it will affect the tension. Likewise, check the bobbin too. Start sewing half a centimeter from the edge and lower the needle manually for the first stitch.

If the fabric is very thin you could add a layer of baking paper or tearaway stabilizer to help with sewing.

Ok, so i followed every single bit of advice and its working! :dance: Do I know what fixed it? No, I have no idea but Im leaning toward the tension. Amazing how you know what buttons and knobes are what when you find the manual :lol:

Thanks guys!

Oh i'm so pleased for you...it's all hard won experience here. Now I've graduated onto an even fancier machine that makes fewer mistakes BUT I've paid for it with about a million more buttons to read about in the manual :lol:

Yay! Glad it's working for you :)

yay! glad its working for you now :D