Mistakes & fixes

Too much foot pressure flattens pile and stretches knits; too little lets fabric wander or fail to feed. Adjust the pressure dial to suit the fabric weight, lowering it for delicate or bulky fabrics.

Topstitching that gathers fabric into small folds instead of lying flat comes from tension too tight, a stitch too dense, or sewing bulky layers without a walking foot. Loosen tension and use a walking foot.