Mistakes & fixes

A needle that clicks against the plate or skips stitches is often bent from nicking a pin or age. Replace it immediately, since a bent needle can also throw off hook timing.

Fabric that stalls under the presser foot is typically caused by dropped feed dogs, too-light foot pressure, or lint packed under the plate. Check the feed dog setting, raise foot pressure, and clean out lint.

Fabric pulled down into the needle plate at the start of a seam happens when feed dogs grab thin fabric before the stitch locks. Start on a scrap leader and hold both threads taut behind the foot.

A machine that locks up, often with a knot of thread underneath, usually means the bobbin is threaded backward or wound around the case. Clear the jam by hand, rewind the bobbin, and rethread from scratch.

A snapped needle usually means fabric was pulled while sewing, a pin was hit, or the needle was too fine for the fabric. Slow down, clear pins from the stitch path, and size up the needle.

Top thread pulling free from the needle on the first few stitches is usually too short a tail left when starting, or threading with the presser foot down. Leave longer tails and thread with the foot raised.

Stitches that fail to form, leaving gaps, usually come from a bent, dull, or wrong-type needle, or bad threading. Replace the needle, match it to the fabric, and rethread top and bobbin.

Snagged knits, popped threads on wovens, or skipped stitches on stretch fabric often trace to a sharp needle on knits or a ballpoint on wovens. Match needle type to fabric: ballpoint for knits, sharp for wovens.