How to Fix Your Sewing Machine
If you’ve dug up your quarantine sewing machine, now is a terrible time to lug it into the repair shop if something goes wrong. Fortunately, many common sewing machine problems are something you can fix yourself in just a few minutes.
I love this checklist from the She’s a Sewing Machine Mechanic blog; as a veteran artisan, I can attest that I have encountered some of these problems and these suggestions often work. Read this list for more information, but here are the key takeaways:
Adjust the thread and bobbin tension.
If the thread continues to bunch up or the stitching does not look right , it is most likely that something is too tight. A standard sewing machine uses two threads, one that is unwound from a spool on the top of the machine and passes through the needle, and the other from a small spool at the bottom. When the machine is set correctly, the two threads are wound on top of each other to form each stitch.
If one of these threads is tighter than the other, it can damage the resulting stitch. For example, if the bottom of your fabric looks like one tight thread with a bunch of loose loops going around it, either your bobbin thread is too tight or your bobbin thread is too loose.
So check both threads. Have you missed the upper thread in all the places where it should go when you threaded the machine? Did you load the bobbin correctly? If both threads appear normal, check the tension settings of both threads. The upper thread will have a tension adjuster – often a handle on the front of the machine. The bobbin thread tension is usually adjusted with the screw on the bobbin case (straight-taut, left-handed).
Check your needle
The needle needs to be straight, sharp (usually) and correctly positioned if you want it to do its job. Make sure it isn’t bent and replace it if you don’t remember the last time you changed it. One side of the needle is flat where you attach it to the machine; usually this side should be facing back, but this depends on your machine. If in doubt, refer to the manual.
Different fabrics require different needles, so make sure you are using the correct one. Machine needles come in different sizes, some are sharp and some are ballpoint. It’s hard to tell just by looking like you’re not familiar, so check the packaging. If the machine continues to skip stitches, it is likely that you are using the wrong needle. Here’s a guide to choosing the right one .
Make sure the settings allow you to sew
If the machine doesn’t sew at all, you may have forgotten to flip a switch somewhere. First, check the obvious: is it on? Is the pedal connected? Is the presser foot down?
If the machine hums and hums but the needle does not move, you may have bobbin winding turned on. This is a function that allows the machine’s motor to wind the bobbin for you and turns off the entire sewing machine while you are doing this. Look for a switch. On an older machine, turn the wheel that is inside the flywheel on the side of the machine.
If the needle moves but the fabric does not move, check the feed dogs. These are the pointed rods under the needle that move the fabric as you sew. There is a switch that turns them off; you may have accidentally hit it, so just turn it back on.
Really clean up the damn thing
There are a few more things to check in the guide, but we’ve walked through the most important ones. One last thing to think about: if the machine is working more or less normally, but sometimes behaves a little strange, clean it up! Open the bobbin case and any other accessible area, brush off lint and apply a few drops of machine oil as directed in the manual. It is a mineral oil; this is not a WD-40.
If all else fails, you may end up having to call the repair shop or do some really detailed research on YouTube sewing machine repair videos. But in most cases, a malfunctioning machine does its job just fine if you make sure everything is set up correctly.