What sized needle are you using. If the needle is too fine for the thread it will skip stitches.For cottons you should use a size 14 or 11 needle and polyester thread. Unless your cotton is very fine (gauze like) use a 14

A bent needle will cause those problems and not placing the needle in the clamp the right way will too. Maybe you bent the needle when you were trying to sew with the coarser thread. Try turning the wheel by hand and look at what is going on at the bobbin. I'll bet your trouble is with the needle

I put a new needle (80/11) in for the lighter weight fabric, so it's not bent, but I Googled the problem, found out last night I put it in backwards. Turned it around and now the bobbin thread is catching, only thing is that when I sew in reverse I get loops of the bobbin thread coming up like the tension is too tight but I have the tension set at a 1. I'll see about going up a size on the needle too, esp. since I sewed the 3 sides of the apron last night but today I need to sew on bias tape (up the sides for decoration, up one arm "scoop", leave the middle unattached for the neck, then down the other arm, leaving ends loose for ties).

I'll have to find white polyester thread (forgot to bring my porch cushion fabric in to match the white). The Boilfast Mercerized stuff I was using was great, but the Coats All-Purpose cotton/poly blend keeps breaking, even with smaller needle and thinner fabric, low tension. How do you tell what thread is suitable, other than looking for 100% poly and avoiding the "machine embroidery" and "outdoor" (looked yesterday for cushions but decided it was too heavy), "hand quilting" or "button/carpet" thread (that I have)?

I have a 90/14 needle - would that be better for the garments? Or do I need to buy a different size? I'm practicing on an apron for DD right now with a remnant my aunt gave me, I have 5 porch cushions to do with upholstery-weight (though not really heavy, kind of a twill but like thin denim, not heavy work jeans). I was planning on using a 100/16 (purple needle for that. But I also have some lightweight flannel for PJs, seersucker for sundresses, and lightweight fleece and jersey for pants for DD. My aunt gave me almost her whole stash of fabric.

I need to start sewing DD's PJs and pants (thought some sundresses would be cute too since I have all this seersucker) since she complains about elastic in sleeves of PJs (though not waists of pants) and won't wear anything but sweatpants, it's getting too hot for those now and I can't find loose (not leggings) elastic-waist pants in lightweight fabrics. I thought I'd found some at JCP but she says the seat is too tight, and she's short so I have to hem everything. I need to make like a size 6 waist (22") and hip (25") and size 4-5 length.

I know the tension is messed up on my cheap machine - I did soem sewing before we moved 3 years ago and back then I always had the tension set b/t 3 and 4. Even a few weeks ago when I made a prototype box cushion out of an osnaburg type fabric (same as I used this w/e for the welted cushion) I had it set to 3 - just had to turn it down low when I started going through a 3rd layer of the fabric for the piping. Now it doesn't seem to want to work at a 3 anymore, could I have made it worse by sewing through thick material? Before we moved I was hemming jeans and corduroys with this machine and it was fine at a 3.

Thanks

Oh, I also made DD some sundresses out of very lightweight cotton, the kind Walmart sells that is smocked on top so all you have to do is hem it and sew a back seam, maybe some straps in. That was at a 3 I believe (I hadn't changed the tension this year when I pulled the machine out of the attic), with the mercerized cotton thread and I think a size 14 needle. So the machine wasn't damaged in the move (in original box).

Actually, almost all fabric should be OK with a 3, or middle, tension. I always use an 11 needle for fine,sheer, light weight fabrics, 14-medium weights, 16 or 18 for heavy fabrics (denim, duck, etc). There is one thing I've discovered with these new machines where the thread is on the horizontal instead of the vertical (thread shaft lies sideways, not standing up), and that is IF I have a spool of thread with the nick in the top to hold the thread before you use it, if that nick is on the left, the thread will catch in it when I'm sewing, and the thread will get too tight, break, fray at the needle. I turn that nick to the right. Most thread now doesn't come that way, but I find it's still better to turn the "top" of the spool to the right, or up, depending on how your spool spindle is situated.

Also, I've ruined one new machine by catching thread under the sole plate, and thinking I could tug on it as hard as I could on my Mother's old Singer featherweight, which I've now inherited. These new machines will tolerate no tugging whatsoever, which is extremely annoying.

Arranging the thread on the spindle so it doesn't catch....takes some manuvering. One of my 2 machines has several spindles, upright.....sideways....multipe...:0)

Machines generally are NOT at fault, keep fiddling with it and checking your manual....if you think yours is acting up, then take it in for repair. Around here, it's $80 a pop for someone to "work" on it.

Marg and nicole.
Get yourself a spool cap(see link below) it fits on top of the spool after you put the spool and keeps the thread from catching on the spool. When you catch thread in the plate work the hand knob back and forth until it releases.

ajsmoma:

You are doing too much fooling with the tension. You don't adjust the tension when you sew with heavy fabrics--you use a larger needle and thread. The only time you should adjust the tension is if the machine is not sewing right. Get a scrap of fabric and adjust the thread so it meets in the middle of the fabric. Too loose and it will loop underneath. Too tight and the thread will break.

All of the fabrics you mentioned you were using for dressmaking can be sewn with the size 14 needle and an 11 for the fine smocked cotton.

Almost all your sewing will be done with regular polyester thread. It's the one that the stores have most of in their displays. All the rest are specialty threads used for specific purposes as you discovered with the heavy fabric you used.

Never try to use that thread with a finer needle--it won't work. I use sharp needles for wovens and ball point for fine fabrics and knits.

You may have started having trouble because your machine may not be designed to sew heavy fabrics

Here is a link that might be useful: spool cap

A few years ago I made denim stockings out of old jeans and a flannel nightgown for the 2 kids and DH (to match the one my mom made me when I was a kid). It wasn't really heavy denim, but the machine was fine. I've also hemmed Ds's jeans and DH's cords with this machine. It was working fine until this weekend - using the same fabric I used for a prototype cushion a couple weeks ago, that one didn't have piping though so was only 2 layers not 3. Hemmed a pair of Ds's old poly running pants for DD last week, fine.

I took the apron and the scraps I had been testing the settings on last night to my aunt this AM, she said the tension was too loose, I've got some loose threads and it's tangling underneath. She tried the all-purpose thread and had problems with it gathering at first, then it seemed to work OK on her old Singer. We noticed that she had the same thread (63% poly 37% cotton) in a T4 spool and mine was T5, wondered if that was it esp. since the new spool (and some of the old foam ones) were a tight fit on my vertical machine (her thread goes horizontally). Maybe (even with the nick at the top) it binds a little and pulls, breaks? So we traded spools, she gave me the T4 and a T2. I'll try to find time this week to play with it and get the tension and stitch length set correctly again.

The kids are on vacation this week - it's only the 1st day, and DD was at grandma's, Ds was coming back from camping, but I've been running all afternoon (my mom wasn't feeling well and is going on a business trip tomorrow so I did her/Dad's grocery shopping after getting a suitcase for her from my aunt, made dinner for all of us, then brought DD to Girl Scouts and picked DS up, then went back for her, then when we got home had to pull her tooth).

For $80 I can buy a new Singer to replace this EuroPro. Ok, Maybe $89.99 at Walmart (the Brother was $79.99 when I stopped to get bias tape and needles today).

Oilpainter--I have two spool caps, came with my machine, but it's still tricky sometimes. I know NOT to tug, but on the featherweight, and my old Athena 2000, which lasted a long time, there was some "tug" room. LOL Old dogs have a difficult time learning new tricks.

ajsmama--lots of people don't recommend the cheap Singer, but I've not used one, so can't say. I've heard they're not too reliable.

Anything's better than the EuroPro! But really, if it turns out to be better/cheaper to buy another rather than fix this one, I'll do some shopping around, read reviews. This was kind of an impulse buy (on sale, DS was little and I figured I'd be doing more sewing that I wouldn't/couldn't do by hand. I definitely will be doing more sewing now for DD, she's so picky and girls' clothes are more $$, don't fit well, are too revealing, etc. I better get a decent machine b/c I could be sewing her clothes for the next 20 years LOL).

Foam spools--That's the cheap thread I think. That could be part of your problem. I used to sew with that at one time years ago, and it does cause a lot of trouble. Once I switched to the good thread I cursed the years I used the cheap stuff.

You are not going to find a good new machine for the price you quoted. Look for a good used machine--one of the heavy duty old ones. There are many on this forum who swear by them. Start a new thread and ask for the names.

The new All-Purpose thread (that my aunt swears by) is on a plastic spool, just I bought a size larger (longer) than she uses. The foam spools I inherited along with my mom's sewing boxing, so they could be cheap and are definitely old. Some of them could be 50 yrs old for all I know! Best to throw them all out? I did find 1 color that was a good match for my porch cushion striped fabric, but esp. with it going outside I guess I better buy new. I think a lot of it might have been from my sister's projects in the 80's but I don't know. At $2/spool it looks like it's better to buy new for a big project, save the old stuff (if any is on plastic spools - I think I might have just used all of it, 2 partial spools of white) to do quick little projects that don't need to last long, made from remnants I got at GW or from my aunt (just b/c it's not worth the gas to run to the store for thread to match $2 worth of fabric when DD is going to wear it just for a few months anyway - like a sundress that will be too small next summer).

The old mercerized cotton I had no problem with was on a small plastic spool. I tried my aunt's slightly smaller plastic spool and while the thread isn't breaking, it still is pulling the bobbin thread up through the fabric even with tension set low. I put felt under (finally found out what that was for!) and didn't help. It's still very hard to get the spool off so I think it's too large. Tried smaller spool my aunt gave me and it's still pulling bobbin thread up, though not looping. Should I be able to see tiny dots of the bobbin thread color on top? I'm getting very frustrated - want to sew the bias tape onto the apron for DD but want to make sure everything's adjusted correctly first. Should I try adjusting the bobbin tension? I've never touched it and I'm a little afraid to but changing upper thread tension isn't doing anything.

The all-purpose thread puckered on me too until I adjusted the stitch length shorter.

No, you shouldn't see tiny dots of the bobbin thread color on top. The middle of each stitch should be in the middle of the fabric. You can TRY adjusting the bobbin tension, but that's iffy, usually better not messed with.

What's your top tension set on?

I've got it set to 1 and I still see dots. I have different thread in the bobbin but it does this with every top thread I try.

I'm not a huge sewer, but I have found that if I match my thread to my fabric (e.g., cotton for cotton, poly for poly) that it works much better, especially lightweight cotton. Just a thought.

If your bobbin thread is showing through on top, then your top tension is tighter than your bottom tension. You can adjust the top a little looser or tighten the bottom. Check the manual and see what the recommended tension is and start from there. If, on your machine, 1 is tighter, than loosen it. My machine is ancient old so the bobbin tension is a small set screw on the bobbin case. I don't have a dial for the bobbin. My manual recommends a 1/4 turn at a time to adjust. The top tension does have a dial so I set it on the suggested setting and then adjust the bobbin from there. If your bottom thread is just showing dots on top, then you're almost there. You just have to do a minor adjustment to get it to "lock in the middle". If it needed more adjustment, there would be thread balling up on the bottom.

0 is the lowest tension on my machine so 1 is pretty low. I used to sew with it around 3. Could I have knocked the bobbin tension tighter (?!) when replacing the bobbin after winding new thread? I hate to mess with the bobbin tension but at this point I don't think I can adjust the top tension any lower.

If you want to sew with your Great Grandma's sewing machine you can probably find a manual online to download. I have a treadle sewing machine that is about 105 yrs old and I was able to find the manual for it online

I was joking - if I can't sew with a modern (though basic) machine can I really work with a 100-yr old one? We'd have to move it in from the garage (been sitting there about a year since my dad brought it over when they started renovating the farmhouse), clean it up, and figure it out. I don't even know if there are any needles with it (though my great-great-grandpa's Victrola had needles with it - that's in my FR). The cabinet is in rough shape but the machine looked nice when we opened it.

I don't remember what pin I put the spool on last summer when I sewed DD's dresses, this year I sewed everything with the spool on the pin that you put the bobbin on when winding it, except in the "sewing" position. Should the spool stay on the back pin where it is when winding a bobbin? This may be why the larger spools are a tight fit (even in the "sewing" position) and there is too much tension even in the (almost) lowest setting.

I told you I am a novice and the manual stinks - doesn't even show spool position when sewing, and the threading diagram isn't the greatest so I am not sure I'm getting the thread in the right place next to the tension dial. It just hit me that maybe I'm putting the spool in the wrong place when I started thinking about twin needle sewing (Walmart didn't have any twin needles) and the fact that there are 2 pins toward the back of the machine.

I left the spool on the back pin after winding the bobbin, adjusted the tension and that did the trick! Tension is at a 5 (!) now. I ran out of thread on the bobbin 2x and the spool 2x though (cut some off from the bobbin and wound it on the spool the 1st time, last time just took the tail and held it in the needle until finally couldn't even do that, then handsewed the final 4"). This apron has been a PITA and now DD doesn't even want to tie it in the back "b/c it bunches"! I don't know if I even want to make her any *clothes* but she's been complaining so much about her pants being tight that I figured I have to make her some knit pants, and last night it took literally 20 minutes to get her shoes on b/c she didn't like the feel of her socks, went through her drawer trying on socks until I finally pulled some out of the hamper and put them on her. If I could knit socks w/o any seams at the toes I would!

Any other things I should know? Should the thread come off the front or the back of the spool for a vertical pin?

Glad you figured it out. I don't think it matters which way the thread comes off, just make sure the "top" of the spool, ie where the thread is fastened when you buy it, is at the top of the spindle.

Sounds like your DD has the Princess and the Pea syndrome, and is very picky about things. I cut every tag out of "boughten" clothes because they scratch me.