I am working on casserole cozies for Christmas. I am using insul-brite between the layers of fabric. After sewing for a while my machine starts to jam. I have to stop and and rotate the wheel to get the thread out of the bobbin area. I have cleaned, lubricated and changed the needle. Any ideas on how to stop this from happening?


edited to remove personal email addy by Boo 9/24

I would also clean the bobbin area regularly and often. Rethread the machine and then experiment with the thread if that doesn't work.

Tension settings and needles will have a bearing on how your machine perorms. You may want to experiment with those on scraps and see if the adjustments you make help at all.

That stuff is wonderful but it clogs up the machine, too. You'll likely have to clean and adjust between each time....make sure the needle is sharp, too. But check those tensions, too, Norah is way right it's going to make a difference, big time.

I have done all of these steps. It works for a little while. Then it will start jamming again. I am thinking that maybe I need to take machine in to be serviced.

Call the repairman and ask him if that could be the problem. I know mine used to tell me, he was an honest man that would help me with different things, even to showing me the best way to use the old cams in the first singer I had.

I hate we couldn't help you figure it out.

Sharon

I did all those things, too, and it kept doing it....

Pack it up and carry it around in your car for a week. THen, give it to your friends to carry around in their car. Take it inside WM twice. Then, bring it back in, sprinkle a little fairy dust around it and make sure to cuss it about 100 times throughout the week.

Seriously, I did this. Mine works OK now, for some stupid reason. See my post about fed up with feed dogs.....(to get the whole story).

HAHA! Miranda, you crack me up!

Thanks Buttercream for the response. I know how you felt. I told my family the other night that I was going to walk away from the sewing machine for the night. I told them that if I didn't I was going to toss it in the floor, stomp it and then cuss it.

I sewed last night. It only jammed twice and not bad. I have had these needles for years. They are in the pack. But I do not know if they have ever been used. I will go this weekend and buy new ones. If it continues to jam I will just take it in to be serviced.

LOL so that's how it works.

I've had the same problem. It turned out I had thrown my timing out by stitching through some thick, plastic coated fabric. It was a quick-fix at the shop and didn't cost too much.
BTW - I jumped up and down on the fabric that caused the problem and then tossed it all in the trash! It made me feel a whole lot better. :lol:
Shelly

Hopefully it is only the needle causing the problem. THat would be easier and cheaper than having is serviced. I have never used the stuff you are using for the casserole cozies, but maybe it is just the insul-brite gumming up the works?? I'm not familiar with the stuff at all, but could that be it?

Also, did you take the hose attachment of your vaccuum cleaner and (remove your bottom bobbin and shuttle) suck it out real good in there?
That might help more than just brushing out that area.

wait...I didn't mean actually "gumming" up, but "jamming"...you know, doing that thing it's doing.

Jamming. I interpret this as meaning the fabrics pull down into the needlehole. Right?

When I have my jamming problem, it is because I have my zigzag needle plate installed. If I change to the single needle hole plate, the problem is solved. And like others have suggested, use a sharp needle.

WARNING!!! be sure to return to the zigzag needle plate if you are going to use a decorative stitch OR you will break a needle and bugger up your plate.

Suzanne

No the jamming is when the thread gets jammed or caught in the bobbin area. I think I have solved the problem though. I went the weekend and purchased a new bobbin case. Which cost me $10. I WILL NEVER TOUCH THE SCREW ON MY BOBBIN CASE AGAIN!!! The guy at the sewing maching shop also told me that with the insul-brite I need to make sure to keep the machine cleaned often and all of the other advice above that was given to me. I also ask him about the timing. He told that if my stitches aren't skipping then it is not the timing. This was great news. So far so good. Thanks for all of your help. I have learned alot through all of this.