I own various vintage sewing machines, mostly Singer's, but each machine is different. Since this problem seems to be rampant only in Michigan I don't know if a Wisconsinite with Singer experience can help (
) but here goes.
(These are some tips I wrote our for our married son when I gave him a sewing machine recently.)
1. Thread path: Make sure your tension disk's are clear. Use a length of unwaxed dental floss and 'floss' out between the disks when the presser foot is in the 'up' position.
2. When threading your machine, make sure the presser foot is in the "up" position. While in the 'up' position your tension disks are released and you can get the thread in the disks properly.
3. Consult your manual, make sure you are threading correctly and that your thread is staying in ALL guides.
4. Needle: Make sure the flat side of your needle is inserted in the proper direction. Consult your manual for proper direction.
5. Needle: Replace your needle. The slightest burr or wear or bluntness on your needle can cause headaches.
6. Look inside your bobbin case with a strong flashlight.
a. Do you see dust bunnies? Clean them out - DO NOT use compressed air to blow out dust bunnies.
b. Do you see pieces of thread stuck in there? Clean them out.
7. Re-wind your bobbin. Do NOT wind a new color thread on top of an old color. More problems are caused by this than you would realize.
8. Put your bobbin back in the bobbin carrier. Did you put the bobbin in the carrier correctly? Should the bobbin thread be unwinding clockwise or counterclock wise? Check your manual to verify which direction is correct.
9. Pull your bobbin thread through the bobbin spring so the thread is exiting the bobbin carrier correctly and put the bobbin in place.
10. Holding the tail of the upper thread, lower your needle enough to bring up the bobbin thread. Slide the bobbin plate closed.
11. Pair up upper and lower threads until you have about a 2" tail of thread.
12. Position your material.
13. Lower the presser foot.
14. Commence sewing BUT hold on to the 2" thread tails until you have a few stitches in your material.