Question about Vinyl
 

Hoping this is the right spot for this. I have a question, hoping I can get some insight.

I have been working on a quilted organizer that I want to use for my GFG hexagons that uses clear vinyl for the pockets and I came across an issue that kind of scared me enough that I stopped using it and replaced the pockets with fabric. I'm using my Brother machine to put this together.

I got a couple of presser feet to help, a Teflon and then a roller that I admit are not Brother feet. When I started sewing binding on the vinyl with the Teflon (I tried the roller foot first and didn't like that I couldn't see where my needle was), my machine started making this horrible half grinding, half squeaking noise. It was feeding fine (I used the paper trick to keep the vinyl moving) and making the stitches fine, but that noise scared me so bad that I ditched the vinyl and made fabric pockets instead.

My machine hasn't made that noise since, I put on a Brother foot to finish, I still have to put the main zipper together and get it sewn on and I'll be finished, but has anyone ever come across using a foot that wasn't made by your sewing machine's manufacturer and the machine started making weird noises? Or was it that my machine didn't like the vinyl? I'm seriously confused, I've never had this happen before.

I have used off brand feet for my Brother machine and have never had a problem. I made a bag with vinyl pockets, I had no problems. I used tear away embroidery stabilizer instead of paper. I don't know the thickness of the vinyl I used, perhaps your vinyl is to thick. Did you clean the out the area where the bobbin goes. Maybe there was something in there that made the noise.

It was more then likely the foot having a slight difference that caused the trouble.

You might try the mesh fabric to be able to see into the pockets next time. It works great for most objects.
I think you are right, the vinyl was causing a timing problem that made the thumping sound.

I'll look into mesh, thank you for that suggestion. Though I have a ton of vinyl to use up somehow, I hate buying something then not using it, it feels like I'm wasting money.

The plastic I used was 8 gauge - super, super thin, I felt like I could rip it if I applied enough pressure.

I'll try using vinyl one more time and maybe not use the specialty feet - I got to thinking about it earlier but since I'm putting fabric around the edges, I'm working on that instead of the vinyl, so if I'm careful, I could maybe use a regular foot instead. If it makes that noise again, then no more vinyl in my machine. I deep cleaned my machine before I started this project, I always do so unless I maybe got a hunk of lint somewhere it wasn't supposed to be, the machine is clean. I'll clean out around my bobbin again after I'm done with this project, I just finished the binding and the strips needed for the main zipper, I still haven't heard that noise.

I also didn't think about embroidery stabilizer, I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I work with the vinyl again. I heard the paper trick in passing and gave it shot and it worked okay, seemed a little fiddly but it's my first time with a project like this, so everything is fiddly, lol.