virtualbernie

Check to make sure your bobbin is threaded correctly (better still change to another bobbin and see if that helps). Sometimes the thread can jump out--don't know why, but it does.

Jeanette Frantz

A quick fix for lint in the tension apparatus -- sew a chain on your serger and use the chain to run around the tension apparatus -- that will clean out almost anything and won't harm your sewing machine!

My son who worked on commercial and regular sewing machines is going to look at this in a minute and tell you what he thinks! My son says that it's one of a couple of things -- lint between the disks in the tension apparatus which can be cleaned by using a chain sewn on a serger and running it through the apparatus all the way around. The other thing, get your instruction book and very carefully make certain that the machine is threaded correctly -- also make certain you haven't bypassed the tension spring or that the spring hasn't become dislodged -- Check your book. Also, check the bobbin and make sure the bobbin is correctly threaded as well. If this doesn't help, send me a message along with a picture of your machine so he can check that out. He has frequently helped my cousin over the phone with her quilting machine.

Hope it works! Please let us know!

Jeanette Frantz

QM

Another possibility is that you have a bit of lint caught in the tensioner. Loosen it, clean it out then tighten it again.

Yarn or Fabric

I was having a big problem with my tension and couldn't figure out why - I feel really silly now but somewhere along the line I started inserting my bobbin facing the wrong way! Go figure. It sews beautifully now - and I still feel like a dunce but it is what it is. I'm only fessing up because my stitches remind me of the way yours are looking - and I am sure I am not the only one who has done that. My brain just twitched and I started loading it wrong.

ArtsyOne

Jeannette has the right suggestion. When my Kenmore suddenly started to do this out of the blue, I cleaned the tension disks, rethreaded and tried all sorts of stuff to no avail. Took it to my sewing machine guy and he managed to find a piece of fluff stuck between the disks that I thought I'd cleaned thoroughly. Had I known about the chain-stitched thread I probably would have found it myself.

Toni C

[QUOTE=Jeanette Frantz;5275714]A quick fix for lint in the tension apparatus -- sew a chain on your serger and use the chain to run around the tension apparatus -- that will clean out almost anything and won't harm your sewing machine!

My son who worked on commercial and regular sewing machines is going to look at this in a minute and tell you what he thinks! My son says that it's one of a couple of things -- lint between the disks in the tension apparatus which can be cleaned by using a chain sewn on a serger and running it through the apparatus all the way around.
You can also use a dollar bill if you don't have a serger.

bigsis63

when threading machine make sure the presser foot is up. Threading with the foot down closes the tension disks so the thread does not seat in them correctly.

yngldy

Also, try another bobbin. If not wound evenly they can act up. Hope it is something simple.

craftinggrandma

I don't have a serger so I can't do what some of u suggested ..I did take the case off where the light bulb is and didn't see any fuzz. Adding a picture of my machine. I did clean the bobbin out before I had run it before it went crazy. I even took out the bobbin case. Sure hope I didn't mess up something in there.

Helen S

I've had similar issues before. Your first photo indicates that the top tension is too tight, yet the second photo indicates that the top tension may be too loose. I'm with the others who have posted on this in that it is a threading and/or tension issue. If your presser foot isn't in the up position while threading you will not get the thread to go into the upper tension bracket.

If you were putting the bobbin in "backwards", as well as not getting the thread through the upper tension properly it would cause issues similar to what your photos show. You may also not have the needle inserted all the way, or even a too large or too small needle for the fabric you're using.

You might pull out your manual and follow the steps for threading, inserting the bobbin and inserting the needle and see if that helps, assuming you haven't already done so.