Okay, so I'm trying to sew along, minding my own business, and all that, but sometimes the feed dogs just stop moving the fabric. They go up and down and forward and back, but the fabric doesn't move. This usually happens when working over a seam allowance, but sometimes it also happens at the beginning of a block with only two layers of fabric! It makes an ugly knot and pulls at the fabric, and sometimes it even pulls the fabric down into the needle plate so bad I have to cut it out!

Does anyone know anything I can do to make it work? I figure a walking foot would probably help, but I just can't afford it right now .

Thanks in advance,
Sloan

At beginning of a block......fold a small piece of fabric (2" square??) and start your sewing in the middle of that, then chain stitch into your block.

Have you cleaned out the bobbin area and the feed dog area lately??? I'm not sure, but the feed dogs stopping working in the middle of your seam........hmmmmmm seems like that's something for the repairman if you've cleaned out the lint, etc.....never heard of it happening. Maybe someone else knows.

I have that same beginning of the block problem - Amandasgramma - your advice is brilliant! I will try that!

Try re-treading your machine!

Are you holding your threads at the beginning of a seam. That might help. I don't really know any of the reasons it would do it during the seam. If you are doing a lot of piecing, you might want to use leaders or enders to keep the thread from going down into the feed dogs. You might check for lint under the feed dogs and around the bobbin.

I have a cheap little Brother machine and it will occaisionally do that going over a heavy seam. I just assumed it was because the thickness was too much for the machine. I just give a gentle tug to help it along and then it gets happy again.

I would think that when you go over a seam it changes the angle that the foot has on the fabric changes, and in your case there isn't enough pressure down to the feed dogs to keep things moving. I agree that a little tug from your end to help it move and the next time you get it cleaned, see if they can adjust the feed dogs up just a little, maybe they are wearing a bit and don't get quite the bite they used to.

Also check to see if your machine has a manual adjustment for the foot pressure. If so, make sure it is set for the proper setting. When you clean your machine, as suggested, be sure to clean the feed dogs using a small brush to clean between the teeth - gee I sound like a dentist!

Thank you all for your advice! I know that there is no manual adjustment for the foot pressure, and I check for lint every time I change the bobbin, so that's out. I'll have to see if the Singer store nearby can adjust the height on the dogs, I suppose.

Thank you all very much.
Sloan

Some machines do "balk" at the seam lines... slow down there and help the fabric along :wink: :D:D:D