I've rethreaded it and rebobbined it and it still will not sew.

The thread and bobbing are binding up and the thread comes out of the needle even when I'm holding both the bobbin tail and the thread tail.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Do you have the needle in right? It threads from the side. I hope that solves your problem.

Thank you. Yes I made sure to put the needle in the right way.

I've checked and rechecked the bobbin. I've reloaded the bobbin and rethreaded the machine for an hour.

Every time I think it's okay, I try to sew and it either binds up or the thread comes out of the needle even though I'm holding the tail of both the bobbin and the thread.

I just got this machine. Could it be that the bobbins that came with it are not the right ones?

This is my 5th sewing machine and I would think that I could figure this out. But I can't.

Are the feed dogs engaged?

How about the tension?

I don't know how to engage the feed dogs. I guess I thought that since it's a 221 and you can't drop the feed dogs that they would be engaged.

Someone else mentioned that maybe it might be the tension. I'll have to try that.

I don't like to mess with the tension unless I have to.

Carol, is your bobbin area clean? Something could be hanging up in back of the bobbin. Does the thread pull smoothly out of the bobbin when it is in place? Is it the proper bobbin for that machine? Hope you can find/fix the problem, can be so frustrating.

Just below your post check the one about threading a featherweight. See if anything there can help you.

After I got mine back from the shop I had trouble with mine and was growling and grumpin at it.....then I figured out it is because I am left handed. The needle eye is sideways on this machine and the thread goes from the right to the left through the needle. Me-I had it going backwards-left to right. Hope you figure yours out too. They really are sweet machines :lol:

are you threading the needle the right way as in towards the bobbin