Sewing Machine Doesn't Feed Straight - Any Solutions?
 

I was wondering if I could tap into the knowledge base here to ask, what can I do if my sewing machine doesn't feed straight? It's been a problem as long as I can remember but as I get into more traditional piecing it is starting to affect the accuracy of my quilt blocks. It pulls slightly towards the outside of the machine, or the left.

Is this problem fixable or will I have to replace the machine? It is a ten year old Janome Harmony 8080.

When was it last serviced? It may simply needs a good cleaning around the feed dogs and a service.

agree, is it due to see the DR?

I just took my Janome in and they did adjust the feed dogs. I had been almost two years since her last visit.

My Viking does the same - it could definitely need cleaning. I clean it with every bobbin change. I'm pretty sure that is not enough.

It sounds as if the feed dogs are out of alignment. It's an easy fix -- usually it's just adjusting a screw or two in the bobbin area. If this is a vintage machine, you can probably find out how to do it by joining one of the Yahoo groups for your type of vintage machine. It might be more difficult to do if it's a newer machine, but a technician would certainly know how. Definitely a fixable thing, especially with a Janome.

At the quilting retreat, a gal taped a note pad at the correct angle with blue tape to help feed her strips straight. Some other people use mole strips.

It can also be your feed dogs have lint build up , or are not raised all the way . Also check the pressure on your foot, it may be too little and any weight of the project will cause it to pull to the outside.

Thank you everyone for the advice and tips. I took it apart to clean again (even though I did that a week or so ago) and found out that feed dogs, when dropped, can no longer be raised via the switch. It will be making a trip to the Sewing Machine Fixer tomorrow and hopefully they will be able to solve both problems.

My Babylock Espire has never feed in/out straight, even after annual cleanings. I have always wondered it I got a bit of a "lemon" as it's straight stitch looks like my machine is an alcholic on a bender with every stitch at a slightly different angle to one side or the other from stitch to stitch.