Sewing machine throwing a fit...chewing up corner of fabric
 

I am sewing half sew triangles and my machine keeps grabbing the top corner and shoving it down into the needle hole:mad:. I have slowed down my sewing, I start with a leader and nothing seems to help with the problem. This is not happening on everyone but when I am trying to chain stitch and i am stopping to pull out the fabric and then get the knot out of the corner of the fabric I start to throw a fit.;)

Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, and I am going to change the needle and see if that helps. I am starting to hear that popping sound when my needle gets dull.



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You found the solution... it's the dull needle causing the problem.

Thanks Christine:thumbup:

I hope that helps. Mine does that every once in awhile and it is very annoying!

The only suggestion I have is to use a single needle face plate. That solved the problem for me.

I would try a new needle.

boy what are the odds! I quit sewing the other day for that same reason....guess I will change the needle

I found switching the plate from zigzag to single hole solved my problem.

The single hole stitch plate will help, but if this is not an option for you, try holding onto the block behind the foot and putting some tension on the block coming into the needle.

single hole throat plate is a good way to keep this from happenining

I sew from the other end on the flying geese. From the middle so that won't happen. If I start on a corner, it always sucks down the edge and I get a clump of thread, so I go from the other end of the flying goose. Try it. It will help.

I sometimes resort to putting a scrap piece of paper under each point before sewing. Works the same as a single hole plate.

Great suggestions. I have this happen occasionally & always wondered what to do. Thanks everyone!

Very simple solution for what you're doing. Sew from the side instead of the point.

On your face plate, do you have a single hole or the zigzag face plate? If zigzag, change to single hole plate.

I have seen some of the sewers on t.v. mention having a scrap piece of material to start sewing on, then go onto your piece you are working on, like chain stitich from the scrap to the work. Sewing with Nancy does it a lot on her show but not going to say they were doing a flying geese block, but it did keep the corner from being sucked down in machines. New needle helps too. change mine when it starts making popping sound. Hope this helps. I am working on a flying geese border now, learned a simple way to do it. Here is the tute where I learned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKfM3...eature=related

I can actually do this. Is by Missouri Quilt Company but think it is a Eleanor Burns design.

Thanks everyone for your help. I changed the needle and I only had one corner get sucked into the hole so far. As far as the faceplate, I think I only have the one thats on there don't remember it coming with another.

I had the same problem and to solve it I cleaned out the feed dogs they were not grabbing the fabric after I did that it was fine. but thanks for the suggestion to change the needle.

I love my Bernina but the larger hole face plate and the wider feed dogs necessary to allow the decorative stitches I like to use does cause a sucking problem. I do a lot of "princess pillowcase dresses" for a local chairity project that require making straps from bias binding etc. My machine is notorious for sucking it down into the "lower reaches' of my machine. The binding is often to narrow to be caught by the feed dogs which is also frustrating. My current machine also has the option for the embroidery module, which I did not purchase. That makes the throat plate and feed dogs even wider.

if you are sewing square to a rectangle, as pictured, put the end with the rectangle into the machine first, not the tip of the square, i was given this info at a class recently and it does help, the feed dogs get to hold the underlying fabric...i hope this helps and makes sense

I have a Pfaff Expressions 4 and the same thing happens to me all the time. I've tried a new needle, changed thread, pulled the last sewn piece to create tension, and also started with a leader. Changing to a single hole is not an option on this machine. There have been times I've literally sewn the leader to the seam to get it started. Points on triangles are the worst.

I am glad I read this thread. I have had this happen lately on my machine. Think I will change my needle. Thanks for all the tips.

I hope that fixed it! We do realize that needles travel several miles at high speeds through a multitude of layers? So, first thing I have learned to check is the needle. Second is to clean out the bobbin area and the feed dogs --amazing how fast the lint can build up and cause troubles. I think that is why the single hole straight stitch needle plate on older machines works better than those that allow for zigzag motion. Not as much exposure to the elements as it were. I was taught by my grandmothers to keep plenty of needles on hand and change at least when I started a new project.

If you don't have a single hole plate you can carefully cut narrow short pieces of masking tape and place on each side of the large needle hole to narrow it. Just don't cover the feed dogs.

I use the "sew off/sew ons" -- a piece of fabric that I feed through first, stopping as soon as I can slip the end of the triangle under the presser foot, then start sewing again. I don't seem to have the problem with the ends getting chewed up any more.

all you need to do is take a piece of scrap fabric and put that directly behind the piece you are sewing before you start so your machine wont drag your fabric down. works likke a charm every time!

Switch machines. Don't you have a 99? Your avatar is a FW. You really need a single hole plate, or even better a straight stitch only machine. You'll be pleased when your 301 is ready to sew.

I do use a leader fabric and changing the needle helped tremendously. Yes I do have a featherweight and other machine I can use but I don't have enough confidence to do an entire quilt on one yet.

You don't have to do the entire quilt on the FW, just the HSTs. When my GD was using my 301, I did my HSTs on my 15 clone. The quilt didn't care and it worked because it's a straight stitch, too. I also like to use a second machine because I have a metal accessory on the 301 to help with the 1/4" seam and by using the 15, I don't have to move and replace it.

I agree, and if you're concerned because someone has told you that once you start a quilt on a machine, you have to finish on that machine - all you have to be nervous about is if your 1/4" seam is the same from one machine to the next. If you can sew an accurate 1/4" seam on both machines, then by all means, use a different machine to sew the HSTs on.

Thank you for asking this question. I started having this issue tonight. Never thought about changing the needle.

Single hole plate and sharp needle will fix that.

This is the way to do it. The rectangle holds the corner of the square.

one trick I use, put tention on the thread by pulling it back when you start to sew...it helps

i really really hate when that happens! sew frustrating!

Also you may want to try a leader piece of fabric.

Amen. Worked like a charm for me.

Try using a scrap piece of fabric before your actual sewing piece and that slides your piece right in.

also could just be the fabric, since it looks like it is an open weave type fabric.

An older lady once told me "always lower needle into fabric THEN lower foot and sew. " This always works for me. Hope this helps although I see you have had plenty of good tips.