Sewing maching help: Top thread getting stuck
 

Hey everyone, I hope someone can maybe help me out with a problem:

My sewing machine has been working just fine, I'm doing a straight stitch sewing top pieces together for a quilt. Now the top thread is getting stuck while winding around the bobbin mechanism. I'll try to explain better so hopefully this makes sense.

When I took the top plate off to get a good look at what was happening, the top thread after being passed around the bobbin mechanism was getting stuck. The metal piece that moves around would "pick up" the top thread on the appendage (for lack of a better term), passed around, but then when it should be "released" to be drawn back up having looped the bobbin thread it stays stuck around that appendage and wedged against the large black plastic piece that houses the bobbin. I have noticed the bobbin "jumping" a bit at times but intermittently so didn't think much of it, but then when I paid more attention this time I think that the top thread was getting a little stuck but then releasing so it hasn't been a problem yet. Now it isn't working at all. Or rather, it will pass around a few throws of the top thread but then get jammed as there would be 3-4 loops and wouldn't allow the needle to rise.

Everything is threaded correctly. The tension top and bottom are fine. I was happily sewing along and then all of a sudden it was stuck. I cleaned it all out (man a lot of lint collects in there!).

Any help would be appreciated.

take the bobbin cover off and bobbin out--check very carefully for a thread that has gotten stuck somewhere. Clean it again and you didn't say if it's a drop in bobbin or front load (from the side) bobbin. Sometimes when we take apart the bobbin area and case it doesn't get back quite right and allow the bobbin to set in just right so that the take-up arm works correctly. so take out the case again (on drop in the part that the bobbin drops into) and re-clean and then fit back in. Hopefully this will take care of it.

My needle slipped just a smidge from the needle bar and caused it to loop the thread. Try reinserting the needle.

I agree with the above. Take bobbin out, clean area thoroughly (preferably with an LED flashlight), reassemble, add a drop of sewing machine oil, put a new needle in, rethread and try again. I hope you get it worked out.

I hope you have remedied your issue. If not look where that little hook is. I had a tiny piece of thread under the return area when I had this issue. Had to use a tweezers to get it out.

One more suggestion---" the large black plastic piece that houses the bobbin"...check to see if there is a burr in the plastic that the thread might be hanging on--run your finger around it or use a piece of silk or satin to see if it snags. last resort--could it be the timing?

One of my machines is super picky about how much I tighten the screws on the needle plate. Too tight, and the bobbin thread sticks/catches underneath, but for some stupid reason, if I loosen the screws just one turn, it's fine...….

2 things immediately pop to mind - both of which have happened to me! Once, I had a TINY, TINY bit of thread lodged down in the bobbin area. I thought I had cleaned everything, but, when I took it apart the second time and used a flashlight and a little mirror, I found this little piece caught. Amazing how much frustration a tiny bit of thread can cause. On another machine, I found a tiny burr on the top of the bobbin holding case. A minute with an emery board and problem was solved. I found it be lightly passing a bit of cloth over what should have been a smooth area and it snagged. Hopefully your problems will have one of these kinds of simple (although insanely frustrating) things.

You did say if you were sewing versus FMQ. If FMQ, your pressure bar has to be lowered. A lot of folks miss this. (ask me how I know) Also your thread on the top of the machine has to be in the take up lever. If your thread is slipping out of the take up lever, it will cause this problem. These two things normally cause what you are experiencing, unless there is a burr in the bobbin area keeping your thread from slipping off of the "appendage arm". Hope this is fixed for you soon.

This happened to me last Spring, the bobbin had a couple of burrs on it, the repair folks discovered there were two, they fixed it, and when I picked it up, the reverse button didn't work, however it was working when I took it in, they
found the motherboard needed to be replaced, and the reverse button had its own board....was in the shop for 6 months, and thank goodness they gave me a loaner to use. My machine is a Bernina 720 and not that old and was interesting to find out those things went wrong so soon.