Skipping zig zag stitches, sewing a Bailey Island Hobo Bag
 

Am making a Bailey Island Hobo bag, I have changed to a 90/14 needle and done everything, but am finding the zig zag skips on the left side here and there. Enough that I have to sew over it again, to make sure there are no gaps. Any suggestions what I could do. I took machine in to dealer, he adjusted the needle, said the screw was loose.
I do think if I can finish this, it will be the one and only one I sew. All other sewing does not cause me problems like this.

Sorry, hope you gget it figured out, then let us know, I'm curious because its only the zig zag stitch!

judylg, try a jeans needle. That eliminated the skipped stitches for me.

Daffy

definitely a jeans or at least size 16 needle.

is the needle the correct size for the thread you are using? a jeans or topstitch needle may be a better choice for this type of project- and a larger size if you are using 40 wt or heavier thread. I usually choose a size 14 if I am using invisible, silk or 60-100 wt. thread

Thank you for the replies, I have the larger size needle in, I have changed bobbins, thread, will try again. Just not sure what else to do.

I changed the tension some, it is not skipping as much. Altho I still went back and sewed over in parts. The fabric itself will help to make this less obvious. And if anyone does ask will say it is part of the overall design. One thing I did find in sewing the tubes together, the first joinings, where it is seam to seam, do not know how else to explain is where this is happening. The two's are joined to each other to have four together, etc, when I tried this and was sewing rounded side to rounded side the sewing was fine. I just wonder if the fact it is not completely flat, again hard to explain, the machine tends to skip. Maybe I will figure this out yet and be happy with the reason it is doing what it is doing. I changed feet to the one suggested with my machine to zig zag. Even though I have had my machine over 7 years I continue to learn.

You might also try lengthening your stitches.

As suggested in the pattern, I am using a large stitch 5---2.5 I have changed that up, with little difference.

During a project in which I was sewing a faux leather bag, I found I had to go up to a size 16 needle and sew very slowly. Sometimes I even turned the wheel by hand to ensure those stitches were caught.