Hopefully someone can tell what is wrong. I don't know the correct term, but all of a sudden my machine is dog tracking (doesn't sew straight). The material keeps going off to the left side. Any ideas?

that happens to me if I start at the very edge - so have to start in from the edge a bit and make sure the fabric is on each feed dog on each side of the needle - then it works;not sure why it started doing this, but it is aggrivating at the least.

I was hoping it would be this simple, but it didn't work. I've also noticed the bobbin thread is making a birds nest on the bottom of the fabric.

Any other ideas? Please help, I don't want to clean house today, I'd rather work on my quilt.

Sounds like the bobbin area might need cleaning...check to make sure there's not a stray thread or chunk of lint hiding in there...then oil it....

You can't clean house, you have to fix your machine!!!!!!

Did you try a different foot? Maybe this one just isn't tight anymore or something.

Check the tension on your presser foot.

Is there any lint build up on the feed dogs? Sometimes that will make the fabric go where ever it wants.

Remove bobbin and top thread and re-thread the machine after you check for lint and oil if needed. If the thread doesen't pick up into the tension disks properly you can get this effect with the birdsnests and crooked or wandering stitching. Good luck.
peace

Yep....take the needle plate off the clean out all the lint & debris. I found TONS in my machine and suddenly the light bulb went on...that's why it's been so balky!! LOL

hmmm, are your feed dogs clean. sometimes they can get packed with fuzz and that tends to make them go off center.