First thing I learned....don't touch the tension until you've tried everything else. I first check to see if I need my machine cleaned. At one time I thought that little felt pad on the feed dogs was supposed to be there. Much to my surprise, it was years of built up fluff. What a change that made. Rethread the machine, top and bobbin. New needle. Those seem to be what "fixes" my machine.

This just happened to me 2 weeks ago. I always keep the machine clean so I knew that wasn't it. I pulled all the thread out rethreaded top and put in a new bobbin, machine ran like new and saved me about a hundred dollar repair bill, just doing those few steps.............

Not sure if it is the same problem, but my Singer 9960 ..I iwll be FMQ'ing and it look perfect on top, no noise, just sounding totaly normal and then when I check the back just to check for quality stitching...I see the pattern I stitched is TOTALLY "bird nesting" the entire length I sewed! I can't understand how the top is perfect stitching, but all that thread on the bottom..where'd it come from and why so much ont he bottom and not the top? It is one of those "oh well" things...but to fix it... I found out it was my TOP thread causing the bird nesting. I simply unthread and re-thread the upper thread. Might take 2 times, so it must be something inside the thread track that doesn't click or get hooked or something, but..it solves the problem...I start sewing and t he bottom stitching is good as the top! I also found that if I have cotton in the top and poly thread in the bottom (or visa versa) it will do nearly the same problem stitching...so I always make sure I have same thread top and bottom and that problem solved. I guess the poly is slippery on the cotton so they don't join well. GOod luck, share your solution!

This should fix the problem: Good luck. Hope it works for you.
 

Rethread your machine. Install a new needle. Remove the sole plate. Remove the bobbin. Clean out debris and then oil the bobbin race. This should solve your problem.

I had that a lot was ready to smash the machine one night and quit sewing all together--- my problem was the bobbin it was not going on the spool right would have to fill the bobbin then re rewind it onto another for it to work did this for a few weeks then it was back to normal ( I think the machine was saying give me a rest lol)

When my Viking Sapphire is having problems with the thread coming off the take up lever; I thread that part the other way from normal and that seems to fix it. Also using a thread net on your spool of thread helps the top thread not to get tangled. I used to work for Viking and learned lots of little tricks to make the machines behave better.
Sharon

I have had this problem and it usually clears up if I rethread the machine and reinsert the bobbin. I've also had the problem when the bobbin wasn' t wound right. So I reinserted a newly threaded bobbin and it was fine after that.
It is frustrating and the sounds makes you think you are breaking something in your machine.
Good luckto you!

While reading through these entries, I see one thing that I have just recently learned (and I have been sewing for well over 60 years); when you put your thread/spool onto your machine, be sure the thread is feeding off the back (reverse side) of the spool. I forgot if it was a repair person, or a very smart teacher, told me this, but it is my personal policy now to make sure I place the spool on the spindle with the thread feeding from the back. That way it will feed more evenly, and will fill your bobbin more evenly......JMHO

After you check the tension & bobbin try thread it from the beginning

I pray it is just a Michigan thing....because my kenmore was doing the same thing...tore it apart and cleaned oiled, but it was still doing the clumking thing. Took it in for a "general" cleaning...timing was off and needed to be fixed BUT it was the gears on the underside.....$165...and 2 weeks with NO machine. Back to hand peicing the 3 baby quilts due in June...jeesh...just when I thought I was getting ahead...lol

My sewing machine guru told me if the thread is bunching on the top it is a bobbin problem, it it bunching on the bottom of the fabric, it's a bobbin problem. That fast check has always fixed the problem for me!

All wonderful advice, our machines are machines that like to be clean and shinny.

Sounds like to me that you top thread has come out of a tention guide. I have had this happen to me before and it took me a long time to figure it out. So now when that happens I rethread everything and check to see if my bobbin was wound correctly. good luck happy quilting yipppie

All good answers from everyone! I recently gave my singer machine to my DIL and told her it was a little quirky and sometimes and did this same thing with the thread so don't get frustrated (she's a non-sewer) and to try these same suggestions. My (mechanic) son called me that night and and proudly announced he fixed the problem and that it was running GREAT! He then told me he found this little screw on the bobbin case that was "loose" so he tighted it up! I gasped in horror imagining how "tight" a mechanic would do a screw. I quickly told him no no no this is not like a car! you may need to loosen it a little!! I laughed about it later.......