karenpatrick

Bobbin in backwards?

S D G

Mine does that if the needle is in the wrong position and also if I try to sew to fast.

chewboo

try rethreading both top and bobbin if that doesnt work the top tension is loose

Johanna Fritz

If the first picture is the back, and it is pulling thread so far from the front, the tension on the bobbin might be too high, or the top tension too low. They need to be in balance. WHen you FMQ, it is a combination of how fast your needle is going up and down (based on how much you push the pedal down) AND how fast you are moving the fabric. I seem to end up with a 2 to one ratio, if that makse sense. I seem to have the needle going up and down twice as fast as my hands move the fabric. Does that make sense. When you turn corners (arc) you should slow down for the machine too. Helps eliminate the "pulls"you see on your turns/arcs. When was the last time you had your machine cleaned and tuned up? Ideally, it should be once a year, although I am going on 18 mo, due to health problems. THe machine stitch is created by a timing of up and down and that bobboin thread coming around to look and catch the top thread and cross over it. Dust from sewing (and, I must add, Fibers from cheap thread), or if you sew fleece - the worst for lint buildup - your machine could have dust etc under the bobbin, where you cannot get to it, that is disrupting the timing of the stitch. Ask you LQS owner for suggestion on a good brand of thread. Remember, cotton thread for piecing, and decorative Rayon, etc for embellishment. You can FMQ with cotton, but you want to definitely avoid piecing with rayon. Has a tendency to stretch and break down the thread fibers with the weight of the quilt.

I would try new needle, a better thread and sewing a straight line and get that right before you drop the feed dogs and put your stitch length to zero. That is where I start. If a simple straight stitch isn't working, FMQ surely won't either. Once the straight stitch looks good, then you can move on to FMQ and eliminate one variable at a time. If you haven't had the machine cleaned and the timing checked recently, I would consider that. I am always amazed how much better my machine runs after its yearly "physical." Also, I have a Viking Designer (10 yrs old) and it is "self oiling" which means I cannot get at the parts that need oil, and trying to do so would gum up the machine. If I skipped the tune up, I am convinced it wouldn' run as well as it does.

I don't remember where, but I saw an article online about which brand name machines were affected by FMQ done side to side vs up and down. It had to do with how their particular machine made the stitch.

My last suggestion, do a You Tube Search on FMQ. You said you were new to this, I think. Search for videos of people actually FMQ-ing. Good luck.

Johanna Fritz

Sorry, I didn't read far enough. I had a Sears Kenmore from about mid 1990's. Ran great until the tension went and looked exactly like your picture. They could not fix it. The calibration tolerances wore out and replacement parts were plastic, from China, would take forever to come, and cost as much as the machine to fix. Mine had a face plate to cover the feed dogs. After awhile, I couldn't straight stitch even. Sears sales person told me that now their machines and Singer's (another around-forever name) parts and some whole machines are made in China. That is why they are fairly cheep. Boy do I wish you luck after reading this. You might want to go to a sewing machine sales store and sit down to see how theirs sew. Also, if you need a new one, I see trade ins at the sewing machine store and on CraigsList. But make sure it sews well. :)

kimnkell

Thank You! I hope it can be fixed. If not it might be time for a new one. I really can't afford a brand new one probably so I'll have to look for one on craigslist or ebay. Is there a particular one that you would suggest?

butterflywing

if you have a good repairman, sometimes a cannabalized piece
can be taken from another broken machine. i've had this done for my dil's vintage singer when the shaft got broken in shipping from california to new york.

sylviak

This may sound silly, but is your presser foot lever down? I've left mine up a few times, and since the darning foot is raised off the surface when the lever is down, I just didn't notice I hadn't dropped it. Easy to do!

Polliwog

Looks like you may be moving the fabric too fast. Reduce the top tension a little at a time until you are satisfied. I get results like yours if I follow the general advice to move the fabric rapidly.

kimnkell

I have done that before too but this time it's not the case. Thanks for thinking of it though. :)