What would make my machine do this?

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09-08-2013, 08:01 AM

#21

justflyingin

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Join Date: Nov 2010

Location: Jozefow, Poland

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I would also suspect the needle.

09-08-2013, 10:04 AM

#22

d.rickman

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Join Date: Mar 2011

Location: Canada

Posts: 1,386

Had the same problem, changed the needle, rethreaded - no change - finally took it to the shop and the repairman
indicated I must have broke a needle and affected the timing - he fixed it and now it is sewing like a dream again.
I didn't change the zipper foot when I was finished sewing in the zipper, turned off the sewing machine, next morning
turned on the machine and whoops the needle came down onto the zipper foot, and I hit the foot - learned a good lesson. Now I will change the needle after finishing the need for a different foot.

09-08-2013, 12:09 PM

#23

IBQUILTIN

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Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: North Fork Ca

Posts: 8,234

I would say change the needle, clean the whole thing, rethread and start over

09-08-2013, 12:59 PM

#24

newestnana

Senior Member

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Brick, NJ

Posts: 819

I had a recurring problem with skipped stitches. Tried everything I could and finally resorted to a repairman. Turns out the timing was off and he needed to do quite a bit of repair. After that, perfect.

Btw I have a Janome 6600.

09-08-2013, 03:04 PM

#25

Stitchit123

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Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Lebanon Missouri

Posts: 2,668

Quote:

Originally Posted by BellaBoo

I have this saved in my machine troubleshooting file:

Skipped stitches are symptomatic of several things, but a bent needle may be the culprit. When the stitches randomly start skipping, change your needle. If the stitches return to normal, then the problem was a bent needle. It can be caused by such things as tugging too hard on the fabric or the needle hitting a pin. Relax your hold on the fabric, and allow the feed dogs to pull it through.

Also could be the thread in the bobbin needs to be rethreaded through the bobbin case. After changing needle -and not improving the problem so as I was changing the thread I found it was just the bobbin

09-08-2013, 05:54 PM

#26

mom-6

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Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Texas

Posts: 6,395

I think my real problem was that when I had changed the needle before starting this project I didn't get it in exactly right - not completely backwards or sideways, just slightly off kilter, just enough to work more often than not, but not all the time.
I also think I had forgotten to readjust the pressure on the presser foot after quilting the table runner I finished just before this one.

09-09-2013, 04:07 AM

#27

stchenfool

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2009

Location: Wisconsin

Posts: 527

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom-6

In the last couple of days my machine has decided to skip stitches. It seems to be worst (an inch or so) at the intersection of seams, but occasionally (1 or 2 stitches) in between as well.

I've never had any problems with this machine before.

So all you knowledgable people, what do I need to do?

When this happened to me a tune up was in order (service). It did the trick. Stitches beautifuly now!

09-09-2013, 04:18 AM

#28

twinkie

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Join Date: Jun 2010

Location: Alabama

Posts: 15,368

Changing the needle does correct several problems. I would start with that and then take a makeup brush and clean all around the face plate and the bobbin area.

09-09-2013, 07:19 AM

#29

stashmaker

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Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: Fairview Park, Ohio

Posts: 71

I have a Bernina and had the same skipped stitch problem when I made a Bali bag. I rethreaded and changed needles like crazy, but it didn't solve the problem. After much searching, I found that one of the causes can be that the needle was not heavy enough for what I was sewing. Changed my needle to a larger size (18 I think) and that solved my problem. Maybe my smaller needle was bending because I was sewing through so many layers -- whatever, it worked for me.

09-09-2013, 10:38 AM

#30

pokeyscorner

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2011

Location: North country Wisc.

Posts: 328

Quote:

Originally Posted by cat-on-a-mac

I recently had this problem, and changed the size of needle (went from 90/14 to 80/12) and the seems to have solved the problem.

Another thing that has come up recently is that Organ needles are just slightly shorter than Schmetz. Organs work better on Janomes. So, the brand of needle and brand of sewing machine can come into play as well.

ditto -- my 6600 Janome came with Organ needles in it. They do seem to work better for me.