ontheriver

A few days back I asked if anyone could tell me why I was getting skipped stitches. Well after that I made some recommended adjustments, started quilting again and my needle wasn't picking up the bobbin thread so now no stitches. My guy took the machine off the frame, cleaned again, oiled, tried to find out the problem. We spent hours on this. Rethreaded, new needle, new bobbin, watching the bobbin move to see if the problem was noticeable, etc. Finally realized I had been threading the needle in the wrong direction. Thread it right and it Works fine now. Talk about feeling really stupid. Duh. Now I'm wishing needle thread direction is standard on all machines. I think my problem is that the machine I piece on goes the opposite way and I get so used to it. I took a marker and drew an arrow pointing to the way it should go on the machine, hopefully done with that mistake.

Wonnie

Those with multiple machines they use frequently have no doubt "felt stupid" a time or two, also. I have only two which thread differently and I know I've felt stupid a time or two!

Peckish

Don't feel stupid, we have an entire club of people who have done this! You're the newest member, your pin and jacket are in the mail! Welcome!

tessagin

I hate the word "stupid" You are not "stupid". I just check my manuals to remind myself how to thread my machines all "2" of them.

Cari-in-Oly

Nope, you're not stupid, been there done that. An easy way to remember is that a needle always threads towards the flat side of the shank. So if you know which way the flat side goes into the machine you always know which direction to thread it.

Cari

MadQuilter

It happens. Have a good chuckle, slap yourself on the forehead (not too hard), and move on. I think most of us had those DUH moments.

Tom W

LOL.. not stupid at all. I've got machines that thread left to right, right to left and front to back and I often have to drop the needle a bit to check which side is flat so I thread them right. Usually, I check after I've done it wrong at least twice and rethreaded a few times. And I've even got a few machines that use industrial needles with no flat side at all... and I can't tell you how many times I put those in wrong.

Jeanne S

So glad you figured it out, and thanks for sharing as this is likely a common mistake many of us make!!

bearisgray

Glad you figured out what the problem was! Your guy did not catch the problem either.

I do know that "duh!" feeling, though. (Don't much care for it!)

Deb watkins

I guess that I am the stupid one. I didn't realize that not all machines thread the same way!!