New 301A - pressure problem
 

Just got my first 301A. Appears in great shape!!!! Did some cleaning and oiling; runs smoothly. I have been experimenting with what the machine can do. Great stitching through mid-weight fabrics. However, when I tried sewing on heavy webbing, I got fabric creep. I did adjust the foot pressure but it seemed to affect the perfect tension I had going with the mid-weight fabric. Any suggestions?

Then I tried stitching through a quilt sandwich (two layers of fabric and one layer of batting). Again there top fabric creeped over the lower fabric. I did try adjusting the foot pressure in both with no result. Will I have to resort to a walking foot?

Any suggestions you have for a 301A newbie --those little quirks each machine has-- will be appreciated.

Trudy

walking foot attachment, be sure it's for slant shank. Even the local SM store probsbly still has em, or ebay, i got 1 @ goodwill for $1.

I've posted on the walking foot for the 301 many times...not my favorite since any slant shank walking foot on the market is made for zig zag machines and they're too darn large for the 301/straight stitch machine. The feed dogs don't mesh properly and why bother, IMO. I would really work at getting your pressure foot pressure to release. It sounds like something is gunked up or stuck. Your pressure should release so much that you can quilt rather easily under it without a walking foot.

Or your foot has been messed with/lowered in height and there isn't enough clearance under the foot.

Is it partly set up for free motion?

good to know Candace! i guess I missed that, have never tried, my 301 is buried!

You should give it a try since you have one already. But, I'm not impressed.

Trudy,

Are your feed dogs all the way up? There is knob under the lift up bed extension the lowers the feed dogs. Could it have been moved?

I bought a 301 that was like that - it was cheap. I asked the lady if she would like me to fix it or if she had her heart set on selling it. She wanted it gone. It was the feed dogs and the thumb screw for the pressure. It took a few seconds to fix that. I think someone was trying to do some free motion and never got it re-set - OR they were playing with the machine and couldn't put it back they way it needed to go. Info to fix that should be in the user manual.

Yes, that would certainly cause problems!!

I purchase all my 301A feet etc. from Sew Classic. The service is great and they ship quickly. I believe they now accept PayPal.