What to do when the machine is badly sewing; when the thread loops or squeezes the material and breaks?
Four factors influence the quality of the sewing thread and the combination of materials:
1. Tension of the upper thread
2. Tension of the lower thread
3. Needle
4. Thread
The quality of sewing the machine is also affected by its cleaning and lubrication, which I will describe in another post. It is worth to master the regulation of thread tension and cleaning and lubrication of the machine, because it will make the sewing will be light and pleasant for us and we will avoid visits to the site.
If the seam looks unsightly or incorrectly combines materials, the following steps should be taken:
Step 1. Adjusting the tension of the upper thread
Use a dial with numbers, located at the front of the machine. When sewing, the knob is right in front of our eyes 😉
1A If the upper thread is properly tensioned, the thread is in the center of the material and is not visible from the top or bottom of the material
1B If the upper side of the material shows loops, the upper thread is too tight -> reduce the number on the dial, eg from 5 to 3
1C If loops are visible at the bottom of the material, the upper thread is too tightly tensioned -> increase the number on the dial, eg from 5 to 7
If tension adjustment of the upper thread does not work, check the tension of the lower thread.
Step 2. Check and adjust the tension of the lower thread
To check the tension of the lower thread, remove the bobbin together with the lower thread. Then hang the drum, holding your fingers with the tip of the thread and slightly jerk (like yo).
2A If the tension of the lower thread is correct, the thread will expand by a few centimeters
2B If the thread develops inertia, it means that the tension of the lower thread is too loose
2C If the thread does not develop when jerked, it means that the tension is too strong.
The wrong tension of the lower thread is adjusted by turning the screw on the side of the bobbin (a small screwdriver is attached to the machine).
2B If the tension is too low (the thread is developing too much), turn the screw clockwise
2C If the tension is too high (thread does not develop at all), turn the screw counterclockwise
We turn the screw to obtain the effect described in point 2A
* If the seam is wrinkled on both sides, probably the tension of the upper and lower thread is too strong.
Step 3. Replacing the needle and thread
If we have already wound up with a knob and a screw, and the stitch is still unsightly or the thread is torn off, there are two options:
3A We use badly twisted, poor quality threads
3B The needle is blunt / contorted or its thickness is inadequate to the material.
Replace the needle and thread with another one. Sometimes problems with sewing are caused by threads from Lidl – so I strongly advise against them. While the Lidl machine is cool, the thread is, unfortunately, a waste of money.
If none of these activities, including cleaning and lubricating the machine, help, go to the service center.
Have a nice sewing!
