Why does sewing machine jam

A sewing machine jam caused by the needle is not uncommon. Have you ever used your machine for an entire day, sewing and working on many projects all at once? Some people will start sewing at the break of dawn and go all the way until evening. To determine this, lay your needle flat on the table. If it turns out that your needle is bent, even if just a little, you should replace it immediately, but whether you see that your needle is bent or not, you should still make a habit of replacing it after an entire day of use.

You should be able to find the right kind of needle for the fabric for your project, depending on how thick or thin your fabric is and what it is made of. But most importantly, make sure the needle is fit for your machine. After some time practicing on simple pillowcases, you might have decided to take on a more advanced level of upholstery. You could be shooting your shot at quilting when midway through your project, your motor gives up on you.

The presser foot, however, can be adjusted. This means that the one you have at present can be adjusted to different heights to occupy thicker fabrics. Another important factor that comes into play is whether or not the presser foot has been leveled.

Take a proper look at your presser foot before inserting any fabric below it. Tangling Caused by Improper Threading. Skipped Stitches The most common cause of a sewing machine skipping stitches is using the wrong type of needle for the fabric you are sewing.

Jammed Machine As dramatic as it may be, jamming is a very common problem for a sewing machine. Continue to 5 of 6 below. Breaking or Shredding Thread If you find that the thread breaks every so often, or if it shreds until the machine jams, stop and check out these possibilities: Is the thread getting hung up on the thread spool itself?

This could be caused by a nick at the end of the spool or a notch in the spool designed to secure the end of the thread. You can eliminate the problem by changing the direction the thread feeds off of the spool. Are you using old or low-quality thread? Have a look at what kind of thread you are using, and discard supplies that seem old or of poor quality. Are you using a relatively new sewing machine needle? If the needle has sewn over pins, it may have a nick in it that will play havoc with the thread, causing it to break and shred.

There are specialty needles that have a larger path for special threads. Poor Feed Technique If you find your sewing machine having any of these common problems regularly, take a close look at your technique when operating the machine. Featured Video. Related Topics. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. If this type of jamming occurs, turn the stitching machine off, go ahead and un-thread it and perform a thorough cleaning of the entire machine, especially its working mechanisms.

Use a small brush or blow out any stuck lint, dust or others. Plus, make sure that you perform regular oiling of the metal parts of your machine for a seamless performance. Use canned air for blowing out any residues from the bobbin area. To prevent further such occurrences, schedule monthly cleaning and oiling of your machine and if you sew on a daily basis, you probably would want to perform the cleaning and maintenance even more often. Often, your sewing machine will suddenly stop working due to a bent or broken needle which stops the thread from going through the fabric.

The solution:. Stop work and carefully inspect your needle for any deformities or breakage, and if you see any — replace it with a new one. Make sure you are using the proper type and size needle for the machine and for the particular project too, because sometimes this can be the underlying cause the annoying jamming as well.

If the threading tensions are wrong, it can cause your thread to get stuck in the bobbin. And this can be from the top or bobbin thread, so have a look at both threads and fix the issue.

Ensure that the top thread can feed through the sewing machine without any obstruction. If the problem is with the bobbin thread, try adjusting the bobbin case tension, by shifting the screw positioned on the bobbin case.

This is a common misconception when seeing a bunch of thread in a tangled mess underneath the fabric. The problem actually has to do with the tension of the upper thread. This can also be very frustrating, and a number of issues can cause this.

Several issues can cause this:. The first thing you need to make sure about your needle before starting any project is to ensure that it is sharp. For you to properly sew a heavy fabric, you would need a bigger needle, and vice versa. If you are experiencing jamming of your fabric when sewing, you might just need to clean your machine. The bobbin and needle plate attract dirt and dust, so you should clean it on a regular to avoid your fabric getting stuck.

Also, broken threads and shreds of fabric can get into the bobbin area, so a regular clean up is in order. The length of your stitch would depend on the weight of your fabric, and you have to be conscious about this, especially when sewing stretchy knit fabrics.

To be sure, you know the right stitch, do a test run with just a small piece of the fabric, so you can know if everything goes well. Brother CSi has been my favorite budget friendly machine and I have been recommending this great starter model to beginner seamstress that I teach in class.

However, any good machine has its slight bugbears so if you have the Brother CSi and experiencing thread jams, this is how to fix it. Please watch the video below. You can check out my Troubleshooting page for more sewing hacks and quick guides. I tried re-threading the whole machine including the bobbin. Thankyou so much Do you have second handmachines to donate. I am having trouble with my thread getting stuck in the bobbin area. The thread is getting stuck at this point somewhere.

Thank you for your time. Hello pls help me with this problem: The feed dogs went low, the bobbin holder is jammed, the wheel wont nove. There were thread messed up in the bobbin, but I removed them already.

My sewing machine is brand new, just arrived and got it out the box today. Which of these is most likely to be the issue? Oh my goodness, your advice was the light at the end of my tunnel! Your advice worked! Thank you sooooo much! I have a singer sewing machine and it keeps getting jammed and not picking up the bobbin thread. I have cleaned it and oiled it changed the needle and thread.