Thread cannot pass through the needle eye, or it shreds as it goes through. I see this mistake constantly on the bench: someone buys beautiful thick topstitching thread or heavy-duty…
Thread pops out of the upper tension path mid-sew. The thread was never properly seated between the tension discs. The fix: raise the presser foot fully, pull the thread out,…
Needle plate markings worn off from years of use. Reader can’t sew accurate seam allowances. Solutions: magnetic seam guide ($5), tape a piece of washi tape on the needle plate…
Seam drifts to one side even when reader tries to sew straight. Causes: needle deflection from a bent needle, needle plate hole too large for the needle, presser foot pressure…
Stitches look great in the middle of the seam, but pucker at the end. Reader slows down at the end of the seam causing the feed to hesitate. Or: tension…
A specific color thread breaks but other colors don’t. The spool position on the spool pin is wrong. Vertical spool pin vs horizontal spool pin. Some spools (large cones, metallic…
Sewing Machine Feed Dogs: Fine Tooth vs Coarse Tooth Selection Guide After fifteen years of tearing into sewing machines on my bench, I can tell you that feed dogs don’t…
Sewing Machine Open Toe vs Closed Toe Presser Foot: When to Use Each I keep a stack of presser feet on my bench at all times, and the open toe…
Sewing Machine Needle Clamp Screw Types: Flathead vs Phillips vs Hex I have pulled more stripped needle clamp screws out of sewing machines than I care to count. The culprit…
Sewing Machine Extension Table: When You Need One and How to Attach I have seen more frustrated sewers quit mid-project because their fabric was dragging off the front of the…