Sewing Machine woes

Mar 01, 2005 2 Replies

With ghastly weather today, snow, wind, freezing rain, take your pick we are having it today - I decided to stitch the tape on to the canvas so I could finish the needlepoint rug.



I just can't get the machine to stitch. It's a basic electric Singer from about 80s. Someone who borrowed it never returned the manual with it. I have had the bobbin right out, cleaned it all well and blown any traces of fuzz and thread away with canned air, so it's now whistle stop clean.



The bobbin loads with thread but as soon as I start to stitch it locks up and it seems like it stitches in place. I thought changing to a zig zag stitch might be key, but same thing happens.



I have now put in nearly two hours with no progress. It's not really practical to do the whole thing by hand. I feel like aiming the machine through the window (not practical given external climate) and/or rolling the rug up and sticking in the cupboard and forgetting the wretched thing.


When I saw the subject line, this reminded me of the time I was working on lap quilts for the kids for Christmas. I was just sewing along and all of the sudden the machine made a CLUNK noise and started sewing BACKWARDS! I had to finish the second quilt backwards - now *that* was difficult! Kim

My solution was suggested by a friend, canvas on top and tape below. It must have been aggravating the bobbin thread by having the holes in the canvas I guess. Worked perfectly after that, which because it gave me so much grief, made me hate the machine even more lol

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