Care & Vintage
6 guides. Each one cites its sources and says what we checked and what we didn't.
Troubleshooting
- How to Fix a Sewing Machine: What You Can Do YourselfHow-to
What makers say you can fix yourself (threading, needle, lint, bobbin), what needs a technician, and why oiling advice differs from one brand to the next.
- Sewing Machine Bobbin Jamming and Thread Bunching Up: What to DoTroubleshooting
Why your sewing machine jams or the bobbin thread bunches up underneath: what the loops mean, how to free a jam, the right bobbin, lint, and thick fabric.
- Sewing Machine Bobbin Tension: Check, Then Adjust Only If AllowedTroubleshooting
Bobbin tension problems often come from threading. What SINGER, Brother, BERNINA and JUKI say, how to check it, and when (and how) the screw may be adjusted.
- Sewing Machine Skipping Stitches: What Causes It and How to Fix ItTroubleshooting
Why a sewing machine skips stitches: the needle first, then threading, fabric and lint. What makers say for knits, fleece, thick fabric, zigzag and embroidery.
- Sewing Machine Tension Problems: How to Fix ThemTroubleshooting
Sewing machine tension problems, step by step from the makers' manuals: rethread with the foot up, read the loops, adjust the dial, clean the tension discs.
- Sewing Machine Tension Settings: What Number to UseTroubleshooting
What tension number to use: each maker's default, the ranges per stitch from JUKI and Janome manuals, and what makers say for denim, knits, chiffon and leather.