As many of us know, sewing machines can be tricky to deal with at times. They break, they stop working, they need to be repaired, they need to be switched with a different machine or they stop working altogether.
One of the most common sewing machine issues is called unthreading.
Are you a beginner sewist? Or have you been sewing for a while now? Are you frustrated because you just can’t figure out why your sewing machine keeps unthreading? It’s not your fault.
It’s because you don’t know how to deal with your sewing machine. The problem is that there’s a little knowledge that every sewist needs to know about their sewing machine.
Sewing machines are complex tools that require regular maintenance.
If you don’t keep your sewing machine clean and free of dust, you’re highly likely to experience problems such as the machine stopping abruptly in the middle of a stitch or the thread continually becoming undone as you sew.
In this blog, we will be discussing the reasons why your sewing machine keeps unthreading in order to help you solve this problem!
Start by checking the thread tension
Modern sewing machines have been designed to make it easy to sew. All you need to do is to load the bobbin thread, attach the fabric and the other materials, and then sew.
However, you may find there are times when your sewing machine is not working correctly.
Sewing machines are also more difficult to repair. You should be familiar with the common problems sewing machines have and how to fix them.
But first, you need to check if your sewing machine is working properly. When you try to sew, the sewing machine needle unthreads or not working properly.
This problem is caused by the absence of tension.
Check the thread for little bumps, knots, and irregularities
You’ve just started up your sewing machine to find that the bobbin thread is not unwinding. You may discover that it keeps unthreading, or that the thread is being wound over the needle.
Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons why this is happening, and it’s important to get to the bottom of why it’s happening.
Are there small bumps, knots, or irregularities on the thread? Is your machine threaded correctly? Are you not pushing the pedal enough to get the bobbin to start unwinding? Is the thread on the wrong side of the bobbin?
If your sewing machine keeps unthreading, make sure you first check the thread for little bumps, knots, and irregularities.
If these are the culprits, you can fix them by removing the thread from the machine’s tension disks and re-threading it with a lighter tension.
If you’ve already done this and the thread keeps getting caught, it’s likely that there is some lint or dust stuck in the feed dogs.
Check the footer
Sewing machines use a hook to lift the upper thread over the edge of the fabric, and then pull it through to form a stitch.
If the needle is in the fabric, the hook grabs the upper thread and pulls it into place, and then pushes the lower thread through.
If the needle is in the air, the hook pulls the upper thread through and it forms the stitch. If the hook grabs the upper thread but the thread is not long enough,” the thread can snatch out of the needle causing a large loop that you might see.
In some cases, it can cause the thread to break mid-stitch, which puts a hole in the fabric.
Your Sewing Machine Is Not Threaded Correctly
If you have a sewing machine that keeps unthreading, it is probably because you are not threading it correctly.
Sewing machines can be a frustrating piece of equipment to work with. The machine’s needle threader is a handy tool, but it can also be a major headache.
If you have to retrace your steps to fix the needle threader, all that frustration will be for nothing since you have to redo everything you did after the needle threader failed.
You Are Not Leaving Long Enough Thread Tails
We’ve all been there- it’s a brand new sewing machine, and you’ve just threaded it up. You’re ready to sew, but then disaster strikes! The thread keeps popping out of the needle, and your sewing machine keeps unthreading.
Have no fear, this is a rookie mistake that’s easily fixed. To keep your sewing machine thread from unthreading, you need to leave at least 3 tail ends of thread in the needle at all times.
If you don’t, the thread will keep popping out, and you’ll never be able to get your machine to work properly. To do this, thread your machine as you normally would, leaving 2 tail ends of thread in the needle.
When you are sewing a seam you need to leave plenty of thread tails at the beginning and end of the seam. This helps you eliminate a lot of problems that can occur with your sewing machine.
When sewing and the machine stops in the middle of a seam, you will find that the needle thread is unthreading from the bobbin thread. This is one of the reasons why you should leave plenty of thread tails.
Your Needle Is Not in Its Highest Position When You Start to Sew
One of the most common problems that sewers have when learning to use a sewing machine is that the thread will not stay in the needle.
For instance, the thread might be caught on the underside of the needle plate, causing it to be ripped off the spool when the machine starts to sew.
One common cause of this problem is that the needle is no longer in the highest position when the sewing machine starts to sew.
If your needle is not in the highest position when sewing, the thread will become caught underneath the needle plate, and will pull through the bottom of the needle plate when you start to sew.
With all the work you put into sewing a piece together, you want to make sure you keep that needle in the highest position possible.
Your needle is not always in the highest position when you start to sew.
That is why your sewing machine keeps unthreading. That is also why you keep having to tug on the thread to keep the needle in the highest position. Start over with a new needle.
This is a good idea anyway. You don’t want to have to deal with thread that breaks or gets tangled.
A new needle will keep you from having to put in too much effort to sew your pieces together.
In Conclusion
As a sewing machine owner, you’re bound to run into a situation where your sewing machine has unthreaded while you’re working on a project. You might get frustrated, but keep in mind it’s not a sign of your sewing machine being defective or malfunctioning.
Many sewing machines aren’t designed to stay threaded, and every time you take your machine from storage, it will need to be manually threaded.
