Troubleshooting a sewing machine skipping stitches How a bent needle affect needle hook clearance & causes skipped stitches Sewing machine skipping stitches? If you experience skipped stitches while sewing, the first step is to insert a new needle and rethread the machine. Why? A bent needle– even one bent ever so slightly– is among the…
Read MoreA Basic Guide to Balancing Sewing Machine Tension When a sewing machine makes a stitch, it is essentially tying a knot between two sources of thread: the needle thread (upper thread), and bobbin thread (lower thread). When the sewing machine tension is balanced (good), the knot sits in-between the multiple layers of fabric we are…
Read MoreSewing Machine Take Up Lever: the key to troubleshooting large thread loops on the underside of the fabric If you get large thread loops (akin to a bird nest) on the underside of the fabric, then take a look at you sewing machine take up lever. There’s a good chance the thread isn’t in the…
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Best Sewing Machine for Quilting 2025 Finding the best sewing machine for quilting can be overwhelming. There are so many choices out there, it can be difficult to hone in on which one to choose. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the top sewing machines designed specifically for quilting, focusing on features that you’ll use…
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The Ultimate Guide to Sergers Sergers, also known as overlock machines, are an essential tool for anyone looking to take their sewing skills to the next level. Whether you’re wondering “what is a serger machine?” or exploring how these versatile devices can enhance your sewing projects, this guide has you covered. From achieving professional-quality finishes…
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The Definitive Guide: Sewing Machine Walking Feet Why use a walking foot at all? Why use a walking foot on your sewing machine? Great question. As a sewing machine sews, it feeds the fabric forward a designated length of space between each stitch— stitch-feed-stitch-feed-stitch-feed. The presser foot holds the fabric down against the gripped feed…
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Powder-Coated Sewing Machines Before I talk about what powder coating is and how it makes a sewing machine better, I want to emphasize that the benefits of a powder coated sewing machine pale in comparison to what the powder coated sewing machine reveals about the company that does it. Anyone who has read our technical…
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The 2 Types of Sewing Machine Motors This post will lay out some of the key differences between two motor types that exist on home sewing machines: brushed motors and brushless motors. Brushed Motor The vast majority of home sewing machines use a type of motor known as a brushed motor. Diagram of a Brushed Motor In…
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The Pull Test: the Cure to Loops on the Underside of Fabric This article talks about ‘the pull test,” one of the most important sewing machine troubleshooting exercises because it is a common cure for large looping on the underside of the fabric. When my dad first taught me how to fix machines, I did…
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In Part 1 of our needle threader examination we talked about how needle threaders work, as well as some tips and tricks to help you use your needle threader more successfully. Today we are going to talk about a super common problem we didn’t cover in Part 1: the tiny wire hook at the epicenter…
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Ever wondered what the inside of a sewing machine looks like and how all the parts work together to produce a successful stitch? This edition of The Sewing Machine Newsletter was inspired by the “Knee Bone Connects to the Thigh Bone” children’s song and aims to offer a basic explanation of how a sewing machine works. It is by…
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