I'm not sure when I bought this Necchi sewing machine but I'm guessing it was 6-7 years ago. I've sewed with it a lot and it's never been serviced. That last dress I made was a tight textured knit fabric and my machine did not like sewing it, the tension looked wrong and it skipped quite a few stitches.
I thought about taking this machine in for service (and sometimes that is the only way) but I really like to just do things myself.
I did some searches about the causes of my stitch goofs. One is a dirty machine.
So, I got out the brush that came with the machine. I opened the front door and dusted all those parts.
Then I unscrewed the cover over the bobbin and dusted all that space.
My husband removed the screws on the bottom plate and found lots more lint and dust in there.
He said some canned air would of been good for cleaning the inside too, if we'd had any.
Another cause of skipped stitches might be the wrong needles. I was using universal needles and they weren't working so I got 2 packs of needles for knits at Joann's.
If you look close, you can see the after stitch- in red at the top of the photo.
Our dusting and $7 in needles resulted in perfect stitches on knit fabric.
This saved at least $50 and 2 trips to the next town where a shop is that services sewing machines.
The patterns can be printed on a home printer and then the pieces taped together. That's my method, because I like to do things myself. They can also be printed at a copy place on large sheets so no taping would be involved.
I thought about taking this machine in for service (and sometimes that is the only way) but I really like to just do things myself.
I did some searches about the causes of my stitch goofs. One is a dirty machine.
Then I unscrewed the cover over the bobbin and dusted all that space.
He said some canned air would of been good for cleaning the inside too, if we'd had any.
Another cause of skipped stitches might be the wrong needles. I was using universal needles and they weren't working so I got 2 packs of needles for knits at Joann's.
If you look close, you can see the after stitch- in red at the top of the photo.
Our dusting and $7 in needles resulted in perfect stitches on knit fabric.
This saved at least $50 and 2 trips to the next town where a shop is that services sewing machines.
I've made 2 different Lovenotions.com patterns and liked them both so much.
Tonight, I started a 3rd- the Cadence. It is similar to the Laundry Day Tee but it uses woven fabric.
I hope to start cutting out a Cadence soon and I'll post the results.
I truly like Love Notions because their garments are stylish very easy to sew and they are so easy to fit.
If you want to try the Laundry Day Tee pattern for free, just join this page on Facebook and you can get the code to get that pattern free.
Skipped stitches are a real pain and time waster. I remember years ago I had a model (can't remember which) of Janome and it was very difficult to use. No matter what I tried to sew it would bunch up or skip stitches. No amount of cleaning or needles would correct. Needless to say I didn't look forward to sewing and avoided it if I could. Years later with a different Janome model, I am much happier and sew a lot more often. No more skipped stitches and very little bunching up. It does seem to need a lot of cleaning however. I am glad you fixed your own machine and that you saved yourself some money in the process.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree that knit fabric needles should be used for sewing knits, makes such a difference. Glad that you were able to sort this out quickly.
ReplyDeleteI've never sewn any knit fabric and assumed you must have a serger to do so! Those patterns look comfy!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tutorial! I need to do this soon. We made your energy bites and the kids loved them!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to clean the dust out of the machine to make it work better. So glad it worked!
ReplyDeleteI am always inspired when I visit here. Thank you!
I've read that canned air is a No-no for sewing machines. Just regular cleaning and lubricating is best. Also, the right needles and double-checking that you've threaded it correctly. It's easy to miss one spot.
ReplyDeleteI did this recently, too! I ended up finding a piece of thread stuck in between the needle arm. Works great now! So thankful because I thought I was going to have to buy a new machine. Hope you are well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the LDT heads up, Rhonda. So great you and your hubby were able to do-it-yourself on your sewing machine. That's always a good feeling.
ReplyDeleteDear Rhonda, this is a really useful post for me too! I sew all the time, and my little $149 Brother sewing machine, now 12 years old, just keeps on keeping on! It's amazing how a simple clean and oil and change of needles, just makes all the difference. Loving your patterns. I've never heard of a pattern you print yourself, other than a few online ones. How ingenious! Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteI've cleaned my machine before, but I never looked under it! I bet I've got something screwed together there, too! Canned air is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Cleaning sewing machine is so important, I clean mine every month because I do a lot of sewing with fleece and the lint and dust gets stuck inside.
ReplyDeleteUsing the right needle on knits is a must. Cleaning your machine also helps:)
ReplyDelete