A sewing machine is a must-have tool for any garment maker. The quality of your sewing depends largely on your machine, so it’s important to invest in the best quality one that you can afford.
It’s also important to keep it well maintained to avoid worrying about occasional problems like when your machine starts sewing crooked or zigzag lines.
A sewing machine is a precision tool, and its action should always be flawless. Let’s learn more about why sewing machines do not sew straight and the tips to ensure perfect stitching.
Causes of why is my sewing machine not sewing straight:
The sewing machine may not be sewing straight for many reasons. Most sewing problems can be resolved with a simple troubleshooting guide.
Sewing Machine Not Sewing Straight due to poor quality of Pins & Needles:
The pins and needles used in your machine are essential for the right stitch alignment. They make sure that the threads are sitting nicely on both sides of the fabric.
If your pins or needles are not made to the right specifications, your needle may break, or you will get crooked stitches.
Pins and Needles need to have proper alignment:
The pin carriage alignment and needle correction assembly play an important role in achieving good stitching results with a sewing machine.
A sewing machine is a complex tool that maintains high speed and pressure during stitching. Its action must be very smooth for the best but straight stitching results.
Straight stitches will not be possible if the pins and needles are aligned incorrectly or something out of order in the upper mechanism.
The needle should be up and down when you start sewing:
Most of us are so accustomed to seeing the needle going up and down while sewing; however, you should remember that your machine needles must be up before sewing.
There could be many complications if the needle is not positioned properly.
The sewing machine may not be sewing straight due to Loose Threads:
The thread can get loose when the bundle is wound up or the tension of the stitch gets too tight. When threads become loose, they may interfere with other threads or cause a bunching effect.
It reduces the stability of your fabric and makes it twist and fold a lot.
A looser stitch also increases the chances of small gaps appearing between the threads, which might make some stitches crooked.
Wrong needle adjusting:
If you have a machine with a dial to adjust the needles, make sure that the needle is in perfect alignment when sewing. This is because ensuring correct alignment is also an important aspect of maintaining your sewing machine.
Clicking noises:
A clicking noise may occur from time to time during stitching or even while walking away from the machine. You must be attentive if you hear something like this as it might indicate problems with your sewing machine.
Look at the tool head:
The needle should not have excessive clearance. If there is too much space between it and the fabric, your garment will get small ripples or folds.
If it is too close, the fabric will not allow you to get a nice straight stitch.
Instead, it might create small bulges, which will make your garment not look appealing. If too much pressure is applied while sewing, the needle may bend and break.
Thread tension:
If you have a metal thread guide above the needle plate, you must ensure that it is set properly to achieve good results.
Press the button to release the tension and check if the needle is not moving too much. If you are doing a project that requires a few heavy stitches, you must adjust the tension accordingly.
Bobbin winder:
The bobbin winder should be in perfect working order. If it is not functioning perfectly, it will probably make your needle standstill before or after the start of each new thread layer.
The needle will not go down if the bobbin winder does not turn smoothly when the tension is released. This can also cause poor stitch quality and sewing problems.
Here are tips to ensure perfect stitching:
- Make sure the needle is inserted properly and the thread is not tangled.
- Ensure the fabric is pressed, and the mattress comes right to the surface.
- Check for any problems with the machine, such as broken needles or bobbin jams.
- If you are still experiencing an issue with your machine not sewing straight after checking all of these factors, it may be due to a damaged presser foot or bedplate. If so, contact a technician for the repair or replacement of parts.
- If none of these steps help and you still believe the machine is faulty, refer to your owner’s manual for further troubleshooting.
- Remember always to unplug your sewing machine from the electrical outlet when not in use.
- And always follow all safety precautions when using a sewing machine.
- Once you have checked all of these factors, you may want to check if the fabric is taut after feeding it with the take-up lever.
Conclusion:
The steps we have discussed above impact the operation of the sewing machine and its function. Always check and make sure all the machine repairs are done properly to get maximum quality output and the best results.
