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--- when_things_go_wrong [2016/02/22 09:11]
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+++ when_things_go_wrong [2017/08/11 23:54]
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 ===== Unlocking the stitch =====
-Imagine I notice while sewing that the outcome is not as desired! The easiest way to undo what has been done is to raise the pressure foot and turn the hand wheel a full turn clockwise to unlock the last stitch. The needles will go down into the fabric and back up again and then the fabric can be pulled towards the left. The needle and looper threads can be pulled apart.
+Imagine I notice while sewing that the outcome is not as desired! The easiest way to undo what has been done is to raise the presser foot and turn the hand wheel a full turn clockwise to unlock the last stitch. The needles will go down into the fabric and back up again and then the fabric can be pulled towards the left. The needle and looper threads can be pulled apart.
 {{:going_wrong:turning_the_wheel_clockwise.jpg?800x600|}}
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 Another important cause of skipped stitches, is stitches getting too short because the fabric is not feeding adequately. The stitches may get shorter as I sew over a hump and to compensate for that I snip like [[Hemming#Snipping the side seam|this]] or use a [[The Janome 2000 CPX#Getting over those humps|hump jumper]].
-With the Janome 2000 CPX it is also possible to set the looper tension temporarily to "tight" while going over a hump. That may help prevent skipped stitches but I still prefer to concentrate on keeping the fabric moving and if necessary, I gently pull the fabric behind the pressure foot.
+With the Janome 2000 CPX it is also possible to set the looper tension temporarily to "tight" while going over a hump. That may help prevent skipped stitches but I still prefer to concentrate on keeping the fabric moving and if necessary, I gently pull the fabric behind the presser foot.
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 On my Janome and my Pfaff machines I need to increase both the stitch length and the differential to enhance the feeding.
-Even feeding is most likely to happen when the bulkiest part underneath the pressure foot is right there where the longer continuous feed dogs are. In the image below you can see that these longer feed dogs are on the left and on the right side. In the center there are several short feed dogs but there is a large space where there is no feeding to allow for the needles to move up and down.
+Even feeding is most likely to happen when the bulkiest part underneath the presser foot is right there where the longer continuous feed dogs are. In the image below you can see that these longer feed dogs are on the left and on the right side. In the center there are several short feed dogs but there is a large space where there is no feeding to allow for the needles to move up and down.
 {{:going_wrong:feed_dogs.jpg?|}}
-Now imagine top stitching a seam and the bulkiest part being in the center, being fed by those short feed dogs? Beside it, going over the longer feed dogs, there may be just one layer of fabric or fewer layers of fabric. When that is the case the risk of irregular feeding increases and with it the risk for skipped stitches. So I prefer to do top stitching so that the bulkiest part of a seam is being properly gripped by at least one of those longer feed dogs. My Babylock Coverstitch machine seems to have more effective feed dogs in the center as well as a better positioning of the pressure foot, so the risk for skipped stitches is considerably less on a Babylock BLCS.
+Now imagine top stitching a seam and the bulkiest part being in the center, being fed by those short feed dogs? Beside it, going over the longer feed dogs, there may be just one layer of fabric or fewer layers of fabric. When that is the case the risk of irregular feeding increases and with it the risk for skipped stitches. So I prefer to do top stitching so that the bulkiest part of a seam is being properly gripped by at least one of those longer feed dogs. My Babylock Coverstitch machine seems to have more effective feed dogs in the center as well as a better positioning of the presser foot, so the risk for skipped stitches is considerably less on a Babylock BLCS.
 I intend to expand a little on this in the chapter on [[Top stitching#Top stitching and feed dogs|Top stitching]].
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 ===== Needle threads looping on the wrong side ======
-Ever come across this? It happens to me all the time. In this case I had been sewing a chain stitch with 1 needle and then I added a second needle but forgot to lift the pressure foot, so that the thread would slide between the tension discs.
+Ever come across this? It happens to me all the time. In this case I had been sewing a chain stitch with 1 needle and then I added a second needle but forgot to lift the presser foot, so that the thread would slide between the tension discs.
 {{:going_wrong:looping_needle_thread.jpg?|}}
-This is what it looks like when the pressure foot is down and the thread is not engaged properly between the discs:
+This is what it looks like when the presser foot is down and the thread is not engaged properly between the discs:
 {{:going_wrong:thread_not_engaged_bteween_discs.jpg?|}}
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 ===== Starting to sew on the edge =====
-When starting to sew on the edge, f.ex. when stitching a tunnel for a drawstring or top stitching the edges of a jacket, I discovered that it is important to hold on to the threads while starting that first stitch. If there is not enough tension on the threads the first stitches may not form properly.
+When starting to sew on the edge, f.ex. when stitching a tunnel for a drawstring or top stitching the edges of a jacket, I discovered that it is important to hold on to the threads while starting that first stitch. If there is not enough tension on the threads, the first stitches may not form properly.
 In the image below the stitching was supposed to start right on the edge.
 {{:going_wrong:first_stitches_missed.jpg?|}}
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 ===== Thread, what kind? =====
+I have no fool proof recipe for thread choice. Both cheap and expensive and everything in between may work well. In my opinion it is important to differentiate between what looks good and what works. A particular thread may have a beautiful quality, sheen, color etc.. but if it does not unwind well it may cause skipped stitches or irregular stitches. Please notice the image below with two samples of turquoise thread, Gütermann on the left and an overlock quality on the right. The stitches with the overlock thread are more regular on the looper side but the needle threads of the Gütermann show off nicer on the needle side. As a hobbyist I do not want to invest in various cones of high quality sewing thread, which exist but are usually not available in the average haberdashery shop or department. So I try to work around this challenge.
+{{:going_wrong:gutermann_versus_overlock_thread.jpg?|}}
+On the whole I get the best results with thread that unwinds freely. Cones are more likely to unwind well. Plastic spools may have tiny irregularities so if I remember, I put a slightly larger spool cap on top of those for coverstitching. Spools with a paper core may work very well or not at all.
+Please notice from left to right the light blue and turquoise spools with a paper core. The light blue always produces great results and the turquoise always causes some kind of irregularity. The difference is in the way the thread is wound. Notice the soft rounded edge on the light blue one and the straight edge on the turquoise one? The turquoise thread tends to get stuck briefly sometimes as it reaches the end of the spool before unwinding in the other direction. Sometimes placing the spool so that the thread unwinds counter clockwise lessens the risk of irregularities.
 {{:going_wrong:different_threads.jpg?|}}

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