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When something goes wrong with your sewing machine, you don’t always have to run to the repair shop. That’s costly and you lose time sewing!
Most sewing machine problems can be solved yourself! With a little patience and troubleshooting help, you can have your sewing machine back up and running in a few minutes. The next time you’re having sewing machine problems, pause and look for the solution yourself.
Here are four things you should always do before calling and making an appointment for sewing machine repairs.
Take a Break to Calm Down
It’s frustrating when your sewing machine won’t cooperate. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’ve cried numerous times over puckered seams and broken thread. If you’re frustrated, take a break to calm down.
You can’t think clearly when things go wrong. Sometimes all you need to do is get a drink of water and take a few deep breaths. Then you can go back and troubleshoot your sewing machine with a clear head.
Clean Out Your Bobbin Case
Most sewing machine problems happen because of built-up lint and thread in your bobbin case. I don’t have any statistics to prove this, but I know from experience that lint in your bobbin case can jam your machine, cause your needle to break, throw off your hook timing, cause skipped or uneven stitches, and more. That’s why you should clean out your bobbin case whenever you are having sewing machine problems.
Refer to your user manual for instructions on how to clean your sewing machine. There should be specific instructions on how to remove your bobbin case and where to apply lubricant.
Rethread Your Sewing Machine
If you’ve already cleaned your sewing machine and it still doesn’t work correctly, try rethreading it, too. It doesn’t matter whether you have been sewing for one day or 50 years, it’s easy to make a mistake when threading your sewing machine. If your sewing machine is not threaded correctly, it will cause all sorts of problems, from skipped stitches to uneven tension.
Don’t simply rethread the eye of your needle. Unthread your sewing machine and rethread it from the beginning. Also, rethread your bobbin thread.
Refer to My Sewing Machine Troubleshooting Guide
I’ve been sewing for more than 20 years and dealt with my fair share of sewing machine problems. There’s usually a simple fix to anything that is going wrong. That’s why I created a comprehensive sewing machine troubleshooting guide.
I want to help you get back to your sewing quickly and painlessly! Before you run off to the repair shop, check my ebook for a solution. It only costs $2.99 and it could save you over $100 on sewing machine repair services.
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That’s a good idea to rethread the sewing machine before you repair it. I would feel a bit embarrassed if the issue was something simple I could fix myself. I’ll definitely take it in to get it repaired if I can’t fix it myself though.