Are you ever sewing along like any other day, but when you look down at the long row of stitches you just created you discover a giant birdsnest of loopy thread on the backside of your fabric? Luckily this is an easy fix that you can take care of in seconds and get right back to sewing. So if you’ve ever wondered why is the thread looping under my fabric? We’ve got the answer!
Why is the thread looping under my fabric?
When threading your sewing machine, it’s important to fully follow the correct threading path. Sounds obvious, right? Yet if even one small point is missed, it can and will cause havoc with your sewing. Because each part of the machine the thread touches work together to give you the correct tension.
While threading, missing the take-up lever can easily happen. The lever is mostly hidden inside the machine casing, to both protect the lever and make sure the thread does not get tangled.
Start fresh, and fully rethread your machine!
Start fresh by cutting the thread near the spool and pulling out the old thread. Roll your handwheel until you can see the take-up lever is at the top of its cycle so you can clearly see it. And rethread your machine, making sure you thread each point in the path – including the take-up lever. And sew a quick row on scrap fabric to see if your loopy birdsnest has turned into nice consistent stitches! You’ll no longer have to wonder why is the thread looping under my fabric!
Taking off the side cover to get a better look at the take-up lever.
We took these photos on my personal machine, a Brother CS6000i computerized sewing machine, but the concepts outlined in this blog post works for any sewing machine. It is a great machine that I enjoy using, and recommend for any beginner sewist. It seems like this exact model is discontinued, and the Brother CS7000X computerized sewing machine is the updated model.
Rethreading correctly, including making sure not to miss the take-up lever.
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Based in central Oklahoma City, Rummell Repair is a mobile sewing machine service and repair business traveling to the homes and businesses of our customers. We work on mechanical & computerized sewing machines, flat-bed and free-arm embroidery machines, long-arm quilting machines, sergers, and a variety of industrial & commercial machines. If you’re ready to book your own sewing machine service appointment and have a smooth experience without ever having to leave your home or business, take a moment to fill out our contact form here and we’ll be in touch in a jiffy.