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Have you ever sat down at your machine to sew a project and found that the sewing machine stitches aren’t catching?

That can be so frustrating and it takes the fun out of the project. Rather than enjoying a relaxing afternoon at a hobby you love, you end up gritting your teeth and raising your blood pressure.

I recall a few years back that a friend text me asking for help on her sewing machine. She couldn’t figure out why the stitches weren’t catching. I walked her through a number of steps and finally asked her to send me a picture of the machine threaded. It turned out that she had simply missed going around one point which resulted in faulty (or no) stitching.

There are six common reasons why the sewing machine stitches aren’t catching. Check these before assuming that there is something wrong with your machine.

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At the bottom of this post I’ve created a free troubleshooting download for next time you have a problem with your machine.

Check the bobbin. Bobbins can have a number of issues. First take the bobbin out and re-insert it into the machine, making sure the thread is going in the correct direction and that the bobbin is securely in place. Also it could be that the bobbin wasn’t wound the right way or the thread on it is too loose. The thread on your bobbin should look as neat as a new spool of thread from the store. After checking the bobbin test on a scrap piece of fabric.
Re-thread the entire top thread of the machine. It is easy to miss one of the threading points. Or the thread may have come out from around the tension dial which would cause you a lot of grief.
Check the needle. The needle could be worn out. If it even has the slightest bent it might not catch. About a month ago I was having trouble with my serger, the threads just weren’t catching. I re-threaded the machine a number of times. Finally I checked the needle. It didn’t look bent to me but when I took it out of the machine it was ever so slightly damaged. I put a new needle in and my problem was solved. Also the needle size is important. More delicate fabrics need a smaller size needle and heavier fabrics a bigger size. Knit fabrics should have a ball point needle.
Check the tension. Different fabrics may need different tension. I notice this most on my industrial juki machine. It is also possible that you bumped the tension knob, or for me it is possible that the my kids may have touched it. There is no set number for tension on my industrial machine. I usually just use a test piece of fabric and keep testing it until I am happy with the result. For other machines consult the owners manual, it may tell you the proper tension.
Try a different fabric. Let’s face it, some fabrics are just plain hard to sew. It could be that stretch fabric with the smooth shine, or the metalic pieces woven into it that the needle isn’t catching. If you haven’t had any sucess with the four previous options test some stitches on a different piece of fabric, like a non- stretch cotton or linen. If the stitches work with these that means the machine didn’t like the fabric you were working with. It doesn’t mean your machine can’t handle to orginal fabric you were trying to use but you will have to employ different techniques (which is for another post altogether)
Thread type. Thread does matter. I don’t recommend coats and clark or singer thread but like to use gutermann thread. Also remember that the tiny spools of thread from that emergency sewing kit you can buy in the stores, do not work well on sewing machines. It is also important to match the bobbin thread type to the top. I once tried nylon thread on top and polyester on the bottom- it didn’t go well.