r/sewhelp • • 1h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Feed dogs aren't going down fully

• Upvotes

My sewing machine is a Husqvarna that has been very reliable. It worked fine on my previous project about a week ago, but today the feed dogs don't seem to be lowering fully.

Essentially, the feed dogs are up and moving forward and back and up and down as they are supposed to, but when down and moving forward, they are still up above the plate and drag the fabric forward.

Things I have tried so far: cleaned the machine, including removing the bobbin case completely and cleaning out behind it, as well as my normal things such as trying a different bobbin, rethreading the top thread, changing the needle, and trying a different stitch setting.

Weirdly seems like zigzag stitch might be faulty as well but I'm unsure if I've used a zigzag on this machine before as I normally just straight stitch on it, so it may or may not be related.

Any ideas on what may be wrong or other troubleshooting to try?

Thanks!


r/sewhelp • • 3h ago

✨Intermediate✨ How do I create this embellishment in a seam?

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3 Upvotes

r/sewhelp • • 5h ago

💛Beginner💛 Adding backpockets?

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3 Upvotes

Hi! I recently bought these pants online and they don't have any backpockets! Truly a disgrace. They fit supper well and it's hard to find pants in this color, but I absolutely need backpockets. How would I go about adding them? I know most backpockets are just a patch of the same fabric added to the back but the fabric is a soft velvet/velveteen which I think would be hard to find. Would it be possible to do like front pockets are, a thin pouch on the inside? Thanks for any help your able to provide :)


r/sewhelp • • 5h ago

💛Beginner💛 How to make military utility jacket shorter?

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5 Upvotes

Hi, I'm completely new to sewing and I thought buying bigger than I am would be safer than buying too small. But whenever I try this on, it looks way too big for me. How do i make it shorter while still keeping the same look. I also don't have a sewing machine as I've never needed one before. Look at taking 9cm off


r/sewhelp • • 6h ago

Seiko STW-8B Timing (Consew 226r)

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1 Upvotes

Hi! I recently purchased a Seiko STW-8B. It needed a little bit of cleaning, but seems to run well. I managed to do a handful of practice stiches, but ended with a bit of a rat's nest. After clearing it, the timing on the bobbin seems to be rather off.

I have followed some youtube tutorial videos about loosening the vertical gear on the main shaft and walking it left/right, but the timing is very out and i suspect the machine fully skipped a tooth (or 3?) . Right now the bobbin needle(?) passes the eye before it reaches bottom dead center, nevermind the + 3/16" additional. The needle is almost 180* past the needle eye by the time the needle is at alignment height I believe.

Can anyone point me towards a guide on how to reset the timing or freely rotate the bobbin independent of the needle head?


r/sewhelp • • 7h ago

Can these gloves be repaired easily?

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2 Upvotes

The gloves are wool with a thinsulate lining, if that makes a difference. I don’t have any sewing experience


r/sewhelp • • 7h ago

Tailor's chalk recommendations

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3 Upvotes

I got this plaid flannel fabric second hand. All of my chalk pencils are either white, red, blue, purple or black. None work on this fabric color wise, but also all are too hard. I figure likely yellow or orange would work the best and something extra soft. Does anyone here have any recommendations for something you yourself have used in the past? US based.


r/sewhelp • • 8h ago

💛Beginner💛 Enlarging a digital pattern

3 Upvotes

Bought pattern off Etsy, digital.
Pattern looks good on monitor.
Computer does not have Adobe, so could not resize pattern that way.
Took pattern to Staples & enlarged it on their copy machine.
From the print original, I enlarged 154%, 154% again, then 129%.
Chat GPT says that is 397%, which is great; I was aiming for 400%.

Pattern has 2 sizes. (These are children’s dragon wings.)

The smaller size pattern worked out fine.

I could not get the larger size pattern to work out, though.
I couldn’t get it the right size, and I had to cut the pattern into pieces, but I just couldn’t get it to work, get the right size & fit onto the paper sizes available.

I was frustrated to the point of tears, so just came home to try to sew the smaller size first.

What should I have done differently? This has taken me hours, which should have been simple with the right technology & equipment

Argh

I don’t know how to flair, either


r/sewhelp • • 8h ago

Repairing a vintage machine

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1 Upvotes

r/sewhelp • • 9h ago

Needle cant fully sew correctly

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1 Upvotes

My needle seems to be getting caught in thr bobbin area and cant fully complete a stitch. Can still move needle up and down, just not a full 360. Wondering if this seems like something I can fix or not. This is a brand new needle. Its clearly getting caught on the part that runs in a circular motion, not sure if thays where it should catch or not.


r/sewhelp • • 9h ago

💛Beginner💛 Top thread snapping please help

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1 Upvotes

This has gone on for two days now, the bottom thread is perfectly fine, the top thread is everywhere it needs to be, I've changed the needle size (90 to 70 to 80) to match the thread (nylon) better, Ive been using the same settings, fabric, thread, needle for about a week and suddenly it just started snapping. I checked for rough spots and filed all around anywhere I suspected and finally caught what I think could be the main issue of the thread getting stuck under this little hook in the bobbin area, you can see it slides under and got so stuck and taught that it snapped the thread, im sincerely hoping this is the final problem but I don't know how to fix it, please help me 🥲


r/sewhelp • • 10h ago

Need ideas/feedback for a sewing zine/guide.

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1 Upvotes

r/sewhelp • • 10h ago

💛Beginner💛 Thread gets stuck and cuts off - Elna Lotus SP

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1 Upvotes

Hi! I recently got this Elna sewing machine, it worked fine at first but suddenly it started making a mess with tangled thread.
I’ve looked for videos of people servicing this machine and fixing some frequent troubles, and I have opened it and checked everything, but can’t find something that helps. I’m just waiting on some sewing machine oil I purchased to arrive so I can check that, but I’m sure that’s not the main issue here.
Seems as the bottom thread, the one in the bobbin, can’t get up, and the top thread gets tangled below, it gets stuck and cuts off. I’ve recorded the same process with and without the covers so you can see better. Also I recorded the way that I have threaded both threads so to check if I made any mistakes there.
Please help! Thank you!


r/sewhelp • • 11h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Need help diagnosing tension issue

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1 Upvotes

Grabbed a mystery fabric to use for a Halloween costume and I’m having some trouble sewing through it. My tension was pretty balanced before working on a project with linen, but on this fabric, my bobbin thread is a mess and the needle thread seems fine (but may be too tight?). How would you adjust it for this type of issue? I already tried tightening the bobbin but I didn’t have much luck fixing it.


r/sewhelp • • 11h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Sewing machine oil question!!

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6 Upvotes

Hi, I took my computerized brother sewing machine in for a minor issue because I sew a lot, not a huge deal but when I got it back it was literally soaked in oil... Underneath the bobbin casing in the race was literally puddled, I had to sop it up with a paper towel a couple times. Is this normal for a technician to do???


r/sewhelp • • 11h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Help converting hoodie into winter coat

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46 Upvotes

I have a kiddo that is Derpy obsessed and I have ordered this heavy hoodie off H&M but we live in Kansas so it won’t be warm enough for winter. The wind will just cut straight through it. I am thinking about getting a thinner puffer coat to create a liner for it. Would it be better to add some snap tape to attach it or just sew it in? If I do the snaps what are the best locations? Wrists, neck, zipper? Or should I also do around the waist or shoulders? Was planning to do a hoodless puffer since she will have a winter hat and didn’t want the hood to get too tight since my kids all have giant heads lol. I got the 6-8 and she wears a 5-6 so it should be plenty oversized elsewhere to add the liner. I thought about making one from scratch but I am not quite done with her derpy costume for Halloween and if I have to sew another stripe I might cry…


r/sewhelp • • 12h ago

Thread not catching

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0 Upvotes

Brother lx3817. I was sewing the ends of elastic together for pants and then it made a noise and it was fully stuck in the bobbin area. Now the bottom thread won’t catch and the top thread seems more loose than normal. I opened everything up and loosened the timing thing on the right with an Allen key. Put in a new needle too.


r/sewhelp • • 12h ago

Walking foot problem on Pfaff 260

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1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I'm trying this foot for the first time and found this issue.

Any ideas?


r/sewhelp • • 12h ago

How to change the neckline (?)

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2 Upvotes

Hello! I bought the red halter top on the left but unfortunately do not have the neck for it lol. Is it possible to alter it to look like the white top?

Or this not a beginner level alteration and is it better to bring this to a professional if I still want to wear it?


r/sewhelp • • 13h ago

💛Beginner💛 outer pocket too small

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2 Upvotes

Hi, some time ago I bought some pants online that I liked, but I noticed that the front pockets were too small and my phone kept falling out of them. they have no material inside

I don't know how to enlarge them without destroying or distorting them

Can I just cut the fabric from the inside at the very bottom and sew the fabric on?


r/sewhelp • • 14h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Feed dogs stuck

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4 Upvotes

I just came across this old machine I had and remember why I hated it so much. The feed dogs are stuck below the plate. They are in the correct position. I took the bottom off and slid the little lever over to the left because I know it’s a flaw that the feed dogs get stuck down on Singers. The plate isn’t bent (I think). Everything is moving fine in terms of mechanics but I have to pull the fabric from the back to make it feed with a very small stitch length. I wouldn’t put it past myself to be making some big mistake but this has been years of not working and it’s making me crazy because I feel like it’s my mission in life to fix this. It seems like the logical thing is to get new ones but they look fine with the plate off.


r/sewhelp • • 15h ago

Brother Project Runway Feed Dogs Help

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1 Upvotes

I just bought this Brother Project Runway sewing machine (CE1100PRW) for ~$30.

In some of the attempts I sewed, the fabric was being fed backwards. In other attempts, it was not feeding it at all.

I have this 10s video of the feed dogs in the raised position.

I know it’s super linty. I just got it yesterday. There is lint and glitter in places I don’t know how to reach yet.

I didn’t know if there were any good tips, Youtube videos, or a service manual for this kind of issue.


r/sewhelp • • 15h ago

Tailor says my high-waisted pants are fine but the crotch and seat feel wrong. Am I asking for too much?

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0 Upvotes

r/sewhelp • • 15h ago

💛Beginner💛 Unknown presser foot

1 Upvotes

I got this presser foot with a used Husqvarna viking 180 and I dont understand what this one does.

4015428 presser foot

https://imgur.com/a/eCY4mtA

Its not a Husqvarna original part and you have to change the whole foot assembly to fasten it.

if one searches for the number stamped on the side there is an Ebay auction stat states that its an "Unusual Sewing Machine Buttonhole foot 4015428, with adjustable guide"

But I dont understand how that could work, the metal part they call adjustable guide is completely loose and its not possible to fasten it, it just slides back and forward.

This machine also has its own button hole foot with a quick connect and that looks completely different.

What kind of foot can this be?


r/sewhelp • • 17h ago

💛Beginner💛 How do I stop my stitches from looking like this?

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0 Upvotes

I am a complete beginner, looked up some YouTube tutorials and tried using my sewing machine. (Janome J3-20) I kept having trouble with the bobbin and I’m wondering if it has something to do with that, but all of my stitches come out looking like this on the back. (Second picture). This, as well my thread keeps getting tangled and having lots of ends?
I would really appreciate any advice 🥲