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Hi,
My serger is skipping stitches in 2 t o3 inch areas. There will only be a straight piece of thread connecting the stitches. The areas where it does stitch is uneven.
I checked the threading and it appears fine. Rethreading it is a major thing for me. The last time I had a problem I could see the lower looper was not threaded. My serger stayed untouched for over a year because I couldn’t’ get myself to rethread it. When I finally did it, it took me almost a whole weekend. I’m getting a little better now, so I don’t think it will take me that long anymore. I really dread it, though. Of course, if that could be a problem, I’ll do it.
The serger was working sort of okay before although the stitches were uneven. I was very unhappy with it but it was better than nothing. I thought I needed to adjust the tension but was afraid to make things works and used it that way. Now it is totally acceptable.
What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Tina
Replies
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Don't be afraid of your serger! Learning to thread it properly is one of the first steps in making sure it stitches properly. Sometimes lint can be caught somewhere and that may cause the irregular stitches. Change your needles, making sure they are inserted all the way and see if that makes a difference. A good book is "The Ultimate Serger Answer Guide" that will help trouble-shoot many problems. Don't get frustrated by spending lots of time on it at one sitting - get up and walk away from it for awhile, then come back and tackle it again, it usually works for me! Sergers are capable of doing so much, I hope you can solve your problem and master your serger.
*Darlene,Thanks for your words of encouragement. I did just as you said and guess what? The serger was mis-threaded. That was not my entire problem, though. I thought I had it fixed because it serged a few minutes looking pretty good. But then, it started skipping again. I think that's where the needles come in. I was going to change them but the ones that came with the serger are a package of 2 size 10s and 2 size 14s. Darlene, should I use 2 of the same size or 1 of each size? Thanks.Tina
*I always use the same size needles, and this is determined by the weight of the fabric you are using, the lighter weight the fabric, the smaller number the needle. You should replace your needles fairly often, check the bottom of the needle for burrs (gently rub your finger on the tip and see if it is smooth or rough) Sometimes the needle can become bent, especially if it jams. With my serger, sometimes if I haven't pushed the needle up as far it can go when I change it and tighten it, that mm longer can make a difference in stitching. Have you tried practising with different colors threaded so you can tell which stitch forms where - that way it is easy to adjust the tension in the right spot. Have you given the serger a good cleaning? Do you keep it covered when you don't use it? Hope some of this helps you with your problem.
*I had that problem, too. It could be that you need to replace the blade. That solved it for me.I.
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