Have you ever started sewing with your serger, only to look down and see missing and skipped stitches? It can be very upsetting. Why is it so hard? Maybe, because sergers are more complicated than ordinary sewing machines or because the run so much faster.
Good quality serger stitches are consistently assembled stitches with properly balanced tensions, and all threads lying evenly in place. Good quality stitches have an obvious absence of loops, puckers, skips, irregularities, and broken threads.
Failure to form a stitch and skipped stitches are two of the more frustrating problems serger users experience. These problems require a concerted effort to identify the causes and find solutions.
The most common causes of skipped stitches and unformed stitches include needle problems, threading challenges , thread issues, faulty tensions, fabric issues, snagging, and misalignment of either looper timing or needle bar height or both. Check each possible cause and eliminate one of the at a time.
Start by replacing the needle or needles involved. Needle burrs, flaws, and bends are common causes of skipped stitches. Make sure the needles are fully seated in their holders.
Serger needle positioning is critical. Some sergers use ordinary sewing needles that have flat back tops, but many use special needles with rounded tops. On the front of the needle is a groove for the thread to ride in while the needle goes down. On the back and just above the eye is a cut out space known as the scarf. The scarf must be at ninety degrees to the lower looper. Make sure the needle is straight forward and properly seated in its holder. Use the right needle for the application you are doing.
When the needle bar is jolted by the needle striking hard surfaces or breaking needs, the needle bar can be forced out of alignment. A professional sewing machine technician should realign the needle bar properly.
The second possible cause is threading. Simply, rethread the serger. Make sure it is threaded properly. Also, watch out for snags.
Next, check the threads. Poor quality and odd threads can cause problems. Use different colored thread to thread the machine and then test.
Generally, sergers work on all fabrics, however, certain challenges can emerge with super thin, slippery, or thicker fabrics require accommodations.
Failure to form stitches usually results from the same causes as skipped stitches, but the issues are more pronounced. It is a matter of degree. If a serger issue causes skipped stitches, it is only a matter of time before stitches fail to form at all.
Start serging by collecting all the threads together under the presser foot and behind it. Set the fabric in place, and serge. I you have resolved the skipping problems, you will also have solved the unformed stitch problems.
Diagnose and resolve issues by replacing, rethreading, readjusting, and processing each possible cause until you have eliminated each one. If these measures fail to resolve the issue, you may need to have the serger professionally serviced to adjust the needle bar height or looper timings.
Originally posted 2009-03-07 17:20:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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