i buy basic cotton poly blend, as this is what the people at the sewing store recommend. on this skirt, it keeps breaking and i have to rethread the machine over and over and over. it's driving me nuts. what kind of thread do you guys prefer for your wares? something not too expensive, but durable. also, anyone know how to take out a serger stitch?
i buy loads of Coats and Clark cotton/poly blends...they are cheap but nice..not like those spools ya get at Walmart for a quarter.. my fave thread is Gutermann cotton tho....they are pricey so I only can buy them randomly...The Guterman silky kind looks good on appliques but can be a whore to sew with regularly...it does funky things to my bobbin... Ya may wanna fiddle with yer tension if it is breaking lots tho...just a thought...even crappy thread should work ok with the right tension... Tension is a bitter, unforgiving enemy...lol Good luck
I buy Coats and Clark as well....and I couldn't agree more about not buying Wal-Mart's thread...that stuff can't handle being sewed with! It ravels away until it snaps. I also agree with checking your tension. That's a problem I have all the time,I can never seem to get it just right.
I use Coats and Clarks too... Stay away from super cheep thread if you can easily break the thread with your hands dont try to sew with it
hmm...i am TOTALLY a self - learned sewer. my machine and i have a love/hate relationship! so my question is...how do you adjust the tension? also, how often do you guys clean your machines? do you oil them? how do you clean em? i've had mine for 4 years and have *gulp* never cleaned mine. i'm fearing for her life!
oh my...lol I take the bobbin cartridge...well the whole piece off...ive no idea what all this is really called..lol....and use a lil brush to dust back there...and under the plate piece...a vaccum helps to suck out some of the crap..i oil my machine like a mofo tho...i put oil on anything that moves and it always works so much better when i do..i also stick a scrap of fabric under the sewing foot and drip a buncha oil on it then sew over it with no thread...over n over to make sure the innards are greasy... the tension I HATE....there is usually a knob somewhere to adjust it..and there is a tension on the bobbin too.... I clean and oil my machine every couple weeks..or when the lint built up is too much...
You may need to replace your needle if the thread is breaking. Check here: http://www.sewalot.com/fault_finder.htm it's a really helpful site and explains tension perfectly too. If I'm sewing on cotton fabric I tend to buy machine quilting thread if I can find it in a shade that matches, if not cotton-poly from el' cheapo to expensive. Just depends what matches the fabric. I usually buy thread when I buy fabric. For ripping out serged edges (and basic serger info): http://extension.usu.edu/files/fampubs/fl501.pdf the info for ripping out the seams is under helpful hints near the end. If I can I usually just cut out the serged seam rather than ripping it out (it's much faster), but only if it's not going to mess up the project.
wow. looks like i need to explore my machine a bit. she has taught me all that i know about electronics, which is sad, and still, no idea of how to clean her. i think i'll take her in to the shop, so they can show me hands-on how. thanks everyone...
