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--- when_things_go_wrong [2016/02/22 08:47]
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+++ when_things_go_wrong [2016/02/22 09:11]
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-Another reason for stitches skipping is the wrong needle type. Warning the following does not apply to certain brands of coverstitch machines, it applies to all those that use the ELX705 system. When sewing knits, especially those with a lycra content (trademark for a brand of spandex), I use ELX705 SUK needles. The SUK needle has a regular ball point which is best suited for knits. The ELX705 regular needle has a light ball point and is best suited for wovens.
+Another reason for stitches skipping is the wrong needle type. Warning the following does not apply to certain brands of coverstitch machines, it applies to all those that use the ELX705 system. When sewing knits, especially those with a "lycra" (a spandex brand trademark) content, I use ELX705 SUK needles. The SUK needle has a regular ball point which is best suited for knits. The ELX705 regular needle has a light ball point and is best suited for wovens.
 {{:going_wrong:needle_packets_regular.jpg?|}}
 {{:going_wrong:needle_packets_suk.jpg?|}}
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 I only switch to size 80/12 for very delicate knit fabrics, but if your experience differs, please do what works for you!
-In the examples below I used my Babylock Coverstitch machine for topstitching woven fabric. The top image shows the 2 needle narrow coverstitch going over rick rack trim. This did NOT work well, I had several skipped stitches. The reason I used my BLCS machine was that I had the right color thread in it and my sewing machine was threaded with a different color for other parts of the same project. I was lazy and left the ELX705 SUK (ball point) size 90 needles in the machine and they did not work well on the woven cotton fabric and rick rack trim.
+In the examples below I used my Babylock Coverstitch machine for top stitching woven fabric. The top image shows the 2 needle narrow coverstitch going over rick rack trim. This did NOT work well, I had several skipped stitches. The reason I used my BLCS machine was that I had the right color thread in it and my sewing machine was threaded with a different color for other parts of the same project. I was lazy and left the ELX705 SUK (ball point) size 90 needles in the machine and they did not work well on the woven cotton fabric and rick rack trim.
 {{:going_wrong:topstitching_rick_rack_with_2_needle_narrow_skipped_stitches.jpg?|}}
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==== Move it, move it, move it..... ====
-Another important cause of skipped stitches, is stitches getting too short because the fabric is not feeding adequately. The stitches may get shorter as I sew over a hump and to compensate for that I do [[Hemming#Snipping the side seam|this]] or use a [[Janome 2000 CPX#Getting over those humps|hump jumper]].
+Another important cause of skipped stitches, is stitches getting too short because the fabric is not feeding adequately. The stitches may get shorter as I sew over a hump and to compensate for that I snip like [[Hemming#Snipping the side seam|this]] or use a [[The Janome 2000 CPX#Getting over those humps|hump jumper]].
 With the Janome 2000 CPX it is also possible to set the looper tension temporarily to "tight" while going over a hump. That may help prevent skipped stitches but I still prefer to concentrate on keeping the fabric moving and if necessary, I gently pull the fabric behind the pressure foot.
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 I have tested this only on a Babylock BLCS, a Janome 2000 CPX and a Pfaff 4874 so my experience does not cover other brands of machines and therefore the following may not correspond with your experience.
-On my Babylock simply increasing the diferential setting usually improves the feeding of heavier fabric or muliple layers.
+On my Babylock simply increasing the differential setting usually improves the feeding of heavier fabric or multiple layers.
 On my Janome and my Pfaff machines I need to increase both the stitch length and the differential to enhance the feeding.
-Even feeding is most likely to happen when the bulkiest part underneath the pressure foot is right there where the longer continuous feed dogs are. In the image below you can see that these longer feed dogs are on the left and right side. In the centre there are several short feed dogs but there is a large space where there is no feeding to allow for the needles to move up and down.
+Even feeding is most likely to happen when the bulkiest part underneath the pressure foot is right there where the longer continuous feed dogs are. In the image below you can see that these longer feed dogs are on the left and on the right side. In the center there are several short feed dogs but there is a large space where there is no feeding to allow for the needles to move up and down.
 {{:going_wrong:feed_dogs.jpg?|}}
-Now imagine topstitching a seam and the bulkiest part being in the centre, being fed by those short feed dogs? Beside it, going over the longer feed dogs, there may be just one layer of fabric or fewer layers of fabric. When that is the case the risk of irregular feeding increases and with it the risk for skipped stitches. So I prefer to do topstitching so that the bulkiest part of a seam is being properly gripped by at least one of those longer feed dogs. My Babylock Coverstitch machine seems to have more effective feed dogs in the centre as well as a better positioning of the pressure foot, so the risk for skipped stitches is considerably less on a Babylock BLCS.
+Now imagine top stitching a seam and the bulkiest part being in the center, being fed by those short feed dogs? Beside it, going over the longer feed dogs, there may be just one layer of fabric or fewer layers of fabric. When that is the case the risk of irregular feeding increases and with it the risk for skipped stitches. So I prefer to do top stitching so that the bulkiest part of a seam is being properly gripped by at least one of those longer feed dogs. My Babylock Coverstitch machine seems to have more effective feed dogs in the center as well as a better positioning of the pressure foot, so the risk for skipped stitches is considerably less on a Babylock BLCS.
 I intend to expand a little on this in the chapter on [[Top stitching#Top stitching and feed dogs|Top stitching]].
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 Which is why it is always a good idea to test on a scrap!
+===== Starting to sew on the edge =====
+When starting to sew on the edge, f.ex. when stitching a tunnel for a drawstring or top stitching the edges of a jacket, I discovered that it is important to hold on to the threads while starting that first stitch. If there is not enough tension on the threads the first stitches may not form properly.
+In the image below the stitching was supposed to start right on the edge.
+{{:going_wrong:first_stitches_missed.jpg?|}}
+===== Thread, what kind? =====
+{{:going_wrong:different_threads.jpg?|}}

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