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  This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Troubleshooting is a huge part of machine embroidery... whether we want to admit it or not. Too many times we’re getting frustrated at our machines for bird nesting thread, loose stitches , needles breaking , thread shredding or bobbin thread showing on top .   Here’s a list of steps that I’ve compiled for troubleshooting steps that often work for me or have worked for others:      - Clean the race      - Rethread the upper thread      - Make sure the bobbin is not upside down      - Rethread the bobbin      - Make sure the needle is placed in the machine correctly      - Make sure the presser foot is on correctly    - Ensure the correct presser foot is being used      - Rethread the needle      - Replace the needle      - Replace the bobbin -(use 60wt or 90wt bobbin thread,...

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . This article is in addition to 8 reasons why your upper thread is shredding on your embroidery machine . If the 8 reasons from the last article didn’t work for you, these ones most likely will!      1. Lack of stabilizer/incorrect stabilizer  It’s common for people that are new to machine embroidery to either forget about stabilizer or not even know that they need it! You definitely need a stabilizer, if you’re not using a stabilizer then many different problems may occur.  Not only do you need to use a stabilizer, but you’ll want to make sure you’re using the correct stabilizer!  Recommended read: Guide to the three main machine embroidery stabilizers    2. Improper hooping  Ensure that you’re hooping tight enough and that the inner hoop is not upside down (shown in the picture). Match up the two small arrows on the tops of the hoops. When you’re hooping make sure that you’re...

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Does the tension confuse you? Are articles too confusing and have too many words? Now you can understand the tension and it's straight to the point! Before changing the tension, remember what the default tension was. That way if the tension gets all screwed up you can always go back to default. Please note that changing the tension should always be your last step. If you're having the following problems, follow the link and go through the steps before changing the tension. Machine embroidery needle breaking Bobbin thread showing on top Upper thread shredding Stitching is loose

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Is your stitching loose? Is nothing you're doing working? Does it look like the photo below? Here's how you can fix it! The bobbin isn’t in place correctly Make sure that you are not putting the bobbin upside down.  Recommended read:  How To Wind And Install The Bobbin On Your Sewing Machine The bobbin isn’t threaded properly Check that the bobbin thread is going through all the little thread guides. Try taking the bobbin out and rethreading it.  The thread isn’t being given enough time before going through the thread guides If you are using the built-in thread holder on your machine, the thread most likely is not being given enough time before going through the thread guides. To fix this, try using a thread stand. Recommended read:  Why You Should Use A Thread Stand When Machine Embroidering The upper thread isn’t threaded properly  Check that the thread is in all the thread guides, don't miss the #6 thre...

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Here are some reasons why your top thread might be shredding while you’re embroidering! Starting machine embroidery is definitely a challenge, and troubleshooting is hard.  Recommended read: 10 Things you need to start machine embroidery today Often when your top thread is shredding, it’s caused by when the thread goes through the eye of the needle or while it’s going through the thread guides.  1. A dull or bent needle How long has it been since you’ve changed that needle? It might be time to swap it out! A needle only lasts about 8-10 hours of stitching, this amount of time may vary depending on what you are making. It’s good to have lots of needles on hand. Recommended read: When should I change the needle for machine embroidery 2. Are you using the right needle for the project? Are you embroidering heavier fabrics? Like denim or leather? If so, you’ll want to use a heavier needle size like 90/14. If you’re just...

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Almost all of us have been there! Having bobbin thread show through on the top of your embroidery project is so annoying, especially when you don't know why!  Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself and how to fix them so you can prevent your bobbin thread from showing on top! Have you cleaned the race? The other day, my bobbin thread was showing on top, b efore I adjusted my tension (I always suggest to do whatever you can to fix the problem before adjusting tension) Recommended read: How to understand changing the tension on your embroidery machine Recommended read: How To Clean The Race On An Embroidery Machine I tried this neat trick, and surprisingly enough, it worked! Here’s what you do: Take a business card and use it to get the lint out from where the bobbin thread goes. You don’t want to use anything that with scratch your bobbin case.  Here’s a picture to show you how: Is your bobbi...

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . If your machine embroidery needle keeps breaking, here’s a list of questions to ask yourself and how to fix the problem. So that you can prevent breaking all those needles! Is the needle pushed all the way up? Before your needle broke, was it pushed all the way up? This one is an easy fix, when putting in your next needle, make sure it is pushed all the way up and tighten it as much as you can.  Recommended read:  Learning To Sew: Getting The Machine Ready To Sew Is the needle in properly? You’ve pushed the needle all the way up and tightened it as much as you can so it’s not loose, but did you put it in properly? You want to make sure the flat part of the needle is facing towards the back of your machine.  Is the embroidery foot on correctly? When your needle broke, did it hit the embroidery foot? This might mean that your embroidery foot isn’t on correctly. What you can do to fix this i...