I've broken my sewing maching

Fruball

I was given loads and loads of free fabric by a friend so I thought I would make some canvas bags for Xmas pressies...

Anyway, I think I might have sewn with the foot up or something has gone wrong because the needle is stuck down and the foot hardly moves up or down with its lever. Obviously it is no longer sewing

The fabric is quite thick and was folded so perhaps my machine couldn't cope

Anyway, its a long shot but just wondering if anyone knows how I can free it or has any ideas to help me please - I really don't want to have to pay someone to fix it for me if I don't need to.

Thanks in advance

kippers

The cotton hasn't got stuck underneath where your bobbin goes has it?

Fruball

I will have a look, thank you

Mrs_Flittersnoop

kippers may be right, the cotton may have got wound round the bobbin case or jammed somehow. What I would do is wiggle the handwheel very very gently to see if the needle will loosen a little bit, then if you have some small sharp scissors, cut the threads away around the needle point, i.e. the needle and the bobbin threads. Then if that releases the needle a little, raise it with the wheel as far as it will go (probably not very far but with any luck free of the fabric). Hopefully that will allow the fabric to be gently pulled free of the needle.

It sounds as though the fabric was too thick for the needle or for the presser foot. Can you adjust the pressure on your machine, or try a bigger needle?

HTH
Mrs F

Fruball

Oh you are stars !!! Thank you both so much !

I snipped off the cotton, took out the bobbin and then the needle moved freely again.

What had happened is that part of the fabric had got caught in what I was sewing. I am a total novice at this, as you might have guessed !!!

Thanks again

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Just had another thought - if you can't get the needle free, can you unscrew it from above? then gently wiggle it out of the fabric as I mentioned before. If you break the needle then that will be a lot cheaper to replace than the machine....

hth
Mrs F

Mrs_Flittersnoop

Wow that was quick, well done you! Glad it came free. Try not to force the fabric through the feed dogs, have a look at your manual to see if you can lighten the pressure on the presser foot or maybe change the needle. The needle you are using may well have bent now, so be careful how you sew with it, it could upset the timing on your machine, if you have any others I would change it, preferably for a bigger one.

Good luck
x

kitchen_buff

Be careful where you get it fixed, you don't want to get stitched up.
seriously try a Singer shop, they repair them

tooties

hello frugal,
glad you got the problem sorted out can i be really cheeky and ask you for the pattern your using to make canvas bags please
thanks
tooties

Fruball

oh no, I have bent the needle

Fruball

Sorry tooties - I don't have a pattern, I cut my own from cornflake packets :rotfl:

Its a trial ! If it works I am happy to send you some pieces cut from another packet tho Let me know