Sewing Machine Loose Stitches On Bottom – Reasons & Solutions

The sewing machine usually comes with stitches that are used to give a finishing touch to the clothes. These stitches can appear in a different form on your clothes, while some are invisible, others may appear as designs on your clothing.

Every machine usually comes with different stitches types, although in most cases one may not use more than two of these stitches. However, you must know how to change the stitches to the different types.

Loose stitches at the bottom do not appear neat or give proper fittings to the clothes. And tailor may experience loose stitches which will be slower than their work, or make the work unappealing.

The situation may not be avoidable, and in this regard, you have to be aware of the causes and how to find a suitable solution so you can get on with your work. Please get to know your machine and find appropriate solutions to the cases when they appear.

As a new tailor, you should take time to learn about the parts of the machine, for this will be useful in this article.

Why Is My Sewing Machine Loose Stitches On Bottom?

A loose stitch will make it difficult for your thread to sew the clothes and this may be due to the following:

1. Sewing Machine is Not Correctly Threaded

One of the common causes of loose stitches is that they do not thread the machine properly.

In such a situation, the thread will not go through the proper channel that will ensure to tighten the stitch adequately.

This mistake is familiar to a newbie that has not familiarized themselves with machine parts. You have to be conversant with the machine parts and their function, and this should be among the learning processes before you start sewing.

The thread passes through all the right parts, and no single one must be skipped to ensure a good grip. In a sewing machine, there are several hooks and pieces that the thread should pass through, and they are designed in a way to ensure tight stitches.

2. Failure to Thread the Bobbin Case Properly

If the stitches come out loose, you should check the bobbin case if they are appropriately threaded because that may be the case.

Users should understand that the formation of the thread takes the upper and lower thread formation to ensure that the stitches are tight. And you cannot achieve this tight formation.

The thread must pass through the Bobbin case properly. So when experiencing loose stitches, check the bobbin case properly, to ensure the stitches are sewed smoothly.

3. Using the Wrong Needle and Fabric Combination

People make the mistake of using the wrong needle on fabrics, and this may cause the stitches to lose.

There is different fabric which is easily discerned by their thickness, and it is only proper that not all needle types can go through the materials.

Using a small needle for a thick fabric will cause loose stitches, for it could not penetrate easily.

This is a situation that is common with experienced and newbies, and you should change the needle instantly when you notice this kind of situation.

4. Thread Tension

Another reason you may experience loose stitches is that the thread tension may be low and may not be tight enough to hold these threads tighter to the fabric.

When you experience loose thread, you should readjust your tension to see if it is close enough to stop the loose stitches. You should try this first whenever you start getting loose stitches before you check for any other of the causes.

With the machine adequately fixed and working in the right way, your stitches will come out smoothly. It is an efficient and seamless task to run stitches and your clothes. But in some cases, we may lose stitches at the bottom which would leave users frustrated.

5. Broken Sewing Machine Parts

At times, the cause of the loose stitches at the bottom may be due to broken machine parts. And in such cases, there may be no other solution than to change the sewing machine.

You can change the machine parts when it is broken or becomes worn out after many years of usage. When you have broken parts that cannot be fixed, then you should get a new machine.

6. Bad Materials of Thread

Some fabrics have worn out, and the stitches cannot hold on the materials. Also, there are rare circumstances when the thread may be wrong fixed, and this may be the case. You should not use such fabric on your sewing machine.

7. The Thread Is Caught or Stuck at The Thread Spool

Thread breakage may be a result of your thread getting stuck in the spool. This happens often especially if your machine is not threaded correctly.

Some threads are thicker than normal that they unravel and collect at the bottom of the spool the more you sew which then causes your machine to encounter issues like missed stitches, broken thread, and sometimes, a broken needle.

If you encounter this problem, stop what you are doing, unravel the thread stuck in your spool pin and re-thread your machine. Correct re-threading of your sewing machine is crucial so you don’t experience any more issues moving forward.

One tip is to use a spool cap to prevent your thread from moving too much. Most sewing machines come with a spool cap upon purchase but if yours doesn’t, you can go to your local craft or textile shop and purchase it. Making your own spool cap is also possible by using a sturdy cardboard.

8. The Bobbin Is Not Evenly Wound

Before you begin winding, you can secure the end of your thread in a little slit on some bobbins. If your bobbin is missing this feature, you must hold the thread’s tail before beginning to wind it. You can release your hold and clip the thread after a few rotations.

Never leave a long starting thread tail on your bobbin since it may get caught in the casing or cause you confusion while trying to thread the bobbin.

Guiding your thread up and down as it winds is important to make sure of even distribution of the thread. Modern sewing machines are built to help you move your thread up and down the bobbin. However, you can direct your thread as it winds with a pencil or your finger. Just be cautious not to let your fingers get caught in the gears.

Your bobbin winder may not be properly engaged if your bobbin does not wind swiftly and smoothly when you step on the foot pedal. This can result in unequal winding. Make sure to fully loosen your bobbin wheel or push your bobbin pin over. You will experience issues if it is even slightly off.

Make sure you are using the correct bobbin designated for your machine. Most bobbins may look the same but slight differences are present. Incorrect bobbin type may cause uneven winding and stitches. Specific bobbins from specific brands are readily available in the market nowadays.

9. Lint or Dirt In The Bobbin Base

Nothing is more crucial for producing a high-quality stitch than maintaining a clean, oily bobbin and feed-dog region. Numerous issues can be avoided by routine cleaning and dusting. Dust the area around the thread route, in the bobbin case, and under the throat plate.

You may use a lint brush or a powerful vacuum to remove lint from your bobbin base. When cleaning the inside of your sewing machine, avoid using compressed air because this can push dirt and lint deeper into the mechanism. The dust should exit the machine, not move further inside.

10. Thread Take-up Spring Is Not Adjusted

Thread take-up spring is responsible for a few things. It secures the thread as the needle penetrates the fabric up until the needle’s eye passes through the material. The thread cannot therefore just flop in front of the needle. The take-up spring’s purpose is to serve as a little shock absorber while the stitch is being produced.

The take-up spring’s strength and length of motion determine how the stitch is created. The take-up lever pulls and the spring flattens out if the movement is too long. The machine will create a tight stitch if the spring is excessively firm, but it could also break the thread.

If the take-up spring isn’t adjusted correctly, a loop may form over the throat plate’s needle hole. If this happens, the needle may tear the thread as it enters the tension assembly.

The spring should be positioned approximately 1/4 inch above the slack thread regulator. When the needle reaches the fabric on its downward stroke, the thread take-up spring should have finished moving downward and be resting on the stop.

To adjust the take-up spring, loosen the setscrew and turn the assembly in a clockwise direction to tighten the spring up, and in a counterclockwise direction to loosen it up. For the adjustment of the thread take up spring tension, tighten the set screw so that the whole thread tension regulator does not turn.

How to Fix a Sewing Machine Loose Stitches At The Bottom?

There are alternative ways to find a solution to this problem or to prevent such cases from occurring. Here are the alternatives:

Read your manual

It is essential to have your manual close to you, especially as a newbie. Get yourself familiar with the sewing machine, by reading the manual and get to know the functions of the various parts.

It is also essential that you know how to fix the stitches. Sewing machines usually come with a manual, and if you don’t have one, you can search for one using the manual and make of the machine.

Check out the internet

The internet is a rich source of information, and you can find reliable information from trusted sources online.

You can learn more about stitches online, and find solutions to some of your problems, getting to know more about your sewing machine.

You can quickly gather information about a brand online, its parts and function.

Consult an expert

You can always make inquiries from someone who knows more about the sewing machine and its stitches.

On the internet, you can contact customer representatives of these companies to learn more about the sewing machine.

You can also consult someone around you who has experience with a sewing machine to help you solve your problems with the machine.

Don’t Use Same Thread For All Fabrics

There are different types of fabric and using the wrong thread for one may lead to losing bottom. There are cases where the wrong thread for textiles has been the reason for the loose bottom.

The thread must be thick enough to hold the stitches at the bottom.

Do We Have To Consider The Length Of The Stitches?

The length of the stitches might be long or small, and they may depend on the style, but it does not in any way cause loose edges at the bottom.

Using a particular stitch length may depend entirely on the tailor. Thus the length of the stitches has no significant effect on the stitches getting loose at the bottom.