Page 29
Correcting Common Issues
Skipped Stitches
Corrective Measure
• The needle is damaged, dull,
bent, or installed improperly
• Incorrect needle size
• Very tightly-woven fabric
(such as batiks)
• Needle has not been
positioned properly
• Thread tension too tight
• Improper threading
• Replace the needle often, normally once or twice per day for continuous
quilting or at least once per quilt. Use
powerquilter
™
16.0
quilting machine
recommended needles.
• Always change the needle if the needle has struck any hard object such
as a straight pin, etc. The tip of the needle can become damaged or
burred, resulting in fabric damage as well as skipped stitches, thread
breakage or shredding.
• Always change the needle if it has been hit, bumped or pulled off center
while maneuvering the machine about the quilt. A slightly bent needle
can be a major cause of skipped stitches.
•
Check for the proper combination of needle size and thread weight being
applied to the quilting operation. Some fabrics used in quilting may
constrict or impede the thread passing through the front groove of the
needle. This diminishes the loop lift required for stitch formation. Typically,
a larger needle will solve the problem; however, it has been found that
certain smaller sizes of needles as well as the use of ball-pointed needles
solve some specific problems.
• Position the needle properly to the needle bar. Inspect the position of the
needle to make sure the needle is at the 6 o’clock position (see figure 16,
page 20)—If you stand directly in front of the needle (facing the bobbin
case side of the machine), you will see the entire needle eye directly
facing you. This is 6 o’clock position.
• Make sure (1) the needle is installed all the way into the needle bar to
the needle stop hole in the needle bar, (2) the long groove in the needle
is toward the front (bobbin case side), and (3) the scarf/scooped out
part of the needle is toward the handwheel. The needle can sometimes
be rotated to 5 o’clock (slightly right) or 7 o’clock (slightly left) in order to
adjust for a more positive thread loop pickup by the hook point.
• Loosen top tension. Re-check top and bobbin tension (see pages 19-20).
•
Inspect that the thread take-up lever, thread stirrup or tension spring are
all threaded correctly.
The Needle Breaks
Corrective Measure
• The needle is bent or not
installed properly
• Replace or correctly change the needle. Make sure that the needle is
pushed up into the needle bar clamp until it can go no farther (visually
check that it is up to the top of the stop/sight hole above the needle bar
clamp screw). Failure to do so can cause damage in the bobbin area
and throat plate.
• The needle hits the needle
plate
• Correctly position the needle, needle plate or hopping foot. Replace
needle with a new one.
Stitches are Puckered
Corrective Measure
• Balance the tension of the needle thread after ensuring the bobbin tension
is adjusted correctly (see pages 19-20).
• Tension is not balanced
• Replace the needle with a size better suited to the fabric.
• Needle too large for material
