When a brand new sewing machine jams every time

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

The class looked up in surprise.

I had just told one of the learners to send her brand new sewing machine back.

She had bought it from Amazon for about £80 and brought it to class for its first outing.

At first it stitched forwards perfectly well.

But every time she pressed reverse to secure the seam, then tried to sew forwards again, the thread immediately jammed underneath.

So we checked the usual suspects.

Threading.
Bobbin.
Fluff in the bobbin case.

But this machine was brand new.

Everything was threaded correctly.

And it still jammed.

Every. Single. Time.

That’s when I told her to send it back.

I’ve written the full story, and why cheap sewing machines sometimes behave like this, here:

READ THE FULL STORY

Quick Sewing Tip

If you’ve ever adjusted a sewing pattern so it fits you beautifully, it’s worth protecting that version.

One trick I recommend is tracing your tried and tested patterns onto clear pattern film instead of paper.

Because the film is transparent, you can see the fabric underneath when positioning your pattern pieces. This makes it much easier to line things up accurately, especially when you’re working with stripes, checks or prints where pattern matching matters.

It is also stronger than tracing paper, so your customised pattern pieces last much longer.

Buy Clear Pattern Tracing Film

*affiliate link. I only recommend things I actually use

Even with a good sewing machine, things can occasionally go wrong.

Threads tangle.

Tension goes off.

Stitches suddenly look odd.

And when your machine isn’t behaving, it can completely derail your sewing session.

That’s exactly why I created Sewing Machine SOS.

It’s a simple step-by-step troubleshooting kit that shows you how to fix the most common sewing machine problems quickly so you can get back to sewing without the frustration.

👉 Get SEWING MACHINE SOS

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