Thread is gathering under cloth - Olde Thompson PWZ500

Sounds like birds nest or thread nests. HINT: When threading the top thread, ALWAYS have the presser foot in the RAISED position.

Birds nest under the fabric big loops of thread top side looks good...

What causes Bird Nests Superior Threads

Sewing Machine Thread Bunching Up Here Why

Thread it with 2 colours of cotton thread, red and white are good (use the same brand and size of thread).
>>Make absolutely sure you are threading the machine correctly.<<

Then sew on a 3rd colour of cloth, say yellow. You can now easily see the stitches.

Tighten your top tension a half number, if the red shows on the underside of the cloth, tighten another half number, check again.

Continue doing this until your stitches look nice on the top and bottom of the cloth.

Done. Remember the thread tension setting for the future.

Tension is a balancing act between the upper tension and the bobbin tension. Balanced tension (which is not always necessary) is when the two threads meet between the layers of fabric. Not all unbalanced stitches are a tension problem. You can have loops under the fabric from a failed take up lever, improper clearance between the positioning finger or even a burr or lint. First I check the upper tension. If you can not make the upper tension normal pinching the thread after it comes off the spool will act as a tension device. If this solves your problem then start with cleaning.

You may have lint between the tension discs at the top next to the take up lever. Clean this out with the presser foot up. Next install a new needle size 80 and thread the machine. When you lower the presser foot and pull the thread the spring steel the needle is made of should bend 1/8 of an inch at normal tension. Between 3-5. If this does not happen turn to a larger number on the tension assembly. If this does not deflect the needle as you pull the thread to the left rear of the machine your tension assembly needs repair or replacement.

The bobbin tension is controlled by a spring on the bobbin case or bobbin basket (depends on the sewing machine). This spring can also get lint under it. The lint can hold the tension discs open causing no tension. This may be the problem if you see the lower thread pulling up to the top of the fabric. Normal tension on the lower thread is usually 150-200 grains. That may not mean much to you and you may not have a scale to measure that. One simple trick is to take a wooden clothes pin and glue 3 pennies to it. I then use this as a weight to set the bobbin tension. I clip the clothes pin to the thread and set it on the work bench. Next raise the bobbin case or bobbin basket without touching the thread or bobbin. Then tighten the tension screw on the bobbin case until the clothes pin lifts off the work bench.

This gives you a good place to start on balancing the tensions. Set up a straight stitch at the mid range of 2-3mm long and sew. Turn the upper tension dial to the mid range 3-5 and observe the stitch. If the bottom of the fabric shows too much top thread tighten the upper tension. If the top of the fabric shows too much lower thread loosen the upper tension. I recommend playing with your tensions to learn what too loose and too tight a tension look like. Sometimes we want the upper tension really loose to do a basting stitch. If you want to pucker (gather) you can create a long stitch and play with the tensions. A tight upper tension will pucker thin fabric. You can also gather fabric manually by using a long stitch and a loose upper tension then bunch the fabric together on the loose threads.

After all that it may be easier to take this to your local dealer and ask for advice.
Have a great day and keep on sewing.

Try these suggestions
1. Change the needle--use a needle that's for the fabric being sewed
2. Rethread the machine--top --make sure to use every thread guide
3. try a different bobbin--make sure bobbin is inserted correctly into the bobbin case, & make sure the bobbin is turned the correct way in the bobbin case
4. make sure the thread has not come off the thread take up lever
5. Clean under the needle plate & in the bobbin area for lint or threads

Good day!

please try this simple tips:

Good day!

A sewing machine operator can often help themselves when their machine does not operate properly.
Here are some simple instructions, which if properly used can save time and mechanics service calls.
TROUBLE;UPPER THREAD KEEPS BREAKING;
This could be trouble;================Do this;
1.Top tension to tight================loosen tension 1 turn
2.Machine improperly threaded=========check threading
3.Thread twisted on guide post========"
4.Thread twisted out of tension======="
5.Take up spring bent or broken=======Check action of spring
6.Thread jumped off pull off finger===Check threading
7.Needle bent or burred===============new needle
8.Bad cone of thread==================try another cone
TROUBLE;LOWER THREAD KEEPS BREAKING;
1.Bobbin tensionspring to tight=======Loosen tension slightly
2.Bobbin threaded wrong===============check threading
3.Bobbin wound to tight or uneven=====try new bobbin
4.lint or thread on bobbin case=======clean inside case
5.Lint or thread inside hook==========clean inside hook
6.Bobbin case nicked bent or burred===check/change case
TROUBLE;MACHINE STARTED SKIPPING STITCHES;
1.Needle bent or burred===============change
2.Needle set in crooked===============Check
3.Thread jumped off take up spring====check threading
4.Thread jumped off pull off finger===check threading
TROUBLE STITCHES SHOWING LOOPS;
1.Forming loops on top of cloth=======Tighten bobbin tension
======================================or loosen top tension.
2.forming loops on bottom of cloth====Tighten top tension
3.Bobbin placed in case incorrectly===remove and replace
4.Bobbin thread slipped from under====check threading of
tension===============================bobbin case
5.Lint or thread in top tension=======clean between tension discs


Thank you and good luck.

I do not have the Wave, but in the manual for my Imagine, on page 17, it states:

"at the maximum setting of 2.0 the differential feed can gather lightweight fabric to nearly double fullness.

To maximize the gathering effects, use the longest stitch length setting."

There is no indication as to the number of threads to use, but in the picture, it appears to be four.

I would use scraps of the same fabric to be ruffled and test this technique until I achieved the preferred look.

Hi! I've had this happen to me many times and it is so very frustrating! First, take the bobbin out and also the bobbin assembly and clean the entire area of all lint, fuzz, little bits of thread....get it as clean as you can. Take out the upper thread too. Clean and oil. Change the needle. Make sure you're using the appropriate size and type of needle and thread for the fabric. Take off the needle plate and look for any nicks or scratches. If you've got them, you can get emery cloth from a good hardware store (often in the plumbing department) and polish them out (or mostly out).

Rethread the machine, carefully following the instruction manual. Use your basic, normal settings. Using a scrap of the fabric you're trying to gather, sew a seam and see if everything works ok. You may need to hold the top and bobbin thread firmly behind the needle as you sew the first few stitches (I find this little trick helps a lot to prevent birdsnests).

To gather, sew three parallel lines of long, basting stitches (you really don't need a special foot or special settings other than to make the stitch a long one). Don't backstitch, reverse, or lockstitch either end, and leave the thread long when you cut it. Pull the three bobbin threads and the fabric with gather nicely along them.

Something to keep in mind--if you're trying to gather very sheer fabric on a zigzag machine, you may need to replace the throat plate with the zigzag hole for a throat plate with a single, small hole for a straight stitch. I've run into this situation before, and ended up using one of my antique straight-stitch only machines to do the gathering.

If you don't have a throat plate with the single hole, you might try some light weight interfacing to give some density to the sheet fabric.


Hope this helps!

Dont use fixya. Last time I used them I was charged the premium fee and was told by the expert to "buy a new one". I eventually fixed my problem myself and I didn't have to buy a new one. In view of this ripoff, I decided not to give fixya a second chance because I work hard for my money

I just posted this elsewhere, but it seems relevant to your question as well:

You need to increase your top tension.
Immediately after threading the machine, but before you thread the needle, with the presser foot in the up position, grab the thread at the bottom and top, and "floss" it a few times. This will ensure that the thread works its way into the tension assemblies.
Then raise your tension to about 4.5, drop the presser foot, and you should be good to go.

-R

check needle to see if it's in backwards
check needle to see if it's bent-lay the needle on a flat surface & roll the needle over, if the needle doesn't roll good replace
check to make sure machine is threaded right
check for lint or loose thread fragment in bobbin area