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From: Selene
Date: 11-27-2005, 06:29 AM (1 of 10)
Hi there! I am terribly frustrated  because I am trying to sew a hem on a t-shirt with a double needle, the fabric is a lightweight knit with ribbing (I think that's how it's called, it has lengthway channels). I start sewing and shortly after the threads get tangled at the needles and break. Why is this? I haven't sewn with a double needle before, but I didn't think it would be soo problematic. I've tried threading the machine in various different ways and the results are the same. Does the thread need more/less tension? Help, PLEASE!!PS. I have the Husqvarna Platinum 750 Quilt Selene
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User: Selene
Member since: 03-03-2004 Total posts: 71 
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From: DorothyL
Date: 11-27-2005, 08:16 AM (2 of 10)
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Are your needles ballpoint? Could that be the problem? Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Selene
Date: 11-27-2005, 08:27 AM (3 of 10)
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Are your needles ballpoint? Could that be the problem? Dorothy No, they are normal needles... 
Selene
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User: Selene
Member since: 03-03-2004 Total posts: 71
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From: HeyJudee
Date: 11-27-2005, 09:26 AM (4 of 10)
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Generally you use ball point needles to sew on knits. As I have never used a twin needle on knits, I don't know if you can buy them in ball points. You may have already done this but...have you checked your manual on whether their are some special settings when you sew with the twin needle? On my machine I have a twin needle button to push otherwise it doesn't sew right. Just a thought.
TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366 
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From: Dede
Date: 11-27-2005, 10:25 AM (5 of 10)
| I had that problem in the past and it took me a while to figure it out. The thread looks "kind of twisted" maybe an inch before the needle so I thought that if I could separate it, the problem would be solved. It worked. There's some kind of "hook" before you thread your needles so I put 1 thread over the hook and 1 thread under the hook. Loosening the tension a little also helps. I also noticed if I don't sew too fast, it minimizes the problem. |
User: Dede
Member since: 03-23-2001 Total posts: 469 |
From: Dede
Date: 11-27-2005, 10:26 AM (6 of 10)
| Forgot, I also use double needle for stretch when working with knits or any other stretch fabric. |
User: Dede
Member since: 03-23-2001 Total posts: 469 |
From: Selene
Date: 11-27-2005, 03:26 PM (7 of 10)
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I had that problem in the past and it took me a while to figure it out. The thread looks "kind of twisted" maybe an inch before the needle so I thought that if I could separate it, the problem would be solved. It worked. There's some kind of "hook" before you thread your needles so I put 1 thread over the hook and 1 thread under the hook. Loosening the tension a little also helps. I also noticed if I don't sew too fast, it minimizes the problem. Do you mean the last guide before you thread the needle? I tried that... but it still gets stuck. It's strange that it happens mostly when I lift my foot from the pedal and then restart. 
Selene
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User: Selene
Member since: 03-03-2004 Total posts: 71
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From: Dede
Date: 11-27-2005, 04:32 PM (8 of 10)
| Yep! last guide before the needle. My guess is you're using the wrong needle. The choice of double needle is as important as your choice of single needles. You might want to try another one and also try loosening the tension just a touch. Last question: One of your bobbins is probably located where you usually put it for regular sewing. Is there a special "spot" on your machine for the second bobbin? |
User: Dede
Member since: 03-23-2001 Total posts: 469 |
From: Selene
Date: 11-28-2005, 03:45 AM (9 of 10)
 At last, I managed it!!! Thankyou very much Dede!! I made a few changes, so I'm not sure if there is just the one thing that caused the problem or a few altogether. There is a special place for the 2nd bobbin, what I did though is change the direction of that second bobbin so that it would unwind in opposite direction to the 1st. I also changed the needles, loosened the tension, put the thread that goes to the right needle through the last guide and the other thread out of it, and sewed very slowly. All in all, I managed a perfect result... after so much !!! I'm not sure if everything I did contributed to it working right now, I think that now I will try on scraps doing different things to try and work out exactly why it worked out! Thanks again!!
Selene
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User: Selene
Member since: 03-03-2004 Total posts: 71
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From: sewerzzzzzz
Date: 11-29-2005, 08:04 PM (10 of 10)
| You might try putting some newspaper/magazine pages under the fabric so that the feed dogs pull the fabric through at an even rate, that helps prevent the thread from jamming and causing that birds nest. This helps when I work with knits but is a pain to peel off after it's sewn. |
User: sewerzzzzzz
Member since: 02-27-2005 Total posts: 81 |
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