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The sewing machine skips stitches what to do. How to find the cause of a sewing machine malfunction

The sewing quality deteriorates sharply when the machine starts skipping. What are the possible causes of this malfunction and how can they be corrected by yourself?

1. The main reason for skipped stitches when sewing

The machine stitch is formed by the hook point catching the loop of the upper thread as it passes the needle and throwing it over itself. In this case, the upper and lower threads overlap and the stitch is formed. If the nose of the shuttle does not catch the thread, a skip occurs and the stitching is broken. Misalignment of the interaction between the hook point and the needle is the most common cause of skipped stitches while the sewing machine is running.

When properly adjusted, there should be no more than 0.3 mm clearance between the hook nose and the needle blade. If this parameter is higher, the hook point runs away from the needle and does not catch the thread.

Check the thread tension, needle brand, thread number, fabric thickness and the specifications of your machine before concluding that the gap is incorrectly set. Perhaps the reasons for the skipping in the incorrectly selected operating modes, sewing accessories and materials.

A magnifying glass will help you to make sure that the interaction of the shuttle nose and the needle is correct. Through it, it will be much easier for you to see how the hook point moves relative to the needle. And if you are firmly convinced that the problem of skipping stitches in your machine is precisely in the size of the gap, call the wizard who will adjust it.

2. What should be the clearance between the hook point and the needle?

If you have enough skills in working with mechanisms, and you feel confident, you can independently adjust the gap, and solve the problem of skipped stitches that occur for this reason.

To do this, set the straight stitch mode and lower the needle to the lowest position. At the moment when it changes its position by 1.8-2.0 mm during lifting, the nose of the shuttle should be 1.0-2.0 mm above the eye of the needle. In this case, the gap between them should be 0.15-0.25 mm. In theory, the smaller the gap, the more reliable the stitching process will be. In practice, too close an arrangement of parts can cause the needle to break or dull the point of the shuttle. For such a setting, we recommend contacting a sewing machine repair service!

Depending on the thickness of the fabric, the height of the shuttle nose passage above the eyelet is set:

  • For thick materials - 2.0 mm
  • For fine fabrics -1.0 mm

Usually it is practiced to use the middle version - about 1.5 mm. If gaps do occur, you can try to correct this parameter.

For zigzag models, the gaps are adjusted in the right and left needle positions. But on such machines, you need to take into account a number of other subtleties.

3. Skipped stitches may be caused by a round needle.

Quite often, needles of the wrong model are installed on household sewing machines. This will cause skipped stitches.

Outwardly very similar, sewing machine needles, however, have differences. They can have a different shape of the flask - for household ones it is cut down on one side, and unequal depth of cut is possible, for industrial ones it is round. The thickness can also vary, as well as the length. All these parameters affect the size of the gap between the needle point and the hook nose. Therefore, when preparing to work on a sewing machine, you need to carefully and responsibly approach the choice of a needle - install only the type that is recommended for a specific model of equipment by the instruction.

If you find it difficult to understand all the intricacies - when buying needles, take with you the instructions for the machine or an old needle. The store staff will understand the labeling and select the most suitable type of needles for you.

4. For specific materials such as knitwear or leather, special needles are required.

Modern industry offers special needles for materials of different quality, which provide the highest quality sewing. Jeans, knitwear, leather and other difficult-to-work fabrics will be much easier to sew if the appropriate needle is installed in the machine. Its design will help to avoid breakage of the fibers of the material being sewn, create the necessary thread tension and allow the loop to be correctly formed for gripping with the shuttle.

5. Sewing with a blunt or bent needle results in skipped stitches.

A curved sewing needle or a blunt point can often lead to gaps and breakage. If you notice that the needle has even the slightest curvature, immediately replace it with a new one. Trying to align it yourself is useless. The characteristics of the metal from which they are made will not give you the opportunity to do it perfectly, and any deviation will disrupt the operation of the machine.

If a dull knock occurs during sewing, change the needle. Its point became dull and it began to tear the fibers of the material, not pierce them. It is impossible to sharpen a machine needle properly at home, so you just need to replace it.

And in general, you need to take it as a rule - to change the needles, without waiting for their complete wear. Especially if they have served a long period of continuous work.

6. The thickness of the upper thread should match the size of the needle.

Each sewing machine manual lists the size of the needles and the threads used when sewing. Thicker than necessary thread has difficulty passing through the eye of the needle and through the fabric. Because of this, she begins to shaggy, which makes her progress even more difficult and interferes with the formation of a stitch. Eventually, the thread breaks.

7. Broken hole in the stitch plate interferes with the normal operation of the machine.

On machines that have been in use for a long time, a hole may be broken through which the needle is inserted into the fabric. Therefore, when sewing, the fabric may "be pushed" through it, which prevents the needle from piercing the fabric normally and forming a stitch loop. If such a defect is found, the stitch plate must be replaced immediately as it may cause other breakdowns or malfunctions.

8. The quality of the stitch depends on the quality of the thread.

Some manufacturers produce too much twisted yarn. Such a thread in the work constantly forms knots, which cause a failure in the formation of stitches, as well as its breakage. Homemade methods of dealing with such a drawback, such as passing the thread through an elastic band tied around the machine head, give some results, but it is better to simply refuse to work with such threads and replace them with better materials. The most suitable machine sewing threads are those that have a uniform thickness, good strength and adequate curl. And, of course, you need to monitor the correct ratio of thread thickness and needle number. Then the sewing will be smooth, uniform and of high quality.

Thread breakage and skipped stitches are the most common sewing machine malfunctions. They can interrupt the production process, affect the quality of the manufactured products, reduce the profit of the garment factory and the efficiency of the operators of the sewing equipment. What causes the thread to break and the machine can skip stitches?

  1. the thread selected for the material to be sewn is inappropriate in thickness and characteristics
  2. the thread is of poor quality, uneven in thickness
  3. thread thickness does not match the size of the needle or the size of the eyelet
  4. worn or defective thread guides and eyes
  5. the thread is not threaded correctly
  6. excessive thread tension
  7. defective or poor quality needle, incorrect needle placement
  8. burrs or sharp surfaces on sewing machine parts
  9. the sewing machine is not adjusted, not adjusted properly
  10. malfunction in the feed mechanism
  11. operator mishandling

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why the thread breaks or why skipped stitches occur in a line. Let's start in order.

The loop should form correctly.

The buttonhole in the lockstitch sewing machine is formed by the shuttle, and in the overlock or cover sewing machine by the looper.

If something goes wrong, the stitch forming device may hit the thread - and it will break, or the device may not have time to make a loop, then we have gaps in the stitches. Why it happens?

  • The thread is stretched too much, that is, it lengthens when the stitch is formed
  • The cause of trouble can lie in the direction of the twist of the fibers of the thread, and the degree of twisting of the fibers, that is, the thread breaks up into fibers during the formation of a loop
  • The flexibility / stiffness of the thread is also an important factor.
  • Smoothness, roughness of the thread surface, on which the friction force of the thread on the thread guides depends

If you have an inadequate ratio of the size of the needle and the thickness of the thread, then expect trouble too. The fabric will drag behind the needle when it reaches its highest position. it the most common reason for skipped stitches!

It sometimes happens that the machine skips stitches when you cross another seam. The problem arises from a sudden change in the thickness of the material. The presser foot ceases to securely clamp the material, in addition, the thread tension increases sharply.

Elongation, stretching, stretching of the thread

The extensibility of the thread depends on the nature of the fibers, the nature and degree of their twisting. Nylon and polyester yarns are much more stretchable than 100% cotton. Cotton thread stretches 3-4% and breaks, while polyester can stretch 17-20%. Due to its properties, polyester thread can provide a more elastic and durable seam. To ensure proper loop formation, use polyester yarns with a high starting point to stretch. The tensile strength will prevent the thread from stretching while the stitches are being formed.

Thread slip

Thread slip is another factor on which correct stitch formation depends. Perfect glide ensures uniform tension on the thread passing through the tension adjusters and thread guides. Excellent glide allows the stitch to be formed with minimal force.

The thread should be homogeneous to go well through all the mechanisms. What is a uniform thread?

  • uniform construction of the thread along the entire length of the thread
  • uniformity in thickness
  • uniform in tension
  • uniform in strength

It is possible to note such sewing qualities as uniformity of thread color, color fastness, thread resistance to abrasion and wear. Synthetic the threads are usually greased with a silicone or wax based lubricant so that they do not heat the needle when rubbed. The faster the sewing speed, the more heat is generated when the thread is rubbed against the needle. It is worth noting that the oiled thread penetrates the fabric more easily. The friction of a thread also depends on its structure (twisted or mono fiber) and the nature of the fibers (cotton, wool, polyester)

Any sewing machine occasionally but skips stitches in the sewing line. Why do skipped stitches appear? In this article, you will learn the main common causes of skipped stitches and how to fix them.
To eliminate stitch skips you need to contact a sewing machine repairman, but more often than not, the cause can be eliminated with your own hands.

1. The main reason for the appearance of gaps in the line

The lockstitch sewing patterns are created by the interaction of the shuttle and the needle. The nose of the shuttle approaches the needle, removes the loop, draws the upper thread around itself and forms a stitch.
The stitching of the sewing machine will not have gaps if the settings for the interaction of the hook point and the needle are respected. Let's consider under what conditions and parameters of interaction of these two parts the appearance of gaps in the sewing machine stitching is excluded.

The gap between the needle blade and the hook nose should not be more than 0.3 mm, and preferably even less. Sometimes, however, this gap is more than a millimeter. In this case, the spout passes next to the loop without grabbing it. There is a gap in the stitch. It should be noted that this gap is one of the main parameters, but not the only one. Other factors also affect the formation of the needle loop and its secure grip with the hook nose: tension of the upper and lower threads; quality of fabrics, threads; condition and type of needle, etc.
However, the gap between the hook point and the needle is the main parameter that influences the appearance of skipped stitches. And if it is more than the norm, then it is necessary to regulate it.

If the sewing machine skips stitches, and you have already checked the thread tension, the condition of the needle and followed other recommendations, then there is only one thing left - to adjust this knot. It is very convenient to use a magnifying glass for such an adjustment. And before configuring this node, inspect it with a magnifying glass and make sure that all parameters are normal. If this is the case, then perhaps the reason for the omissions lies in another regulation, which is discussed in other articles on the site.

2. Parameters for setting the gaps between the needle and the hook nose

When you are convinced that the parameters of the interaction of the needle and the hook point are violated, then none of the methods given below will be able to eliminate the skipped stitches in the stitching. Try to set the hook point and needle interaction yourself as follows.

If your sewing machine sews a zigzag stitch, first set the stitch switch to the straight stitch.
Remove the stitch plate, foot and lower the needle to the lowest position.
At the moment of raising the needle by 1.8 - 2.0 mm from the lowest position, the nose of the looper should pass above the eye of the needle, approximately by 1.1 - 2.0 mm, with a gap between the needle blade and the nose of the shuttle 0.15 - 0 , 25 mm. In theory, the smaller the gap between the needle blade and the nose, the better. But, keep in mind that overshooting can lead to needle breakage and dullness of the shuttle nose.

When adjusting this parameter for sewing thick fabrics, it is better to set the hook nose above the lug with the maximum parameter, up to 2.0 mm. For thin fabrics, it can be reduced, but not less than 1.1 mm. Therefore, set the average value to 1.5 mm. If gaps appear, try changing it.


Do not pull on the fabric when sewing by hand. Do not try to sew too thick fabrics, leather on a household sewing machine. Do not use too thin needles when sewing thick fabrics, and then the needles will not break at the sewing machine.


A sewing machine can have a skipped sewing pattern for many reasons. One of them is a low-quality bobbin with edges broken by a needle, broken or bent walls of the spool. Change bobbins more often. Use plastic bobbins, they rotate more easily in the bobbin case.

Like any mechanism, a sewing machine is susceptible to various breakdowns, however, for devices of this type, there are typical and most common cases. For example, why does the sewing machine skip stitches during sewing? To answer this question, you need to look inside the device and find out the features of its functioning.

The so-called sewing stitch appears as a result of the interaction of the needle and a special shuttle device. The nose of the shuttle moves close to the needle and lifts the loop from it. The part then wraps the upper thread around itself and creates a lockstitch.

If the mechanisms work harmoniously, and the sewing machine setting is not violated, gaps in the line during sewing are excluded. However, if the operating rules are not followed or as a result of worn out parts, malfunctions may occur in the process. Let's consider examples of situations that lead to the formation of gaps in stitches, and how to eliminate them.

The distance between the tip of the needle and the nose of the hook is greater than permissible indicator of 0.3 millimeters... In some cases, the gap may diverge by more than a millimeter. This leads to the fact that the hook, passing by the buttonhole, is not able to catch the thread and form the stitch. This happens as a natural result of the use of low-quality fabrics and threads, defective needles, defective parts. Also, gaps occur due to a poorly tensioned thread and an incorrectly selected size of needles. To eliminate, carefully inspect the shuttle part of the device and perform the necessary procedures to restore operation.

Damaged needle

Incorrect sewing machine settings may cause the sewing machine to skip stitches. Over time, especially after frequent use, the sewing machine needle may change its position or even bend. This can affect not only the evenness of the line, but also the entire work as a whole. To rectify the problem, remove the bobbin case and inspect it carefully.

Adjusting such a precise mechanism requires special attention and scrupulousness. If you do not have enough patience, or did not have the necessary tools at hand, contact a competent specialist.

Incorrect thread

Chaika sewing machines, like models of other companies, may not work properly due to the discrepancy between the thickness of the thread and the needle. A small or too thin needle simply cannot handle bulky material, skipping stitches or making them uneven. A slouch loop will be easier to form on the other side, disrupting the harmony of the work. To eliminate, select the thread that matches the numbering. Do not forget to check the instruction manual of the device before work.

High angle of deflection of the loop-overflow

The buttonhole required for the stitch is formed on the side opposite to the hook. A higher angle increases the chance of skipping stitches, as does a buttonhole that is too small. What to do in a similar situation? Try to give the needle bar the correct angle, be careful not to damage the device. In addition, the part can be upgraded by filing on it new flat... Select the angle that suits your device and carry out the required procedure.

Formation of a loop-overflow on the side opposite to the needle

The phenomenon is common in machines using polished yarn... Their elasticity is several times higher than those of unfinished threads. Since most manufacturers focus on the use of non-polished materials, the device may malfunction.

To eliminate it, it is necessary to achieve the optimal angle of deflection of the thread. As a last resort, you can slightly increase the shuttle travel by creating an elevation on its body. For this, tin is used, applied with a soldering iron. Solder it in the opposite direction of the needle stroke, leaving a 0.8 mm gap between the elevation and the needle. Replacing the thread with a better one can also help.

Problems with nylon threads

The Seagull sewing machine may skip stitches when sewing with nylon thread. This is due to the special properties of the material, which can cancel out friction with the needle. When the needle is lifted, the thread simply does not form a loop. Also, the nylon can deform and pull on the needle. All of this disrupts the natural process of operation, creating malfunctions.

This vulnerability makes it necessary to adhere to the following instructions for all sewing machine models.


Almost any device can be configured to work with nylon, but all manipulations can go to waste if the quality of the thread is unacceptable.

Wide hole in the stitch plate

If the owner has repeatedly violated the rules for using the machine, you should not be surprised at the rapid wear of some of its parts. For example, for "Seagulls" it is typical for a needle to break a large hole in the plate. The needle carries the thread along with it when lifting, and that, in turn, does not have time to form a loop-overflow sufficient to capture. This can only be fixed by replacing a broken plate to a new one. You will have to spend time looking for a suitable part and installing it in place of the old one.

Twisted thread

In case of incorrect position of the thread or its twisting, the loop-overflow goes to the side. In this position, it deviates too much from the required angle of ninety degrees, and the shuttle cannot grasp it. The breakdown will be eliminated if replace the threads with denser ones... It is also possible to check the condition of the entire shuttle and replace it in the event of a malfunction. This is an extreme measure, do not rush to acquire new parts. In most cases, breakdowns are perfectly repairable even at home.

These are the main reasons why the sewing machine sometimes skips stitches. Carefully check the condition of the small elements of the device, because they are very easily damaged. Timely inspection will help avoid serious damage.