Help Sewing Bugnetting

[wrangler88]

I've made a hammock and tarp and didn't really have many problems sewing them.

I'm trying to make snake skins and a bug net and am having a lot of trouble sewing it. I don't know much about sewing. Just looked up how to thread the machine online and started going at it.

Everytime I start to sew the bugnetting, it gets sucked into the sewing machine down through the holes where the bobbin thread comes up. I've tried lowering the tension and raising the tension. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. Anyway, any thoughts to help me out would be much appreciated.

[VictoriaGuy]

Everytime I start to sew the bugnetting, it gets sucked into the sewing machine down through the holes where the bobbin thread comes up.

This problem is at the edge of the netting - i.e. when you are starting a seam ?

One technique is to grab the threads (top and bobbin) and pull gently as you start to sew. This will 'guide' the fabric through the presser foot and past the feed dogs.

You could also experiment with the presser foot pressure, if it's adjustable on your machine, or try a roller foot or teflon foot, though I've not found them necessary unless sewing something 'sticky'. You might want to have a look at the bottom of your presser foot to make sure it is smooth - you can use very fine sandpaper or a buffer to polish it up if necessary.

If your feed dogs are adjustable height (some machines had a 3-position control for the dogs- Normal, 'silk' and 'Darning' (dogs down)) you could try playing with that control.

Get some scraps and experiment till the stitching is 'right' - it may take some time.

Generally too-high thread tension problems will result in excessive puckering of netting or thin fabric IME, not the 'sucking through the needle hole' problem.
Make sure you have a good needle in the machine.

[Ramblinrev]

first use a completely grand new _sharp_ point needle (not universal point and decidedly not ball point.) The tension has nothing whatever to do with this problem. Leave the bobbin tension untouched. It will not help the problem and will only create more problems down the road.)

The _best_ solution to this is to get a "straight stitch" throat plate. The zig zag throat plate I suspect you have is too big and allows the fabric to get pushed down into the slot. If you can not get a straight stitch throat plate for one reason or another then you have to learn better ways of handling the netting. Keep a hand front and back of the presser foot and apply tension to the fabric. But DO NOT pull the fabric through. That's going to be your tendancy and it will not give you a good result. So resist that. What you want to do is to keep the fabric taut so it does not slip down.

Some people suggest using tape over the throat plate hole. I don't recommend that because the goo can create real issues by gumming up the needle and transferring to the innards. You can run a re-inforcement strip of some kind under the bug net to stiffen it. I don't recommend paper because nothing dulls a needle faster than sewing through paper. Any other reinforcement does not make a nice tear strip so it needs to look nice as it will tend to stay there. Some people use seam binding. I find that more bother than _I_ think it is worth. But it is a viable alternative.

[Ramblinrev]

One technique is to grab the threads (top and bobbin) and pull gently as you start to sew. This will 'guide' the fabric through the presser foot and past the feed dogs.

Also don't start right at the edge. Line the edge of the fabric up with the back end of the presser foot. Forward a few stitches, then back toward the edge then forward again to the end of the stitch line.

[miyanc]

Also don't start right at the edge. Line the edge of the fabric up with the back end of the presser foot. Forward a few stitches, then back toward the edge then forward again to the end of the stitch line.

This is what u do. I start about an inch or so from the end and I actually go in reverse. I use a pair of needle nose pliers to back it up edge and then switch forward and use the pliers to hold the netting and help pull the fabric thru. If you need to use the handle crank, but if you see the netting stop moving, then stop and make sure when you start again you are pull the material thru. You could also decrease the stitch per inch to move more fabric per cycle then put it back once your unstuck.