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Jumpy Stitches.-Help please!


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I'm wondering how to fix this, and hope someone can help.

The stitching path is going from left to right. I am doing a diamond pattern, and as I come down, the stitch quality is a straight line. When I proceed to stitch from the bottom point back upwards, the stitches appear to slightly become jumpy and are no longer straight. This is only happening on the up stitching path, never on the down. I have tried a slower speed also a faster speed. No difference. The needle is a size 3.5, and is positioned at approx the 35 minute mark on a clock.

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this please?

Thanks in advance.

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Julie, sorry I don't have any great advice, though I do get a bit wobbly sometimes on the diagonal. It's like the machine is jumping around a little bit. Sometimes I use a rice bag to apply a bit of pressure and other times I use a ruler to help me stay straight. I hope someone else can chime in here with some useful information.

Regards,

Judy

http://judiquilts.blogspot.com.au/

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Julie,

Those "walking" stitches are most commonly caused by these things:

1. Hopping foot too high as Heidi suggests (when the needle is in the lowest position by using the fly wheel to get it there--not the needle down button) you should only get a single business card under the foot. Try it from all sides.

2. Hopping foot height uneven. This can happen when people use rulers often...one side of the hopping foot may be too high. If it is crooked it is like the hopping foot is doing the "moon walk" and it pushes the fabric irregularly. To fix a crooked foot, remove the needle and insert a flat blade screwdriver into the center of the foot. (you may want to remove the needle plate). Use the tip to pry up the low side. Recheck the foot as in #1).

3. Needle too small. The long groove that runs vertically down the front of the needle keeps the thread in line with the needle's eye. It the needle is too small then the thread dances to the left or right of the eye depending on the needle flex, forming the stitch differently. Needle flex also contributes to walking stitches.

4. Thread twist. Some threads have a tendency to untwist or twist tighter as they pass through the thread path, depending on their twist. Try threading the 3-hole guide with an "up-down-up" path instead of wrapping it around.

5. Needle position. As Sandra suggests, turning the needle so that the eye is pointing a bit to the left can also help. It helps the needle form a bigger loop for the hook to catch.

Hopefully one of these tweaks will fix things!

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  • 1 month later...

Hello, having the same issue feel it is because the hopping foot is too high, business card just slides around undeneath the hopping foot. I have the new hopping foot with interchangeable feet using the opened toe foot and I am unclear on how to adjust the hopping foot height. It used to be you engaged a screw through a hole on the the right side of the machine head, but now I am unable to locate this screw. Opened up left side to see better and still I am unable to locate. Is the new hopping foot supposed to be adjusted differently? I am about the least mechanically inclined person you would every meet so I need detailed instructions. Would like to be able to use all the different feet I now have, but need to adjust the hopping foot height.

Thank You Renee

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Renee, you don't say what kind of machine you have (Millie, Freedom, etc.) not the year - but the hole is still there for adjusting the hopping foot height - it's just covered with a black insert on the newer models. Look above and to the left of your tension assembly - you should see either the hole or the cover. Having the left side off will help - that allows more light into that cavity for seeing the screw through the hole on the right side. Loosen that screw, move the hopping foot down to the proper height, then tighten that screw nice and tight. Make sure your hopping foot is still centered on the needle before tightening.

If this isn't clear, you can always wait until morning and call APQS service - they can walk you through it.

Good luck!!

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I have a Millie 2000 but it went to Iowa in the spring and everything was updated but when I feel around I can't seem to find the screw even after taking the left side off. I'll try again when I get home from work in the morning. Thanks for responding I thought I was going crazy when I was trying to figure it out I knew there had to be a screw somewhere.

Renee

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Thank You Barb for your help. I was able to finally find that little screw and adjusted the hopping foot the stitching now looks great! Now that I now how to do this I'm going to try out the other feet they're really short so I guess I'll have to lower the hopping foot a bit and the height should also be about the thickness of a business card right?

Renee

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