Okay, I am having a problem with my sewing machine and was wondering if any of you crafty ladies could offer some insight. Basically, it keeps breaking. I made 2 patchwork blankets for my brothers for christmas, using felted sweaters I got at a thrift store. I zigzagged them all together using the widest stitch width and a short stitch length. Midway through the second blanket, my machine stopped zigzagging correctly. It would go through the motions, but the needle wouldn't catch underneath on the right side, producing a slightly wonky straight stitch. I figured it must be the tension - what else could it be? - so I fiddled around with the upper and lower tensions until it was royally screwed. Then I took it to the repair shop, and they charged me 60$ to fix the tensions and clean and oil it. Soon after I finished the second blanket, I was going back to fix some gaps and it stoppped zigzagging AGAIN. Now after the first fix I decided to follow my mother's advice and never touch the tension again. So I hadn't, but still it stopped working.

Does anyone know what could cause this? Is sewing through sweaters just more than it can handle? I guess I will call the repair shop again, but I don't want to spend 60$ again, especially since the machine is probably not worth much more than $120 (it is an older White - maybe a 70s model? It does a few zigzag-based decorative stiches).

One other thing - The machine's light bulb mysteriously burnt out both times. How long do these usually last? The cord on the little foot pressure thing is slightly stripped (I know, this is very dangerous and I need to fix it), so maybe the bulb is getting shorted out or something. I can't quite imagine how the light bulb and the tension problems could be related though.

Any thoughts you all might have would be greatly appreciated. I am pretty new to machine sewing.

That cord sounds scary, hon.

That sounds very much like tension problems to me, too. My urge would be to take it back to the shop and explain politely that the problem has come back, and since they didn't fix it the first time, they should the second time....

(Alternatively, see if you can thrift an old Singer. NOT a newer Singer....the older the better....and get that fixed up. They rock.)

Good luck!

Wow, that really sucks.

I agree with the gal before me - take it back to the repair shop and tell them to try fixing it again, gratis, since they didn't do it right the first time. If they refuse, you're probably better off thrifting another sewing machine, which should be much cheaper than $60.

I too have an old White - the "Super Zig-Zag" model from the seventies. Maybe we even have the same one! It acts up a lot but after I get done crying in frustration and cursing at it, it usually starts working again. Adjusting the tension is sheer HELL, though. if you do thrift another machine, maybe you shouldn't get a White...

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice ladies. This was a hand-me-down machine, so I can't complain too much about it being a White. But I am going to be on the lookout for a better one.

I abhor my mom's old Singer machine. It's so HEAVY. And it doesn't have a buttonhole setting!

Sewing stresses me out... mostly, it bothers my back, and as soon as I'm in physical pain I start to stress. Hence, I prefer hand done clothing alterations... but I swear I'm going to get this comforter cover done.

Sewing through thick fabric is always sketchy, especially on a machine not tuned up before hand. I won't sew denim on my mom's machine, because I'm afraid of freaking it out.

UPDATE: I thought I would share this with y'all in case anyone has this problem in the future... So I took the machine back to the repair place, and they were very helpful. The man showed me that the problem was that the needle was set too high, preventing it from catching underneath. Apparently my machine is missing a little screw that normally stops the top of the needle when you insert it. He lowered the needle and all is well. He also fixed the cord for free. So I can now highly recommed JNR Sew 'n' Vac in Waltham, MA for all your sewing repair needs.