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You’ve threaded your machine, you’re excited to start your project, you press the foot pedal… the motor hums, the needle moves up and down perfectly, but when you check your fabric, there are no stitches. It’s a baffling and common problem for new sewists, but we’re here to help.
The good news is that this issue almost never means your machine is broken. A sewing machine creates a stitch by forming a “lock” between the top thread and the bottom thread. When no stitches are forming, it simply means this “handshake” isn’t happening. Let’s walk through the most common reasons why and how to fix them.
Nine times out of ten, if the needle is moving but not forming stitches, the issue lies with the bobbin. The hook mechanism underneath the machine is failing to pick up the bobbin thread to create the stitch.
Using the wrong bobbin is a primary cause of stitch formation issues. Universal bobbins don’t always work. Investing in a pack of genuine bobbins recommended by your machine’s manufacturer (e.g., Class 15 for most Brother/Janome, Class 66 for some Singers) is a simple way to eliminate a major source of frustration.
Check Price on AmazonIf you are certain your bobbin is perfect, the issue could be on the top half of the machine.
Sometimes, a severe buildup of lint can physically obstruct the hook mechanism from moving properly and picking up the bobbin thread. A dedicated kit with small brushes and tweezers allows you to perform the essential cleaning needed to keep your machine in top working order.
Check Price on AmazonSometimes the issue isn’t a threading error, but a simple machine setting that’s easy to overlook.
What if it STILL won’t sew? If you have meticulously worked through every single step in this guide and the machine still refuses to form a stitch, you may have a “timing” issue. Timing is the precise synchronization of the needle’s movement with the bobbin hook’s rotation. A severe jam or hitting a thick pin can knock this out of alignment. **Timing is a mechanical issue that requires a professional technician to fix.**
A sewing machine that won’t sew can be mystifying, but it’s rarely a mystery without a solution. By methodically checking the most common culprits—starting with the bobbin, then moving to the needle and top threading, and finally checking your machine’s settings—you can solve this problem yourself in almost every case. You’ve now learned the core principles of how a stitch is formed, and with that knowledge, you are better equipped to handle any issue your sewing journey throws at you.
