What causes a sewing machine to stop sewing – comprehensive guide 2023

What causes a sewing machine to stop sewing

Do you know what causes a sewing machine to stop sewing? NO, Ohh. Let me explain.

Without a well-maintained sewing machine, sewing is not possible. So the first thing has a durable, reliable, and workable sewing machine. 

You may have encountered that your sewing machine doesn’t work, but you need to know what causes a sewing machine to stop working. So don’t worry; I will provide you with 9 reasons and tell you how to fix them at home. Well, these all cannot be your problems at once, read each point and check which point is for you. 

What causes a sewing machine to stop sewing? The 8 common problems

1. The power Supply is not connected

If your sewing machine has stopped working, the first thing you need to check is checking the Power Supply. This means whether your sewing machine is connected to the main electricity and if yes, check whether the wires and cords are tight. 

power Supply is not connected

So if your problem is because of this, Plug all the power supplies evenly. 

2. Bobbin thread is running short

Sometimes you sew projects without checking the bobbin thread, so your sewing machine will automatically stop sewing. 

Bobbin thread is running short

What to do… 

  • So don’t worry; in this situation, open the bobbin case and observe the sewing machine bobbin to see if it has a thread or not. If NOT, consider winding thread on it. 

3. Damage and Loose Foot Pedal

The foot pedal is crucial as it operates the sewing machines. Not always, but sometimes, your sewing machine will stop working, and you will analyse everything but still cannot find what has happened.  

Damage and Loose Foot Pedal

In this case, check your foot pedal and its cord. If not, you should consider fixing it or changing it. Some people don’t know how sewing machine foot pedals work, so you need to learn, and it’s easy.

Moreover, if your foot pedal is fine, you must check the cable from the foot pedal and the foot pedal motor. If the cord is not connected correctly with the foot pedal motor, the sewing machine will not work. Be sure to compress it before sewing. 

4. Low-Quality Thread

Sewing thread is extremely important for sewing, but quality is more important. YES, if you compromise on the quality of the thread, it will frequently break; as a result, you won’t be able to sew regularly and will have plenty of pauses. 

Damage and Loose Foot Pedal

More… 

  • Low-Quality threads will shred and then accumulate in the internal mechanisms, thus jamming a few moving parts to rotate; this way, sewing machines will not operate.  
  • So the easiest solution for this problem is using High-quality sewing threads, at most. 

5. Using a sewing machine more than its capacities

Using a sewing machine more than its capacities

The sewing machine can be used continuously for an hour or more without any issues. But I suggest you step back and work on other things since using the sewing machine constantly makes it scorching hot, and the device will shut off to prevent burning it. 

It is best to stop every 45 minutes, which is a reasonable time to work. Resting can make you more productive and will ensure the efficiency of a sewing machine.  

6. Active bobbin winder

Active bobbin winder

This is the common issue with most newbies and even a few intermediate sewers. Because they always forget to stop the bobbin winder in most cases. 

As bobbin winders spin the thread on bobbins, your sewing machine will unravel as you sew, resulting in a counter-force that will hinder your sewing machine from doing its job. 

So always check this thing before sewing. 

7. Broken Belt

V-belts are used on sewing machines, especially overlockers and hand-operated models. You must check the belt if your sewing machine cannot sew fabrics. 

Broken Belt

Belts typically break over time, so if yours is broken or getting old, consider replacing them. 

8. Bent or broken needle

The needle is responsible for many sewing machine-related problems, such as jamming, skipped stitches, thread breaking, etc. So always have a closer look at it. 

8. Bent or broken needle

It means you must check whether it is bent, broken, inserted correctly, or using the appropriate needle. In this case, I recommend changing the needle after every 8 hours if you are using a bent or broken needle. 

Conclusion

Sewing machines will have different issues with time, and a few are common. That is why I explained the 8 basic reasons that cause a sewing machine to stop sewing. Make sure you will not encounter all these issues at once; rather, read all points and check your problem. 

Pro Tip: However, you should always clean your sewing machine by applying specific oil and removing all the debris; this will prolong its life.