The Sewing Place

Skipping Stitches

Acorn

Skipping Stitches
« on: June 13, 2018, 15:15:18 PM »
Sob... my shiny new Toyota Oekaki is disgracing itself by skipping stitches whenever it can.

I have done all the usual things - rethreaded top and bottom, fiddled with tension, changed needle, changed thread.  Changing the thread improved things dramatically because I was previously using a very old reel of rather lovely, but fairly thick, thread.  However, it did not get rid of the skipping completely.  I think it gets worse when it gets faster, but it does skip at lower speeds too.  When I was doing serpentine stitch last week it was consistently skipping the stitches on the right hand curve, and that was using the thread, needle and fabric that were supplied with the machine.

@Francesca - did you have stitch skipping issues with your Oekaki?

Does anyone else have any ideas or suggestions?
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2018, 15:50:16 PM »
Yes - or one of the bobbins I ordered direct from Toyota, specifically for this machine, and yes the bobbin thread is going the right way - I do like the fact that this machine has arrows to show the direction of threading at top and bottom!

I have just watched a youtube video showing how to thread the machine, and I noticed that the reel of thread was turning anti-clockwise - I always have mine turning clockwise, so I tried changing that.  It then did a perfect row of serpentine stitch and a perfect row of straight stitch, but I turned the reel back the other way and it stitched perfectly that way too, so that's a possible solution, but when a fault is intermittent it's hard to know when it's solved!

The most recent problems have been when I was sewing on cotton lawn, and I will test it on that when I'm sure which bits are spare.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

arrow

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2018, 16:18:08 PM »
Bobbin in the wrong way is a classic, particularly for horizontal drop-in bobbin cases. It's easy to get this the wrong way, going from one machine to the other it can be oposite. The same for threading, machines can be very similar, but might have just one small but important differece along the thread route. I'm guessing the needle threads front to back on your Oekaki? If it has fancy functions make sure it's not a setting error.

Some machines are difficult to make behave with top stitch thread, but it's usually tension issues, not skipped stitches. What type of thread is it? Sew all weight Gütermann is my favorite for test sewing, or another trusted brand. Make sure there's nothing wrong with the needle, it's not very common but even a brand new needle has turned out to be flawed, even a bad package of needles some times.

I can't think of anything at the moment, it's usually sorted out by going through a list of points to check.

Yet another thing to check is cleaning, around the bobbin case, race hook and feed dog area. In the worst cases hard packed lint has cause all kinds of problems, including skipped stitches.

« Last Edit: June 13, 2018, 16:27:44 PM by arrow »

wrenkins

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2018, 16:25:26 PM »
I know nothing about all this but when my machine was misbehaving, it was because, although I had the bobbin in correctly, the thread had gone off on a frolic of it's own and wasn't lying in the right place.
If my machine isn't threaded correctly the needle threader doesn't work otherwise I'd stil be looking at it blankly.  :[ It's a new machine and I'm just getting to know it.
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2018, 10:53:00 AM »
Well, it's still skipping stitches to the extent of sometimes being unusable.  Yesterday, with a stretch needle and Guterman thread top and bottom, it was skipping as many stitches as it was sewing on a lightweight cotton jersey.  It has been threaded and rethreaded top and bottom.  I even followed an official Youtube video step by step.

I contacted Toyota, who sent me a phone number for a helpline, and the lady there said it is a machine fault, and that even though Toyota offer a 2 year guarantee and my machine is registered, my guarantee is actually with the seller, who does not offer any guarantee...

The Sale of Goods Act has something to say about that, though, and I have contacted the seller, who does have very good feedback.  I just hope I'm not embarking on a frustrating journey. 
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

b15erk

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2018, 10:56:34 AM »
Oh Acorn, how very  disappointing! 

Trading Standards are usually helpful about matters like this.  Try their website.  A machine has to be fit for purpose, or why would you buy it?

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

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Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2018, 12:01:41 PM »
Seller usually handles the guaratee from producer, at least around here. Part of it is formality, part of it is who shall pay for the replacement, repair or refund. Refund is always much harder to get. I guess UK isn't that far from EU regulations yet? What's EU and what's local regulations I don't know, I think they sort of sync up the different national regulations to a common EU standard. Eitherway, you know this just as well as I do. Did you buy the machine from a real store or from the web.




Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2018, 15:34:46 PM »
The Sale of Goods Act is very straightforward.  If an item develops a fault within the first 6 months it is deemed to have ben unfit for purpose when it was sold, and the buyer is therefore entitled to a refund or repair, and it is the seller's responsibility to comply with this.

Legally the position is extremely clear.  Getting a seller to comply is another matter, but as they do have good feedback there is some cause for hope.  They are a long-established company that now trades through Ebay, but that makes no difference.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

arrow

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2018, 20:44:29 PM »
I would not start to worry before I contacted them, in most cases things work out. I would at last wait until they gave you some kind of refuse. Skipped stitches is very common regardless of cause it's usually sorted out. Unless the Oekaki has very flimsy build, I wouldn't worry too much. In commercials they brag somerthing awful about the Oekaki; very powerful motor, handles all sorts of material and laods of features and built in functions. You have to keep us updated on your experience on this model. I have to add, the Toyota Jeans model wasn't as impressive as the commercial, but I am used to various kinds of sewing machines.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2018, 20:46:41 PM by arrow »

Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2018, 12:05:06 PM »
No good news.   :(  The seller wants me to get a quote for repairing the machine and says he will give me a partial refund, but there is no way I can do this.  Toyota say it needs to be returned and replaced, and anyway nobody is going to give me a reliable quote without seeing the machine, and I cannot find anybody who repairs Toyota machines any closer than Somerset.   

The law says that after 30 days the seller is entitled to make one attempt at repairing it, and if this fails they must then give a full refund.  It is not down to me to do anything other than box it up properly and hand it over to a prearranged courier.

I have contacted Ebay directly.

 :(
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

b15erk

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2018, 12:28:45 PM »
Oh Acorn, what a problem!  It doesn't sound as if anyone is being helpful...

I think Fran's idea is probably the best one.

Not an ideal situation though.  Does it leave you without a SM?

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

arrow

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2018, 13:54:28 PM »
I spotted a red Oekaki in the large Supermarked yesterday, it went for about the equivalent for £460 (spot on in the google currency converter this minute). How fancy are the functions on it?

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Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2018, 14:44:42 PM »
I've seen the sort of one-stitch-at-a-time freemotion tacking in a video, what I missed was the fancy pedal function. In free motion some have this fantastic technique with just the straight stitch hand hand movements. Some follow a drawn line on the fabric, others sort of draw freely from the needle and thread.

Machines in a large supermarket (or is it call hypermarket?) aren't set up for test sewing, so I didn't get a feel for anything on the Oekaki. The offer was good though, at least for my area. Online purchases can be cumbersome later on. Large stores are usually good with guarantees and returns as long as you keep the receipt.

Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2018, 15:07:25 PM »
Is it not possible to return the machine to Toyota via courier and then get the seller to refund the cost of that courier?
Unfortunately my guarantee is with the seller, not with Toyota, and the seller says his guarantee was only for 14 days.  Legally he doesn't have a leg to stand on - a new item has to be fit for purpose for at least 6 months - but I don't have any recourse directly with Toyota.  I'm not prepared to take on more expense without any guarantee that he will pay anything, and I certainly don't want to let the machine out of my possession without any certainty as to what is happening.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Skipping Stitches
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2018, 15:30:19 PM »
Yes I did pay with Paypal, and I have just contacted Ebay directly.  Should I contact Paypal as well, do you think?

@b15erk Fortunately I have two other machines (and my Featherweight).  This was going to be a good strong workhorse to add to the stable.  I think it would do very well as that if it didn't skip so many stitches!  It is wonderfully solid, and on the one type of fabric where it didn't skip the stitching was lovely.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.