The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Sewing Machines => Topic started by: Lowena on February 22, 2019, 15:00:22 PM
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Had my 3yr old Brother Innovis 1800q serviced...£75.
Got it back ... wound 2 bobbins and found it wouldn't wind any more.
Took it back - they said it was my fault He had to strip it right down to get rid of thread wound right down in the machine's innards, caught it just before it did permanent damage
After winding 2 bobbins!!!!!!!!??
Took him 40mins to sort out.....but........ they didn't charge me..wtf??
Makes me wonder whether winding 2 bobbins really could / did do all that damage -<
Now I know why I never touch my machine except to rethread and change needles.........
It's a shame - it's a whizz and will do lots of things I'm afraid to attempt :|
OH says I should go on their "get to know your machine" course but I can't bring myself to do it. I hate being told or shown what to do. They say doctors make terrible patients...in the same way teachers ( was one for 35yrs ) make dreadful pupils :|
Hey ho....straight stitch on default settings it is then :|
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I would say they didnt charge you because they didnt service it properly and sort the mess out before.
Winding two bobbins??? Im assuming there was thread on the bobbins after you wound them ???
Can anyone recommend a good Sewing machine Shop with a service centre or a sewing machine repair man (whom they know is not a charlatan) to Lowena in the Norfolk area?????
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Lowena, I'm tempted to hop onto a train to Cornwall and come to talk you through your machine. They do such wonderful things, it's a shame you're missing out. What did you teach?
P.S. not to worry, I haven't time or money to come down really 0_0
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I'd love you to come down @toileandtrouble <3
I was a Primary school teacher latterly Head Teacher and my specialisation was English and Multicultural education.
P.S. My OH says you cant teach me anything....I'm a lousy pupil :|
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Don't worry Lowena when you come to Norfolk I can come and help you with your machine <3
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Can anyone recommend a good Sewing machine Shop with a service centre or a sewing machine repair man (whom they know is not a charlatan) to Lowena in the Norfolk area?????
Steve from Sewing Machine World (http://www.sewingmachineworldonline.co.uk/content/about-us) in King’s Lynn used to be very helpful on the old forum.
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Oh dear @Lowena It’s a great machine. Such a shame you won’t do the get to know your sewing machine course. You would get quite a lot out of it.
As someone who deals with people and their machines all day I can assure you it is possible to make a mess of bobbin winding and get this result. My heart sinks when I have to deal with a textile teacher as they frequently have no idea at all! My boss has to go out and thread up overlockers when the thread breaks. :[. And more than once I have been told 'of course I haven’t changed the needle, it hasn’t broken'. :o. Then there are the older ladies who have been sewing for years and obviously know what they’re doing, so it has to be the machine that's faulty. ( Arogant voice). Till we use it and it runs fine! Mmmmm, try putting the bobbin in the right way round, maybe??
These machines aren’t cheap, so to make the most of them you need a little education. Time to be a pupil. :)
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Eek @Ohsewsimple no way! I'd absolutely hate it. I could never go on a course or to a workshop of any description. I'd expect to excel and be terribly upset when I was completely drossy :|
I haven't the confidence to try anything with my machine as the only other time I tried to clean it I couldn't get the plates back and had to take it to the shop... mortification!!! ( they're so condescending ) I daren't change feet or settings in case I break it. I've had it over 3 years but only use one stitch, the same foot and default settings. I'm too old to change now :(
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I changed the foot Low, do you not remember?
To an applique foot when I appliqued that Red L onto the green ... or was it a green L onto the red ???
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I know you changed the foot @Iminei but you're cleverer, braver and more confident than me....... I can't have you over everytime I want to try something new...more's the pity :ninja:
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Steve from Sewing Machine World (http://www.sewingmachineworldonline.co.uk/content/about-us) in King’s Lynn used to be very helpful on the old forum.
I second him! I have had machines from him, both new and second-hand - and others I have purchased from flea bay and him service them - he even came to my house to sort one of them out - The centre itself is great (a mini-industrial unit with plenty of parking) so well worth a go!
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Eek @Ohsewsimple no way! I'd absolutely hate it. I could never go on a course or to a workshop of any description. I'd expect to excel and be terribly upset when I was completely drossy :|
I haven't the confidence to try anything with my machine as the only other time I tried to clean it I couldn't get the plates back and had to take it to the shop... mortification!!! ( they're so condescending ) I daren't change feet or settings in case I break it. I've had it over 3 years but only use one stitch, the same foot and default settings. I'm too old to change now :(
Such a shame. I get where you’re coming from. And terrible that the people at the shop are condescending. After all, not everyone knows how to work these things. We always like to help and teach people because we hate selling machines that can’t be used.
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@StitchinTime and @KayK Kings Lynn will be a whopping 70 miles from where I'll be living :S but thanks for the tip.
I'm about to embark on winding more bobbins... wish me luck ( cos I won't dare take it back if I bu**er it up ) :ninja:
I don't suppose they thought they were being condescending, to be fair..... I can be very touchy if I'm less than perfect :|
which is why I won't go on courses :|
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@Lowena Good luck with bobbins. Keep an eye on the thread and make sure it doesn’t “fall off” the bottom of the bobbin and into the depths of the machine.
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What I found when I first wound a bobbin on Elvis (Brother) was that it came out terribly springy and soft ...
I chucked it (Do you remember girls?) and tried again after watching a youtube vid and found the markings on the bobbins path were not very well explained!
You really had to check and ensure that the thread ran through the tension discs to get a properly wound bobbin....
if I remember when I visited I thought your bobbin (at the time) was quite soft and springy ... Check that the thread really does get in between the tension thingmy (wherever that might be on your machine) @Lowena
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Lowena you can take your machine to Wroxham for Steve to pick up.which is only 8 miles from us
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Sorted out the bobbin winding, and the stitch length for piecing :)
No it's making tight stitches and puckering / tangling the thread at the back :angry:
I'm hating it :angry:
I bought new, very expensive thread ( Superior ) and new, very expensive needles ( Superior ) to go with my newly serviced machine ( my machine won't tolerate Guttermans )
I'm thinking of selling my stuff and giving up altogether :'( I hate it all :'(
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Noooo you can’t give up
I often find when a machine gets fiddled with it often causes other things to go wrong but all can be sorted
It’s a shame that your particular mr fix-it is far away would he do a home visit?
Having said that (and I hope I’m not teaching granny to suck eggs here) a simple thing such as new needle not put in properly or a blunt one can cause what you describe try doing it again
Xxx
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Oh dear, @Lowena. Breathe deeply and count to ten.
Tangled thread at the back is usually a sign that all is not well with the the upper thread. Unthread it and rethread it (with the foot up) checking that none of the guides have been missed and that the thread sits nicely between the tension discs.
The tight stitches and puckering might be if the thread can't run off the reel freely. Is there a notch on the rim of the new reels that might be catching the thread?
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@Lowena Even after all this time, I can still do something silly, like not putting the thread through the take up lever or catching the thread on the edge of the reel. (and I can put the bobbin upside down) When something has been done so often, we just assume we must have done it right. As has been said, unthread and start from scratch, check the manual if necessary. Pretty sure you'll have it sussed by the time you read this. Onwards and upwards!
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Thank you both... I haven't been near the machine...I hate it atm :angry: Perhaps later.... or perhaps never :devil:
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@Lowena , I feel your pain.
I recently bought a second hand overlocker and had no end of trouble getting to grips with it. Poor Ploshkin got almost daily waily emails from me and did a lot of thinking and suggesting. Like you, I used to be a teacher and was used to being the one who knows things.
The sewing machine chap came back twice to sort out my woes and was very nice about it and didn't charge me. Both times it was me being fairly stupid that had caused the problem -< I was on the verge of getting rid of the machine and even now, I'm wary about approaching it. Unlike you, though, I would gladly go on a course if I could find one!
Hope you have more success soon.
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...I bought new, very expensive thread ( Superior ) and new, very expensive needles ( Superior ) to go with my newly serviced machine ( my machine won't tolerate Guttermans )
I'cw mentioned it before, but for me Gütermann thread has turned out the be the most even quality and trouble free of them all (sew-all polyester). I've had the top stitch and extra strength threads too and it is high quality. I have their cotton thread as well. The polyester threads leaves much less dust than any other brands. I like most mercerised cotton threads though and I'm not that picky, neither are my machines.
Do you have a simple straight stitcher or other machine for backup? Sometimes it can be the machine, not ideal for some types of work. The odd thing is the Gütermann thread, at least sew-all polyester. It's common for a machine not to accept top stitch threads that well; some need a special bobbin case for it.
You have to check the bobbin tension when switching to a new thread, they are all different, weight, thickness, smoothness. I guess your Innovis has auto tension for the upper thread?
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Do you have a simple straight stitcher or other machine for backup?
Don't be silly - Lowena would never have anything second hand or anything that would clutter up her pristine work space. One machine is her limit! :devil:
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@BrendaP is totally correct @arrow, I cannot understand why anyone would have more than one machine ( or any other piece of kit ) If I can't use my machine for any reason, I hand sew or do something else :)
As for Gutterman's thread, I only do patchwork and quilting so only use 100% cotton thread to go with the fabric, so their "sew all" does not come into the equation.
I think my macine has auto tension, but as I'm scared to touch anything... I take my chances 0_0
Thanks for your thoughts :)
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Is there anyone on here who lives near you and could come and give you a few pointers?
You have a lovely machine and it’s a shame not to use it properly. I’m a bit too far away :) or I’d do it myself.
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Thanks @Ohsewsimple I must admit to cringing at the thought. I am a terrible pupil. I hate anyone with me when I do things. I hated learning to drive and even as a child, learning to swim. I cannot bear being told / shown what to do and then having to do it. I expect to be perfect instantly.
@Iminei came when the machine was fairly new and tried her best, bless her <3 but I'm sure she'll agree that I would n't have a go at anything in front of her and resented being shown how things worked. :|
That is why I'll never join a class, workshop or group........ dreadful admission I know, but I'm afraid my machine will be on default settings, the foot it came with and one running stitch used for the forseeable future :|
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I will be near Lowena when she moves to Norfolk
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:o :o :o :o :o
I have messaged you on FB @Stitches :flower:
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Can you try working from an instruction book? That way no one can see what you are doing.
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Maybe set up a screen and Stitches can sit behind it, gently giving encouragement?
Or. Get out the manual Woman. Read it, like a book or magazine. Take it to the machine and read it again, slowly, touching the parts as it tells you about them. Then, get out some fabrics, basic stuff, quilt cotton scraps are good. Sew. Practice stitches, stitch lengths, and dare I suggest it, needle positions. Put feet on, take them off. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I was terrified of my newest machine, my first ever computerized and with an embroidery module to boot. I took my time, did what I suggested above and over the course of a week or so we got to know each other. I also keep the manual handy and use it often.
Ninety percent of my sewing is done with the default straight stitch and basic foot. It would be useful if you could just get comfortable with the zigzag too.
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@...arrow, I cannot understand why anyone would have more than one machine ( or any other piece of kit ) If I can't use my machine for any reason, I hand sew or do something else :)
As for Gutterman's thread, I only do patchwork and quilting so only use 100% cotton...
My favorite machine is a straight stitch cast iron vintage machine. It's in a small table and I swear it's a joy to work on and not comparable with any fancy new model. I need a free arm too, with zigzag and some practical stitch patterns. For me they are minimum of what I need, and I'm sometimes thinking of an overlocker, but so far I have done fine. I guess the sew all polyester is mostly for the strength and I mostly use it for clothes, much the same for top stitch weights too. For adjusting bobbin tension, you should just get a second bobbin case to play around with and keep the original untouched. The upper tension might be auto, but sometimes needs a bit of tweaking for special threads (which might mean anything else than medium sew all weights).
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@Lowena my new machine has a default tension. If I change the tension it will automatically return to the default when the machine is switched off so it's impossible to upset anything by changing it. I daresay yours is the same.
I've had the machine for several months now but still get the manual out when I wind a bobbin - it's not complicated but I'm never convinced I've got it right.
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I have several machines and have to teach lots of people to use different machines BUT I always use to suffer from lack of patience when at home and sewing just for me, if the machine even hiccuped that was me grumpy and walking away.
I then bought a dedicated straight stitch machine and my life changed immediately, now if I can’t do it with my Overlockers and straight stitch machine I tend to put it off, sometimes indefinitely.
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Then, get out some fabrics, basic stuff, quilt cotton scraps are good.
Lowena doesn't have any scraps! She just bins everything that's left over from a project. :devil: :devil:
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I have read the manual ( I always read manuals ) several times, from cover to cover.
@BrendaP is quite right, I can no more see why people would keep scraps than i can see why they'd have a second machine :P Each to their own I say :angel:
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...I can no more see why people would keep scraps than i can see why they'd have a second machine :P Each to their own I say :angel:
I thought scraps were half the point with quilting? Either way, one machine for your purpose is doable, but you probably have to spend more money on it and do a bit of research to make sure it meets your requirements.
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Not at all @arrow I buy new for each project ,make said item and discard the excess ;) simples :ninja:
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Not at all @arrow I buy new for each project ,make said item and discard the excess ;) simples :ninja:
It's fine with me, when do you discard the Innovis and get something better? How large pieces do you discard then? I've seen small squares of quilting fabric sold on ebay, brand new, but only one square. I have some times kept meters of fabric on a roll, on a shelf for years. The only thing I have now are meters of taffeta silk, not sure what to do with it. I like to have a box of material on hand.
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@arrow It depends on the shape of the leftover pieces. I usually keep pieces bigger than a fat 1/8th and donate the smaller pieces to the fabric recycling bin at the Municipal Tip.
I don't give them to schools because when I was a Head, we were inundated with craft stuff offloaded by well meaning people and it was a pain to store and rarely got used ( don't get me started on the restrictive nature of the National Curriculum :angry: )
The sewing machine I have will see me out as I am quite ancient :D
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Scraps - I use them to stuff draught excluders (like long sausages) to sit snugly behind my outside doors. I also add cut up worn out clothing.