Have you ever noticed that your Juki sewing machine is skipping stitches? Have you tried opening it up, cleaning and lubricating it, and still the machine continues to skip stitches?
If so, then your problem might be a little more frustrating than you thought. The truth is, it is possible to skip stitches in just about any stitch machine. This article will cover various reasons why this could happen, along with some tips on what to do if they occur to keep your Juki machine working like new.
Why Does My Juki Sewing Machine Skip Stitches?
Skipped stitches in Juki Sewing Machine are mostly a result of your thread not matching with your sewing needle. The wrong needle size, worn-out or damaged needle, incorrect needle position, wrong thread type, damaged bobbin case, and others are common causes of skipped stitches in your sewing.
When you begin to experience skipping stitches in your Juki Sewing Machine, it is annoying and discouraging to deal with the situation or even detect the problem. The most common cause of skipped stitches is the inability of the sewing thread to synchronize with the sewing needle. Let’s take a look at some of these reasons why your Juki Sewing Machine skips stitches:
1. Sewing With A Damaged, Dull, Or Bent Needle
The general rule for using a sewing needle is to use it for about 7 or 8 hours. After that, the needle becomes dull or damaged, losing the capacity to pierce through the fabric.
And if the needle is bent, it hinders the bottom thread from catching with the top thread. These two situations lead to skipped stitches as the needle loses its strength.
2. Sewing With The Wrong Needle Size
The needle size for your sewing is necessary. There are diverse sewing machine needles to match any fabric you’re using, the sizes of the threads, and your Juki Sewing Machine model.
If the wrong needle size is used, it causes your fabric stitches to skip as the needle is either too small or too big to hold the top thread or pierce through the fabric or unable to hook with the bottom thread. For instance, a quilting needle designed to pierce through a fabric will likely cause the stitches to skip when used for sewing.
3. Incorrect Needle Position
If your sewing needle isn’t correctly fixed in the needle bar, it obstructs the bottom thread from syncing with the top thread.
Also, if the needle bar isn’t properly set such that it is placed too low or too high as a result of your adjustment, or probably the needle bar is positioned out of its place due to striking. All these results in skipped stitches.
4. Incorrect Threading And Tension
Threads that are old, faded, or brittle are not ideal for sewing as they tend to break continuously and are unfit to catch with the hook.
Sewing with low-lint thread or the wrong thread size all results in too tight or too low thread tension, thread breakage, and all causing the stitches to skip.
5. Dirt In Your Machine
Some fabrics shed lint a lot and when there is lint build-up and dirt and debris accumulated in your Juki Sewing Machine, it leads to skipped stitches.
When your Sewing Machine is dirty and improperly taken care of, it obstructs the movement of the mechanics and this also causes the stitches to skip.
6. Wrongly Tuned Machine Timer
When the timer on your Juki sewing machine is wrongly tuned or mistuned, the bobbin case hook that ought to catch the top thread in the needle becomes either too late or too early and it misses it. This doesn’t allow the stitch to form properly, and as a result, the stitches skip.
How Do I Stop My Juki Sewing Machine From Skipping Stitches?
It is generally common to experience the issue of skipped stitches but the better service and care maintenance you give your machine, the less frustration you experience.
For the best sewing experiences with no problem of skipped stitches, below are guides to save you from the stress:
- When your sewing needle is worn out, bent, dull, and damaged, replace them: like the general guide of using a sewing needle before it loses its strength is after about 7 or 8 hours of sewing. It is best and ideal to replace the needle once it has reached its limit. Also, replacing your sewing needle after working on a medium-sized material or heavy fabrics is a good idea to save you from the annoying experience of skipped stitches.
- The sewing needle should be the one with the right or correct length. If the needle is too short or too long, it is likely impossible for it to hook properly with the bottom (bobbin) thread.
- Use the right needle size for your work. The proper needle should match the thread and fabric weight. A Ballpoint needle should be used for stretchy materials like jersey, fleece, spandex, etc. A universal or microtex needle should be used for woven fabrics like rayon, linen, cotton, etc., and a sturdy needle for heavy woven fabrics like denim. Make sure you always follow the recommended needle size from the fabric care label or your Juki Sewing Machine manufacturer’s instruction manual.
- Ensure your sewing needle is well seated. It shouldn’t be inserted the wrong way or in the wrong direction, rotating, or loosely attached.
- While sewing, avoid pulling the fabric from the back of your sewing machine while sewing.
- Your sewing machine should be properly cleaned to get rid of lint build-up and shredded fabrics. On a regular and daily basis, always brush your sewing machine with the cleaning brush that comes with it, or get another one. Your Juki Sewing Machine should be regularly oiled after about 10 hours of use to lubricate the machine parts. Check the machine’s manual for the proper guide to cleaning the machine.
- The needle bar should be placed in the right position. Also, the needle seen from the needle bar should not be too high or too low.
What Do I Do If My Juki Sewing Machine Does not Catch With My Sewing Thread?
If your Juki sewing machine does not catch with your thread, it is necessary to unthread and rethread your machine. The bobbin thread should be properly wound to the spool. Do not over-thread the bobbin.
If it is too full, it works in the wrong direction and doesn’t catch with the top thread. Ensure that the thread is properly placed in the tension disc and the wounded spool is positioned correctly on your sewing machine.
If the bobbin isn’t properly fixed, not firm enough to catch, or rotates awkwardly, detach the case and re-insert. Also, if the bobbin case is damaged, it should be replaced immediately.
How Do I Set My Needle Bar In My Juki Sewing Machine?
The needle bar should be properly set. The bobbin case should be removed, then set the needle in a lower position it should go. Look into the bobbin area such that your eye levels with it, then paddle to see that your needle comes down.
The visible part when the needle bar is correctly set is only a small portion of the needle tip. If you’re unfamiliar with the process of positioning your Juki Sewing Machine needle bar, it is best to contact a local servicer to fix it.
Will Sewing Tension In My Juki Sewing Machine Cause Skipped Stitches?
The tension or speed at which you sew should be reduced once the thread begins to break. If the paddling pace is too high, it causes a tight thread tension that results in thread breakage and stitches begin to skip.
If the tension at which you’re sewing is too low, it also causes skipped stitches, and this is because the top thread will be loosely catching the bottom thread, the stitches then become impossible to form. When there is an irregular sewing speed, it creates uneven (too low or too high) tension in your sewing machine.
The pressure foot should be perfectly attached to the needle bar with the needle passing through the center of the hole. For your top and bottom thread, ensure to always choose a glue and residue-free thread to keep your Juki Sewing Machine in a good and long-lasting condition. Also, using a low-lint thread that has been double-gassed is recommended to prevent lint accumulation.
Conclusion
Sewing is meant to be fun and exciting, but when the issue of skipped stitches begins to occur, it becomes frustrating. There are several reasons you’re likely to experience skipped stitches such as needle size, top thread size, improper wounded bobbin thread, the type of fabric, machine debris, and many more.
For a stress-free sewing experience, this article serves as the best guide for you. However, refer to your Juki Sewing Machine Instruction Manual to help understand better. Like every other machine, The Juki Sewing Machine requires a proper maintenance service and is recommended to be taken in once a year for proper and thorough servicing.