How thick is too thick for a sewing machine?

By Rolly. 19/07/09, 10:51 am

Since I don't have that much experience with sewing machines yet.... how much fabric would be too think, straining the machine, acceptable, and downright absurd?
In combination with the normal needle and thread.

I've been sewing fleece lately... and two layers makes the machine have a machine gun sort of sound. Dunn dunn dunn... ish....
I'm worried I might break my lovely machine or something. ._.
Same with drill... two layers makes it have that machine gun sound as well. Help?

By Pura. 19/07/09, 10:54 am

I think that may be the machine, not the thickness. I know my machine does that sound sometimes. Can't remember how I fixed it though.

By fleyer. 19/07/09, 11:02 am

Probably your machine, though I did break a needle earlier today with 2 layers of interfacing and 6 layers of fabric. >.<
But with a new needle it sewed fine, I'd say don't go over 10 *waits to be proved wrong*

By sakuramiyabi. 19/07/09, 11:42 am

lol i entirely agree XD

i have been working with drill and voile lately ...

drill should be fine if its jsut two layers though there being a sound thats not normal when you sew could possibly be because the needle is already blunt so try changing it 83

voile ... is a pain ... >.> ... it looks lovely ... but its heavy and its a little rough so XP

By Rolly. 19/07/09, 01:01 pm

But my sewing machine it still new. D:

It has only worked for 3 weeks max. D:

Does the needle that is originally on the machine get blunt really quickly, compared to the replacement ones they give to you in the pack? My machine is a Brother BM2600.

By Pura. 19/07/09, 01:03 pm

Heh, my machine I had for a few weeks and it did that. I think it's to do with tension or something (i.e. It's something you can change, but something directly wrong with the machine). Try turning it on and then off again? xD

Hurr, I remember that we have the same sewing machine 8D.

By Rolly. 19/07/09, 01:11 pm

D:

I still suck at changing the tension.

I keep forgetting which dial is which.

Any tips?

By Pura. 19/07/09, 01:13 pm

If it changes nothing, turn the machine on and off 8D.

Most. Iratating. Problem.

That happened to me and I threw a fit. 8D (Took me an hour to solve xD)

But, uh, for tension just read the manual. It helps.

I can't remember if the cluncking noise is from the tension or not though.

By **JVCA**. 19/07/09, 01:16 pm

Does it actually still work other than make the sound?

If so, ignore it. Mine does that too with thick layers, it's just because the needle makes a bigger impact once it gets through the other side, so it makes a bigger noise. Or that's my theory, anyway...

By Grassangel. 19/07/09, 04:05 pm

I'm of the belief that if it's too thick to go under the foot at all, it's probably too thick.
But that sound scares the hell out of me too. I just go REAL slow and make sure my thread is strong enough and my stitch length isn't too short. (I'd check the tension too if I had any idea what so ever which setting I'm supposed to put it on. I just keep it on auto and that seems to work.)

**Guest** Guest

How thick is too thick depends entirely on the machine!!
When I borrowed Jp's little Brother, it threw an utter fit at 6-8 layers of lining fabric/satin combo, whereas I know my Bernina would have gone through that fine. My mum's record with her machine is a quilt made of nappies (those old cotton ones - so sometimes about 6 layers of THICK fabric) sewn together and decorated with at least another layer of cotton and possibly some batting. Caused her no end of trouble, but the machine survived.

By MissEevee. 20/07/09, 05:01 am

sounds like it's fine to me.
my machine makes weird noises when i sew lace for some reason?

but i'd say you're safe with two layers of fleece. (:

By **Duckeh**. 20/07/09, 06:55 am

WHEN A SEWING MACHINE GROANS, IGNORE IT.
WELL... UNTIL IT BREAKS... THEN DON'T...
Or if your nana's standing behind you.
;--------;

Butuhm. Chyeah... I'm not to sure. My sewing machine is old and does what its told without too much protest... OTHERWISE... D8<

**Guest** Guest

If you're sewing through multiple layers of thick fabric, try investing in a walking foot - it's handy for keeping the puckers out of things and keeping moving over thick fabric, as well as stopping the layers from shifting apart as they move through the machine. It works by having built in feed dogs that grip and advance the top layer of fabric in unison with the machine's feed dogs which grip the bottom layer of the fabric to make things easier.

By **Rowan**. 20/07/09, 07:44 am

Might be the needle? I was talking with my dad about if I would be able to sew like four layers of vinyl together (which is toughness of fabric rather than thickness, but the concept shouldn't be too different), and he said I would just need a sharp needle (apparently the normal ones have a 'ball point', so they are not as sharp as they could be).

But yeah, like the others have said, maybe check the tension? My ancient machine likes to change that randomly which causes me grief.

Also I know that once I was having hella trouble sewing something thick, but the reason was that I hadn't tightened the wheel on the side fully after I had loosened it to do a bobbin.

Maybe it also needs to be oiled?

By PIe. 20/07/09, 08:53 am

My machine hates me, it randomly stops sewing and I have had to hand sew/substitute craft glue instead on real sewing so many times its not funny

By Rolly. 20/07/09, 02:09 pm

The machine works fine, it just makes that thick dull thudding sound. O_O

It does scare me.... makes me think that I might break something, or something. So I go real slow.... gonk

Walking foot - I've heard/read of that somewhere.... I shall investigate.

As long as the layers doesn't break my machine... then I'm relieved.

By Pura. 20/07/09, 04:33 pm

Crap. My sewing machine is doing the "lawl, I'm gonna screw up your tension now", and I can't sew. I am screwed.

By Grassangel. 20/07/09, 04:42 pm

Check the thread is done properly? My machine also makes horrible noises and grinds to a halt if the thread slips from where it's supposed to be.

Also, machine "whine" can be a bit alarming if you don't know that it's because you've hit the sweet spot between fast and slow. (I'm good at finding this apparently. I've done it something like three times on different machines.)

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