One Or Two Top Stitches Always Come Through The Bottom..

[Jbatman]

I'm sewing collars- I'll get my tension what seems to be dialed in correctly but when I run the stretch of the entire collar there 7/10 times will be one or two top stitches coming through the bottom. On a natural calfskin lining with a black topstitch it becomes pretty noticeable. Does anyone else encounter this issue and does anyone have any tips or techniques to either fix the issue or cover it up ie a dab of matching paint etc. I'm using 138 nylon/832 sajou cable on the top and 70 nylon on the bottom. I'll attach a photo where you see the little black stitch coming through.

Thanks!

Joe

Edited September 11, 2014 by Jbatman

[ABC3]

what kind of sewing machine are you using ?

[Jbatman]

what kind of sewing machine are you using ?

I knew that was coming , its a juki 8700H, needle size is 22/140, I know it's not the best for leather but its what I have. For what it's worth it goes through our material like butter but we're also using double milled 4oz veg tan + 3-4oz top leather.

[ABC3]

Jbatman;

Can't help you on that one but if I were you, I would call Steve @ Cobra Sewing Machines. He's the "go to" man with problems on sewing. He's a Forum Sponsor here.

Good luck.

[Jbatman]

Jbatman;

Can't help you on that one but if I were you, I would call Steve @ Cobra Sewing Machines. He's the "go to" man with problems on sewing. He's a Forum Sponsor here.

Good luck.

Thanks ABC3, I'm wondering if a size 23 needle would help at all since the hole would be bigger and the top thread would have a hair easier time getting pulled back up?

[JLSleather]

Might try it on scrap first (instead of turning a project INTO scrap - which I've already done for you!). A larger needle may help, but I think the 22/#138 combo you're using should be fine. More likely you have a piece of material with inconsistent firmness.

[Jbatman]

Might try it on scrap first (instead of turning a project INTO scrap - which I've already done for you!). A larger needle may help, but I think the 22/#138 combo you're using should be fine. More likely you have a piece of material with inconsistent firmness.

That's the frustrating thing ha...I use scrap of the project prior to get the tension right and then move on the the project. The scrap may be 4"-6" and it will come out perfect, but when I run the length of a 22" collar there will be one or two of those top stitches coming through. Frustrating it is. I've tried pushing it back in with a blunt awl etc and it seems to fight pretty hard. Seems like this may be an exercise in futility.

[JLSleather]

Two other things you might check ... the darker threads may at times tend to be a bit stiff (due to the dye), which can affect 'stuff'. I've had black spools that I set off to use for hand stitching cuz it SURE wadn't goin thru the machine (though white, red, and brown worked just fine at the same settings). Also, the TWIST. Went through that recently with some dark brown #138 thread. It was the right DIRECTION of twist, but didn't want to uncoil smoothly. Finally "figured it out" by cutting about 5 yards off the spool, pulling the 'coil' out of it, re-insert, and then it worked fine (coming off the SAME spool without changing anything else).

Yeah, I know -- not that helpful, right? Sometimes it really is that little simple detail...

[Jbatman]

Thanks JLS I'll take a look at that tonight when I get home. So funny thing...over lunch I went to the local sewing shop and mentioned it there and the gentleman asked me which feed dog I was using so we looked it up and noted that the hole in the feed dog plate was pretty small, so I went ahead and bought a larger plate. I ran home and tested it out along with a few different needles and it seems to have affected the outcome dramatically. I'm going to table this until I have more time tonight to mess with it.

Thanks guys

[silverwingit]

Those holes look huge to me for the size thread you are using. Needle holes need to be sized correctly for the given thread. That way the stitches are tight and the leather itself helps hold the stitches in, much like beeswax does in hand stitching. I'd try downsizing your needles.

Also, a round-pointed needle is not for leather. You should be using diamond-shaped pointed needles for the same reasons that hand stitchers use a diamond-shaped awl. It's also important to ensure that the needle's pitch (right or left) is the right one for your machine and chosen thread.

All bets are off with sewing leather unless you get the thread/needle sizes paired correctly and you use the correct needles for sewing leather. Only then can you begin to hope to set your tensions correctly, and that is your next horizon.

Finally, you might get better response by posting your problem in the sewing machines forum.

Good Luck,

Michelle

[Cobra Steve]

This sounds like a tension problem to me. We will have to re-calibrate both tensions so we can balance them. JLSleather, silverwinget, and ABC3 all have good suggestions as well. If you choose to, you can call me and we will try to get your tensions balanced. Steve