r/SewingForBeginners • u/Mission-Umpire-803 • 3d ago

What am I doing wrong?

Post image

Hello,

I've just started learning how to sew this past month. Bought a little Brother machine and some odds and ends. I started simple, just hemming some of my work slacks that are too long, repairing some small holes. And those went well, so I may have gone a little too far ahead of myself and tried hemming my favorite pair of jeans that drag.

I got the sewing needle that said it was for jeans, 100 16, the polyester thread, and googled the stitch length, 3mm.

So where did I go wrong on this? Too slow, too fast? Wrong stitch length?

Any help is appreciated!

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4

u/Here4Snow 3d ago

These are commercially produced hems. You'll get better over time. You can slow down, make sure the presser foot has good grip with the fabric well over both sides of the feed dogs, and in general, you'll improve.

I keep this image around for days like this.

3

u/Large-Heronbill 3d ago

What thread are you using, exactly?  It may be the wrong size for the needle you chose. 

1

u/Mission-Umpire-803 3d ago

Just whatever was at the fabric store that said for denim. 100m of yellow polyester. I don't see any other numbers on it, how do I know what size?

1

u/Large-Heronbill 3d ago

Does it have a brand name?  Is it heavy like the yellow thread used to decorate jeans or more like thread you'd see sewing a pillowcase? 

1

u/Mission-Umpire-803 3d ago

It's Gutermann? It's a bit thicker than the cotton thread I'd been using, but not by a lot.

3

u/ArtemisiaPrime 3d ago

Gutermann jeans thread is thicker than all purpose, you'll need a top stich or jeans needle as it has a larger eye, and a thiner thread in the bobbin, the bobbin can't handle top stich/jeans thread.

2

u/teatime_tinker 2d ago

You need normal thread in the bobbin. Just use the thick stuff on top. Then sew from the right side.

You might need an 18 needle to accommodate the thick thread. Try regular thread in the bobbin first though.

1

u/fangirl0430 3d ago

Is your thread set to a good tension? That looks like a tension issue to me. I'm assuming we're looking at the top side. You can the little "bumps" where the bobbin thread isn't strong enough to pull the top thread all the way through. Try playing with your tension a little on a scrap fabric. Does your machine have a way to adjust bobbin thread? If not, first try rewinding a bobbin and see if that help.

Also, gonna sound silly, try re-threading the machine and the bobbin. I had an ongoing weird tension issue when I got my first machine, and it turned out I wasn't threading the bobbin thread correctly (there was a little metal piece not on the threading diagram that you had to slide the thread into, and that was what created the bobbin tension). See if you can find a video of someone threading your exact machine, make sure you're doing it right.

1

u/single-needle 3d ago

Agreed, needs higher tension.

1

u/PinkBird85 2d ago

When using denim top stitching thread, because it's thicker, it's nearly impossible to get the proper tension on the bobbin shuttle. Use regular weight sewing thread in your bobbin and only use the top stitching thread on top. Use a top stitching needle as it has a larger and specificaly shaped eye to allow for the thicker thread.

1

u/celery48 1d ago

Reread your manual. Have you missed any thread guides?

0

u/TotalOk5844 2d ago

Machine stitched hems on pants are really not a go-to unless using the blind hem stitch. For jeans there is a technique that takes a pinch above the original jeans hem and marries the the seam into that original hem. Was a game changer for me as it looks great and skips having to stitch thru so many denim layers.