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Janome 1200D coverstitch problems skipped stitches and tunneling
Jenerator Intermediate AUSTRALIA Member since 12/13/02 Posts: 18	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 11/15/12 7:49 PM Trying to hem a tshirting fabric dress using my 1200D coverstitch. Stitches keep skipping and I'm getting some seriously fugly tunneling between the two lines of stitches. 1. What's the best way to quickly unpick all that work and 2. What can I do to prevent the tunneling? I spoke to the Janome technicican guy and his only advice (after I confirmed I'm using the right needles) was to try changing to a more expensive brand of overlocker thread, but he couldn't suggest where I should be buying it. Useful? not really. The right hand thread seemed to break often, so I lowered the tension on that to the lowest number, and this seems to be fixed, but I still can't stop the stitch-skipping or tunneling! Help!
sewsally   Intermediate WA USA Member since 8/18/02 Posts: 1200	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 11/15/12 7:52 PM New needle and lower the looper tension. You may have the thread caught somewhere so rethread. -- Edited on 11/15/12 7:52 PM --
sew2006 Advanced ON CANADA Member since 6/24/06 Posts: 1704	Login to reply to this post In reply to Jenerator << Like this post Date: 11/15/12 9:30 PM The thread that's breaking: check that it's threaded properly with the pressure foot up. The thread shouldn't feel tight with the foot up, if it does it snuck in somewhere it shoudn't be. Check that all needles are inserted all the way up. What kind of fabric are you using? If the fabric is very thin use the 2 needle narrow cover stitch, fold under the fabric an extra fold or use all 3 needles. You can also use Wolly nylon the the chain looper with lower tension. That's the brown dial inside of door furthest right. Also, make sure that you have selected the program for ths cover stitch you are doing. That's how the machine auto sets tensions as a starting point. ------ Janome10001, Babylock ESG3, Brother ULT 2001, White 634D serger, Pfaff 1472, Singer featherweight, Singer 14T957Dc, Bernina FunLock 009DCC coverlock, Brother PQ1500S, Janome CP900.
deesews   Intermediate CA USA Member since 9/24/08 Posts: 133	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 11/16/12 0:39 AM 1. If the material is thin, be sure to use needles that are close together. 2. Be sure all needles are sewing on the same thickness. That is, that all needles are sewing on the hem, and not just on the single thickness of the tee above the hem. 3. You can get a great result by ironing up the hem with Washaway Wonder Tape by Dritz. It's an extra step, but what a nice hem it makes!
beauturbo Advanced CA USA Member since 5/2/09 Posts: 1443	Login to reply to this post In reply to Jenerator << Like this post Date: 11/16/12 6:27 AM I don't sew on a Janome 1200D, but I do sew sometimes on the elna equivalent machine, which actually even existed first. If your right, recommended needles for coverstitch happened to be system EL 705 ones, in a size 12 or 14, then I'm not sure what is happening with you there. But, if per chance that was not the recommended ones, then I think you should at least just try those instead, and things might get better and a whole lot less skipped stitches. I don't know what would be considered "bad serger thread" but I'm kind of partial to Maxi Lock myself. But you don't even have to use only serger thread, you could even use regular garment sewing thread instead. If you got a lot of tunneling going on, I think you got your tension a bit too tight on that bottom looper thread, so maybe loosen that one up a bit, just for that particular fabric/garment.
Judy Kski   Intermediate FL USA Member since 10/26/08 Posts: 1018	Login to reply to this post In reply to deesews << Like this post Date: 11/16/12 11:24 PM I agree totally with #3. I always use either 1/4" Wash Away Wonder Tape or 7/8" Heat-N-Bond Lite (comes in other sizes) to hold the hems in place prior to coverstitching on my Janome 1000CP. Either of these two also provides stabilization for the stitching. Skipped stitches are usually needle-related when doing CS. I second the recommendation for EL x 705 needles. I use sewing machine thread for CS. Maxi-Lock is a lighter thread than SM thread, designed to weigh less on your seam finishes. However, I have read about many who say they use Maxi-Lock for CSing. I have a lot of Maxi-Lock colors so I'd probably use it if the color matched. I just don't know how strong it would be compared to regular SM thread. -- Edited on 11/16/12 11:29 PM -- ------ Judy

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