Is it bunching as you first start sewing a seam? Try hold the bobbin thread and the top thread lightly when you first start your seam.

You ask "What is the point of the bobbin thread?" If you look at how the stitch is made, you'll see that the bobbin and top thread are interconnected, without a bobbin thread, you don't have a stitch. Check out the link below to see how a machine makes the stitch. It's pretty cool.

Are you bringing the bobbin thread to the surface before trying to sew? To do this, manually turn the wheel on the end of the machine so that the needle drops down into the bobbin race, while holding onto the tail of top thread. Bring the needle back up so that it's as high as it will go. Now pull on the tail of the top thread and it should bring up a loop of the bobbin thread. Pull up the loop so that the tail of the bobbin thread is up. As Marion said, you need to hold onto these tails when you start your seam, or the bobbin thread will get pulled down into the bobbin again and cause the snarling that you are having.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Sewing machine stitch

When I have the thread bunching underneath, it is usually the upper tension that needs tweaking. Also, be sure that your needle is the right size and nice and sharp. A dull needle can really gum up the works. Good luck. If all these suggestions don't work, be sure to post back.

When mine has done that it usually has lint under the bobbin case. Have you cleaned under and around the bobbin?

Just a thought.

Nanci

Make sure your bobbin is feeding off in the right direction.

I have just recently learned this and feel so stupid. When you are threading your machine, make sure the needle and the presser foot are both in the up position. I am betting that would fix your problem.

I use to have this problem often. [sorry for the simplicity of this answer but it works for me] the needle goes up and down, when it starts it downward motion stop. this should be the position of the needle when you start to sew. hope this helps paula

Hi - I don't post here very often , but the question caught my attention coz the same thing happened to me last week & it was due to some very cheap, thin thread - the '10 for a dollar' kind you see in bins @ the stores.

FWIW

I had it happen because the thread in my bobbin was cheap and fuzzy. the newer threads are smoother and work better. All of the above reasons for bobbin snarling have happened to me. You could also check the bobbin tension if you have that on your machine. It happened to me.

My thread is also bunching under the bobbin plate. Ive threaded the machine and the bobbin correctly with sturdy thread, presser foot up with a sharp needle in its correct position. Ive dusted, oiled and read the manual. I'm able to bring the bobbin thread up with the main thread to start stitching but if i continue with the hand wheel it gets caught up under the plate, around the moving case that the machine uses to hold the bobbin itself. If i keep going the case gets pulled upwards by the bobbin thread that is still in its groove. i think its time to take it in. i was doing some industrial sewing when this problem began.

Hi I realise this is 4 years later, I am having the exact same problem you have described with my janome sew mini and have done everything you described too. I was wondering if you ever found a solution to the problem?

When the bottom and upper threads have been properly positioned to start stitching, yet bunching still happens, its usually one of the thread tensioners is too loose. The upper tensioner is obvious to see but the bottom (bobbin) is not so obvious. There is a flat spring on the bobbin holder that the thread slips under after stitching begins. it is held down by a screw and this screw adjusts the tightness of the spring - too tight, the thread may break or flex the needle out of place; too loose, thread bunches and the stitch is improper with the bottom thread pulling up to the top of the work piece and the top thread not tightly bound. Follow the adjustment instruction in the manual that came with the machine.

Well, after searching diligently, following all instructions on here and everywhere else, I finally fixed the problem with my mother's 1955 Singer that was bunching up under the plate. The top thread was catching under the top lip of the bobbin when making a swoop. Simple pliers to bend the upper edge of the bobbin down just a bit. Would make a few clean passes, but then would catch of a small groove on the top of the bobbin. Took a Drummel file and filed it smooth. I have wasted about 1/2 a spool of thread getting to this point, but was finally able to sew a straight line with no bunching. Poor quality bobbins,(even though they say Singer brand) or it may be that older machines are just more precise in requirements.

Ugh.. my bobbin fix did not last long. Something is still causing the top thread to get caught up around the bobbin. The thread catches the casing or bobbin instead of going around/across.

Perhaps something is keeping the case from seating properly, or the whole bobbin mechanism is loose?

Update: Machine is now working fine. Things I have learned in the last week: 1) Singer machines made prior to 1960ish do not use standard bobbins that are currently sold. I was right that they were slightly curved. Straight ones will catch the thread going across. Also, the entire box of the ones I bought had a rough spot on the top side. So, bending and filing helped a great deal. 2) Everyone says flat to the back, but my Singer manual said the groove of the needle must be toward the front. Since the grove and flat side are on the same side, flat had to go to the front. 3) Old thread, even new bargain thread from Wal-Mart will cause problems. Toss it. 4) The best thing to do is open the plate, place a tiny piece of material and sew it by hand turning the wheel. You will discover where the problem is occurring. After everything else, I discovered my bobbin casing had a slight rough spot that was catching the thread. Could not see it, but fingernail could feel it. Carefully and lightly filed it down with Drummel and machine purred from then on! 5) If your machine makes a sound about every six stitch or so, there is likely a rough spot somewhere. Every time that sound changes, the thread on the machine can get out of place. Even if you know you threaded the machine properly, it can jump and twist. Check and re-thread again.

One more! Adjust the pressure foot depending on thickness of what you are sewing. Several layers need a lighter pressure.

Machine and bobbin are correctly in place. My prob is bunching. I manually turned the wheel on r/s of machine for a couple of turns and with the bobbin exposed, I could see the upper thread crossing over bobbin face, then machine locked. When I lifted the presser foot, there was upper thread bunched. Same thread top &bottom. Any advise?

Hello I know it's almost a year since your comment "merrywido1" did you get this fixed. I read all the comments and tried it all but it's still bundling under the plate. It was working fine (almost finished my project) then.... rattle / bundle.. help!!

WERMC ...

1. Check the bobbin area for chunks of lint or scraps of material.

2. Check the needle - if you sewed over a pin or thick seam and bent the tip it can screw with the stitching.

3. Make sure the bobbin is fully inserted into the holder, in the right direction, and the holder correctly inserted in the machin.

4. Make sure the needle is big enough for the material. Often it's OK on plain seams but when you start assembling and crossing seams the needle is too skinny and the thread doesn't catch properly.

I have taken to using my mother's old Singer rocketeer machine and it it the finest bit of stuff the Singer ever made, in my opinion. I would not give you a nickel for a Singer after mid century.

But, I have recently begun to have a problem like this on my machine. I am beginning to think that it may be a timing problem.

And, the bobbins that are sold as 66 bobbins in the fabric store are no good for this old machine. I had to go to a machine repair shop to get new ones.

ihave 96-10 sin 1936yr top thread topthrear catching on bobbin time 5 catching no stitch