Journey Lubbock

Kenmore sewing machine issue?

My Kenmore sewing machine model 385.15212 hasnt been working properly for a week or so. It does not sew straight, smooth lines anymore. It sews gigantic knots in place of the smooth line. I am beginning to believe there is an issue with the bobbin. I have been using this machine for 2 years and I am doing nothing different, I am threading the bobbin the same as I always have, and it has always worked until now. I have readjusted the settings on the machine time and time again, and yet it still fails to work properly. Sometimes the bobbin thread wont even attach itself to the thread from the needle when going through 1 layer of fabric. Any idea whats going on, or suggestions?

Time for a good clean and oil fest.

Remove all thread from the machine — yup, off the spool pins, take the bobbin out. Find the manual for the machine.

Remove the needle and toss it.

Using your lint brush and vacuum cleaner (not canned air) evict all the dust bunnies from around the bobbin case, under the feed dogs, under the needleplate, and anyplace else you can get to reasonably well. Make sure you’ve got all the spots specified in the manual cleaned out. Oil according to the manual’s recommendation, using only sewing machine oil (not 3 in 1 oil, extra virgin olive oil or motor oil, all of which I have seen clogging poor defenseless sewing machines.) Sewing machine oil is available in almost any fabric store, and in any sewing machine shop. An ounce is a lifetime supply for most people.

Use a fold of cotton muslin (a fold of bandanna, the edge of a pillowcase) moistened with rubbing alcohol to “floss” the upper tension disks.

Next, inspect the bobbin you’ve just taken off. Is it wound evenly, or are there loops and lumps and soft spots? If any of these conditions exist, strip off the bobbin thread, and, following your manual, wind a new bobbin, speed constant and medium.

Again, following the manual, insert a new needle, making sure it’s turned in the correct orientation (backwards needles don’t sew well!) and rethread from scratch. Do not rely on memory for this — check your manual.

Now test your machine on a folded scrap of fabric.

If that doesn’t cure it, you’ve probably got bigger problems than you can fix at home… but a good cleaning, oiling, new needle, rethreading sequence fixes many, many sewing problems.

Vintage ORIGINAL Instruction Manual for Sears/Kenmore Model 1803 Zig Zag Sewing Machine Authentic vintage Sears/Kenmore Instruction Manual. Plastic comb bound with covers. It has information on the built in stitches, the buttonhole attachment and a parts list with illustrations as well as illustrations of the stitches that it produces. It also has basic information, cleaning and oiling and some trouble shooting information….