Machine Problems

Sewing Machine Skipping Stitches

A sewing machine skipping stitches leaves gaps in the seam where the top thread never locked with the bobbin thread. It looks alarming, but most skipped stitches come from the needle, and a new needle costs very little. This guide explains why a stitch gets skipped, then walks through the fixes in the order that saves the most time.

Why a sewing machine skips stitches

Every lockstitch depends on a tiny moment of timing. As the needle comes back up from its lowest point, the top thread forms a small loop at the back of the needle, just above the eye. The hook underneath sweeps past and catches that loop, wraps it around the bobbin thread, and the stitch locks. If the loop is too small, in the wrong place, or the hook arrives at the wrong moment, the hook misses it. The needle comes up with nothing caught, and you get a skip.

So anything that changes the loop can cause skipping: a bent or dull needle, the wrong needle for the fabric, a needle not pushed all the way up, fabric that lifts with the needle, or thread that drags. Timing is the last thing to suspect, not the first. The WeAllSew guide to skipped stitches from BERNINA shows this loop in close-up photos if you want to see it.

Sewing machine skipping stitches: fixes in order

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1. Put in a brand-new needle

Needles wear faster than most beginners expect. A point can dull or pick up a small burr after a few projects, and a needle that hit a pin can bend so slightly you cannot see it.

Roll the needle on a flat table. If it wobbles, it is bent. Do not test with an old needle from the pin cushion. Use one from a fresh pack.

2. Match the needle to the fabric and thread

Knits are the classic skip case. A sharp universal point can pierce the knit loops and let the fabric flex up with the needle, which ruins the thread loop. A ballpoint or stretch needle pushes between the knit loops instead.

Stretch needles are made for exactly this problem on elastic fabric. For denim and canvas use a jeans needle. For thick topstitching thread, pick a needle with a larger eye, such as a topstitch needle. The sewing needle size chart lists common pairs.

3. Seat the needle correctly

Loosen the clamp, push the needle up until it stops, and tighten it again. On most home machines the flat side of the shank faces the back. A needle that sits even a little low forms its loop below the path of the hook.

4. Re-thread top and bobbin

Raise the presser foot, pull the top thread out, and thread it again along the full path. Check that the thread passes the take-up lever and every guide. Then remove the bobbin and put it back in the right direction. A missed guide changes how the thread feeds and can shrink the loop.

5. Clean the hook area

Unplug the machine. Remove the needle plate and the bobbin case if your manual allows it. Brush out lint from the feed dogs and around the hook. Lint packed under the plate can lift the fabric and disturb how the thread feeds. Oil only where your manual says to, and only if it says to.

6. Slow down and support the fabric

Fast sewing on slippery or stretchy fabric can make the fabric bounce up and down with the needle. Lower your speed. Keep light, even pressure with your hands, and do not pull the fabric through. On very thin fabric, a strip of tear-away stabilizer underneath can stop skipping at once.

7. Book a timing check

If skipping continues after steps 1 to 6, the hook timing may have slipped. This often happens after a hard jam or after the needle struck a pin. Timing needs special tools and care, so take it to a service shop.

Other causes of a sewing machine skipping stitches

A few less obvious things also cause skips:

• Thread that is too thick for the needle. A heavy topstitching thread in a very fine needle cannot form a clean loop. Move up a needle size or use a topstitch needle with a larger eye.
• Twin needles. Each needle forms its own loop, and the hook must catch both. Slow down, use the twin needle size your manual allows, and check both needles are straight.
• Decorative and satin stitches. Dense stitches on thin fabric pull the fabric into the needle hole. A tear-away stabilizer underneath keeps it flat.
• Wrong presser foot pressure. On machines with a pressure dial, too little pressure lets fabric lift with the needle. Return the dial to its standard setting.
• Dry or old thread. Brittle thread can fray at the needle eye, which changes the loop. Try a fresh spool.

If skipping appears only with one fabric or one stitch, the cause is almost always in this list or the fabric table below, not in the machine.

Skipped stitches by fabric type

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How to stop skipped stitches before they start

• Start each new project with a new needle.
• Keep a small pack of ballpoint, stretch, and jeans needles next to the machine.
• Clean the bobbin area whenever you change the bobbin on lint-heavy fabric like fleece or flannel.
• Never sew over pins. Pull them out just before the needle reaches them.
• Test on a scrap of the same fabric before starting the real seam.

If you also see loose loops or puckers along with the skips, the tension may be off too. Read sewing machine thread tension next. If the thread snaps as well as skipping, see sewing machine thread keeps breaking. The sewing machine problems hub covers every other symptom.