My old sewing machine in Portland kept jamming on thick denim seams

I switched to a size 18 denim needle and slowed the motor speed down to about half, which made a huge difference. It took me three tries on a jacket hem to get the tension right without breaking thread. Anyone else have tips for working with heavy fabrics like 10oz canvas?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelac631mo ago

Ever think a walking foot was overkill?

hannah_williams7d ago

Miles277 is onto something with the walking foot. I read a forum post where someone said they use a Teflon foot for canvas because it slides over the waxed fabric easier. They also mentioned switching to a heavier thread, like a 40-weight, which can handle the stress better than regular all-purpose thread.

miles2771mo ago

Read a tip about using a walking foot for canvas. It feeds the top and bottom layers at the same rate, which helps prevent shifting. That might save you some grief on those long seams.