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

Phoenix Lopez · 2026-03-17T03:50:04.447616+00:00

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?

angelac637mo ago

Ever think a walking foot was overkill?

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hannah_williams6mo 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.

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miles2777mo 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.

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