My Sears Kenmore 158.17033 is not making even stitches and the bottom stitches are loose. What can the problem be?
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You need to adjust the bobbin tension. There is a little screw on mine. Look at the owner manual.
You need to adjust your thread tension - try top thread first to see if that fixes it...tighten top tension little by little. If that doesn't help, then adjust the tiny screw on the side of the bobbin case ....VERY small clockwise adjustments at a time (less than a 1/4 turn each time). To get a good stitch, the tensions have to work together to basically sandwich the stitch evenly between top and bottom of the fabrics.
Tension or loose needle
Good instructions already given.
Be sure your machine is threaded correctly and bobbin is seated correctly.
If you need a manual here are a couple of links.
www.etsy.com/
www.sewingpartsonline.com/
If you still need help you can try contacting someone at your Sears Service Center as they are sometimes helpful with minor problems.
They may want you to bring your machine in or send out a service person but these can be expensive so do not do this unless absolutely necessary.
But if your machine needs to be serviced this may be a good time to have it done.
Your machine was made in 1973-74 so it is probably a well built machine.
Nice to have these still being used (although 73-74 is not 'old' in some respects but a good running machine is nice to have.
You can also ask questions at Ismacs as they have a very good forum on antique/vintage machines.
I have a very old Kenmore and I find if I use old thread I have issues with loose and uneven stitches. When I started using newer threads, the issue went away.
If you are already using new thread, there are lots of suggestions from other posters! I hope your issue was as simple as mine was.
Sad that thread does not last forever :(
Pghgirl40,
I've found I can keep my thread in good shape longer, if I store it in an airtight container and out of any light source. Light and drying out are two of the worst things that age thread...of any fiber content. Forget those nice looking wooden racks and put your thread away!
Hi gggd, you are so right about how to store threads. I am good about my own. A few years ago I hit a "mother lode" of threads at an estate sale. Every color under the sun and all kinds of cool buttons and such at an amazing price.
They were in a plastic tub and I did not realize until I started sewing with them that they had started to dry rot. They wrecked havoc with my old Kenmore :(
I started using some of them in a project where I take nylon net, lay cut up pieces of the colorful threads willy nilly on top of it (and other scrap pieces, like ribbons), put a layer of Sulky Water Soluble Stabilizer on top to make a sandwich. Then I carefully pinned it down and used (good) thread to stitch it all together. It is all very free form.
I have done two of these...this is the first (which is a little primitive). If I can find a photo of the second one, I will post it too.
When I get some spare time, I want to use up those old threads to make more of these for junk journal covers.
Cool way to use thread that can't be used IN threading the machine or bobbin.
Thanks!! I loved making these. I hate waste and I love color so it worked out well. Just a bit of a learning process as that water soluble stuff is expensive and tears easily. It works well with yarn scraps too, I don't know if I mentioned that. The pink one pictured feels really soft and has a cashmere feel to it. It is hard to believe that was a pile of thread bits!
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