Why Am I Skipping Stitches When Free Motion Quilting?
Last night I received a really good about skipping stitches when free motion quilting:
My name is C. and I am having trouble with the stitches in free motion quilting. I have been trying to do the free motion for quite awhile now and I can start it off great but sometimes I will have a “missed stitch.” Just a couple here and there. When I put my regular presser foot for general sewing I will not have that problem, only during free motion. I was wanting to know if you knew how I could fix this, what I am doing wrong etc. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated.
This is a VERY common free motion quilting issue! So here is a post all about finding solutions for skipping stitches when free motion quilting.
I have a lot of experience with this because back in the spring 2009 I was ready to chuck my Juki out the window. It continually skipped stitches and was about to drive me crazy! It took me 3 months to figure out the problem, but I’ve never forgotten how annoying or frustrating this problem can be.
Skipped stitches look bad, they’re noticeable, and oftentimes the thread will build up so much it will break. So to figure out why my machine was skipping, I started testing many different possible culprits against one another until I figured out what was going wrong.
Here are some possible reasons you could be skipping stitches while free motion quilting:
1. Bad Needle
2. Bad Thread
3. Tension Issues
4. Darning Foot Height
Let’s go through these and I’ll explain how you can tell if they’re causing the problem or not. Remember, whenever you’re searching for a solution to any quilting problem, only change ONE thing on your machine at a time, then test to see if the issue is resolved.
Why test only one thing? So you will know exactly what the solution is next time this problem crops up!
If you change 5 things on your machine at a time, you’ll never know why the stitches were skipping or what the solution is.
Skipping Stitches Caused by Bad Needles
If you haven’t changed your needle out in awhile, try that first. Over time, your sewing machine needle can become dull or slightly bent. This will make it difficult for the needle to loop with the bobbin thread and form perfect stitches.
When I was a kid I don’t think the needle in our singer was changed once in 7 years! Now I change needles about once a week, depending on how much quilting I’m doing.
I quilt with a Universal 80/12 needle. A lot of quilters swear by embroidery needles or microtex needles in smaller sizes like 70/12. Some quilters I know like Top Stitch needles in bigger sizes. I don’t think there is a right or wrong choice here, just the needle type and size that works for you.
Buy several different types of needles and play with them to see which your machine likes to free motion with the best.
Another Thing to Check on Needles
Another reason your sewing machine needle could be causing skipped stitches is if the needle is not fully seated in the machine. Double and triple check the needle is securely inserted, in the correct direction and the screw is tightened down tight.
Skipping Stitches Caused by Bad Thread
Certain threads seem to skip far more than others. I’ve had to give away 3 spools of a particular thread because my machine hated it!
Try changing thread colors and see if it’s the thread spool itself. Yes, thread can go bad! I once picked up two spools of my favorite piecing thread. When I got home, I thought my machine had broken. It would not stitch that thread.
I tried another spool of a different color, purchased at a different time. It worked fine. I put the new spool back on the machine. It wouldn’t stitch at all. That thread had gone bad.
If you are new to free motion quilting, please understand that the thread you use for piecing may not work for free motion quilting. If it’s 100% cotton, it may be too thick and too weak to handle the speed and movement of free motion quilting.
I love quilting with Isacord polyester embroidery thread for this reason. It’s thin, it’s strong, and it never, and I mean never, skips on me.
Skipping Stitches Caused by Tension Issues
Now if neither changing the needle or changing the thread works, then it may be a tension issue with your machine. Since most quilters only get the skipped stitches when free motion quilting, I assume that the only thing that’s changing when you free motion is your feed dogs position.
Manufacturer’s concentrate on making machines very balanced with even tension while the feed dogs are engaged, but when the feed dogs are off this balance can go out the wazoo. You may need to play with your tension quite a bit. Yes, those dials were made for a reason, and they can be turned when needed!
Pin up a chart to the wall and write down your tension for regular sewing, walking foot quilting, and then free motion quilting so you’ll feel comfortable adjusting your tension as needed.
Next, look at your bobbin casing. If you have a Bernina, you will have an extra hole on the metal pigtail you can thread to increase the tension on your bobbin. If you don’t have the extra hole, try using Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers. These really helped my bobbins feed much more smoothly.
Don’t Drop Your Feed Dogs
If nothing seems to work, stop lowering your feed dogs.
Yep, I did just say that. Stop lowering your feed dogs. You don’t actually have to do that in order to free motion quilt!
I don’t drop my feed dogs. Instead I set my stitch length to 0.0 mm (or the lowest setting my machine allows) so the feed dogs are still up, but barely move against the quilt. I also cover my feed dogs with the Supreme Slider.
There’s a very rooted idea in the quilting world that you can only free motion with the feed dogs down. In truth, it really doesn’t matter. So long as you have a good grip on your quilt, you’re not even going to feel those little moving teeth under your quilt. In fact, I often forget to lower my stitch length until I’m halfway through a quilt!
The only time having your feed dogs up will matter is if you’re using a foot that squishes your quilt against the sewing machine. But you can always modify your darning foot to stop it from doing that.
So long as your darning foot is hovering over the top of your quilt, you should be able to free motion to your hearts content with raised feed dogs. Give it a try and see how it works for you!
Skipping Stitches Caused by Foot Height
One more reason why your machine may be skipping stitches when free motion quilting: the height of your darning foot. If you’ve modified your darning foot so it hovers over your quilt, then you may have adjusted it to rest too high.
If the darning foot rests too high, it will allow the quilt to bounce around too much underneath. Too much movement may limit the ability for the needle to connect with the bobbin thread. So check on this and consider lowering your darning foot so it’s just skimming the quilt surface.
We don’t want the foot to squish the quilt, but we don’t want it so high it allows the quilt to move too much.
Try a Different Kind of Darning Foot
Update: these days we have a new type of darning foot to play with that is lots of fun: a ruler quilting foot. 
This type of foot is designed to hover over your quilt so you can move it in all directions. It’s also designed with a thick base so you can use quilting rulers to guide the design too! This type of darning foot is so versatile, it’s now my favorite type of darning foot to use for free motion quilting and ruler foot quilting. Click Here to find a tutorial on ruler foot quilting.
I hope you have found this article helpful! As you can see, there are many reasons machine is skipping stitches while free motion quilting. No, I doubt your sewing machine is broken if you can switch back to regular piecing or sewing and the skipping stops.
You just have to be patient as you learn the basics of free motion quilting. It is challenging to master, but once you get the hang of it, it’s so great to be able to quilt your own quilts!
Let’s go quilt!
Leah Day
Can I ask a dumb question? What exactly is a skipped stitch?
When 1 stich looks like 2.
That is what i call a skipped stitch… all stitches are the same size, then comes a giant one!
Another likely cause of a skipped stitch that occurs with free-motion quilting is actually needle deflection – the needle is getting pulled too far away from the hook, so the hook comes by the needle and can't grab the upper thread to make the stitch. Switching to a larger needle can help – the thinner the needle, the more flexible it is. Or there are specialty needles now made of harder metals with differences in the way the groove is formed, so that the needle is less likely to bend away from the hook. You can also stitch more slowly – or loosen thread tension – but you must still keep the two threads in balance so you'd be changing both the upper and lower tension. A spare bobbin case that you can feel free to adjust the tension can be a help there.
One other thing to consider with skipped stitches, in my experience, is your hand position — if your hands are too far away from the needle area the quilt can "lift" slightly when the needle is raising each stitch. This lifting can cause the stitch to not form correctly… More frequently the problem I have is the needle, the thread or the tension, but I've learned to check hand position too 🙂
Thank-You!! I will learn to machine quilt, I will learn to machine quilt, I will learn to machine quilt………..
my new mantra!! I just found you the other day and WOW!!! Thank you for this!!!!
These are all great comments, and to answer you question Jo, a skipped stitch is where your needle goes down, but for some reason it doesn't connect correctly with the bobbin thread.
Instead of pulling up a stitch, the top thread just puddles around the needle, eventually catching, but the stitch it makes is usually long and unsightly.
Rccq and Quiltpixie both have great ideas for skipped stitches as well and Brenda, you will definitely learn how to machine quilt.
Now let's go quilt!
Leah
I just found your blog and I have to say I am VERY excited. You are doing the kind of quilting that interests me most, but that I have not had the courage to do. I love your work and will continue to follow. Thanks! Lane
For Machine Quilting I often use a vintage (1920) Singer 15 Class Machine in a treadle cabinet – her feed dogs don't drop and I don't bother trying to cover the feed dogs – I just set my stitch length at 0 and the dogs just go up and down… they don't try to pull the fabric back.
I have also found that a variegated thread can cause havoc with my stitching. I had a spool of very light to very dark blue and really had to tweek both the thread and bobbin tensions to find a happy medium. What I discovered is that the darkest blue was heavier due to the extra dye.
Enjoying your Blog – Nice!
I often forget to lower the feed dogs, and Pam Holland teaches not to lower them too. Certainly helps, as do all the other points made by you and in the comments.
Even though I have been told most of what you tell us here, I am getting some very important reminders. Thank you.
Judy B
Howdy – Thanks for mentioning that! I always forget to change my stitch length, but that can really make a big difference!
That's really weird about that thread too. Crazy how the smallest things can make the biggest difference.
Let's go quilt!
Leah
I'm very glad with this story but I don't understand one thing, sorry: what are Feed dogs, my english is not that good. Is it a handle on the machine?
I hope you can tell me this, it will explain a lot for me?
Anne(Holland)
It can also be the foot pressure. Don't ask how I know (grin)
Hi Anne – Feed dogs are the little teeth on your machine that move back and forth and feed your fabric.
On most machines you can turn these off, meaning you lower them out of your way. This can cause problems for your stitch tension, so an alternative is to turn your stitch length to 0.
Hope that helps!
Leah
I love this -thank you so much for posting! Ihave just bought a new fmq foot and bobbin holder and am determined to practise now -your expertise and imagination are so helpful!!!
Hanneke, North Yorks, UK
Hi,
This just happened to me today! I couldn't figure it out — so afraid that my Bernina was headed for the shop. The manual was no help so I looked in the manual of one of my other machines and it suggested that the needle was loose or bent. I tightened it. No dice. Well, it couldn't be bent –it was a brand new Schmetz, right out of the pack I bought last week. But I switched to another needle anyway. Surprise! It had been the new needle! Who would have thought?
I've been looking at the new quilting patterns each day and now decided to look at many of your other pages. Your work and writing is wonderful.
I was having issues with skipped stitches, especially when I was trying to sating stitch, and naturally, I needed to get that project done on a deadline. But the machine needed to go into the shop and there were three issues, the guy said: The timing was off, there was a piece of thread caught in the upper works (I can't get at that, but he can) and there was a build up of invisible gunk on the "hook" (doesn't look like a hook on my machine) that he said was from using fusibles in the past. So when all else fails, take the machine to the doctor.
WOW – can I say I LOVE YOU…. I have learned so much from you in 15 minutes on this site… what a treasure you are to share so much of yourself and your talent with us….
So many questions answered…. thank you thank you thank you…
Hello Leah! I found you about a week ago and visit your site many times EACH DAY!! Your tutorials are incredible. You're such a sweetie to share your expertise with us. Thank you so much!!! I'm practicing, practicing, PRACTICING!!!
Oh my! This is just what I needed today!!! Thank you so much! I was just about ready to quit quilting!
2012 and your answers googled up to my question – changed needle, adjusted tension and no more skipped stitches on this project. Thank you!
When I am quilting, my machine is skipping a whole bunch of stitches. Like for a whole inch or a bit more.
This can happen for a lot of reasons. Try running through the different things in this article first. Also check your foot height, the direction you're quilting in, and the thread / needle combo. There can be lots of different reasons why your stitches are skipping.
Thank you very much for the tips. I had this problem and I managed to solve it after this post.
I am trying to free motion quilt and discovered that it is my thread spool, it is double sized gutterman, so I got a thread stand, but as the machine pulls the thread every once in a while there is a ton of tension, then bam, the thread gets unwound and there is very little tension and then I get skipped stitches, so I need to figure out how to have the spool feed better, it is too big to fit on the machine. Once it is used up I will be using big cones of thread and the stand.
It sounds like the thread is getting caught on the plastic of the spool and pulled tight, then dropping as it releases. My best advice would be to wind this spool onto bobbins and stitch it that way or just chuck it in the trash and get a spool of thread that feeds easier. Life is too short to get constant thread headaches!
I am quoting a king size quilt on a wood gracey frame with my brother machine. I have quilted just over half – with no problems. I had to turn the quilt around as the throat is not big enough. Now I keep skipping stitches. I have adjusted the tension, replaced the needle, rethreaded multiple times, cleaned the machine. When the tension is set to what it was before I turned the quilt, the thread breaks. If I loosen the tension, the thread does not break but it skips and there are big lashes on the back. Any thoughts would help! Thank you so much!
It sounds like something went wonky when you turned the quilt. I would check the height of the quilt over the machine as this is often the culprit behind skipped stitches. Other than that, you will have to troubleshoot one thing at a time, one step at a time. Pay very close attention to your machine and what angle and direction you are moving as your thread skips. Because it was working fine before, then stopped working when a change was made, you’ll need to go back to where you were before things messed up and go from there.
My machine stitches well with 50W Aurofil but when I try to change to a heavier weight thread, I get skipped stitches especially when I am sewing from right to left or front to back (so more or less, in reverse directions from “normal”). I have decreased my tension but then I get lashing on the back. I have tried King Tut Superior thread (variegated) 40 Wt, Isacord 40 and Wonderfil 50 wt variegated cotton. My needle is new and both it and the previous needle showed the same problem. I’ve rethreaded many times, because the King Tut, especially, showed some of Stehpanie Bush-Brown’s issues where the thread seemed to be loose and wafting near the needle, then would “shred,” develop a slub and break. Help! I’d like to use some heavier threads at times.
I can’t tell you how happy I was to find this site and discussion. I thought, of course, it’s me! Or the machine must go to the shop! Thank you!! I trust your insights and experience.
PS: I’m using a Schmetz topstitch 90/14 needle
Hi Jill – I’m sorry you’re struggling. Personally I blame the King Tut. That is my least favorite thread because of its tendency to break. I much prefer Isacord and I think your issue will improve if you lower your presser foot either by adjusting the foot itself or adjusting your presser foot pressure. I would definitely try other threads as I’ve never had good luck with Tut.
Having tried everything else listed and still having problems, then I noticed that a lot of people use a straight stitch needle plate. Buying that has made all the difference in the world. Love you tips and videos?
That’s great! Thank you for sharing Cheryl!
Excellent article. I have a Bernina 770 and it free motions beautifully with my regular spring action darning/FM foot. ‘When I try to use the ruler foot I often can’t pull the bobbin thread up and it skips stitches and thread breaks. I use Aurafil thread, and new needle. I am assuming it is the height of the foot. I don’t know how to adjust it to try.
You might have a spring on the side of the Bernina ruler foot to adjust it. If not, I would bet that machine has a foot height adjustment you can play within in the settings.
I have exactly the same problem on my Viking machine! Were you able to figure out the issue and how to fix it?
Thank Leah! I’m still new at quilting … I purchased a brand new Yuki Dx7 hoping to be able to fo free motion quilting and I couldn’t figure out why it was skipping… i had already tried to adjust tension, and changed thread … but i was using 100 % cotton quilting thread … after reading your post … I switched to embroidery thread and worked on finding a right speed for me … I know ready to do my first baby quilt with free motion quilting on my new machine!
I was sitting here on a Sunday morning trying to FMQ my project and having nothing but issues with skipped stitches. Of course being Sunday, my dealer wasn’t open to ask questions of. I trouble-shot retreading my machine umpteen times, changed needles and needle types with no luck. FINALLY I found this article, and saw that it may be a problem with my pressure foot height…I lowered mine and IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!!! I am so thrilled that you posted this article…you are a god-send!!!! Thank you very much ????