Machine eyelet troubleshooting--help?

[gem]

Ok, so I'm working on a set of canvas lacing strips to practice doing the machine eyelets on my Viking. The technique is pretty simple: First, make the hole in the canvas using an awl, and coax it open until it fits over the shank in the eyelet plate:


That slot in the side is where the needle actually sews. You gradually turn the fabric around the shaft, and the machine zigzags around the hole.

When I started, everything was going swimmingly, and I did about a dozen with no trouble at all. But now for some reason, I'm finding it very difficult to turn the fabric around the shaft. I haven't changed any settings; I'm using the same fabric and awl and the same sized (8mm) eyelet plate. I've tried changing to thinner/more slippery thread, but it's still getting stuck. And it seems to be happening closer to the start, instead of after some of the hole has been filled in with thread. I've tried coaxing the hole open a little more, but it doesn't seem to help. The one thing I haven't tried is a different fabric, to see if that makes any difference.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Gramercy!

[Kate XXXXXX]

I guess not turning the fabric quickly enough: too much thread build-up in the gap means it won't turn round the spindle.  It's the same effect as you get if you try to do sating stitch with the A foot!

[gem]

No, it's sticking *before* that point, or it seems to be, anyway. Hence my confusion. Once I have some of the hole covered, it goes more smoothly.

[Butch]

Make sure the thread didn't slip off from the tensioner.  That is, ensure the feeding thread (from the spool) is on the path correctly.  Although I've never worked with this eyelet plate, I wonder if there is something you're supposed to do (like drop the foot), and you're forgetting that step.

It sounds to me as if the thread isn't tensioning correctly.

Good luck!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Different fabrics CAN make a difference.  With some I find that going round VERY SPARSELY first time and doing a total of three thin passes works better than two passes.

Also, are you wrapping the thread tails round the spindle?  If you do (and you don't have to!), then make sure you are not pulling them too tight, or that can impede progress.

And yes, make sure you are lowering the presser foot so the ankle rests on the spindle.

[gem]

Ah! I'll bet that's it. Um, in fact, the last one I did I actually sewed the eyelet plate to the fabric.    I will see if getting those tails up out of the way makes a difference.

[gem]

Ok, so I've done some more troubleshooting, and swapping out of threads &c, and upon closer inspection it looks like two things are contributing to the problem:

1. User/Material Problem: The holes I'm making with my awl aren't perfectly round (the awl, of course, *is* round). The're elliptical, and because they're all elliptical in the same direction, I suspect this has something to do with the weave of the fabric being tighter/denser/sturdier/less prone to being pushed aside in one direction, vs the other.  (I'm working on scraps, so I couldn't tell you which grain was which at this point, but it's basic heavy-duty cotton canvas.)  The elliptical hole doesn't turn as easily as a round hole would.

2. Machine Problem: The ankle of the pressure-foot shaft hits the spindle of the eyelet plate when it's lowered, and if it hits just at the moment the wrong end of the ellipse is curving round the spindle, it gets stuck.  I don't know why the ankle is hitting the spindle, but I don't think I can do anything about that, and now that I know to watch for it, I can work with it.

**
I've tested out a variety of different threads, and the one I like the results on best seems to be Gutterman rayon embroidery thread. I've also tried regular C&C Dual Duty, a Sulky rayon, and Gutterman silk. The silk gave me my least favorite results (sorry, Kate!).

I mentioned in a previous thread that I had to buy "boring cream" threads for the eyelets in my sage green corset with cream binding... but I discovered a spool of sage green rayon in my stash that is a near *perfect* match!  So I'll be using that for the eyelets in the corset, but I'll probably finish the lacing strips with the cream rayon.

[Kate XXXXXX]

The ankle of the presser foot rests on the top of the spindle like this:



This is as it should be.  It stops the fabric popping off when you turn it.  It also stops the eyelet plate popping off the machine as you turn the fabric.

Make sure you upper thread tension is towards the lower end of the 'normal' range (I have it on about 3) so that the bobbin thread doesn't show on the outside.

Some fabrics ARE just harder to turn than others.  On very tightly woven stuff, cutting the hole gives better results than the awl.