Singer 5050 sewing machine threads gathering under fabric and becoming knotted. how do i fix this

Are you getting knots under the fabric when you sew? If so, that is bird nesting (thread nesting) and is commonly a top thread issue. Most often the thread is not seated fully in the tension disk or the top tension setting is off.

Remove the top thread from the machine.
ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot and rethread from the beginning.
Verify the thread path is correct.
Set the tension at the midway point and then tweak it so the top and bobbin threads meet in the middle of the fabric.

Knots? Bird nests under the fabric?

Remove the top thread. ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot. Rethread from the beginning. Verify the thread path is correct.

Birds nest under the fabric big loops of thread top side looks good...

Sewing Machine Thread Bunching Up Here Why

What causes Bird Nests Superior Threads

Are you saying the upper thread is knotting under the fabric as it stitches? This is bird nesting or thread nesting and is generally caused by mis-threading, the thread not being seated in the tension disk, or the upper tension too loose.

When threading the upper thread, ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot. Verify that the machine is threaded correctly. If one guide is missed, the stitching will go haywire. Start out with the upper tension set around the midway point and then tweak it through test stitching.

What causes Bird Nests Superior Threads

Sewing Machine Thread Bunching Up Here Why

Birds nest under the fabric big loops of thread top side looks good...

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Please check your fabric results. Is it the bobbin thread that is accumulating under the fabric, or is it really the top thread that is globbing and knotting under the fabric. Usually, thread mishaps under the fabric are the result of an issue with the top thread.

ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot when threading the upper thread. This releases the tension disks so the thread will seat properly. Use a brand new needle. Start out with the upper thread tension set midway between high & low numbers, although this can be tweaked.

If it is in fact the upper thread, then here are some suggestions:

Sewing Machine Thread Bunching Up Here Why

Troubleshooting Thread Nesting Sew Toot

You need to tighten the upper thread tension so that the thread does not accumulate under the fabric.
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try adjusting the top thread tension to one number higher at a time until the stitches start looking right

also check with singer customer service for a instruction manual

Normally to gather fabric, you select the regular straight stitch, turn the stitch length up to maximum (4 or 5 usually), and stitch two rows of stitches, one at 10mm from edge and one at 20mm from edge.

Then gather by pulling the bobbin threads (underneath ones) from each end to gather the fabric. If doing lengths of more than 1 metre, then stop, leave long thread tails, and start a fresh length of gathering threads to avoid gathering long lengths of thread which might break on you.

If your machine has a basting stitch it might look like " .___.___.___" on the dial however, I've never been that happy with machine basting for things like attaching slippery fabric to underlining, I've always done it with needle and thread to keep the two layers matching and not stretching/slipping. For example, stitching a piece of chiffon to a underlayer of satin, even pinning carefully, these two fabrics will slip under the machine foot so I'd always do it by hand.

If you have masses of fabric to gather, sometimes what is quicker is doing a large wide zig zag over a length of perle cotton (heavier than thread) at the 15mm seam, don't let the needle pierce the cotton though. Then you can gather the fabric along the perle cotton.

Sewing machine instruction manual often assumes a knowledge of sewing techniques that you may not yet have. I have the Vogue Book of Sewing on my shelf and refer to it often. Or Singer do a good range of sewing books too, its worth investing in a good reference book.

I also love www.patternreview.com, this is such an awesome website for dressmakers/sewing enthusiasts and you will find loads of helpful tips here.

Hope this helps you a little.

Recheck the top thread and bobbin tension for equal balance of thread when sewing. The knotting of thread problem is usually because the tensions are too tight or too loose and/or thread may not be properly threaded. Another reason is when the bobbin thread is wind imbalanced it will cause the thread to knot-up when sewing. This problem is notorious when the bobbin is winded within the bobbin case on some machines. The bobbin thread need to be wind smoothly in the bobbin to avoid this problem.

"Birdnesting" occurs when there is no tension on the needle thread to pull the bobbin thread. This is easily corrected by rethreading the machine, following the threading path carefully and making sure the thread is fully engaged in the tension mechanism.

No, the foot has nothing to do with the stitch quality. Your machine is jamming up, check your upper tension. It should be set between 3-5. Make sure the dial has not changed by mistake.