sewing fascia to inside arm

[evanbever]

I am having a hard time sewing around the curve of the fascia while attaching the inside arm fabric. I use a consew walking foot machine and I am using the double welt foot to sew with. The thread keeps popping out of the needle, I am wondering if I am not turning the fabric quickly enough and if the welt is coming out of the groove of the foot.  http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m42/elsavanbever/Wildwood-20140405-00100_zps2f1d4b57.jpg

[MinUph]

If the thread is breaking "popping out of the needle", it might be to small of a needle. Also a dw foot is kind wide for curved work. Try a single welt foot and snip the inside arm fabric about 1/8" when going around the curves.

[sofadoc]

You will probably have better luck with a single welt foot set. Is the thread actually coming out of the needle? Or is it snapping off?

The double welt set has a tighter tolerance, and  may be pinching the thread as you round a curve.

Make plenty of snips in the welt hem as you tackle curves. And try a single set of welt feet.

[kodydog]

Single welt foot for sure. Also, I usually sew the cord to the flat piece first (example; sew the cord to the flat inside arm first then sew the panel to the front). Also, before I pick the old arm apart to use as a pattern I would cut several notches in the seam for reference points as your sewing along. This helps to make sure your starting and stopping in the right place. This type arm can be difficult to upholster.

Another idea would be to skip the sewing altogether. Wrap the inside arm around the front, add 5 or 6 pleats where it curves around the top and add an upholstered cardboard or plywood panel to the front. This changes the look of the sofa a little so if your reupholstering it for a customer you will need to run the idea buy them first.

Like this,

[evanbever]

<a href="http://s101.photobucket.com/user/elsavanbever/media/Wildwood-20140406-00104_zps860079c2.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m42/elsavanbever/Wildwood-20140406-00104_zps860079c2.jpg"; border="0" alt=" photo Wildwood-20140406-00104_zps860079c2.jpg"/></a>

Thank you all so much for your advice, I used the single welt foot and a larger needle #21 and I finally did get both fascias attached to the inside arms this weekend. There was a lot of starting and stopping on the sewing because the thread continued to pop out, I did check how the machine was threaded and rethreaded it to see if that was the issue, also I noticed some irregular stitch lengths happening.

[evanbever]

<a href="http://s101.photobucket.com/user/elsavanbever/media/IMG-20140406-00103_zps6039c7b0.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m42/elsavanbever/IMG-20140406-00103_zps6039c7b0.jpg"; border="0" alt=" photo IMG-20140406-00103_zps6039c7b0.jpg"/></a>


Here is a photo of the thread

[sofadoc]

What system needle are you using? The photo is a little distorted, but it looks like the needle either doesn't have a scarf, or it's turned wrong. It might just be an optical illusion.

Are you using 135 X 17 system needles?

[evanbever]

The label on the needles has this information:

DPX17           135X17
                         2167

               #21    (130)

The groove on the lower part of the needle is facing left

[evanbever]

I just took a good look at the needles and they don't have a scarf

[MinUph]

It really looks like the thread is breaking not popping out. There could be many reasons for it breaking. Sew a scrap piece and watch very closely the thread run through all the parts and see if you can see it start fraying.

[sofadoc]

The way you're skipping stitches, it looks like you have timing issues.

If your needles really don't have a scarf, that would probably explain the problem.

[Darren Henry]

The groove on the lower part of the needle is facing left

About,turn! there are two grooves on a needle---The one runs the length of the needle for the thread to lay in [faces away from where ever your hook is] , the other only runs from the eye part way up. This is what causes the loop in the tread on the upstroke just before the hook arrives. It needs to face the hook,obviously.

I have bought needles that were defective. I've had needles for my patcher where the groove was a spiral like someone was wringing it out as it was being made. I've had missing or burred grooves as 135X17 's.

Take a close look with a magnifying glass, and try turning your needle 180 degrees. Also make sure that it is fully seated. I just had one fall out vibration last week LOL, that could mess you up.

[MinUph]

Is your bobbin on the left or right of the needle bar?

[bobbin]

All needles have a scarf.  They have to because if they don't the machine cannot be timed to catch the loop that creates a lockstitch (as with your machine) or a loop (with chain stitch machines that use a looper instead of a bobbin; as on an overlock or blindstitch machine). 

I checked every needle in my stock, including the needle system you're using (DPx17), every one of them has a scarf.  From what you've written above I'm with Darren and think you've got your needle in backwards.  The long groove (the top thread runs in this groove) should face away from the bobbin.  The scarf (the little flattened area just above the eye of the needle) should face the bobbin, so the hook can pass over it and catch the loop created by the top thread.

When I was supervising new stitchers the most common mistake made was putting the needle in incorrectly.  And it resulted in thread breakage and perpetual unthreading of the needle. 

[JuneC]

In this photo you can see that the scarf is facing the left. 

http://s101.photobucket.com/user/elsavanbever/media/Wildwood-20140405-00102_zps4c9c0269.jpg.html

Bobbin is correct.  Turn the needle around if your bobbin is on the right and you'll solve a lot of problems.  The machine might still need some timing adjustment.  And don't feel bad, we all make tons of simple mistakes.  Goes with the territory.  There's a lot more going on in upholstery than the masses realize.

June