The understated but crucial workhorse (or dog) of your sewing machine is Feed Dogs. Why do they have such an odd name, what are they, and how do you fix them?
One of the crucial and fundamental components of your sewing machine is the feed dog. Not only should you pay attention to how your fabric moves while sewing, but also to the length, timing, and consistency of your stitches.
This article will teach you the fundamentals of how a dog should be fed and assist you in identifying any problems.
Feed dogs are the toothed metal bars that grip the underside of your fabric as you sew; they are located beneath the needle plate. The feed dogs gently pull your fabric through the machine as you sew by moving up and down and front to back. They raise and lower through slots in the needle plate.
If you need more free motion capabilities or have fabric that is too thick or thin, you can manually drop feed dogs through a button on your sewing machine.
The feed dogs’ diagonal teeth are sharp enough to gently grip and pull the fabric but not rip it. However, the feed dogs may catch on your fabric if you are sewing with a thin, delicate material like lace or if your presser foot pressure is too tight.
On sewing machines and sergers, feed dog issues can result in bunching, skipped stitches, or fabric that doesn’t feed through evenly.
Feed dogs or presser foot needs to be adjusted.
Some sewing machines have adjustable feed dogs. The feed dogs may not be able to lift high enough above the needle throat plate to grasp the fabric if the feed dog height is too low.
If your feed dog height can be adjusted, check your sewing machine’s manual.
Additionally, sufficient pressure must be applied with your presser foot for your feed dogs to function.
The fabric is held in place so that the feed dogs can grab it when the presser foot is exerting sufficient pressure. Otherwise, it might just slip through.
This occurs especially when using flimsy or thin materials like silk.
Check to see if your stitch length is not zero if your feed dogs are not moving at all.
Your machine’s stitch length instructs it how far to pull the fabric through before once again lowering the needle. Your feed dogs won’t move if your stitch length is set to zero. For free motion quilting, a stitch length of 0 and dropped feed dogs are typically employed.
What Does it Mean to Raise and Lower the Feed Dogs?
The metal ridges can be raised or lowered by raising or lowering the feed dogs. The feed dogs, which are those metal ridges, gradually and evenly advance the fabric through the machine. It is simpler to leave your feed dogs up for most projects.
For raising and lowering the feed dogs, most machines have a lever. To cover those puppies, some machines, however, have a plate that needs to be changed.
How Feed Dogs Are Lowered
The process used to raise and lower the feed dogs varies depending on the brand and type of sewing machine.
If you are unsure of how to lower the feed dogs on your sewing machine, consult the manual. If you don’t have a sewing machine manual, you might be able to find one online. To find the manufacturer’s website and other potential resources, enter the name of your machine’s brand and model number into a search engine.