Coverstitch - skipped stitches on gauze

[sewingmom]

My Janome Coverpro 1000 has skipped stitches on everything I have used it on. I even drove 200 miles round trip to have someone sit down with me and help me with mine. If ya'll find the answer please pot it here. I'd like to get back to sewing but I don't want to start out with a struggle.

[sewingmom]

Hmm, I forgot about this thread. I don't have anything tto add 'cept Ronnie is doing great. Driving, Talking more (still falters and sometimes runs all his words together) getting more comfortable with himself. It is three years this month since his brain hemorrhage. I hope to make some scrub tops for spring. I would love to use my cover stitch machine to hem them.
Please post if you find out how to make it stop skipping.
Belinda/Lindy

[MartySews2]

Even if instructions say to use regular sewing machine needles, I have found that it is better to use the ELX-705 needles when doing coverstitches. Just my personal experience. In fact, that is the only needle that I use in my sergers since I got my first serger in 2001. I am on my 4th serger now as I wore out 2 of them and traded in one.
Marty

[sewingrandma]

Finally found enough time to sit down and play with my cover stitch machine. I had done some research earlier on Debbie Cook's blog (she has a lot of info if interested) and also checked out pattern review. My machine uses regular sewing machine needles, the longer needles hit the looper. Ball point needles #80 were recommended, nets on the thread, differential at 1 or one click up from one if the fabric has lycra in it, loosen the tension, and use regular thread on the needles and serger thread on the looper. I switched the needles to ball point, put nets on my thread but still used serger thread on needles and looper since I don't have much regular thread any more. My differential is at one most of the time anyways. I stitched many different swatches at least 12 inches long and no skipped stitches. I don't know which helped but the stitching looks better than it has in a few weeks. Note, I did not loosen my tensions as I felt they were loose enough. When I bought my machine it came with 100 size 90 universal needles. Luckily I've been stocking up on ball point and stretch needles when the notions wall is 50% off at Hancock's or Joann's.

[LeapFrog Libby]

I have come to the conclusion that the difference in my cover stitch and the rest of you ladies is that mine is strictly a CS machine and not a fancy do everything serger. I just have to thread mine and go to work stitching. I follow the instr. for needles and can use regular or serger thread in all 3 spots. 2 needles and 1 looper. Mine is a janome 900 CS machine and that is all it does. 2 needles and 1 looper. If one needle runs out of thread then the machine makes a stitch with the one needle and looper and still makes a chain stitch. That is all it does. My serger is a Babylock Lauren. 3/4 thread serger with very few bells and whistles. I bought it that way because the one I replaced did that, only and it lasted me 22 years without costing me another penny after I paid for it. $ 279.00 on sale. I had already bought the CS machine several years ago when I started teaching at Shepherds cente classs. Nobody else had one so I bought one for hemming purposes and tee shirt construction.

[sewingrandma]

My coverstitch machine has still been acting up, skipped stitches, not feeding etc. I finally put in the #90 needle and set all the tensions back to what the book recommended to start with and I also check the pressure foot tension. I had not touched it since I bought the machine but thought I had nothing to lose by checking. Was I shocked, it was way off. Only thing I can think of is my cat comes in and rubs his head against my machines and apparently got it so that there was very little pressure. Now that everything is where it should be the stitches are like they were when I first used my machine so anyone having problems make sure you check all the tensions/pressure dials. Is my face

[sewingmom]

I am glad you posted this. I have not touvhed my machines in 3 years and I bet just sitting, they are all out of adjustment.
I would not have thought about that but for your post.