The Three Stitch Problem

You get three stitches into a sewing project and suddenly the thread breaks!
Never fear, the culprit is probably just your Take-Up Finger.

Let's break this down:

When a sewing machine is threaded, it is easy to forget the Take-Up Finger.

The Take-Up Finger is a lever that lifts and lowers the thread with each stitch.

Depending on your machine, the Take-Up Finger will be in the front or side above the tension control.
Check out some examples at the end of the article.

Accidentally skipping the Take-Up Finger in threading leads to the Three Stitch Problem.

The first stitch or two may look fine, but something happens by stitch three...

Why does this happen?
The Take-Up Finger is needed to pull the upper thread around the bobbin and back to the surface. Without it, the thread is taut and is unable to give.


Next time the Three Stitch Problem turns up, take a look at your Take-Up Finger. Rethreading the machine may save you a lot of sewing anguish.

What does your Take-Up Finger look like? Here are a few different examples