Welcome to Barry's Workshop, a place you can visit to learn how to keep your sewing products performing correctly and out of the repair shop.

Barry is Senior Technician at Atlanta Sewing Center and brings over 25 years of experience repairing all brands of sewing machines, sergers, embroidery systems and industrial sewing equipment.

Barry Alfano senior service technician Barry has been with Atlanta Sewing Center for more than 8 years and has experience in repairing all makes and models of sewing machines

Service Tip

I have been servicing and repairing sewing machines for a long time now and one of the biggest problems I have with machines is not the machine itself, but the thread. Poor quality threads and using the wrong thread for the application cause many problems for many people.

Not only does poor quality thread leave extra dust and lint inside your machine (which is a problem in itself) but it can also cause skipped stitches, bad looking stitches and thread breakage. It's not only the cheap threads that cause problems but from time to time I will come across a name brand thread that will cause bad stitching.

One way to tell if you have a good thread is to pull out a few inches and hold it out against a contrasting color. Do you see a lot of fuzz coming off the thread or thick and thin spots? A good quality thread will be straight and consistent in thickness with few fuzzies.

Are you using the right type thread for your project? Are you using too heavy of a thread for a very fine fabric? Does the spool say hand sewing? Some quilting and carpet thread is for hand sewing only and should not be used in a machine (it can cause damage to your machine). These types of threads should be labeled "hand sewing" on the side of the spool.

Is your thread too old? Thread does have a shelf life and if it is exposed to air or light for too long, it can get brittle. There really is no official way to tell if your thread has past its shelf life so one way to test your thread is to take a piece about 8" long, tie it into a knot in the middle and then give it a gentle tug on both ends. If the thread breaks, it is time to get a new spool.