sewing machine sews backwards

January 29, 2015 7:42 AM

I have a Brother XL-5031 sewing machine which I cleaned and oiled 3 weeks ago. I do have the manual for it. It is sewing backwards in very tiny stitches. I think this means the feed dogs are not sitting right. So I've cleaned out the fluff on the feed dogs and checked my tension. I've re-threaded upper and lower threads. I've checked the pattern selection and the stitch length dials. I've found out when I press the reverse button, the machine sews perfectly well using the appropriate stitch length, in reverse, as it ought. But forwards, not at all. Mefites, has anyone a clue as to what else I could do here, short of taking it to be serviced? I think perhaps the pattern selection dial is sticking somewhere and doing something weird to the feed dogs, how to fix it? The machine doesn't have a drop feed lever as far as I can see.

ps it would be great to have a category of 'crafts' because this could well have gone in 'clothing beauty & fashion' or 'home and garden' or 'technology' or 'sports, hobbies and recreation'.

posted by glasseyes to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Is it possible that you did something like this when oiling? I also saw this. Not sure whether or not you googled around first so thought I would throw these out there.
posted by the webmistress at 8:14 AM on January 29, 2015

Best answer: Thanks, the webmistress. I had googled those, I should have said.

However the problem is solved! As it would only sew backwards I sewed a few seams backwards with the reverse button pressed and that seemed to reset everything so it works now! So I will mark myself best answer in case it helps anyone else with this problem. Sew in reverse until it all clicks back into place. This is the answer. No dismantling the machine, no pulling out the knobs, no unscrewing the foot plate, no expensive professional repairs, hurrah.
posted by glasseyes at 12:17 PM on January 29, 2015

This is good to know! I just bought a used Brother machine and immediately ordered a service manual - not just the owner's manual that comes with it. I was going to see if there was any information in there for you, but you found an easy solution and I'm writing it in the book!

So many little secrets our Brothers have -
posted by aryma at 2:15 PM on January 29, 2015

Best answer: I've now discovered the Right Answer to this question I asked so long ago. The Brother XL-5031 has a special buttonholing lever tucked up behind the foot; when buttonholing you need to pull it down and push it backwards. But even when it's tucked up, it's easy to knock it backwards by accident if fiddling around with the foot. This makes the footplate work differently so the feed dogs don't feed forward properly. Solution: give the little lever a push forwards!

The previous solution: use the machine running backwards till it rights it's own self eventually - well it does kind of work, but randomly and inexplicably. Giving the little lever a push forwards is the thing. Properly resolved now.
posted by glasseyes at 5:17 AM on May 30, 2015