Sewing Machine Reference Tool

About Bernie Tobisch

Bernie Tobisch started his career as a sewing machine technician in the mid 1970s and became a dealer in 1980. He now lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife Shelley and continues to service machines.

British Patchwork & Quilting

A handy reference book for troubleshooting common issues with your sewing machine. 

The troubleshooting guide is presented first which lists the common problems, alongside possible causes, and what to do about them. This enables you to find your problem and work through the possible causes, going straight to the relevant pages. Problems listed include skipped stitches, loops on the back of the fabrics, the list goes on. All these are likely to have been experienced at some point if you sew regularly. 

Tension is the first item looked at with both top and bottom tension covered and, more usefully, calibration and adjustments of these. The next section is titled, 'It's hardly ever the tension' which made me smile as this is so often true. Here you will find sections on damage to the bobbin case and needle plate or how to deal with burrs on the bobbin hook.

Needles, threaders and automatic thread cutters are looked at next. I found the sections on presser foot adjustment and forward/reverse balance very interesting and the guide finishes with a look at buttonholes and how to ensure a perfect finish. 

This is an excellent guide with many detailed photographs and is definitely one to keep next to your machine to enable rapid resolution of problems.

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Machine Knitting Monthly

Here's a troubleshooting guide to loving your sewing machine. Kick tension problems away and say goodbye to presser foot problems! This pocket-size guide provides all the information you need to resolve lots of common issues for stress-free sewing.

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Postcard Reviews

Bernie Tobisch began his career as a technician for Singer. So what he doesnt know about sewing machines probably isnt worth knowing. This is an essential guide to have in your sewing room, as it takes you through everything you need to know about looking after your machine and more importantly getting to know what it is capable of and how it works.

When I first started sewing, I remember I threw out a perfectly working, less than a year old sewing machine because I moved the tension wheel and didnt know what to do to restore the setting!

The Troubleshooting Guide is fabulous, it is detailed and I think even if there was no more than this guide in the book it is money well spent. Each piece of information, from tension to threading and needles to calibration is accompanied by photographs of the workings, followed by tips to inform and teach you.

I loved that the book has a ring bound spine, this makes it easy to use as it lies flat. It is a handy size so will be easy to put in your travel bag to take to classes, and more importantly uses simple language so there is no expert jargon to get your head around. Highly recommended.