SewSpecSewing and embroidery machines, researched from makers' manuals
Units

Sewing Machine Skipping Stitches: What Causes It and How to Fix It

Guide type
Troubleshooting
Last reviewed
Sources
19 cited
Tested by us
No. How we research

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We earn a commission if you buy through some of our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

Short answer

Start with the needle: it appears in every maker table we read. SINGER's help center: "Skipped stitches can mean one of two things: needle issues or disrupted timing."1 Put in a new needle of the right type and size, flat side to the back and pushed all the way up; on knits, use a ball point or stretch needle. Then rethread the top thread and clean lint from under the needle plate, as Brother's table says.2 If a new, correct needle still skips, the timing may be off, and that is a job for a technician.3

Check in this order

  1. Change the needle. A needle problem (bent, blunt, damaged or poor quality) appears in every maker table we read. Brother: check a needle by putting its flat side on a flat surface and looking “from the top and the sides”.2
  2. Put it in right. SINGER: “The flat side of the shaft should be towards the back” and “Insert the needle as far up as it will go.”12 SINGER’s help center warns: “It’s easy to insert the needle halfway, clamp it down and think it is inserted correctly.”1
  3. Match the needle to the fabric. Ball point or stretch for knits; a larger or jeans needle for thick fabric (see the table).4,6
  4. Rethread the top thread. Brother: “Correct the upper threading.”2
  5. Clean under the needle plate. Brother: “Remove the needle plate and clean the plate and the bobbin case.”2
  6. Check the foot. SINGER lists “The foot is not attached correctly.”13
  7. Still skipping? The timing may be off. Kentucky: “Machine is out of time. This will require a trip to a technician to adjust.”3

What each maker lists

Skipped stitches in the makers' troubleshooting tables
SourceCauses listed
Brother XM2701 manualUpper threading; wrong fabric, thread and needle; bent or blunt needle; needle installed wrong; dust under the needle plate2
Brother SE700 manualThe same, plus thin or stretch fabrics: “Attach stabilizer material to the fabric.”10
SINGER M3500 manualNeedle not inserted correctly; damaged needle; wrong size or type; foot not attached correctly12
SINGER HD4552 manualNeedle inserted incorrectly; wrong needle for the fabric; bent, dull or damaged needle14
JUKI HZL-L manualNeedle inserted wrong, bent or blunt; needle or thread unsuitable; no blue tip needle on stretch or synthetics; needle thread misthreaded; poor quality needle5
Janome 2160DC manualThe same five causes, with “a Blue Tipped needle” for stretch, fine fabrics and synthetics15
BERNINA 335 manualWrong needle system (use 130/705H); blunt or bent needle; poor quality needle; needle inserted wrong; wrong point for the material; wrong needle and thread combination16
bernette b38 manualNeedle inserted wrong, bent or blunt; unsuitable needle or thread; no blue shank needle on stretch; threading; poor quality needle17
HUSQVARNA VIKING Emerald manualNeedle thread not threaded properly; poor quality needle; needle thread tension too tight18
SCHMETZTension too tight; needle damaged; wrong size; machine out of adjustment (timing, hook to needle clearance, needle bar height)11
NMSU (university)Needle not inserted correctly, too small for the thread, too short, blunt or bent; threading; throat plate hole too large; pressure too light; upper tension too tight; mismatched top and bobbin threads9
Each row is one manual or help page. Wording shortened; the causes are the makers'.

Only SINGER, SCHMETZ and the Kentucky guide name timing; the Brother, Janome, JUKI, BERNINA and HUSQVARNA VIKING home-machine tables we read do not.1,3,11 SINGER links it to the handwheel: “Always turn the handwheel TOWARDS you (counterclockwise), as turning it in the opposite direction (away from you, clockwise) may throw off the timing”.1

Needles that prevent skipped stitches

  • Knits and stretch: SCHMETZ’s Stretch needle is for “Elastic materials and highly elastic knitwear”: “The medium ball point, specially designed eye, and scarf prevent skipped stitches.”19 JUKI, Janome and bernette name a blue-tipped or blue-shank needle for stretch, very fine and synthetic fabrics.5,15,17
  • Why the stretch needle helps: SCHMETZ says its flatter shank, “together with the special scarf, improves needle performance against skipped stitches.”6
  • Thick fabric: a jeans needle, at least 90/14; SINGER suggests 16 or 18 for other heavy fabrics.1,6

Questions

Why does my sewing machine keep skipping stitches?

Often the needle. SINGER: "Uneven or skipped stitches are often the result of using the incorrect needle size or type."4 Brother's XM2701 manual lists a bent or blunt needle, a needle put in wrong and the wrong fabric, thread and needle combination, plus upper threading and "Dust has accumulated under the needle plate or in the bobbin case."2

Why does my machine skip stitches on stretch fabric, knits or fleece?

Usually the needle point. SINGER: "Skipped stitches on stretch fabrics: This can occur if you are using a regular point needle instead of a ball point needle."4 JUKI: "The blue tip needle effectively prevents skipped stitches."5 Asked about needles breaking on French terry fleece, SCHMETZ answers that its Stretch and Jersey needles "are the preferred needle types" for it.6

Why does it skip stitches on thick fabric?

A needle too thin for the fabric. Brother: heavyweight fabric like denim with a small needle (65/9 to 75/11) may "cause the seam to be uneven, the fabric to pucker, or the machine to skip stitches." Brother's CS7000X manual says the same.2,7 SCHMETZ, for thick denim seams: "use at least size 90/14, although you may need to move up a needle size to 100/16."6

Why does my machine skip stitches on a zig zag stitch?

We found no maker line specific to zigzag. Brother recommends a ball point needle 90/14 "with stretch fabrics, characters or decorative stitches" to avoid skipped stitches, and NMSU lists a needle hole in the throat plate that is too large.8,9

Why does it skip stitches when embroidering?

Brother's SE700 manual lists, for skipped stitches on thin or stretch fabrics: "Attach stabilizer material to the fabric."10 Use the embroidery needle your manual names: Brother's help page says "Use needle 75/11 for embroidery".8

My machine skips stitches and leaves loops. Why?

NMSU: "Looped stitches are usually caused by improper tension."9 SCHMETZ lists for loops on the bottom: "Thread not in top tension / Machine incorrectly threaded / Top tension too loose / Burr on hook mechanism".11 Rethread, then see our bobbin jamming guide.

My machine skips stitches and the thread keeps breaking or shredding. Why?

The needle may be too small for the thread. SINGER: "Thread is shredding: This can mean the needle is too small for the thickness of thread".4 SCHMETZ lists "Needle too small / Tension too tight / Damaged thread" for frayed stitches.11

Skipped stitches on top or underneath: is there a difference?

Not in the makers' tables: none of the manuals we read separates skips seen on top from skips seen underneath. Work through the same checks.

Bottom line

Change the needle first: new, the right type and size, flat side back, pushed all the way up. Then rethread the top, clean lint under the needle plate, and match the needle to the fabric: ball point or stretch for knits, larger or jeans needles for thick fabric. If a new, correct needle still skips, take the machine to a technician for the timing.

Related guides

What we checked, and what we didn't

Checked
  • Skipped-stitch troubleshooting tables in Brother, SINGER, JUKI, Janome, BERNINA, bernette and HUSQVARNA VIKING manuals
  • SCHMETZ, SINGER and Brother help pages, and NMSU and Kentucky Extension guides
Not checked
  • How your machine reacts: we have not tested these fixes
  • Timing adjustment: no maker gives a home procedure

Sources

  1. Singer Machine FAQs · SINGER help center
  2. Operation Manual 885/888-X06 family (XM2701) · Brother
  3. CT-MMB-205: Preventive Machine Maintenance, Problems, and Possible Causes (2005) · University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
  4. Choosing the right SINGER machine needles · SINGER help center
  5. HZL-L series Instruction Manual · JUKI
  6. FAQ · SCHMETZ needles (US)
  7. Operation Manual 888-N00 family (CS7000X) · Brother
  8. Help answer 56797 (needles for stretch fabrics and embroidery) · Brother USA help
  9. Guide C-202: Checklist of Common Sewing Machine Problems (2016) · New Mexico State University Extension
  10. SE700 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P10) · Brother
  11. Sewing Machine Needle Troubleshooting Guide · SCHMETZ needles (US)
  12. Instruction Manual M3200 to M3500 · SINGER
  13. Instruction Manual 4443 / 4452 · SINGER
  14. Instruction Manual HD4552 · SINGER
  15. 2160DC Instruction Book · Janome
  16. BERNINA 335 User Manual (2025) · BERNINA
  17. bernette b38 User Manual (2026) · bernette
  18. Emerald 116 / 118 / 122 User's Guide · HUSQVARNA VIKING
  19. Needle Guide · SCHMETZ needles (US)

Revision history

2026-11-11First version.