I hit a hoop while sewing, now what?

There are several things to check after a hoop has been hit.

1. Check the needle. If your needle is stuck in the hoop, then rotate the timing wheel backwards to remove the needle. If the needle is broken, then you will need to replace it, but do not replace it until all of the steps have been finished.

2. Check to the needle bar. The needle bar is inside the head and is the component that helps move the needle up and down. The easiest way to test this is to manually push down on the presser foot to emulate sewing. If the needle goes down smooth and does not get stuck along the way, then the needle bar has not been damaged. If there is any difficulty in manually moving the needle up and down, then the needle bar is bent and you will need to replace it. Please consult a technician.

3. Check the Presser Foot. The presser foot is the guard around the needle that holds the fabric down while sewing. Sometimes when a hoop is hit, the presser foot can be bent. You can visually determine if the presser foot is bent by looking across the needles, from the side of the machine. If the presser foot is bent, you will need to physically form it back into shape.

4. Check the Reciprocator. The reciprocator is the component behind moving the needle up and down. To determine if the reciprocator is broken, move the needle position away from the needle that hit the hoop, for instance if you hit the hoop on needle #3, then move it a location like #6. Turn the timing wheel several rotations. If the needle does not go up and down, then the reciprocator is broken and you will need to replace it. If you have an emergency repair kit, there is one included with the kit.

Make sure you replace the reciprocator in your emergency kit in case the situation occurs again in the future.

5. If all of these components checked out O.K., then you have avoided any damage to your machine and you can continue sewing.