Embroidery machine bird nesting: causes and fixes

What causes bird nesting

A balanced stitch needs the upper thread held under tension by the tension discs and pulled up by the take-up lever after each stitch. If the upper thread misses the discs or the take-up lever, the machine keeps feeding thread down with nothing pulling it back up, and the loose loops pile up under the fabric.

The most common reasons are threading with the presser foot down (which closes the discs), the thread jumping out of a guide, a spool snagging on its cap, or a thread that slipped out of the take-up lever. Less often, the cause is a wrong or badly inserted bobbin, a damaged needle, loose hooping or lint in the bobbin area.

Clear the nest safely

Do not pull hard on the fabric or try to sew through the nest, as that can bend the needle or damage the hook.

1. 1

   Stop the machine and switch it off.

2. 2

   Cut the upper thread above the needle and snip the nest threads under the hoop with small scissors.

3. 3

   Raise the needle with the handwheel if needed, remove the hoop and lift away the fabric.

4. 4

   Remove the needle plate if your manual describes how, and pick out loose threads from the bobbin area.

5. 5

   Brush out lint, refit the plate and check the bobbin case is seated correctly.

Note:Switch off before cutting threads near the needle or removing the needle plate. If thread is wrapped tightly around the hook or the handwheel will not turn, stop and contact a sewing machine engineer.

Fix 1: rethread the upper thread properly

Rethreading fixes most nests. Raise the presser foot or embroidery foot lever first so the tension discs open. Then thread the full path from the spool: through the guides, down and up the tension channel, through the take-up lever, down to the needle bar guide and through the needle eye. Lower the foot and pull the thread near the needle; you should feel firm, even resistance.

Check the spool too. Use the correct spool cap size, and place cross wound spools on a horizontal pin or a stand as recommended. A spool that catches on a cap edge causes uneven feeding. Our diagram in how to thread a sewing machine shows the general upper thread path.

Fix 2: check the bobbin

Use the bobbin type your manual specifies, wound evenly or pre-wound embroidery bobbins designed for your machine. Insert it so it unwinds in the direction shown on the plate, and pull the thread through the tension slot until it clicks into place. A bobbin inserted the wrong way round or missing the tension slot causes loose stitches and nests.

Embroidery normally uses a fine bobbin thread, and some machines have a separate bobbin case or setting for embroidery. Check the manual. For more on bobbin types, see are bobbins universal.

Fix 3: needle, hooping and stabiliser

Fit a new embroidery needle, usually size 75/11 for standard 40 weight embroidery thread, with the flat side of the shank facing the back. A burred or bent needle can catch the thread and pull extra loops through.

Hoop the fabric drum tight with a suitable stabiliser. Loose fabric lifts with the needle (called flagging), which stops the stitch forming properly and can start a nest. Our embroidery stabiliser guide explains which stabiliser to use for different fabrics.

Still nesting?

If nests continue after rethreading, a new needle and correct bobbin, check that the upper thread is suitable for embroidery and not old or brittle, and that the machine has been cleaned recently. Persistent nesting with correct threading can point to a timing or hook problem, which needs a qualified engineer.

If you are still choosing a machine, our best embroidery machines for beginners guide includes models with thread sensors and automatic thread cutting that help avoid many of these problems. For tension faults that are not nests, see embroidery machine tension problems.

See embroidery machines for beginners →

Frequently asked questions

Why does my embroidery machine nest at the start of a design? Usually the thread tail was not held or the machine started with the foot up. Hold the upper thread tail for the first few stitches and make sure the foot is lowered.

Is bird nesting a bobbin problem? Rarely. The nest is underneath, but the cause is usually the upper thread missing the tension discs or take-up lever.

Can I adjust tension to stop nesting? Rethread first. Raising tension rarely fixes a nest, because the thread is not in the tension discs at all.

Should I oil my embroidery machine to stop nesting? Only as the manual describes. Cleaning lint from the bobbin area helps more; many modern machines need little or no oil.