Coverstitch Draglines on Fabric - How to Fix Them

Too much presser foot pressure is the most common cause of draglines - it forces the fabric harder onto the feed teeth, making the marks more pronounced.

• If your machine allows presser foot pressure adjustment, try reducing it slightly and test on scrap
• Check your manual to confirm whether your specific model has this feature
• Reduce gradually and test after each change - too little pressure will cause feeding problems

Uneven fabric feeding is a very common cause of draglines - if one layer feeds faster than the other the fabric bunches and drags under the presser foot.

• Make sure the differential feed is set to 1 as a starting point
• If the fabric is stretching as it feeds and causing draglines, try increasing the differential feed towards 2 to control the stretch and test on scrap
• If draglines are appearing without any stretching, try reducing slightly towards 0.7 and test on scrap
• Make small adjustments and test after each change

Pulling or pushing the fabric through the machine distorts the seams and creates draglines - particularly on smooth, shiny or delicate fabrics where any tension shows up clearly.

• Let the machine do the work - just guide the fabric gently under the presser foot
• Don't tug from the front or pull from the back as the fabric feeds through
• If the fabric seems to need encouragement to feed, check the differential feed setting and presser foot pressure rather than pulling it through manually

Placing a strip of freezer paper or water soluble stabiliser between the fabric and the feed teeth creates a protective barrier that prevents the teeth from marking the fabric surface directly.

• Freezer paper is particularly useful as it can be ironed lightly to the fabric to hold it in position before sewing, then peeled away cleanly afterwards
• Water soluble stabiliser works well too and simply washes away after sewing

A longer stitch length means fewer feed tooth contacts per centimetre, which can reduce marking on delicate fabrics.

• Try increasing the stitch length slightly and test on scrap
• Bear in mind that a longer stitch length will also change the appearance of the finished hem - test on scrap before committing to your project

Some fabrics are simply more prone to feed tooth marking than others - very smooth, shiny or loosely knitted fabrics show marks more easily.

• Pressing the fabric lightly with a damp cloth or steam after sewing can help the marks to disappear on most fabrics
• If draglines are a consistent problem on a specific fabric, using freezer paper or stabiliser as in step 3 is the most reliable solution

Before returning to your project, test on a piece of scrap of the same fabric. Check the underside after sewing for any feed tooth marks and adjust your approach before committing to your actual piece.