I just read a helpful hint that we are to have our feet up on the machines while threading due to it sets the 'discs' or something in the machine?? Have you all heard of this or not? I think I have been a 50/50 quilter till this little tidbit...now I have that guilty thought and do it...is it really right or not??Anyone out there that knows or have heard...?Skeat

Foot up is what my book says to do on my machine. Something about the tension being off if you thread with it down.

Skeat

My old machine that I first used up until about 6 months ago had an instruction book which had no text only diagrams (Pfaff 30yrs old). This o showed that the presser foot show be threaded whilst in the up positon.
Which is what I have always done since being shown how to thread a machine by my mother when I was a child. So it's always been normal procedure for me to thread in the up position.
My new machine has an automatic threader which also indicates to thread in the up position. Hope this helps.
Happy threading :wink:

Tisha

It's right, Skeat - think of the tension disks like 2 paper plates. When the foot is up, it opens the distance between the discs, allowing the thread to lay between them. Lowering the pressure foot closes the distance between them, thus putting tension on the thread. If the machine is threaded with the foot down, the thread essentially just lays on top of the closed discs - and the discs don't put any tension on the thread.

Clear as mud? LOL

It took me a while after starting sewing to realize that threading with the presser foot up is the correct way. When I constantly kept breaking thread, it was because I threaded with the feet down. Glad you brought this up

Oh my goodness. That is something we learned in Home Ec class back in high school. When? well, about 1949! And I know schools no longer teach Home Economics!

Since the presser foot automatically causes the tension discs to close, there is tension on the thread. In order to pull the thread through the needle with out having it hang up and feel "tight" the pressure must be released. Thus, the presser foot should be in the "up" or "pressure off" position.

Old timers do remember some of the good lessons they learned.

I read this tip a while ago and if you try it both ways you will see the difference. Now it is up for me.

i don't remember hearing about that in Home Ec. Even my mother never told me that and she was a professional seamstress, cotourie and a tailor. the first i heard of this very sensible tip was here at the board about a week or so ago.

so, after well over 40 years of sewing, i have FINALLY learned how to properly thread my machine. no wonder i could never get the automatic threader thingies to work right. :lol:

makes me wonder how many tension tantrums i could have prevented in all that time. :? :roll:

I heard this in Home Ec and have never thought twice about it. Always do it. Isn't it funny what we take for granted? Thank you for posting this!

I was taught this is Home Ec too. Always have the pressure foot up and needle in the highest position when you make any adjustment.