Originally Posted by
gailc
I have a featherweight and I took it to the shop and when I got it back the tension was set on "6" to make the stitches even. When I sew on 4-5 or 6 the botton thread is too loose. Can you give me any ideas on how to repair this.
If you're getting loops on top of the fabric, loosen the top tension (go to a lower number), or tighten the bottom tension. Loops on the bottom, do the opposite. For two pieces of light to mid weight fabric the tension should be approximately 4 or 5. You can change the position of the numbers, if that's the only problem, by pushing on the numbers and rotating them left or right. Also, take out the bobbin case and check that the thread tension correct by doing the "yo-yo" test: hold the thread and let the bobbin case drop (but watch out that it doesn't hit the floor or a hard surface). It should drop a bit and then stop. Not very scientific, but it's a starting place for tweaking it. If you need to adjust the bobbin tension there is a tiny screw on a flat spring inside the case. Do you have a manual? If not, there are free downloads online. Check out Ismacs and also the Singer site. This type of adjustment is explained and illustrated in the manual.