All of your suggestions I have tried and tried and tried that is why it is so frustrating to use that machine. I am taking it in this weekend to the man that serviced my mom's machine. He is going to take a look at it and if he can't fix it then it is gone. I don't want to fight with my machine everytime I sit down to use it. I just about broke out in tears when I used my mom's and the tension was beautiful and stitches were straight and aligned without a battle.