Bernina owners... Help please
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington
Posts: 757
Bernina owners... Help please
When you FMQ with your BSR on do you ever get loops on the bottom of your quilt? Mine are ever so slight but if I run my fingernail across a row of stitches I can hear the small thread loops and I am always worried the stitching won't hold up. I'm assuming my tension is off and I've adjusted the top tension to be tighter but that hasn't fixed it. Do you ever have tension issues? How much do you have to change your tension when you FMQ? Any help you can provide is much appreciated. My Bernina store is closed until Tues because the owners are at Bernina University so I can't even check with them.
Thanks!
Thanks!
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington
Posts: 757
I used King Tut on both top and bottom with a 90/14 topstitch needle as instructed at my Bernina Dealer before they left. I guess that does make a difference but I think I've had this issue before with Aurafil also.
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Morris Plains, NJ
Posts: 1,803
I do not get loops but I have also had to fool around with my tension. It can even change each time I FMQ. I use 40wt King Tut and top stitch needle but I use 50 wt Masterpiece or So Fine or Bottom Line (60wt) for the bobbin. Try taking off the BSR and stitching without it. Is it still looping. Re thread, new needle, check bobbin, use new bobbin. Good luck.
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,538
I always do a test quilt swatch and start with my top tension on the factory setting. If I have eyelashes on the bottom I slowly increase my top tension a couple of numbers. If I still have eyelashes on the bottom I fiddle with my bobbin tension until I get a balanced stretch on my test quilt sandwich. Moving your bobbin tension is not scary if you take a picture or make a note of the screws position before starting. You can turn the screw back for regular sewing later if you know where it was orininally.
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,093
You can also adjust the stitch length to just a little shorter, which I think looks a little better, when using the BSR. Get comfortable with adjusting your upper and lower tensions -- they're adjustable for a reason.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 448
From Manitoba dumb z it may sound, look at instruction book see if needle is plug in shunt properly.. I got a headace trying for hours to figure out a loose thread issue only to finally pull out my book and find the needle was slide in wrong. Then, magic.. Maybe not the case but worth a try.
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington
Posts: 757
I always do a test quilt swatch and start with my top tension on the factory setting. If I have eyelashes on the bottom I slowly increase my top tension a couple of numbers. If I still have eyelashes on the bottom I fiddle with my bobbin tension until I get a balanced stretch on my test quilt sandwich. Moving your bobbin tension is not scary if you take a picture or make a note of the screws position before starting. You can turn the screw back for regular sewing later if you know where it was orininally.
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: England Alton Towers
Posts: 6,673
Take a picture of the final adjustment. This will be useful next time you use the BSR. When I first had my bernina used theBSR slowly over time I just use either the walking foot for straight quilting or darning foot for free motion. Why the change because I do less fiddling to adjust stitch when I begin quilting.
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