Yesterday I started quilting a queen size quilt. Everything went beautifully....no problems at all. BUT today is a different story. All the settings, thread, needle everything the same. Same settings on the machine (Janome ) fmq bobbin case in use.
The back is all eyelashes. I spent over an hour picking out the bad stitches....arrrggg...
Okay, I took the bobbin case out to try to adjust the tension. There is a metal screw but there is also a black thing I assume is a screw, to the left of the metal screw. Which should I turn? Has anyone had this experience and if so, how did you resolve it. I am just a breath away from a string of four letter words!!!

Ditter

Do you have a picture of the bobbin case, mine has little screws which you turn to loosen or tighten. (lefty loosy, rightie tightie this method also works when working on trucks..lol)

Don't really know what to tell you because I have had that same thing happen to me before too. Try & change the needle & see if that helps & rethread the machine. There are gremlins among us!

I would not adjust the bobbin tension. Adjust the top tension, instead.

If you have eyelashes on the back of your quilt, it would be the top tension you should adjust.

Sheila

Hi, You can use the black screw to adjust tension if adjusting at the top doesn't work.

I never mess with my bobbin tension and only change the top tension.

Did you lower your darning foot - I have forgotten to do that and I get a bird's nest on the back of the quilt because there is no tension.

I have never adjusted the bobbin tension, I always adjust tension from the top. Possibly check the bobbin area for a hidden piece of lint.

I agree - it is the top tension that is your problem. I too have gremlins that play with my machine when I'm not watching. Sometimes the only thing that works is to start over and re-thread the machine.

Thanks to all of you. I called the qs where I bought the machine. She told me to rethread the machine. I swear I had done that at least twice, but I did it again. Now everything is working fine again.....GREMLINS at work!!! :hunf:

Ditter

Yep, those Gremlins seem pretty intent on getting the most bang for their work....they mess up your project, steal your time, make you crazy, and then when you seek out help...they disappear like they've never been there at all.... hope they're not on their way back to my house! LOL

I have those gremlins too...only they like to eat the bobbin thread so it runs out without warning. I can hear them laughing when I have sewn an entire seam, only to discover the bobbin ran out after the first three inches...nasty-goblinses...

Yes.....I have had those very same Gremlins sneak into my quilting room. They certainly can wreak havoc on stuff, even things that you SWEAR no one has touched!! Sometimes just rethreading is all it needs.....inconceivable!!! (ala Princess Bride!!!)

Everyone get the curse of the gremlins, soon or later. Good luck finishing your quilt.

That's what I was going to say. It's the simplest thing, but one of the easiest to overlook. So glad you are back on track now!

Problem solved so now when in doubt rethread or new needle or both.

Sorry it's giving you fits. Like the others I agree that it is your upper tension. Often times, rethreading the machine will take care of the problem. Sometimes the upper thread pops out of the uptake hook which will cause some major nesting on the back of your piece. Rethreading will correct this.

I have those gremlins too! Now I don't even start to sew on a Wednesday!! yes it is true! My machine goes on strike on a Wednesday - works fine on Tuesday and Thursday but everything seems to go wrong on a Wednesday!

Yes! I HAVE had that happen. What I do is change the needle, look under the bobbin case for fuzzies, put in a new bobbin, rethread the machine, change needle, shut off the machine and either eat something or go to bed. When I come back to it, it is all fixed!

Glad the problem is corrected. I predict no more grimlins.

Glad it is sorted....those gremlins are a real pest!

The FIRST thing I would do is be absolutely POSITIVE that I had put the foot down!
The NEXT thing I would check is: Did I get the bobbin thread completely into its little holder and threaded through the side?
(Just two mistakes I try to never make again <g>) <wave>
*** Tooo late! <g> <waVE>

I wouldn't touch that bobbin adjustment if your machine has been sewing ok prior to this problem. I would clean the machine, put in a new needle, a new bobbin, re-thread, cross my fingers and try again. If that failed I would walk away from the machine and try everything again tomorrow. Good luck!!

I heard this the other day and wished I would have had it ten years ago when I started quilting:

Problem on the bottom - solution on the top.
Problem on the top - solution on the bottom.

HTHs!

Oh my goodness, you all are so funny! :lol: :lol:

I bought an extra bobbin case for my machine. When I want to play or adjust the bobbin tension I take the original one out and use the second one. I put a mark on the second one so the two doesn't get mixed up.

I have never had to change my tension on my machine.
It has a top loading bobbin and no problems there either.
I quilt all my quilts on my Viking Sapphire and have no problem except when I dont thread it right. It is so easy to wind bobbins while in the middle of sewing without unthreading, and drop it back in without lifting my table insert.
Ive been sold on drop in bobbins since I started sewing many yrs ago on a Singer.

when that happens to me it is always that for some reason I have missed one simple step in threading the machine, when I know and could swear to you that I threaded it correctly. I rethread and it works fine. Machines can be very picky.

Nasty little boogers! I like it when you are at home and machine won't work, then you drive an hour each way to dealer TWICE and it doesn't do it when they r watching.
GEMLINS!! :)

I am lucky ... my Brother warns me when the bobbin thread is almost gone ... I've been down to less than 1 inch of thread when it beeps that it is running out. No gremlins here except in my fingers.

Try winding a new bobbin and cleaning around the bobbin case. If you mess with the bobbing tension you're likely to end up with a bigger mess and an adjustment repair cost. I find that i have to clean the machine and bobbin case a lot when I'm machine quilting no matter that I'm using the good threads, it just collects more of the batting or fabric for some reason.

Hugs

Well Ditter sounds like you are on your way, good luck on finishing your quilt.

Cookie

this is the right way to do it.

I have to rethread my machine and the bobbin sometimes more than once before it gets right again. I have thought of throwing it out the window, but can't afford either the new window or a new machine.

Check the top thread to make sure it is threaded correctly.
Pamala

I loved the suggestion to just rethread the machine. I had this happen in my last quilt, almost through the whole project and I had rethreaded several times so I can relate. Gremlins indeed. :hunf:

I agree. Sounds like the thread is not caught in the tension discs. I'm sure you know this, but the presser foot has to be up to thread the machine properly, or the tension discs will be closed and eventhough you rethread, it won't be correct. Hope that's all it is!

I had the same problem with my Kenmore. I had to adjust the bobbin tension. Even though the Kenmore lady said never touch that. The book does not tell you which ones to turn and which way. You just have to be brave and play with it .

yep thats it they come and go