Question on thread tension on machine quilting
 

Can any of you quilters tell me why sometimes when a quilt is done on a professional long arm machine why the tension comes back wrong on parts of the quilt? Is this a hard thing to control? This quilt shop has a tension regulator on this machine. Thanks.

All sewing machines have a tension regulator. Do you mean a stitch regulator?

Stitch regulators keep the stitches at the same length regardless of how fast the machine is moving.

If your quilt has loose threads or looping on the back, it could be because of different fabrics, as Tartan said. Have you shown the sections in question to your longarmer?

They probably have a Towa Bobbin tensioner. This sets the tension on a bobbin, but when it's off the machine. If different parts of the quilt are pieced with different fabrics or lots more piecing in one area than another, then this can throw the tension off. If there's no fabric differences, then is the tension off on just curves? This might mean that they are going too fast on them. With some stitch regulators, you still can't go from zero to 60. May need to slow down on some of the curves.
I agree with Peckish about taking the quilt back to the long armer and asking.

I meant to say stitch regulator, instead of tension regulator.
This particular quilt (that I picked up yesterday from the quilting shop after it was quilted) was very simple piecing.
It was a baby quilt, and basically it had one large center piece with a border of a different color, and on the back the colors were reversed---large center piece and border on the side. It was machine quilted all over with the same pattern, circle with stars in the middle. For some reason, the stitching was off on the brown fabric much more consistently than the pink fabric. I have seen this on some other quilts that I have had professionally quilted, and I hoped that I can get this resolved for the future. Didn't know if it was the patterns I was choosing, or the speed the long arm quilter was using, and something else. Do any of you have this issue very often? Thank you for your suggestions. PaperPrincess, you commented this sets the tension on the bobbin, but when it's off the machine. I am not sure what you meant by the last part of the sentence. Thanks.

The stitches are off are on the back; they are on straight seams and curves. This particular machine quilting pattern does have a lot of curves because of all the circles. Thanks again for any advice you have for me.

She means the tension is set in the bobbin case when the bobbin is not inside the machine. The bobbin and bobbin case are taken out of the machine and set into the gauge. Once the tension is read and set, the bobbin and case are put back into the machine. I personally don't think this has anything to do with what's going on with your quilt.

I have a few questions: Is the brown fabric a batik? You say this has happened before on other quilts, was it the same longarm quilter? Did you show her those quilts and ask about the problem? Can you post a picture of the problem areas?

I forgot to say both the brown and pink are 100% cotton fabric.
Can a thicker or thinner batting have anything to do with the tension issue?
Usually I have the long arm quilter use Quilters Dream Cotton Select, and occasionally I have use that same brand in Deluxe (which is a little thicker). This particular time that the tension was off was on the select.

Peckish,
The brown fabric was not a batik. It is the same longarm quilter. I have mentioned this problem to her before. She wasn't sure what caused it---thinking maybe it was the pattern. I am not sure how to post a picture. Can you tell me how? Thanks.

There's a couple of ways to post a picture. This is the easiest way - see if you can click and drag the picture into your dialogue box where you type responses. Make sure the picture is 1 mb or smaller.

Or, if you post your pictures on Flickr or similar web service, you can post a link to it.

It is 2.9 mb and I don't know how to make it smaller. I tried to drag it from the desktop and place it here, but that didn't seem to work.

Not sure how else anyone here can help you. If your longarmer has no understanding of what's happening with your quilts, then whatever is causing it is not likely to be fixed. If it were me, I'd take those quilts around to other longarmers and ask them what they think is going on and how to fix it. Then I would seriously consider either switching to a different longarmer who gives you answers to these questions, or going back to your original longarmer with the information you've gained and watch to see what she does with this info.

I am thinking after reading your posts, maybe it is just a matter of slowing down her machine quilting. I will talk to her, and hope the slowing down process will help. Thanks.

If she has a computerized setup, that may not be possible. But I do encourage you to discuss your concern further! It's a valid complaint.

I do think it is a computerized setup. She sets the pattern, and the machine does all the work. Is that what you mean by computerized setup. Do you think the problem might still be that she is having the machine go a little too fast? I am still working on trying to get my pictures smaller so I can post one for you.

Mary, see if your computer has Paint. Mine is located in the Accessories file when I got to the start up page. You will have to have the picture saved on your computer. Open the picture and look across the top for "resize" . I usually do 50 % or 75%. Save that resize and try posting that. Hope this helps

So: Start up page---> All files----> Accessories--->Paint

I have rarely seen speed affect tension. What you described is a complete computerized LA set up. If speed affected tension those computers would most certainly be programmed to account for that but I really doubt it is the speed of the machine.

If she is setting the machine and walking away any number of things could be happening.

Are you requesting all cotton thread? I have had a lint fluff get stuck in the bobbin spring unbeknownst to me and cause my tension to be off. It could be fine on my tests and look fine from the top but I don't realize I had a problem until the quilt is advanced and I see the back. Or I go to tie off and realize my bobbin thread has a lot of drag and doesn't want to come up easily. Often those lint fluffs will dislodge on their own so the tension problem will come and go. I have never had this happen when using poly thread top and bottom. So if you really like this quilter and don't want to change and she has no clue what is causing the problem then I would suggest you request only using polyester thread in top and bobbin. A good name brand one at that. Filtec Glide has never ever given me a problem like this. Could also be the magnaglide bobbins. When I have a magna glide in I never have tension issues.