When threading machine-presser foot up or down??

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03-07-2009, 03:01 PM

#11

sewnsewer2

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Always up!

03-07-2009, 04:07 PM

#12

borntoquilt

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I'd have to be double jointed to get my "feet" up that high! :lol:

03-07-2009, 04:27 PM

#13

Shadow Dancer

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I just addressed this with someone who was having tension problems with their embroidery machine. When changing colors she wasn't raising the foot to re-thread and her second color and all subsequent colors the tension was out and she was looping all over the place.... raised the foot, re threaded and voila no more loopy's ! LOL

03-07-2009, 06:07 PM

#14

Skeat

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Well, I am glad for one that I have this right in my head now for sure!:0)I had no idea until I read it in Better Homes and Garden quilting mag...I missed the postings on this patrice! Otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up again-sorry!:0) I was a 'shop' girl, so no home ec for me and when I started quilting is when I actually started sewing!:)Which is about the same time I joined..or actually after(was hand quilting first). So glad to know this and to know it is fact. Hopefully it has helped others that didn't know like me!Now I am calling mom to see if she knew that and didn't tell me!:0)Oh, that was prob going to happen when she was going to give me those sewing lessons in 6th grade....I am still waiting!LOL Thanks all for this!! So very helpful...and, is there anything else like this that we need to know??If so, do tell! Skeat

03-07-2009, 06:22 PM

#15

littlehud

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Up is the right way. I learned that here. What a wealth of info. Love this site. This is a good question and it's OK to ask again for those who may have missed it the first time.l

03-12-2009, 05:58 AM

#16

Nita

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Location: Central New York

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Roben

It's right, Skeat - think of the tension disks like 2 paper plates. When the foot is up, it opens the distance between the discs, allowing the thread to lay between them. Lowering the pressure foot closes the distance between them, thus putting tension on the thread. If the machine is threaded with the foot down, the thread essentially just lays on top of the closed discs - and the discs don't put any tension on the thread.

Clear as mud? LOL

I know I'f been told the right way to thread, but info has a way of falling out of my pea brain memory storage. But now that I know WHY the foot should be up I think it will finally be engrained in my head. Thanks, Roben, for that explaination. They say we learn something new every day and this is my gem for today!
Nita

03-12-2009, 06:41 AM

#17

reneebobby

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It's for the disks that hold the tension on the upper thread. Also when you remove your thread you are to clip it and pull from the needle, you do waste some thread but you don't end up with fuzz balls around your disks as fast that will mess up your tension. I hope that makes sense.

03-12-2009, 07:43 AM

#18

jbud2

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Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: york county, PA

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Oh my!! And I just started to thread it with the foot down because I can see the eye of the needle better! And I do wear glasses - bifocals. Guess I better go back to the right way!

03-12-2009, 08:44 AM

#19

Tink's Mom

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Location: chicago, IL

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Skeat
This is very much correct! I teach how to use sewing machines and I always tell my student that this is the first step in threading the machine, after placing the thread on the spool holder.