Quilt group talk - what are your tension bugaboos?
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 1,271
I get a bit of thread stuck in the bobbin area quite often, I believe between the race and the hook. I've pinpointed it to when I am just beginning a line of stitches. It's often the first stitch I take, I can tell right away that it's stuck. I tilt the machine back, open the bobbin area up, remove the bobbin and hook and take out the thread. Then everything is fine. Why does that happen? Is it just a peculiarity of my machine?
Thanks!!
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 1,271
No, do you think that's it? I had another machine that would make a nest if I didn't hold the tails. I thought I didn't have to do that with this machine, but maybe I was wrong.
Boy Cari - you sure are solving all of my problems in the last few days!! Thanks.
I'll definitely hold my tails and see if that solves it.
Boy Cari - you sure are solving all of my problems in the last few days!! Thanks.
I'll definitely hold my tails and see if that solves it.
#46
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
Posts: 4,096
I'll leave this one to Tammi, she can most likely explain it better than I can. Some of it I don't completely understand myself. I just know that modern machines that have the built in thread cutters and drop in bobbins in front of the needle, you don't have to hold the tails, in fact you don't usually have tails to hold if the machine has automatic thread cutting.
Cari
Cari
#48
Can you perhaps give advice on this?
I just got this old lady going. I believe I've got the top and bottom looking the same but the seam is puckered. If I change the tension, then I get an uneven stitch. Do I need to loosen the tension on the bobbin so I can then loosen the tension at the needle so that there would be less tension all together? Here are pics. The stitches on the left are the ones I thought were the most even.
I just got this old lady going. I believe I've got the top and bottom looking the same but the seam is puckered. If I change the tension, then I get an uneven stitch. Do I need to loosen the tension on the bobbin so I can then loosen the tension at the needle so that there would be less tension all together? Here are pics. The stitches on the left are the ones I thought were the most even.
#50
Not a tension issue but since you brought it up.....
I get a bit of thread stuck in the bobbin area quite often, I believe between the race and the hook. I've pinpointed it to when I am just beginning a line of stitches. It's often the first stitch I take, I can tell right away that it's stuck. I tilt the machine back, open the bobbin area up, remove the bobbin and hook and take out the thread. Then everything is fine. Why does that happen? Is it just a peculiarity of my machine?
Thanks!!
I get a bit of thread stuck in the bobbin area quite often, I believe between the race and the hook. I've pinpointed it to when I am just beginning a line of stitches. It's often the first stitch I take, I can tell right away that it's stuck. I tilt the machine back, open the bobbin area up, remove the bobbin and hook and take out the thread. Then everything is fine. Why does that happen? Is it just a peculiarity of my machine?
Thanks!!
I'll leave this one to Tammi, she can most likely explain it better than I can. Some of it I don't completely understand myself. I just know that modern machines that have the built in thread cutters and drop in bobbins in front of the needle, you don't have to hold the tails, in fact you don't usually have tails to hold if the machine has automatic thread cutting.
Cari
Cari
Can you perhaps give advice on this?
I just got this old lady going. I believe I've got the top and bottom looking the same but the seam is puckered. If I change the tension, then I get an uneven stitch. Do I need to loosen the tension on the bobbin so I can then loosen the tension at the needle so that there would be less tension all together? Here are pics. The stitches on the left are the ones I thought were the most even.
I just got this old lady going. I believe I've got the top and bottom looking the same but the seam is puckered. If I change the tension, then I get an uneven stitch. Do I need to loosen the tension on the bobbin so I can then loosen the tension at the needle so that there would be less tension all together? Here are pics. The stitches on the left are the ones I thought were the most even.
The other reminder is that just because a stitch is balanced, doesn't mean it's not too tight or too loose top and bottom. If the presser foot pressure doesn't resolve it, I would try loosening both top and bottom tensions somewhat. Puckering usually happens because the thread is being pulled too hard for the amount of advancement. Soooo, technically, if your project is such that you can do it, you can also shorten your stitch length. This would be in a situation where, say you have just enough pressure to move the fabric but you're still puckering - despite appropriate tension top and bottom.
It's a dance really. The number of steps sometimes can make it an intricate dance.
Incidentally, I haven't mentioned it in this thread but I have in other threads. Bobbin tension should be about 1oz. A fishing weight tied to a hanging bobbin thread can help you set a good known bobbin tension for a given thread, allowing you to know that the top is the one needing to be adjusted.
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