Help... What am I doing wrong
03-22-2010, 11:28 AM
#11
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Somerset, England
Posts: 10,686
Well I'm no expert, but from what I've read and heard, tension is always a balancing act! And it can vary depending on which thread you have top and bottom and which wadding you're using. I took a tip from a far more experienced friend and when I got my new machine, made practice sandwiches using diiferent waddings and experimented with the top tension with each combination of threads I plan to use (Masterpiece, King Tut, Aurifil and Bottom Line) then made notes in a little notebook as to the best settings for every combination. Requires a little investment of time but worth it IMHO - at least it will avoid (hopefully!) the headache of having to unpick or being unhappy with an actual project. On another note, is there a lower tension bobbin case available for your machine, specifically for FMQ? I got one for my Janome and can really see the difference when experimenting with that and the regular case.
03-22-2010, 12:04 PM
#12
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Home town: Rehoboth, MA Now living in OK
Posts: 7,774
Originally Posted by Ditter43
If the bottom thread is loose it's not the bobbin tension, it's the top tension. If your feed dogs are dropped I would lower the top tension one number at a time until your bottom stitches are even. Make sure your thread is going through the tension discs and is threaded correctly. If you still have problems, let us know.
Ditter
Ditter
03-23-2010, 11:43 AM
#13
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: currently central new jersey
Posts: 8,623
i was taught that if the problem is on top, then the blame is on the bottom. if the problem is on the bottom, then the blame is on the top. i would start by trying a tighter upper tension.
btw, i also was told that if the bobbin 'chase' is plastic as in so many new machines, then the bobbins should also be. the bobbins should be the same as the chase. i'm gradually tossing my old metal ones out and replacing them with plastic and it makes a big difference. they work a lot better. no, i'm not talking about the bobbin holder itself. that's the bobbin case.
btw, i also was told that if the bobbin 'chase' is plastic as in so many new machines, then the bobbins should also be. the bobbins should be the same as the chase. i'm gradually tossing my old metal ones out and replacing them with plastic and it makes a big difference. they work a lot better. no, i'm not talking about the bobbin holder itself. that's the bobbin case.
03-28-2010, 10:52 PM
#17
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: New Zealand in the South Pacific
Posts: 1,115
Yes I agree about using the correct thread for the machine and for the type of sewing you are trying to do, I have had some real problems in the past and it was the thread all the time, also check how you thread up your machine, we can all make silly mistakes especially if we are rushing or focusing on some other part of the project!
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