Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It looks as if the tension is wrong. On the backside, the back thread looks loose, and the loop from the front is peeking out at the bottom. I’m not sure where your tension dial is, mines on the top I would dial it up till like a five or six. Sewn fabric so loop should be kind of embedded in the center layer, not on the top, or the bottom.
Slide your fabric to the side like you did, and trim your threads quicker. You can always wrinkle the fabric up as a gather to try to not pull is much thread. I find trimming threads with a scissor nip much more economical thread wise then pulling it up over the thread cutter it’s usually somewhere on the side of the machine.
And if you find that you’re getting clots of thread in the back of your fabric as you start sewing, hold the top thread tight if not both roads when you start sewing at the top of a seam.
Also check and see if you have a speed regulator button. You could make the machine go slower. Don’t have to go at full speed. I’ve been sewing for 50 some years, I do not sew at full speed. For me that is a recipe for disaster.
It looks as if the tension is wrong. On the backside, the back thread looks loose, and the loop from the front is peeking out at the bottom. I’m not sure where your tension dial is, mines on the top I would dial it up till like a five or six. Sewn fabric so loop should be kind of embedded in the center layer, not on the top, or the bottom.
Slide your fabric to the side like you did, and trim your threads quicker. You can always wrinkle the fabric up as a gather to try to not pull is much thread. I find trimming threads with a scissor nip much more economical thread wise then pulling it up over the thread cutter it’s usually somewhere on the side of the machine.
And if you find that you’re getting clots of thread in the back of your fabric as you start sewing, hold the top thread tight if not both roads when you start sewing at the top of a seam.
Also check and see if you have a speed regulator button. You could make the machine go slower. Don’t have to go at full speed. I’ve been sewing for 50 some years, I do not sew at full speed. For me that is a recipe for disaster.
My tension is at 2. I will increase to 5 or 6
And I will snip thread with scissors rather than the tiny blade to the side
You are right, sewing fast is a recipe for disaster. When I get confident about my sewing, I start to speed up, which spoils the stitch (luckily it was a petticoat!)
To get the tension right put one color in top and one in the bobbin. When you sew, you should not see the opposite side's color. One side should have one color and the other, the other color. Tighten which one shows where it shouldn't.
To get the tension right put one color in top and one in the bobbin. When you sew, you should not see the opposite side's color. One side should have one color and the other, the other color. Tighten which one shows where it shouldn't.
How would I tighten the tension of the lower thread, ie the bobbin?
Avoid tightening the bobbin tension unless all else fails.
There's a small screw on the bobbin case. Turn it right (clockwise) to tighten the tension, left to loosen.
How would I tighten the tension of the lower thread, ie the bobbin?
You would actually turn the tension down. Like you said you had it at 2, that was too loose so you go up to six, and then you see the thread from the bottom is now showing at the top. So you lower the tension. Usually in the manual of your sewing machine it will tell you the average tension is a certain number. I have a Bernina — it’s five.
The tension dial sets the tension discs which is what you thread the thread through.
Bobbin tension is usually something that you only mess with if you are doing some sort of heavy thread couching. And usually what is recommended is that you get a second bobbin case to mess with, and not mess with the one that you use all the time for regular thread. Once you mess with it, it’s gonna be really difficult to get it back properly. So in general never mess with the bobbin tension. I’ve sewn for over 50 years, never messed with the bobbin screw.
Avoid tightening the bobbin tension unless all else fails.
There's a small screw on the bobbin case. Turn it right (clockwise) to tighten the tension, left to loosen.
If you DO adjust the bobbin tension (which nobody is recommending), just turn it a tiny bit, like 1/16 of a turn at a time. It's really easy to mess that up, you're MUCH better off adjusting the top tension.
Also, you can use different color thread on top and bottom, so you could use red in your bobbin and white or purple on top to match the appliques, and the thread won't show so much on the bottom.
Also, I am not sure where you are, but if you are near a JoAnn fabrics, make sure you sign up for their coupons, and get their sales flyers. If you also have a cell phone, download their app. You can get extra coupons on the app. Watch the sales for thread. You can almost always buy three get two free, or buy one get one. They don’t run them every month but they run them frequently enough that you can buy good thread at a good price.
My machine is very picky. I cannot use Coats and Clark’s Dual Duty Plus. The Nina hates it. I do mainly quilting, so I just use cotton thread. Usually Gutterman.
__________________ Solly says — Be nice!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Solly says — Be nice!
