Tension, You got any?

Tension is one of the biggest problems for sewers and quilters. Well, if you've got them they're BIG. If you don't, consider yourself lucky!!

The point where the upper thread and lower thread meet is critical in the tension issue. That intersection should be right in the middle of your 2 (or more) layers. You should not be able to see the top thread on the bottom or the bottom thread on the top. If you can see the top thread on the bottom fabric, it will look like pokies coming through the holes made with your needle and your b0ttom thread will just be laying on the fabric held in place by those pokies. In the following pictures the pink thread is the top thread and the brown is the bobbin/bottom thread.





If you have problems, start with adjusting the top tension. The larger the number the tighter the tension (or check your manual). So if you can see the top thread on the bottom, tighten the upper tension a touch. Test stitch again. Tighten as needed. If you have the top as tight as it will go and it's not better, then you might have to adjust the bottom tension. On machines that the bobbin case comes out, there is usually a little screw on the bobbin case. Use a tiny screw driver (usually included with your machine) and tighten or loosen the tension on the bobbin thread. Remember: Right is Tight and Left is Loose. So in the situation above you want to loosen your bobbin tension just a touch. Run a seam of test stitching. It may take a few back and forth adjustments and it's best to just move the screw a hair each time.


For those of you that have the drop in bobbin assembly, I have no clue how to adjust your bobbin tension. I'm sure there has to be a way so read your manual and check it out.

If you can see the bobbin thread on the top, loosen the top tension and/or tighten the bobbin tension. If you can see the top thread on the bottom, tighten the top tension and/or loosen the bobbin thread. You can do it!! Don't be afraid, and get to know your machine.

The Amazing Stitch

I was blogging about tension and wound up involved in how the stitch happens and decided with all the pictures I took that it deserved it's own blog. So here it is


The Stitch:
So, you have the top thread and then you have the bottom thread, and in the stitching process the 2 threads become looped around each other and make a stitch. The whole process is quite interesting. The needle goes into the fabric and down past the needle plate and when it gets down there the "hook" on the bobbin assembly catches the upper thead and takes it around the bobbin and it becomes looped around the bottom thread on it's way around and back up and a STITCH is born! That happens every time your needle goes down and for every stitch in your project. Now you know why it's so important to take care of your machine! It works hard for you.







So I've been sewing for over 30 years ( I learned to sew when I was 6 months old!) and didn't know how my machine worked until about 6 years ago. I think it's pretty cool!