Nicole Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 The tension on the back of the quilt seems to be fine, but then it gets looser, then it goes back to being fine. Any ideas why the tension is doing this, or how to prevent this from happening? Stitches look fine in the front. Noticed as I was ready to take quilt off machine. Working with a 2003 Millenium with SR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Nicole: I only own a George, and not a true longarm, but as you are doing feathers it would appear that the tension issue occurs when you move in that one direction. That being said, have you tried slowing down your hand movement so the needle is not deflected as much, thus loosening your tension. Below is the link for the information that follows; http://www.apqs.com/adjust-tension Direction the machine is moving The machine's hook rotates in one direction only, even though the machine can be maneuvered in any direction. Therefore, in some instances the machine is actually stitching "backward", almost like holding the reverse button on a traditional sewing machine. For example, if you stand on the free hand or needle side of the machine and quilt a straight line to your left, the tension will not be quite as perfect as if you moved to your right. That direction is like sewing "in reverse mode". It causes your needle to meet the hook a bit too soon, so the stitch formation changes slightly. When you move the machine right to left (when viewed from the needle side) or left to right (when viewed from the pantograph side) you may notice more "railroad tracks" as a tension problem. Since this phenomenon is caused by needle flex, you can improve the stitch quality by using the correct size needle, slowing down, loosening your fabric, increasing your stitches per inch, and tightening the top tension while also loosening the bobbin tension. We recommend that you generally move from left to right on the free hand side of the machine, and from right to left on the pantograph side. (Yes, this means that even though your pantograph pattern may have two rows of the pattern printed on the paper, you should complete the first row, tie off, and return to the far right side of the table to complete the second row for the best all-around stitch quality.) Needle flex If your movements are jerky or you are moving faster than the stitch regulator or motor can keep up with, the needle may flex as it enters and leaves the fabric. Strive for smooth, consistent movement, and adjust the motor speed if you are in manual mode, so that the motor keeps pace with you. I hope this helps. I am sure some more learned folks will chime in to help you fix your problems. Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I would try loosening the sandwich & tightening the top tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 all the stitches seem to be going in the same direction. There was quite a thread on this problem with a lot of technical help. About that time I spent a few days in the hosp. and forgot to look back for the answer. Good luck. I'll try to keep track of this thread for the answer. Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 It looks to me as though it is a directional change causing the issue. Going one direction tension is fine but the other direction it is off. This is due to the way the needle is in relation to the hook. I would try turning my needle slightly past 6:30 and see if that helps. Also check the tension of your sandwich. Too tight of a sandwich will deflect the needle just enough to cause an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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