sgorbe Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 I have been quilting on my Lenni for over a year now. All of a sudden I am having more tension problems than I know what to do with. Had major problems last month..turned out my tension spring had dropped..with the help of Dawn Cavanaugh got that problem solved. Now it seems to be flat lining in some area's ..I was using glide thread and magna glide bobbin. Now i put a practice piece on using So-fine top and bottom line in the bobbin(pre wound). Terrible stitches...tightened up the top until the stitches looked better but now I am getting eye lashes in the turns and some intermittent through out the quilting. I did read the thread about eyelashes on the turns and will give that a shot...does any one else have any suggestions? They would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 So, this is what I do to set my tension. It's fool proof for me (4 years now) This is what I do with my machine and it works great: I don't have a Towa gauge, so I use the "spider drop" test for my bobbins. I started loosening my bobbin tension and I find it has done wonders. Loosen the bobbin screw just enough so the bobbin drops slowly but smoothly (like a spider). That's perfect setting. After your bobbin tension is set, the only thing you should now mess with is your top tension. Start out with a set point and tighten until you start to see the bobbin threads barely peeking up through the hole the needle makes. Then, loosen your top tension a wee bit. That should be a good setting for tension on top, but I usually run a few test stitches around to make some minor top tension tweaks so the thread lays nice and forms a pretty bump on top of the fabric. Keep in mind that as your bobbin thread gets low, your bobbin gets lighter (right?), so if you pull it out half way and do the drop test, it might need to be loosened a little bit more. Ever since I started loosening my bobbin tension (spider drop test) I haven't had any problems with tension. I use all sorts of threads and mix and match. I use Bottom line or So Fine in the bobbin and in the top I use all sorts of threads: metallics or So Fine or Signature, Rainbows, Robinson Anton cotton, King Tut, etc... no breaking! You just have to keep playing and tweaking. Oh and make sure your bobbin area is cleaned and oiled frequently, and change your needle frequently, too. That helps a lot. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewcrazy4quilting Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Shana's tension advice changed my life!! It is simple to do, requires no "extras" and it works every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Thank you so much Shana, I am going to print out your advice and keep it by my machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Shana, is that test good for any type bobbin..(ie) pre wound card board, magnetic and metal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 kim, sounds like you are a true believer and very grateful.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 I think any bobbin type works for this. I use aluminum but metal or even prewound should work same way. Just keep tweaking; don't give up. Only mess with top tension once your bobbin tension is set like a spider drop. It's so easy. You'll be fine just don't be afraid to tweak the top either tighter or looser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judysmith Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 I take Shana's advice as gospel! It really does work. I've found that I can set the lighter cardboard and aluminium bobbins the same, but need to loosen off a bit more the heavier metal bobbins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 How did you know I was afraid?? sometimes this machine scares me to death. I think my greatest fear is that I won't be able to get it back to where it was ( or supposed to be). . Thank you so much..all I need now is confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 What type of bobbin winder do you all use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 How do I know you were afraid? Well, we all have been there, my friend. Even me. I use the turbo winder. I use it for all my bobbins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 Sandy, you are not alone in being afraid of your machine. I think everyone starts out that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgorbe Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Shana, did you purchase your winder from APQS or did you get it elsewhere? I am waiting for them to come down in price a little. So for now I only use pre wound...the only problem there is I never have the right color for the back or enough of the color..very frustrating. By the way...did the spider drop and Voila!!!!! Thank you all...esp...shana:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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