kusmaulk Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I purchased 6 cones of Bottom Line because someone I trusted recommended it. Now, I can't get it to work without breaking. If I loosen the tension, it will stop breaking, but I am getting eyelashes on the bottom and loops on the top. Could someone please advise me what I need to do with this thread? It's making me crazy. I need to figure out how to adjust the tension and use this thread. Please help me. thank you, Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmquilt Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hi karol, I know this isn\'t going to be that helpful. But you need to tighten your top tension back up and loosen you bobbin tension. What size needle are you using?? That might make a difference also. Sounds like your bottom thread isn\'t pulling freely, don\'t mean to sound stupid but do you have bobbin threaded through the bobbin case properly?? Sometimes mine pops out of place and causes problems. Something to try is when you bring up your bobbin thread pull on it and make sure it is rolling smoothly. Take care and good luck Michele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Make sure your bobbin is wound tightly. If it\'s loose, it won\'t work well. Make sure the thread comes off the correct direction when you put the bobbin in. I\'ve used Bottom Line quite a bit and I\'ve never had any problems. Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 me, too - I\'ve used Bottom Line in the bobbin and on top, never had a problem, except when I\'d screwed up the tension all on my own. You might try going back to a thread you have used successfully, make sure everything is working as expected, and then move back to the Bottom Line cones. That\'ll tell you whether it\'s the thread, or something in the setup. If all else fails, call Superior! They love to help and really don\'t want us longarmers frustrated with their thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusmaulk Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Everything is threaded properly, bobbin thread is wound tightly, needle is 4.0. I don\'t have trouble with other Superior threads (except for the Monopoly) but Bottom Line is giving me fits. I emailed Superior, but was hoping someone here would have some experience/wise words for me. ps My bobbin tension couldn\'t get any looser, and when I tighten the top, the thread shreds every few inches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Hi Karol, I am going to call this the 8 o\'clock test--it\'s for the top tension. First, change out the needle that is shredding the thread. Thread the new needle and loosen the top tension so the thread flows out with little resistance when pulled through the eye towards the back of the machine. Tighten the top tension a bit and pull the thread again, keeping your eye on the tension spring (that U-shaped wire in front of the tensioner) My tension spring at rest sits at about the 10 o\'clock position when you look at it straight on. As you tighten the tension, the resistance on the spring increases as you pull the thread through. When the tension is set so the spring deflects to 8 o\'clock (down slightly) that is my "sweet spot" for top tension. I set my bobbin tension at 17 on the Towa gauge and I am good to go with almost anything. You will eventually get a feel for how easily the top thread pulls through and will find that sweet spot for your machine. Hope this helps you. Both tensions need to be tight enough to bury the stitch and sometimes we need to start from scratch to make it work. BottomLine is great thread, usually, and worth the time to make it work for you. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusmaulk Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Thank you Linda, I don\'t have a Towa gauge. Can you describe how it feels when you pull the bobbin thread? How far down it falls? I definitely need to find the sweet spot on both tensions. Will be working at this tomorrow. Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Karol, I don\'t have the Towa gauge, so try the method I use for bobbins: With the bobbin inside the bobbin case lay it flat on the palm of your left hand. Take the thread in your right hand and slowly pull it up until the bobbin starts to lift off the palm of your hand. It should lift up and stand on its own and the thread should very slightly roll off the bobbin as you gently tug it from above. If it\'s too loose, give it a teeny tiny adjustment with the screw driver. If it doesn\'t roll off, it\'s too tight. Continue with teeny tiny adjustments. After you get your bobbin set so it rolls a little bit with gentle thread drops from your palm, use Linda Rech\'s top adjustment technique. When I put my needle in, before I tighten it with the screw, I use a flowerhead pin and adjust the needle so the eye is slightly between 6:30 and 6:35 on the clock. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hi Karol, I don\'t know about how far for the bobbin drop test--never could get it to work and I would chase the bobbin all over the floor!! I do know that when the top and bottom tension are set correctly, and with both threads pulled up to the top, pulling on both threads should feel the same. Does that make sense? I guess it should be that way! I use a fabric sandwich to stitch out a tension test. Put the sandwich under the foot and NOT in SR and stitch length at about 10, start the machine and move the fabric under the needle. Yep, just like the old free-motion days with your DSM. Make some loops, stop the machine, pull out the fabric and check the bottom. Really quick and no squatting under the machine to check stitching on the side of a top. Wow, I hope this helps--I love, love, love my Towa gauge. Maybe put it on your Christmas list? There are lots of fans of the gauge here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthieq Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Well, Shana......isn\'t that a great idea. I have been trying to slip a sheet of paper under the needle to make sure the eye is in the right place. Never thought of your idea. It never ceases to amaze me just how much I learn from all of you!! Thank you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 LOL Ruthie, I can\'t take credit for the flower head pin to adjust the needle position, I think I read this here on the chat or watched it on the APQS maintenance DVD starring our talented and lovely Dawn Cavanaugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hi Linda, Your advice on setting the top tension is so wonderful! I\'ve never really found a good way to do this except with testing the stitching on the fabric. Your concept is great! Thank you-Thank you. Oh, btw. how do I make the quote option work on this forum. I can\'t get any of the above options to work. Like Bold, underline, quote etc. "Tighten the top tension a bit and pull the thread again, keeping your eye on the tension spring (that U-shaped wire in front of the tensioner) My tension spring at rest sits at about the 10 o\'clock position when you look at it straight on. As you tighten the tension, the resistance on the spring increases as you pull the thread through. When the tension is set so the spring deflects to 8 o\'clock (down slightly) that is my "sweet spot" for top tension."---Linda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 I do not know what machine you have but I called Superior Thread\'s 800 customre service number. The lady on the phone walked me thru what to do with my make and model of machine and it worked great. Call them and see what they say on your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Try using the 8 o\'clock on top tension, turning your needle about 1 minute to the left, and loosen the bottom tension a bit more loosely than the 2 inch drop test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltjunkie Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 I use BL exclusively in the bobbin and never really have a problem, now that I have a TOWA gauge..but I was on the last row of a quilt I just finished and the bobbin thread kept breaking every few inches.. I took out the bobbn case, removed the spring and blew it out with the air compressor and blew out the bobbin area and voila! no more problem.. I have been noticing when you get a teeny bit of lint caught in the bobbin case it gives you fits. Cleaning it out a couple of times when doing a big quilt prevents a lot of problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 I have a problem with Bottom Line also. My problem is that when I do a locking stitch, it doesn\'t really "lock." I just finished the binding on a quilt that I used Bottom Line on and I noticed in some spots the stitching was coming undone! So now I have to go through and fix it on my DSM. I\'ve pretty much given up on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 If you use bottom line thread you really need to tie off and bury the ends. I don\'t like using it because I feel it is too slippery and the knots don\'t feel secure. Maybe I am a wimp. I like So Fine much better for the bobbin. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 I, too, have much better results with the So Fine threads. BL is very nice, and I tried to use it multiple times, but So Fine seems to be much more durable and easier to work with. The difference in weights is minimal, but the satisfaction is much greater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Gable there have been discussions here on how to end stitching. I tie off ALL my thread tails on EVERY single quilt I do even the charity quilts. I feel it is just more secure, nobody can tell where my stops and starts are and even with close scrutiny it just looks better. Now that I have been tieing off thread tails for so long it is just part of how I quilt and does not bother me. Yes it takes more time but it looks very nice and my customers really appreciate it. Yep I also charge accordingly as well. The more stops and starts I will have in a quilt the more I will charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 I also purchased six of the large cones of BL and find that I really do NOT like it. I can only keep the tension adjusted for about half a pass and then have to tweak it again. I also don\'t like the way it looks on the back of the quilt. Soooooo I am giving it to a friend who loves her embroidery machine. She loves BL for her bobbins and I think that is what it was intended for originally. My old girl likes 40-50 wt cotton thread. She will play nice with tri-lobal polys if I approach her with caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 It appears that Bottom Line isn\'t for everyone or for every longarm machine. But I\'ve been using it very happily - just finished a wallhanging for a customer yesterday, SID and large meander, and she was thrilled with the outcome! I\'ve also used it on larger quilts, top and bottom, including a pair of t-shirt quilts. Guess you have to try it for yourself and see if you and your LA like the feel/weight of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmyhogan Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 I use BL in the bobbin almost exclusively. Most often I use pre-wounds. I have never had a problem with BL. I HAVE HAD problems with the bobbin casing itself that I was able to correct as Hester mentioned above. One time that I was having a problem I had the bobbin in wrong and it was rotating counter clockwise. Often times it is little tiny things that foul up the work. I also check every bobbin with the Towa guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Sewingupastorm, what do you mean by "tying off?" I always take a few extra stitches at the beginning and end. Is tying off something different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Tying off would be where you knot your thread tails through a needle and run the threads under the quilt, as if you were hand quilting.....I use a long tail and a 7 - 9 inch needle to do mine, some have self-threading needles and some use a regular needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Bonnie, No Fair! to post a partial pic of such pretty fabric. Can we see the whole thing? Do you know the company for the floral on the right side? Lately I\'ve been pulled toward the pastel florals, English type florals, etc. Totally opposite of what I have purchased in the past. Maybe I am mellowing in my old age:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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