Blue Wren Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hi Everyone! I am slowly bonding with Lenni & have been quilting a few charity quilts mostly with my CL. I am having problems making nice consistent stitches. I am using the SR & Swirls at the moment. I can be sewing along beautifully & then all of a sudden the stitches don't sink in properly & look like a straight thread, then it goes back to nice stitches. I am using So Fine & Bottom Line. I have played with the tension (both top & bobbin) that much that I am not sure where to go from here. When I load on practice fabric the stitches seem ok. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for any help Jenny;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Your tension is probably not quite right...but have no fear...you can fix it. Tension: Always start with the bobbin first. I use the drop test method. - when doing the drop test, hold it up over your hand, a table or over the quilt top and watch that the bobbin drops (rolls) slowly and slides down at a **consistent** smooth rate of speed (kinda like a spider) Not too loose (fast) and not too tight (slow). when you get a straight line on back that means your top thread is not pulling your bobbin up into the batting. After you adjust your bobbin tension so it drops like I described above, then do another stitching test with your machine. If you still get the straight line on the bobbin thread that definitely means your top tension is too loose. Give that puppy a good full crank around clockwise. And test again. I would continue to tighten the top tension until you start to see a teeeny weeny peek of the bobbin thread in the hole the stitch makes. If you see the bobbin thread peeking inside, make a 1/4 turn adjustment to the top tension (loosening -counter clockwise) and that should be perfect. (well, it works for me..!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Drop test is done with the bobbin in the bobbin casing. larger of the 2 screws on the side, turned clockwise tightens it.. turned counterclockwise to loosen. Hmm silly idea.. do clocks turn the say way south of the equator? Water swirls down a drain in opposite direction, so silly minds come up with silly questions.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hi Jenny I'll be home on Friday so give me a call late in the day after 7 or on Saturday if you are still having problems. If the stitches seem not to be sinking in on the back in a particular direction (from the front of the machine, it would be when you move from right to left and away from you) then you are sewing in the opposite direction to the rotation of the hook ) then this is normal and you need to slightly tighten the top tension to accomodate for this. So, do some practice stitching first adjusting a little at a time until you get the tension that is best overall. It could also be your fabric, are you stitching on batik or painted finish fabric. Talk to you in a few days. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Originally posted by RitaR Drop test is done with the bobbin in the bobbin casing. larger of the 2 screws on the side, turned clockwise tightens it.. turned counterclockwise to loosen. Hmm silly idea.. do clocks turn the say way south of the equator? Water swirls down a drain in opposite direction, so silly minds come up with silly questions.. RitaR This is how it works in general: Righty Tighty ---- Lefty Loosey. That's how I remember it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Shana I remember it the same way. My husband used to laugh at me for saying this and now I hear him saying it :P:P! I never forget it for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Another helpful saying for me is "First sock, then shoe" Now I always put my socks on first.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Shana you are a hoot! Good thing you didn't learn "insert foot in mouth." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Oh yeah I learned that one the hard way, too! Now, instead of poking my eye out with my big toe... this is what I do: Open mouth wide, then insert foot but don't bite down too hard or it hurts. No more black eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 :P:P:P:P:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 You know I had a problem with one of the CL boards until I realized that I had the board too close to the rail making the SR wheelie thing (I'm such a techy) ride up over the board. As soon as I moved the board away from the rail the problem was solved. You might check that out too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Sew Simple Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Amen to Shana. I finally got the bobbin right and everything else is smooth growing. I learned it all here on this forum. It is the greatest forum ever!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 Shana do you wear steel toes to work....man that would hurt if you stuck that in your eye..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 I only have to wear my steel toed boots when I'm out in the field. Speaking of... Did you know that most farmers are outstanding in their field? ;) They are!! My grandpa (the farmer/rancher) told me that, so it must be true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.