Newbie HELP!

[FloridaMissy]

Hello Everyone,

I took my first practice piece off the machine yesterday and was horrified. My underneath stitches are poor, really poor. I checked for knots etc. while quilting but unless you climb under the machine I would not have realised that the tension was way off.

My top thread was King Tutt #50 and I used first the prewound bobbin that came with my machine and loosened the top tension quite a bit. I did not see the green color coming to the top. When that bobbin ran out I wound my own using the king tutt thread and tightened the tension on top. It was leaving big stitches so again loosened it. Then I put another prewound bobbin in.

The stitches on the back; some have noticeable loops ,some you can run your fingernail across and feel them click, click, click.

I only broke the top thread once and I was going very very slow trying to learn the pantograph motion.

What am I doing wrong? What thread do you use top & bottom? What video training is your # 1 pick?

There is a training session coming to Destin, Florida I'm considering has anyone else been and are they valuable information?

Sorry I'm so full of questions. All help and hints would be deeply appreciated.

Missy in Florida

Millennium Owner

[Mary Beth]

Hi Missy,

Welcome to the forum and congratulation on becoming a longarmer!

Just starting out you will find that there is a getting acquainted period with your machine. Once you get use to her quirks you will love it....right now you probably are wondering what you were thinking.

If I were you, I would try differnt thread until you are more comfortable with quilting. King Tut can be tempramental and not real user friendley. I would suggest the thread that came with your machine, or some Sew Fine if you have it. This is just my opinion, but I would stick with the easy threads until you feel like venturing out.

Then, when quilting, I did lay on the floor under my machine for the first month or so just looking at stitches. If you don't want to do that, stitch a little way and then run your hand underneath and feel the stitches with your fingernail.

[yeoldeforest]

Hi Missy,

Find a dealer and schedule your Beginner's Class. This class will give you so much confidence and help with your tension issues. My "new" students have the biggest issues with tension and loading a quilt. Once you tame these two issues, you can take off!

Don't be afraid to adjust your bobbin tension. When you hold the thread and let the bobbin drop from your hand, the bobbin should crawl down the thread like a spider. When I was new, I found overcoming my fear of adjusting the bobbin thread was the key. Once I could get that bobbin to crawl down the thread, then I knew all I had to do was play with the top tension. You want to adjust the screw (larger one) on the bobbin is very small increments - left to loosen and right to tighten. The top thread can be adjusted in 1/4 inch turns once you get your bobbin tension under control.

[busybee]

Check your bobbin tension too. Put you bobbin in bobbin cast and hold by the thread and take hand off cast and bobbin. If it drops slowly , it is good. Check the APQS Trouble shooting section and see if that helps too. I find Perma Core is great to start with. MarryBeth is right it takes PPP and getting to know the bugs of your machine. Above all have fun.

[countrystitcher]

Hi Missy;

Don't despair, this will all fall into place for you....it just takes lots of patience until you get to know your machine and what thread it "likes". My Faith (Miss Lenni) seems to breeze thru with Signature or Perma Core, King Tut is great thread but it does takes some tweeking. I always test my thread at the side of my machine on a practice piece before starting a quilt. I bought a flexible mirror on a handle in the auto section of Wal-Mart, if you stand at the back of your machine and use a flashlight, you can easily see your stitches without crawling under the machine -- although sometimes I still do that just to double check everything - figure the exercise does me good!!!!

Best of luck to you.

Sharon

The Country Stitcher

[quiltingnanny]

Where in Florida are you ? Maybe some of us are near enough to hop over. Glenda

[JoleneK]

Glenda, I'm thinking she's in Tampa Bay area (her email). What part of North Florida are you in?

Missy, if you can take the training class in Destin, DO IT! The information is very valuable and Patty knows her stuff.

[quiltingnanny]

I'm near the Suwannee River, about 25 miles west from where I-10 and I-75 cross. . About 5 hours fram Destin. Glenda

[FloridaMissy]

Wow, what a great bunch of ladies you are, thank you so much for your replies. I also did a search and have read the previous posts on this subject.

I took my beginners class before I even fired up my own machine. But, you know how that goes you only retain so much of what is thrown at you in 3 hours. She did not give me any instructions on what to do if the tension was off and she did not sell any thread or make recommendations. 90% of her work is all pantographs.

I will need to load another trial piece and get my flashlight out and climb under the quilt until I get it right.

Is the bobbin tension guage worth the money?

I live in central Florida on the coast along rte. 19 about an hour northwest of tampa. I am just over an hour to Suwanee River area more specifically Fanning Springs. I live in Homosassa the Manatee Capital. I'm still pondering the class in Destin, it is about a six hour drive.

Missy in Florida

Millennium

[ffq-lar]

Welcome Missy!!

Yes, many here think the Towa gauge is worth the money. It will give you an idea of how the thread should feel as it comes up from the bottom and also how it feels when pulled through the needle.

Unfortunately, there is so much trial-and-error when you first start out. With the gauge, you aim for a number (changed by adjusting the screw on the bobbin case) and when you get that happy number, you adjust the top tension and test the stitches until the top tension works for you too.

Without the gauge there is much testing with both top and bottom to find good tension. There was a post this week with someone wanting to sell there Towa gauge. Look back over three days or so and maybe you can make a deal.

[bstucker]

Hi Missy,

Since I live in Florida too, I thought I'd chime in....everyone has given you good advice...I've found King Tut to be tempramental too, and like to use So Fine in the bobbin with this thread. You might want to start off with a good quality polyester thread like Isacord, or Rhiengold....its strong, pretty, and works well for me with Bottom Line thread in the bobbin. The Towa gauge is a great way to see what your bobbin tension is when you are new and don't know what the drop test should look like. I've been quilting for seven years and still use it on every bobbin. I live in NE Fla. on Amelia Island.....give me a call if you continue to have problems. 904-261-9969

[FloridaMissy]

Barbara thanks for the help and the phone #. If I get totally frustrated in my trial and error I'll give you a call.

I'll also do a search in the morning and see if the TOWA is still for sale. I also think I saw someone had a circle lord for sale.

Thanks everyone.

Missy in Florida

[Katydids]

Originally posted by FloridaMissy

I took my beginners class before I even fired up my own machine. But, you know how that goes you only retain so much of what is thrown at you in 3 hours. She did not give me any instructions on what to do if the tension was off and she did not sell any thread or make recommendations. 90% of her work is all pantographs.

I will need to load another trial piece and get my flashlight out and climb under the quilt until I get it right.

Is the bobbin tension guage worth the money?

I live in central Florida on the coast along rte. 19 about an hour northwest of tampa. I am just over an hour to Suwanee River area more specifically Fanning Springs. I live in Homosassa the Manatee Capital. I'm still pondering the class in Destin, it is about a six hour drive.

Missy in Florida

Millennium

Hi Missy and Welcome!

I used to live in Spring Hill many years ago and passed through your area quite a bit. Used to visit KC Crumps on the Homosassa river and spend a leisurely Sat. afternoon having their great burgers and watching the boats and manatees. Sure do miss that, I understand they have closed.

Anyway, I am wondering about your Beginners class you had. Is this the Free Beginners class that APQS provides with the purchase of a new machine?? If so, it should have been at least 6 hours and goes into great lengths about thread choices, tension, batting, loading, how to's demo on pantos, SID, marking, borders, etc.

There are still openings in the Destin classes. I would be glad to help you with any questions you have. Unfortunately there is not time to do the beginners class at the same time the "Wild Women" are in town, but if you can make it, it sure will be a fun time. They will also be doing a lecture/trunk show on sat evening that is open to the public at no cost. It is being sponsored by myself and the local guilds. All of the information is on my website.

Have a great day!

[TracyeQ]

Missy, I had another brand of longarm for 3 yrs and got away with refusing to buy a Towa, but when I got my APQS I had to buy one. This machine likes it's thread way way looser than my old machine did (2 & 1/4 wraps around the tensioner on that one ) and I wanted to know what number looser than loose was on the bobbin.

You will still have to play with it to find out what number on the towa your machine likes. For example my machine is perfect with the bobbin between 100-150 (10-15 on the older towas) but my friend with a Millie has to run hers at 200-220 (20-22 old gage) to run the same threads on top - King Tut, Rainbows, Glitter, Maderia Monofil (invisible).

The hard part (I still have to concentrate on it after 4 years so if I say this wrong someone correct me) is if you have flat stitches that side is too tight, either top or bobbin. Loops/loose stitches on either side and that side is too loose.

For example, with the loose/loops on the back you either need to tighten the bobbin or the top thread. I'd decide which depending on what thread I'm using on top.

If it was something delicate or fussy like Glitter or King Tut (both I thread the machine differently for ((don't wrap around the duck bill just go down thru and back up)) and that hadn't been breaking the way I was running, I'd tighten the bobbin a bit until there were no loopies.

I usually run with my bobbin so loose that it falls freely to the floor with no jerking, (actually looser than that hence the need for the towa) tighten my top thread until I see just a speck of bobbin thread showing in the hole then back the top tension off a tad. To do that without breaking my top thread (like if my bobbin was already too tight) I might have to loosen my bobbin thread. Does that make sense?

Okay, now I've confused myself.

[TracyeQ]

Oh I forgot to say that I usually have a good sized hand mirror (except now that my kids stole it and eventually broke it) and a flash light to shine up on the quilt back to check out my stitches. Now I have to bend over and squint. The flash light's gone too.

[FloridaMissy]

Tracy,

Thanks for explaning it so clearly. I know I kept loosening the King Tut when I guess I should have been tightening it up. The bobbin was pretty loose and I have some of those geenie slides for the bobbin. My machine came with some thread samples so I'm going to try again.

I think if I get the TOWA and make note of which threads like which tension it should help.

What is the duck bill?

Missy in Florida

Millennium Happy

[pfrost]

Hi, Missy. Welcome to the list.

First, I have to agree with Tracey in that my machine's bobbin thread has to be very loose...so loose that is easily slides down the thread.

Secondly, my machine also seems to like a lighter weight thread, such as So Fine and/or Bottom Line, in the bobbin. (I probably need to "play" around more with other threads in the bobbin, but these 2 seem to provide nicer stitches easier so I usually go with them.) Then use a heavier thread, such as Signature, in the top. When you've "mastered" the tension issues with these threads, then branching out & using others will be easier, IMHO.

I don't have the Towa gauge & that would probably make the learning curve shorter when dealing with different threads.

One thing you might want to do when you find a good combination of bobbin thread & top thread is to keep a little note card or notebook, indicating the setting of the little screw on your bobbin case (or purchase several bobbin cases & keep each one set "just right" for each type of bobbin thread you'll be using) and the approximate location of the tension dial for the top thread. Then you'll only need to fine tune the threads as you change from one bobbin & top thread types to others.

"Trial & error" seems to be the best teacher. We've all been there & experienced lots of "errors". Don't despair, just give yourself lots of time to learn your machine & its idiosyncrasies! With patience & lots of practice, you'll figure it out!

Merry Christmas to all!

Pat

AZ:cool:

Mille