Quilting Heidi Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Jessica, If your machine feels like it is dragging when you have a quilt on then you might want to raise it a hair. If it doesn't seem to be dragging at all I don't think that would make a difference. The stitch quality is usually affected when the bar is too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 You mentioned needle size, Jessica. Also make sure that you are using MR needles, as that is what our machines are made to use. They are timed at the factory for MR 4.0s, but can usually use a 3.5 or a 4.5 without re-adjusting the timing. But, of course, an MR4.0 will be the best. And I know you will get it. It is frustrating while you are trying to figure it out, but it gets better. And then you decide to try some new thread and it gets frustrating all over again for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Jessica, You've gotten a lot of sage advice so far. I'm going to end up repeating some of it, I'm afraid, but it helps me to put everything into a "grocery list" to make sure I don't forget to mention something. So, here goes: [*] Needle Size....MR 4.0 is the good "middle of the road" needle for most applications. The machine is "timed" to that size. [*] The smaller the needle is, the more it will flex as you move the machine. The more it flexes, the more you'll see stitch quality issues on the quilt back. [*] Thread thickness and composition affect the needle flex. The thicker or rougher the thread (cotton, King Tut, Signature, Aurifil, Lave, Brytes, etc.) the harder it pulls on the needle, even if you are moving exactly the same every time. [*] When quilting to the LEFT (when standing on the freehand side of the machine), the fabric, the thread, and your motion cause the needle to bend to the RIGHT. That means it gets to the perfect "timing" spot too soon, and it doesn't have enough time to tug the bobbin thread completely into the quilt layers before it's time to take another stitch. [*] When quilting AWAY from you, the above conditions cause the needle to bend AWAY from the hook, creating an air space between the needle and hook. If it's extreme, you'll have skipped stitches. But the most common consequence is that the needle again will not have enough time to tug the bobbin thread up, since it is bent out of alignment with the hook. Obviously we can't control our direction all the time, but knowing that the stitches will change in one certain direction can help us better plan our quilting route, and even check the tension on the back without crawling under the machine. If you know that the tension will change in those two directions of movement, simply drag your fingernail along the thread path when you move the machine LEFT or AWAY. If the top thread got pulled to the back, your fingernail will catch on the little thread bumps, much like running your fingernail down the spine of a spiral notebook. Look at the photos at the bottom of this extremely long post for photo examples. The smiley faces represent when the machine will give you great stitch quality, and the frowns when your quality will be reduced. The "meander" path shows when my motion took me in the "left" or "away" direction (always thinking you're on the freehand side of the machine). The orange marks indicate where I would anticipate a tension change, and where I'd check on the back. If you feel the bumps, then tighten the top tension a bit more OR loosen the bobbin tension a bit more, increase the needle size, reduce your motion speed, relax the quilt, etc. (read on for more). [*] So, if your bobbin thread is thick, or cotton, it adds to the problem because it's pulling in the opposite direction, and wins the tug of war. That's why a thinner, finer bobbin thread can often solve tension issues; it doesn't tug as hard and the needle doesn't have to work as hard to snap it up through the quilt backing into the quilt layers. [*] Since the bobbin has "no work to do" to complete the stitch (it just lays there with tension on it, waiting for the top thread to tug it up) it's harder to make it budge. Most quilters run the bobbin tension tighter than is necessary for a good stitch; loosen it up, even if the bobbin case drops to the floor, so you have some room for adjustment. Take away the pressure on that bobbin to give the top thread (which is doing all the heavy lifting) a chance to pull that thread up. [*] Batting affects tension. The thinner it is, the worse time you'll have balancing the tension. If there's no "air space" between your quilt layers, the top thread has very little room to work with to try to pull that bobbin thread into that batting gap. [*] The "more dense" your batting is, the harder it will be to balance tension. I didn't necessarily say "thicker". Tightly constructed batting like Warm and Natural makes it difficult for the big old needle we use to penetrate it, open up a hole, and pull up the bobbin thread. Imagine trying to drive a nail into a 2 x 4 piece of wood, or a piece of Styrofoam...and you'll get the visual. [*] So, it goes to reason that if you need "air space" to give the needle a fighting chance to lock the bobbin thread into the quilt layers, then the TIGHTER you pull the quilt sandwich, the more you squish down the air space. Resist the urge to torque that quilt! [*] Stitch length affects tension. The fewer stitches you take per inch, the longer the needle lingers in the fabric and must "drag" the thread before taking another plunge into the quilt. Shorter lengths (between 10-12) can improve stitch quality. Whew...now that you know all of that, you can see why savvy quilters insist on busy fabric for quilt backing! Part of the tension balancing act involves a human factor, but another part is purely the "mechanics" of how a longarm (any longarm) works. Take a look at your domestic sewing machine's stitch quality in the "forward" direction, then hold in your "reverse" button and sew a little way. I'll bet the stitches look different, don't they? That's because the feed dogs on your machine are pulling the fabric such that it's causing the needle to flex away from the machine's hook! With a longarm, you are the feed dogs. The difference is that you can move the longarm a whole lot faster across the quilt than your customer could ever hope to move her fabric under domestic machine needle. That's why we need such a gigantic needle...so it won't break as we move the machine! I use that explanation all the time with my clients to explain how longarm quilting is not a perfect science, and with all the variables the most user friendly option is a print backing fabric. I strive for excellence, but I leave the perfection part up to God. Are you tired of reading yet? The more you experiment with things like thread path, bobbin pressure, thread types, etc., the easier it gets. The one final piece of advice I'll share is that no two quilters or machines are exactly alike. What works for me may not work for you. But I DO know that we have to move away from the idea that there is a certain "correct" bobbin drop distance, or that a certain number of "threads" should show on the tension knob for it to be right. Those references are there merely as a place to begin, but where you end up may be totally different. And that's okay, so long as you get the stitches you want.. As always, we're here to help! If you made it to the bottom of this post without needing a coffee break due to its length, you get three gold stars! Tension and quilting direction: Smiley faces like this direction URL=http://news.webshots.com/photo/2816626160104726083LVhfmT][/url] Not so happy this direction URL=http://news.webshots.com/photo/2004682560104726083PUNEyY][/url] Orange marks indicate tension change due to needle flex along this direction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted November 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Dawn, I had to laugh at the end of your post when you mentioned getting through your post without a coffee break because I actually did get a cup of coffee part way into it. Thank you so much. I am making some adjustments today that are a little different than I had tried before. My stitches are a little better. Not great yet, but better. That's encouraging. Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted November 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 I have put all of the advice together that all you wonderful people have given me and now my stitches are much, much better. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are so helpful. :) My customers will be very happy too. Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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