meg Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Hi all- I got my TOWA today and looked in past posts for everyones favorite number. Couldn't find it. Hope you will all participate in this one. And please keep your fingers crossed, heck, even say a prayer, that this helps me with my tension issues. Thanks you guys! Meg PS - moved my son into his new apartment this past weekend. cant believe i am down to 1 child at home! mixed emotions....i dont know how to feel about it!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Meg don't get too excited too soon or too worried about kids leaving home they are like boomer-rangs they keep coming back from time to time, stay awhile and then leave again. My empty nest keeps filling back up and sometimes with new little mouths to feed. Towa gauge, gee does 180 sound right. I think that is about the number I shoot for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue E. Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 My number is a 2 digit number and my Millie likes between 18 and 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 150 seems to work for mine. I haven't paid too much attention to it since I usually have good tension with checking the gauge..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiltsinmotion Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Meg I love my Towa best money spent ending tension melt downs for me I also have the two digit number run mine at 15 on my millennium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Meg - no perfect number, rather different numbers for different threads on top / bobbin as well as different numbers for different machines. Example: Sew Fine top and bottom = towa around 15, but if I use Sew Fine in the bobbin and then run 2 threads of Sew Fine on top for a heavier look, I need to loosen the top way up and tighten the towa (bobbin) to about 25. Your numbers for these combinations might be different. Every machine has their sweet spot and you will need to find yours - take the time to play. Start with your favorite thread top and bobbin and adjust until you really like the tension, pull the bobbin out and put in towa gauge - this will be your staring place. From there you will start to learn what the numbers are for your machine and how you quilt. Take notes so you can keep track of what you have found. Pretty soon, you will know your starting point for lots of threads. There is nothing magic about this - just a matter of finding what you and your machine like. Several people keep multiple bobbin cases for different threads so they don't have to do much adjustment when changing bobbin threads - just top adjustments. Good luck and have fun........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 My number is between 18 and 22. And yes, the kids do keep coming back. I have been working on a wedding quilt for 2 1/2 years And our son has moved back in....without his wife :o I think I have a new quilt for my extra bed...yippee!! Oh, but I am sad for my kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgene Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I have found that 18 works best for me. I saw a video that said find the right number and stick with it. So I stick with 18....no guess work. But remember to keep the bobbin case clean. Just a little bit of lint under the little tension arm can cause a lot of grief. Myrna showed me how to clean it with one of those plastic toothpick/dental floss thingies. Use the flat toothpick end and slide under the tension arm and you might be surprised at the lint that is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Meg, Can't help you with towa...got rid of mine. I was running between 13- 15 before I got rid of it. As for the kids leaving. LOL we just went through the same thing last month. I miss my daughter but she is only 2 miles down the road and she comes over at least once a week, to do laundry and visit Madie! LOL you see who is important in my world! When she is around and leaves her messes it reminds me of why I'm thrilled she got her own place :P:P:P:P She is a slob. Oh she does tell me the stories about turning down her heat and making sure she turns off lights. Amazing that my electric bill went down after she moved out! No more TV on all night in her place either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I run Rainbows in top and Bottom Line in bobbin almost exclusively, so I like a looser tension everywhere. I aim for 14 (140). When I run So Fine, it's much more forgiving and I can have everything tighter. Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted April 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 for linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 OK, so those who have the 2 digit number TOWA.......18 would be 180 on the 3 digit TOWA??? Yes, the kiddies do leave home, it is quiet for a while, but they keep coming back and bringing more people with them! We are blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law and son-in-law and 5 beautiful grandkids...........3 boys/2 girls. ages 1 year to 8 years. It is great to have them all come, but even nicer when they go home! We get spoiled with our own routine and quiet house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyA Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 yes, 180 and 18 are the same. I run mine at 15 when cotton is in the top and 18 when SoFine is in the top. run cotton at a lower tension than poly, seems to work better that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 I just bought a Towa at MQX, and I'm looking forward to trying it. I guess it would be great to find your magic number for a thread combo when starting a quilt, and then as you change bobbins, run the new one through the guage to see if it is the same as the one you just emptied. I find that even though I use the same winder, sometimes I have to tweek my tension when I put in a new bobbin. It will be fun to just play and test out these combos, and then keep a diary with the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted April 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 hi sandy - i use my towa alot. it has helped me tame the tension a bit... i took dawn's tension class friday at mqx and was really enlightened. just arrived home from massachusetts and cannot wait to try what dawn suggested. she can really splain it so you get it! fun sitting by you at fire & ice...i think that was you, right? margaritas??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 I use my TOWA gauge and check every single bobbin. It is surprising how the tension will differ bobbin to bobbin. I aim for 15 (150). I haven't had a single tension problem since I started testing my bobbin tensions. No broken threads (knock on wood) in the last 30 quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 Yes Meg, it was me. I'm ready for another one. Yummy!!! Thanks for the info on the Towa gauge. I took two of Dawn's classes this year, but I didn't get to that one. I'm sure it was much better than a couple I did take. Most of them were great, but humm...not all. :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 I check every bobbin with my Towa. I think I could probably feel the tension of a bobbin now, but, checking is in my routine. My favorite number is 18-22. Different thread, different readings. It's amazing that sometimes every bobbin needs to be tweeked just a little. I don't know why that is, but I know my Towa picks it up when I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 If anyone is looking for a Towa, I have one for sale. I just don't use mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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