nylon thread tension

[Butterfly]

I love, love, love the nylon thread I just bought from Kristina. It's so thin I feel like I'm sewing with hair, yet it has not broken at all, not even once. Even though all seems to be going well, I still have a question. I want to make sure I have the tension right so it doesn't stretch too much while sewing. Would I be able to tell if the thread is stretching too much while its on the frame? Are there signs of a problem that I could look for?

Jess

[DawnCavanaugh]

Jess, if the thread is stretching one of the first signs is breakage. You can also judge it by pulling the thread as it exits the needle, then letting go of the thread tail. If the thread looks like a corkscrew, then it's stretching. You can judge the bobbin case tension in the same way. Loosen the tension until the thread behaves like normal thread.

Even though this is a good way to see if the thread is stretching, you can loosen the tension too far. Check tension by running your fingernail along the underside of your quilt, following the stitching line. If you feel the top thread poking to the back then tighten the top up a bit.

Happy quilting!