tgrus Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Help. I have perfect tention (for once) you can just see the bottom thread in the top needle hole. Everything is great and then every 12 or so inches I get about 3 loose loops (on the top) in a row then every thing is fine again. But I would also like to know has anyone yet put a quilt on the machine and not had to dick around with the tension??. Last evening I put on a test quilt and played until my tension was perfect. Turned off millie and when to bed. This morning, same thread, same bobbin, same tention only this morning everthing has to be sorted out again.....%&^%60. Now 2 rows into my quilt (basic meandering) and I have top loops about every 12-14". Please help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 The problem could be how the thread is spooling off. Do you have the thread running through all three tension holes? Sorry you are having problems. I think you need to start from scratch; ground zero. This is how I do it and it's tried and true. OK I am going to explain this to you: FIRST you set your bobbin tension. LAST you set your top thread tension. Bobbin tension: I don't have a "towa" gauge I just use the "spider drop" test for my bobbins. I insert bobbin and hold in left hand and pick up tail with right fingers (do this over a table or quilt so you don't drop bobbin on floor!!!) and as you pick up the bobbin from your palm, it should start to roll and slide easily. Roll slow and drop down steady like a spider. If it doesn't roll or drop down it is TOO TIGHT and you need to make very small incremental adjustments until the tension spring rolls smoothly. After you get that set and you are happy, put it in the machine. Top Tension: You run this through the top tension and guides and needle as normal and I usually pull on the thread and look at my tension disks and adjust until it is about 8:00 PM when pulling. Then I use a scrap quilt sandwich and I run the machine to test stitches. I ONLY TOUCH THE TOP TENSION KNOB!! NO MORE TOUCHING BOBBIN. I run a few test stitch lines and feel the stitching. I can see the bobbin thread barely peeking up through the hole that the needle makes, that is the goal. If I don't see the bobbin thread, I tighten top a bit; if I see too much bobbin thread, I loosen the top. Easy easy. You will get it...just keep practicing and playing. Pretty soon you will "get it" and the rest is history!!! Usually (and I truly say 99.9999999% of the time) our top tension is not tight enough. Top tension needs to be tight to the point that it is close to breaking stage. If you keep your top tension as tight as possible, and your bobbin thread loose so it rolls smoothly dropping down at a slow rate, this will alleviate most of your issues. Do you have any Sewer's aid to drip on the thread? What size needle are you using? is it a new needle? Is your machine clean, no fuzz or dust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrus Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Thanks for the coment, I have done all you suggested and also adjusted my tention the same way. As I said the tention is near perfect with the exception of the loops on the top of the quilt. I am using a poly varigated thread in both the top and the bobbin and a size 16 needle. I have the thread traveling through 2 of the 3 thread guides closest to the needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Try putting the thread through ALL THREE holes. I usually use all three holes unless I am having trouble with finicky threads and then I resort to 2 holes. Remember... Loops on top of quilt means your TOP is TOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!! Tighten up a good half turn and try again. Tighten your top knob until you start to get breaking. Then loosen the knob slightly (quarter turn increments) until you get no breaks. Experiment. Like I said, you're too loose. If all else fails, like I suggested before. Stop. Breathe. And... please...start from Square 1, and begin with setting the bobbin exactly as explained and start over rethreading and setting top tension again. Keep tweaking it. It works, trust me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Unfortunately I'm with you today....quilting along ....3rd quilt this week...feeling good about getting caught up and then - all of a sudden my tension starts acting up - like it became demon possessed. Bobbin thread starts breaking, then loops start appearing on the top... I cleaned, oiled, checked bobbin for burrs, new needle, re threaded top...changed spools of thread. I'm going to stop today and hope tomarrow is better! All this to say - some days are like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Vicki, Who knows? Static eletricity build up? That could make things act posessed sometimes. Yeah, shut 'er down and go have a margarita. Sorry you had to go through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 OK call me confused. I feel very stupid when it comes to tension. I thought when you had bobbin thread showing through the holes the top tension was to tight. I think I need a guide that says bobbin thread shows on top do this, top thread shows on back then do this, birds nest on back then do this, etc etc. I think I'm going to put some muslin on and do some tension experiments. Problem is I have a quilt on now and have never taken one off and then reloaded a partially quilted top. This top is giving me minor tension issues. Luckily it's mine and I'll live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 My guess is there is something catching the upper thread. Check your thread cone to make sure that it doesn't have a groove or something that it is catching on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 For some months now I've been taking Shana's advice and doing as she's explained and it works pretty well for me. Sometimes a temperature change in my studio makes a difference or the humidity. There are so many factors, but you can do this. Don't forget, today was Friday the 13th. Tomorrow will be better.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 Yep, it was Friday the 13th and we had some rain move in...(notice how I'm blaming everything else?) Well off to give it another try - today is a new day! Shana you always give such good advice! You are appreciated!!! And encouraging! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o2b Quilting Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Sometimes when I start to have tension issues I remember to check all the expected places in the bobbin area for fuzz or bits of thread but forget to check the upper tension disc. When I have just a little bit of fuzz or piece of thread there it causes problems. I get out my air can or air compressor and carefully separate the discs while blowing out any fuzz. I check around the spring and each disc, using a tweezer if I have to. Usually solves the problem--when I remember to check this spot!! Once I even used the suggestion of someone on this forum and switched my thread net for a piece of nylon stocking. It worked great! My thread net must have been catching on that particular spool of thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Sharing this as it may be helpful to someone...I kept loosening the top tension as I was sewing as I noticed that the top thread was just laying on the quilt top and the bobbin wasn't pulling it down, it looked like the top tension was too tight. I did the drop test with my bobbin so I knew it was ok. I decided to check the tension disk and blow it out and noticed that it was not even closed. I had loosened it so much a little at a time that there was no tension on the top thread. A duh moment! So I tightened it back down and now I am back to perfect stictches! All that to say that it is usually something easy when you have tried everything you can think of! (And it was no longer Friday the 13th) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o2b Quilting Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Vicki: Been there...done that one too!! Double DUH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Duh loves company!!! :D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Originally posted by Primitive1 Duh loves company!!! :D:D Yeah I was ripping stitches this morning........ Something weird happend as I was "meandering along" with King Tut on top and I hear this funny "pop" sound coming from the bobbin;;; not sure ... huh? Next thing I know it's sounding wierd and then stitches skipping and tension on top goes bizzerk so I stop and check and some how a lttle chunk of King Tut was stuck around my bobbin spindle. Yeah I spend 30 minutes frogging and starting again. Duh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 I love that we can share these things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrus Posted May 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Thanks ladies for all the repies. You will not believe how I solved my top loop problems. I changed the direction of the thread going through the 3 hole guide. Instead of coming in from the bottom, I changed to come in from the top. Not had a loop since. Go figure. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Originally posted by tgrus Thanks ladies for all the repies. You will not believe how I solved my top loop problems. I changed the direction of the thread going through the 3 hole guide. Instead of coming in from the bottom, I changed to come in from the top. Not had a loop since. Go figure. Terry Good to know you fixed it! My thread always starts on the top hole (where it connects to the machine, and eventually to the 3rd hole (just above the tension spring). So... if you are threading by going the other direction (bottom up) you are actually threadding it backwards..... No wonder you had problems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 16, 2011 Report Share Posted May 16, 2011 Originally posted by Primitive1 Duh loves company!!! :D:D Misery loves company too. Next time, come over and we can rip together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison Posted May 17, 2011 Report Share Posted May 17, 2011 I had a similar issue last night. I'm on the last row of a yellow brick road quilt and have had perfect tension through out the entire quilt. I'm quilting the enchanted garden template on the longboard attachment from the front of the machine and what a bugger it was. The flower disks are kind of loose so I had to tape them all down. The board would have probably worked better on the back of the machine laying on a sturdy flat surface (only because of the disks that you insert for the flowers). Anyway......at the last row I'm getting loops on the top and a flat line of bobbin thread on the back. After ripping out a few flowers and leaves I took the bobbin case out, re-oiled everything, tightened up the top tension a little and noticed that my thread wound out of the three hole disk in the last hole the opposite way (ie. not over the top of the three hole disk). Fixed that and everything was ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Here is the Thread for tension issues. Corey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmullen Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Shanna, I read your post about threading three hole guide about inserting thread from the top for the first hole. Now I'm really confused! I understood from Dawn's vidoe that came with my Millie that we were supposed to thread that from thhe bottom first. I'm left handed so that might explain why I get so much stuff backward! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!! LOL Can you clear this up for me? This may explain why I have a lot of tension issues. Thanks Becky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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