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Tension problem


Barb W

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I am running King Tut thread on top and in bobbin. The quilt back is a cuddle knit fabric. 

I loosened the bobbin tension and top tension. Now the stitches on top are a bit loopy, top thread poking through bottom, and thread breaks. 

Should I keep loosing the top tension, or the bobbin tension. Not sure which one to adjust.

Thanks!

IMG_20191025_195417.jpg

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If the picture you provided is the top of the quilt sandwich, then the top tension is winning the battle with the bottom tension.  

That means you need to loosen the top tension to allow the bobbin thread to pull the top thread to the center of the quilt sandwich.  Conversely, you can tighten the bobbin tension to help adjust your overall tension.  

I suggest calling APQS in the morning, so they can listen to you quilt and you can describe your problem.  They can advise you to skip some of the thread path holes to loosen your top tension if the disk tensioner is real loose at this time.  

Best of luck to you.

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Ok, as it is the backing, then the bobbin tension is winning.   Thus you have to tighten the top tension or loosen the bottom tension.  

A technique I have learned is to write your name in cursive in the overage areas of the quilt sandwich to check your tension settings.  You normally have to change directions when you write your name, and you have already learned the muscle memory to write it well.

 

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Agree with all above.  The thread will sink into that backing and be almost invisible when you are done so why fight with King Tut in the bobbin.  Start by loosening the bobbin tension so that when you lift the tail the bobbin case stands on edge in your hand but doesn’t lift.  That will get the bobbin very close to ideal and then adjust the top tension to balance.  As said above King Tut can be difficult for many but looks spectacular when you get it right.

 

Nigel

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  • 8 months later...

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