Problem with Top Thread Stitch Quality

[kbaumbusch]

Hi, I'm having lots of trouble with the way the top thread stitches look on a customer's blue and white batik quilt. She wanted a darkish variegated thread and, the stitching looks bad against the white parts of the quilt.  I'm using Groz-Beckert size 19 needle, have Quilters Dream 80/20 batting, Glide 40-weight Thread, and Magna-Glide Delights prewound bobbins.  Also using Intelliquilter.  I've cleaned my rails and wheels,  made sure no thread is caught anyplace on the machine or the Freddy and IQ wheels, adjusted tension multiple times, tried a different bobbin case, etc etc.  When I do the test sample it looks good.  No problems with eyelashing or railroad tracks, stitches on the back look great, it's just the stitches on the front that are slightly 'wavy' or 'zigzaggy'.   

I've seen some post that say it's just that stitches just don't look that good when there's this level ofcolor contrast, but 'm not sure about that - ?  I've tried using the Towa tension gauge to set my Magna-glide Delights but it's hard to get a good reading because the magnet on the bobbin keeps grabbing the metal insert and it kind of jumps around.  

Here are 2 pictures.  Any insight would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[SueD]

Have you tried a smaller needle?  I usually use a 3.5/16 with glide thread with no problems.  I think some people go up a size for batiks.  One of my first quilts was a batik jelly roll race quilt.  I didn't change anything when I quilted it because I didn't know that maybe I should.  Maybe try a 4.0/18 and/or a 3.5/16 needle.  

Personally, it doesn't look bad to me.  I find we are our own worst critics and have high expectations.  And then we look at the stitches with our nose 3" from the quilt, sometimes with a magnifying glass.  Most other people look at our quilts and think they're lovely.  

Good luck,  Sue

[jimerickson]

It looks to me like your bobbin tension isn't tight enough.  This problem seems to be compounded by the variegated thread which makes each stitch look a little different.

I'd try bumping the bobbin tension up just a bit.  If that doesn't work then it probably is simply the color of the top thread and you'll have to live with it.  Good luck.  Jim