Help with testing tension

[eswindy]

When I get ready to quilt my first quilt. I want to make a small test sandwich with the material used in the quilt . How can I run it through the machine to test the tension as I will be changing to a different thread combination? I want to do this without running a needle through my fingers. LOL

[chickenscratch]

Edie, what I do is load the whole thing, but use a scrap and do a test strip in the area to the left or right of the quilt top, on the extra backing fabric and batting. That way everything is just like the real quilt.

[KathyA]

I make up a sandwich and then when I test I just move the sandwich under the hopping foot - with the machine head at the end of the table. I use to have to put my channel lock on but after a while I got use to doing it without the lock.

I also make sure I have my reading glasses on when I check the stitches....old eyes are wearing out.

Once you are working on the quilt check underneath using a flashlight and mirror. I shine the light on the stitching and then use the mirror on an angle to look at the stitches. I know it sounds crazy but it works really well for me. It\'s a small mirror I had picked up at a gift shop for no good reason years ago. Who would have known....

[eswindy]

Do I lock the machine down, to do this?

[eswindy]

I took my DH\'s (a mechanic-)-- Snap- on Mirror that extends out -from his toolbox? LOL I am alway checking underneath. I also have penlight that works with the mirror.

[KathyA]

you might want to lock it down the first couple of times, try it without first.... I have a liberty as well. It doesn\'t run away from you when you\'re testing with a sandwich..

[Sandra Darlington]

I just test on the edge of my quilt where I have excess backing and batting. I use a piece of muslin on top of my batting and move the machine over the area to test. The muslin edge will be trimmed off when my quilt comes off the machine.