the By Dawn Cavanaugh.

Tackling Tension If “tension struggles” isn't at the top of your frustration list when you machine quilt, I'd wager it is definitely among the top three! Tension won't be so mysterious and irritating if you learn a few secrets about managing it and how the other choices you’ve made regarding your quilt top affect it.

achine quilters have two apply to both types of machine back because the bobbin is pulling Mtension devices on the quilting. harder than the top. When the top machine that will impact our It’s often hard to know whether is pulling harder, you’ll see quality—the tensioner that controls to adjust your top tension or your bobbin thread showing on the the top thread and the bobbin case bobbin tension when things start quilt surface. (or hook assembly if you have a to go wrong. Try to think of your In a tug of war, we only have two drop-in bobbin). However, those quilting as a tug of war between solutions: take away power from the two mechanisms are only a small your top and bobbin thread. In winning side (loosen the tension part of what ultimately affects this scenario, however, we never on the side that’s pulling too hard), tension. Once you know about want a “winner”—we always or give power to the losing side all the other factors involved, want a stalemate between the two (tighten the tension on the side your success rate will increase sides. That will mean the thread is that’s not pulling hard enough). dramatically! meeting in the middle of the batting If your bobbin is tugging the top I machine quilt using a longarm layer and will produce good stitches. thread to the back of the quilt, quilting machine. Even though I’m When one team starts to “win” the either tighten the top thread tension moving the machine across the tug of war, it pulls the opposing to give it more power, or loosen fabric, the tension concerns are the team’s thread to its side of the quilt. the bobbin tension to take away same as a person using a standard When the bobbin is winning the some of its power. If your top thread and pushing the tug of war, you’ll see little dots of is tugging the bobbin thread to fabric under the needle. These hints top thread being pulled to the quilt the top of the quilt, either loosen

84 Fons k Porter’s Love of Quilting May/June 2012 www.FonsandPorter.com the top tension or tighten the everything from needle size to you were moving your longarm bobbin tension. thread weight to batting thickness. machine or fabric when the tension With machine quilting, the most In a perfect world, your machine’s changed. If you notice a tension common scenario is that the bobbin needle would enter and exit your difference only when you move thread pulls the top thread to the quilt sandwich straight up and in one direction, needle flex is back of the quilt. This causes little straight down with every single to blame. For example, longarm “dots” of top thread looping around stitch. That would allow your needle quilting machines will form the the bobbin thread. Quilters often and the hook—the mechanical best stitches when you move from call this “flat lining” because the device that captures your top thread, the left side to the right side of bobbin thread looks like a straight carries it around your bobbin and the table as you face the needle as line with no clear stitch definition. locks it with your bobbin thread— shown in Photo A. This motion gives Others call this problem “railroad to meet at precisely the right time the needle the best opportunity to tracks” because the small bumps of to create a beautiful stitch balanced properly meet and form a locking top thread wrapping around the in the batting layer. Unfortunately, stitch in the quilt layers. This motion bobbin thread look like railroad ties that’s not possible when you are is equivalent to a sit-down quilter lying across a track. In either case, moving either the quilting machine “pushing” the fabric through the the problem is the same—the top or the fabric. As you move your sewing machine opening when thread tension is not tight enough, fabric or machine, the needle flexes piecing. If your tension changes or the bobbin tension is too tight and bends. Now the needle and every time you move your quilting and is preventing the top thread hook meet differently as you sew— machine to the left or when you from pulling the bobbin thread up sometimes too soon or too late, or pull your fabric toward you on a into the quilt. even too far away from each other home sewing machine, directional I think it is valuable if you (resulting in skipped stitches). tension is to blame. understand just how a stitch is Needle flexing is the main culprit If you know that needle flex formed by your sewing or quilting for “directional tension” trouble. is causing the problem, there are machine. This will help you learn Directional tension problems can be several things you can do to reduce how to make good choices for identified by analyzing which way or eliminate it and your directional

Top Thread Bobbin Thread Quilt

If the top thread is pulling your If the bobbin thread is pulling the bobbin thread to the top, either: top thread to the back, either: A 1. Loosen the top tension, or 1. Tighten the top tension, or Best tension is achieved by moving 2. Tighten the bobbin tension 2. Loosen the bobbin tension a longarm machine from left to right when standing on the needle side of the machine.

May/June 2012 Fons k Porter’s Love of Quilting 85 tension problems. Switch to a at least a little loft (for example, slightly larger needle, which will blended batting, low loft polyester, resist bending from the fabric or washable wool). For the greatest pressure. Try going up one needle chance of success, avoid extra-thin, size and then check your tension 100% cotton batting for machine again. You may need to tighten the quilting. If your fabric is stretched tension a little in addition to going on a longarm or midarm frame, up a needle size if you are still avoid over-tightening the fabric, as B seeing a few bumps of thread in the that will compress the batting air wrong place. The second suggestion space and make it more difficult for When you see “eyelashes” on your quilt, check your thread path in is harder to do, but will have a big the needle to penetrate. the top and bobbin. The tension impact—slow down! Move your The strength and thickness of is too tight on whichever side the quilting machine or fabric more your thread can also affect your eyelashes appear. In this photo, the slowly so you don’t flex the needle tension. Thicker threads pull harder red bobbin thread is pulling the top thread to the back of the quilt. as much. If you get “eyelashes” on on the needle and increase flexing. Loosen the bobbin tension and/ your quilt around the curves (Photo Choose a needle large enough to or tighten the top tension. Finally, B), you’re moving too fast for the accommodate your thread. Use a slow down to reduce needle flex needle to keep up. Your tension lighter weight or thinner bobbin around curves. setting will also have an effect, but thread with thick or coarse top eyelashes are generally caused by thread so that the needle has a better rapid movement and needle flex. chance to tug it into the quilt layers When you see eyelashes on the before moving to the next stitch. quilt, and you’ve slowed down If you have a stitch regulator on considerably, check to be sure your your machine, choose a length in the machine is threaded properly. If you mid-range of stitches, such as 11–12 are still getting eyelashes, go up a per inch. This gets the needle in and needle size. Finally, adjust the tension out of the fabric more frequently as Author Profile again, keeping in mind that the you move, and it reduces the drag Dawn Cavanaugh is National eyelashes will appear on the side of on the needle between stitches. If Director of Education for the quilt where the thread is pulling you are manually moving the fabric, APQS Quilting Machines. too hard. try pushing your foot pedal a bit Contact: [email protected] If you’ve slowed down, and have more so that your sewing machine www.apqs.com. tried a larger needle, but still can’t motor speed increases to make your balance your tension, consider the stitches smaller. batting thickness. Thin, dense batting Keep in mind that everyone does not provide much air space battles thread tension at some for your thread to lock in place. point. Try some of these techniques When your needle is moving and (and watch for additional hints in trying to pull the bobbin thread upcoming issues) and you’ll soon up from different angles, help it find that tension isn’t such a scary out by selecting a batting with monster after all!

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86 Fons k Porter’s Love of Quilting May/June 2012 www.FonsandPorter.com