Honeybee
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Date: 11/28/12 6:03 PM I am watching a youtube video about free-motion quilting and the woman said that when free-motion quilting, you will probably need to lower your tension on your machine----and they show her moving her tension dial from 3 to 2, then to 1.
Right now I am ONLY stitch-in-the-ditch and I have to turn my tension way UP ---- I have it on 6.5 on my Pfaff 2134. I am also quilting through denium+batting+cotton backing so I realize this may make it different from the woman's recommendation in the youtube video.
Do y'all lower or raise your tension with SITD and with free-motion quilting?
Do you find you use different tension depending on which way you quilt-----is only dependent on thread, fabric, and bobbin thread used?
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SewBusy63
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Date: 11/28/12 6:10 PM I haven't had to adjust the tensions yet with SITD. The jury is out if I should on FMQ. Sometimes it looks perfect and other times it needs tweaked. I use quilters cotton and warm & white batting. ------
~Diana~
♥ Bernina 830E ♥ Bernina 1150MDA serger
✝The Lord is my Light and my Salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1✝
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AminaHijabi
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Date: 11/28/12 10:54 PM Depends on the thread. If she's using a low tension bobbin case you'll have to change your top tension to match, if thick thread (thicker than polyester clothing sewing thread) you'll have to adjust it down probably, and in the end you just have to experiment. Test your tensions. On a scrap sanwich before you really take off. The video lady isn't you so what she says may not work for you. |
AminaHijabi
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Date: 11/29/12 7:43 PM I found this article, with pictures, you may find helpful
http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/quilting-daily/archive/2009/12/10/10-tips-for-resolving-tension-issues.aspx |
PattiAnnJ
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Date: 11/29/12 8:04 PM Do your own test with a mock-up using the same fabric and batting as in your project.
If the top thread pulls to the bottom, tighten the upper tension. ------
“I don’t give them Hell, I just tell the truth about them and they think it’s Hell.” — Harry Truman |
Honeybee
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Date: 11/29/12 8:19 PM Thanks everyone for your input!
PattiAnnJ I never had ever thought about testing first before quilting----I have no idea why I never thought about it. I have never had a problem with any quilts so maybe that why. I haven't had too many problems with this quilt.
Today I forgot to raise my tension before quilting and realized it later and looked at all my SITDs and nothing was wrong with any of them! So maybe I had been raising my tension for nothing! I know I thought I had to raise my tension b/c I HAD to raise it for sure when I stitch the edges of the quilt---but that's thicker then quilting the middle of the quilt---and I didn't think of that until right this moment.
I origianlly thought of this question, not b/c I had any tension problems, but b/c what the woman said on the video. I thought to ask everyone b/c I haven't free-motion quilted a blanket before and wanted know what others did.
Thank you AminaHijabi for that link to the tension article! I did not know thread spools needed to be vertical or horizontal depending on how they're wound! |
Learn To Sew
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WA USA
Member since 4/12/05
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Date: 11/30/12 11:18 AM Is she using a different sewing machine than yours? It could be her machine, you know.
If you have no problems, why mess with it? Set it, test it and then proceed onto your lovely quilt.
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Quilting is relaxing to me. I love to play with fabrics, patterns and colors.
Bernina 630 machine only
Pfaff 2036
Babylock Molly
Bernina 1200DA serger
Unique Sewing Cabinet 450L |
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