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Moderated by Sharon1952, EleanorSews
Posted on: 2/4/15 10:57 AM ET
I have a Pfaff 2170 and I'm doing some buttonholes.
The machine does great ones, but I'm having a small problem and I wonder if it's a matter of it's so-called "balance".
It was just in for a repair of the pressure-foot spring, and cleaning.
When I make the buttonhole, the machine makes a tight, satin-type stitch downward toward me, then transfers to the other side and reverses to make the rest of the stitches. It's on that reverse trip, that the width of the stitches gets slightly looser, showing the fabric underneath.
There are no obstructions of the unit or presser foot, and frankly, the buttonhole looks good enough to use. Nobody is going to notice this slight difference...but me (and my husband now).
I tried 'guiding' the fabric, and leaving it alone and not touching it at all, I get the same exact results either way, so I know it's not me pulling or messing it up in any way.
Suggestions? Do you think it's a 'balance issue'?
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 10:58 AM --
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The machine does great ones, but I'm having a small problem and I wonder if it's a matter of it's so-called "balance".
It was just in for a repair of the pressure-foot spring, and cleaning.
When I make the buttonhole, the machine makes a tight, satin-type stitch downward toward me, then transfers to the other side and reverses to make the rest of the stitches. It's on that reverse trip, that the width of the stitches gets slightly looser, showing the fabric underneath.
There are no obstructions of the unit or presser foot, and frankly, the buttonhole looks good enough to use. Nobody is going to notice this slight difference...but me (and my husband now).
I tried 'guiding' the fabric, and leaving it alone and not touching it at all, I get the same exact results either way, so I know it's not me pulling or messing it up in any way.
Suggestions? Do you think it's a 'balance issue'?
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 10:58 AM --
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Pfaff 2170, Pfaff Creative Icon
Baby Lock Evolution
Baby Lock Evolution
Posted on: 2/4/15 11:22 AM ET
The owners manual should tell you where and how to make the stitches closer together. All my Bernina machines have it. A Pfaff should, too.
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iPad's auto-correct is my enema.
Posted on: 2/4/15 11:30 AM ET
Is the stitching balanced for other techniques? Start with a fresh needle and test various weights of fabric as well as various types of stitching.
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OLD CHINESE PROVERB: I HEAR & I FORGET; I SEE & I REMEMBER; I DO & I UNDERSTAND.
Posted on: 2/4/15 11:39 AM ET
Thanks for your replies.
I have tried on 2 fabrics, both cotton shirt material, one with facing, one without and folded to 2 thicknesses.
The manual is useless. Totally useless. It mentions nothing about tensions. We originally had to look at the picture just to ascertain where the fabric should be fed from...between the BH plate and presser foot, or under it all? Even my husband, who as I type, is still looking over the instructions. Not a word about it.
The problem gets much worse when the length of the BH is increased. The last one my hubby just made, showed the difference in the width of the 2 sides is more noticeable .....wouldn't even pass my demands.
ETA: To clarify, the manual is useless to determine problems with buttonholes. It explains tension issues and all that...but in this case, I don't think the tension is the problem....well maybe it is but increasing/decreasing it doesn't fix the problem.
It's the width between the stiches. The fabric is feeding differently going forward on the buttonhole, and on the return pass, it is wider.
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 11:43 AM --
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I have tried on 2 fabrics, both cotton shirt material, one with facing, one without and folded to 2 thicknesses.
The manual is useless. Totally useless. It mentions nothing about tensions. We originally had to look at the picture just to ascertain where the fabric should be fed from...between the BH plate and presser foot, or under it all? Even my husband, who as I type, is still looking over the instructions. Not a word about it.
The problem gets much worse when the length of the BH is increased. The last one my hubby just made, showed the difference in the width of the 2 sides is more noticeable .....wouldn't even pass my demands.
ETA: To clarify, the manual is useless to determine problems with buttonholes. It explains tension issues and all that...but in this case, I don't think the tension is the problem....well maybe it is but increasing/decreasing it doesn't fix the problem.
It's the width between the stiches. The fabric is feeding differently going forward on the buttonhole, and on the return pass, it is wider.
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 11:43 AM --
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Pfaff 2170, Pfaff Creative Icon
Baby Lock Evolution
Baby Lock Evolution
Posted on: 2/4/15 11:51 AM ET
In reply to sharonbenter
Nature of the beast in this case, I suspects.
The 2170 does the first bead stitching forward, and the last bead stitching in reverse, does it not?
The reverse stitching is what causes the slight difference in tension. It's sorta like how well you run forwards, versus how well you can run backwards...probably not quite as good...me, I tend to trip and fall in reverse.
To have the same tension on both beads, you need a machine that stitches both beads in forward motion. Most TOLs nowadays do, but many of the older & mid-level/lower level machines did/do not.
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The 2170 does the first bead stitching forward, and the last bead stitching in reverse, does it not?
The reverse stitching is what causes the slight difference in tension. It's sorta like how well you run forwards, versus how well you can run backwards...probably not quite as good...me, I tend to trip and fall in reverse.

To have the same tension on both beads, you need a machine that stitches both beads in forward motion. Most TOLs nowadays do, but many of the older & mid-level/lower level machines did/do not.
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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 2/4/15 12:02 PM ET
In reply to sharonbenter
Definitely should not be that much of a difference! Looks like the fabric is not feeding well. Worth a trip, along with that sample, to your tech.
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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 2/4/15 12:04 PM ET
I should mention, that the last time I used the buttonhole function, this did not happen. I compared shirts that I made my hubby last year to what I get now, and there's no contest. All the Bh's are perfect.
The pictures reflect the difference when I increase the length of the BH to 20mm, from the standard 16mm default. When I make a 16mm one, the difference isn't as noticeable.
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 12:07 PM --
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The pictures reflect the difference when I increase the length of the BH to 20mm, from the standard 16mm default. When I make a 16mm one, the difference isn't as noticeable.
-- Edited on 2/4/15 at 12:07 PM --
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Pfaff 2170, Pfaff Creative Icon
Baby Lock Evolution
Baby Lock Evolution
Posted on: 2/4/15 12:16 PM ET
In reply to sharonbenter
Increasing the length of the buttonholes should not cause this.
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iPad's auto-correct is my enema.
Posted on: 2/4/15 4:38 PM ET
In reply to sharonbenter
It sounds like it needs to go back for service hoever are you using interfacing? Sometimes a lack of interfacing or stabilzer will cause things like this.
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