How To Repair A Sewing Machine That Has Bad Tension
Ah sewing auto tension. Information technology's one of those ultra frustrating subjects. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "I don't sew much because my machine'southward tension was simply off", I'd have a lot of dollars.
Shoot, I gave up sewing for YEARS because I never quite figured out the tension on it. I'one thousand writing this because I don't want you to be like me.
Go into your cupboard, selection up a garment you lot didn't sew. Look at the forepart and the back side of the stitch. You'll observe that the stitch looks pretty much the same on both sides. There's no weird loops on either side and definitely no nesting thread mess.
If your sewing car is making loops or loose threads on one side as you stitch, it'south likely that your thread tension is off.
In this lesson, I'll show you what practiced sewing automobile tension looks like. After that we'll troubleshoot what could exist causing your tension bug, then we'll get to fix it. I'll end with telling you when information technology'due south time to run up the white flag.
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What does good sewing machine thread tension look like?
Good tension is balanced tension. When your needle goes downward into the fabric, it brings the superlative thread and bobbin thread together to form a stitch.
When your tension is balanced properly, the sew together should look identical on both sides.
Having counterbalanced tension is important for creating seams that are strong and having stitches that simply plain look nice.
What are the right numbers for good thread tension?
Honestly, it kind of depends on your machine and what y'all're sewing. The platonic tension setting on your vintage Vocalist might not be what information technology is for a newer Janome.
Thicker heavier fabrics will need higher thread tension than lighter weight fabrics. The denim below starts looking good with a top tension of 6 on my motorcar where the embroidered voile looks best between 4 and five.
Your own machine probably has a sweet spot where you lot'll get good results on most fabrics.
Whenever you get your auto serviced, your repair person will get everything running right for you so that yous accept a good default tension.
To be true, if you're constantly adjusting tension numbers, at that place's likely something else going on with your machine.
Let's explore.
Do this showtime to check your thread tension
Earlier we become started, be sure to wind a bobbin with a different color than your top thread.
With contrast thread in the bobbin and the top thread, it'southward piece of cake to see where the problem is.
You're going to be making uncomplicated test swatches with a obviously cotton. Muslin is great here.
Problems with your sewing auto that get blamed on bad sewing machine tension
Here we're tackling some problems that stop upwards making your stitches look like the tension is off, but oft it's not.
The reason why we're starting here and not by having y'all accommodate all your numbers and commencement pulling out screwdrivers is because it's often better to rule out these problems starting time.
You need to clean your motorcar
Excess lint tin can actually mucilage upward the insides of your machine. And yes, it can brand the stitches await like the tension is off.
This problem is easy to fix. Accept a small brush and brush out your tension disks. After that, clean out your bobbin example and nether the example. Oil things if your automobile requires it. For a deeper clean, bank check out how to clean a sewing machine.
Thread up your car and brand a row of stitches on your test fabric.
Look at both sides of your stitches. Practise they wait balanced now?
Rethread your machine
Sometimes tension problems are just a thing of rethreading your car. This is almost always the instance if y'all've been stitching without problem and all all of a sudden your stitches beginning looking loopy.
Offset unthread your automobile and thread it upward again, paying attention to get the thread into the tension disks. Hold it firmly and be sure you lot here it click into place.
If you get a big ugly bird'due south nest worth of thread on the wrong side of your stitching, start effort rethreading your bobbin. Information technology's easy to get into panic manner when you lot see something like that, simply rethreading almost always helps.
Stitch on your sample material and see if it's better.
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Your needle is damaged or not the right size
Damaged needles tin can brand your stitches go weird on you. If you've been sewing and hitting something solid like a zipper terminate, go ahead and change your needle.
You lot might also exist sewing with a needle that's not the all-time selection for your fabric. How do you lot know if yous're doing that? A handy reference book similar More Fabric Savvy is a good place to start. Sandra Betzina gives recommendations for stitch length and needles for nearly every material under the lord's day. I write more about that volume in Sewing Books for Beginners That Are Actually Helpful.
When you know what needle y'all demand for the cloth that y'all're working with, go ahead and change your needle.
Sometimes all you need to make dainty looking stitches is a fresh needle.
Over again, stitch another row. Did the needle changing help rest your sewing machine tension?
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You're using cheapo thread
Friends don't allow friends apply cheapo thread. Use a skilful make like Mettler, Gutermann or Coats and Clark. I know quilters honey Aurifil.
Too skip the "vintage" thread you got at a thrift store. Although you can keep that for basting or because the spools look cool. Just don't employ information technology in your machine.
This vintage thread below: nice to look at, great for basting, but not so corking for actual sewing anymore.
How do you know if yous accept not swell thread?
Concur information technology in your hands like floss. Pull on the ends. If it snaps, don't carp sewing with it in your machine.
Your thread has a sharp bit of plastic sticking out
You know those quondam type of thread spools that have the notch in them where you can tuck in the end of your thread?
Good idea, but definitely you can get stitching problems with them. Usually it'll wait similar this: you lot'll exist stitching forth and all of a sudden your stitches get-go looking actually tight on top.
Information technology'due south not a tension problem. Simply stop stitching. Chances are that your thread got caught on one of those little notches.
If you use those types of thread spools, load them vertically, and monitor your thread as you stitch. Make sure that the thread is not going to take hold of that groove as it goes around.
Thread problems when yous start stitching
-
elevation thread pulled towards back (left), needle down (summit right), sew starter used (bottom right) -
needle downwards (left), stitch starter used (right)
Sometimes when you first kickoff stitching, your thread and or textile can get pulled downwards. This can cause your top thread to go pulled to the back in a twisty, lumpy ugly looking start. You'll notice afterwards you go stitching though, your stitches await totally fine. Then this in fact, isn't a problem with tension.
There'southward two ways to fix this.
- Use a stitch starter: Showtime sewing on a folded small slice of textile in the centre of information technology. How big? It doesn't thing. A chip will practice. Only fold information technology until it'southward every bit thick equally the layers of material in your seam. You lot'll get perfect stitches every time.
- Needle down, not presser foot: The other manner to fix this trouble is to put your needle downward in the textile with the presser foot up. This is a cracking set up for delicate, lightweight fabrics that can go sucked downward and even stuck in your motorcar. Use your fly wheel to bring the needle downwardly until information technology's just pierced through the fabric. After that, lower your presser foot and go on sewing.
How to gear up your sewing machine tension
Now that we've ruled out other things that might exist making your stitches wait less than lovely, let's become into how to fix your sewing machine tension.
First, stitch on your fabric, making certain over again that you take contrasting colors in the upper thread and the bobbin.
Adjusting your upper thread tension
If you run into loops on the right side of the fabric, your upper tension is too tight.
If you see loops on the wrong side, the upper tension is either besides loose or your bobbin is too tight (read on for how to adjust the bobbin tension).
Lower or heighten the number on your upper thread tension dial and try again.
Information technology may exist worth stitching a sample at every number just to see when things start getting better or worse. Use a marker and write on your fabric what setting you lot've stitched at.
You can see on my sample hither that the acme thread peeks through on the lower tensions, starts to disappear around the middle. Then, the bobbin thread starts looping upwardly on summit on the tighter settings.
This little sample can be a great reference tool for you, so put it somewhere near your machine for your future self. Make a sample for lightweight fabrics, medium and heavyweight fabrics to give you a skilful starting betoken.
Adjusting your bobbin tension
If you have a drop in bobbin like me, you probable can't adjust your bobbin tension at all.
On the other mitt, if you have an older machine with a bobbin case that sits in vertically, here'southward how to adjust information technology.
Pull out your bobbin example, and plough the screw with a small-scale screwdriver. The adjustments to make hither are tiny. Don't plough anything more ¼ turn either right to tighten or left to loosen. It's like I tell my violin students: turn it a hair this way or that.
Exam your stitches again. Don't go off in the weeds with adjusting your bobbin. It'due south much easier to conform your top thread than to get obsessed with getting your bobbin 100%.
When you lot need assist fixing your thread tension
If you've tried everything and your stitches are still just not right, your automobile probably needs a service.
My repair guy e'er done an excellent job getting my machine in top condition. Know that there is no shame in having to have your automobile into the store. I think a lot of times we sewists accept a DIY or die mentality and we run into something we can't fix and it feels similar a moral failing. Information technology'southward not. Sewing machines are complicated, advisedly calibrated things. Unless you repair them yourself, you lot're improve off letting a professional set information technology than spinning your wheels trying to forcefulness things into working.
Elizabeth Farr is the author backside the Elizabeth Made This web log where she shares helpful sewing tips, stride past stride sewing tutorials and videos to help you explore your creativity through sewing. She has written sewing Eguides and patterns, been a featured teacher at Rebecca Page'southward Sewing Meridian and Jennifer Maker'southward Holiday Maker Fest and her piece of work has appeared in Seamwork and Altered Couture magazines. She as well created a line of refashioned garments for SEWN Denver. When her sewing machine isn't humming, she's playing and teaching violin, and hanging around a good strategic board game with her husband and 4 kids.
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