Topic
I am sewing my halloween costume, and l have to set the tension on my sewing machine all the way to 9 to get the seam on the bottom fairly straight. Is it broken? Should l have to set it all the way up there?
It is a Brother LS-1217 machine.
How do I tell if the tension on my sewing machine is off
Probably a dirty upper tension, or u did not raise the presser foot while threading. Take a fold of clean cotton cloth, about the weight of a handkerchief or pillowcase hem. Moisten it (moist, not dripping) with rubbing alcohol or unflavored vodka. Raise the presser foot to open the upper tension, & floss between the tension disks with the damp fold. Repeat with a dry fold.
Rethread, making sure the presser foot is RAISED while threading, so the thread can enter the upper tension. Do not forget to lower the foot before starting to sew. Normal setting for upper tension is 4. If the stitches r interlocking between two layers of muslin with a tension setting of 3 to 5, the machine is probably in good shape. If u can not get a balanced stitch unless u turn the tension beyond 2 or 6, it is probably time for a trip to the sewing machine doc if cleaning & rethreading with manual in hand does not fix the issue.
Do not mess with the bobbin tension unless u must. It is really rare for the bobbin tension to need adjustment unless you're using an unusual thread or the machine is very worn. Most of the time, tension problems r traceable to misthreading or dirty tension.
http://westsidesewing.com/tip.htm
Suggested reading: Gale Grigg Hazen: Owner is Guide to Sewing Machines, Sergers & Knitting Machines; John Giordano: The Sewing Machine Book. Carol Ahles: Fine Machine Sewing
How do I tell if the tension on my sewing machine is off
if one side of the garment is tight and the other is messy loopy sloppy you have a tension error. most sewing machine repair places can do an adjustment cheap (under $20)
How do I tell if the tension on my sewing machine is off
You need to adjust your bobbin thread tension. If you take out the bobbin thread and look at the metal case it has a tiny screw. Loosen it half a turn or so and check. That is the thread that goes to the bottom when you are sewing. Adjust and check a few times until it is right! Are you using the same thread on top and as bobbin thread? If it is different it will cause trouble.
Good luck! I hope your costume is great!
How do I tell if the tension on my sewing machine is off
the loops on the back of w/e you're sewing will be really loopy and loose. You will know if tension is off it will look like reallly messy and stuff. Just turn your tension down and just keep playing with it until you get good tension!