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  1. #1
    Member ih8mice's Avatar
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    sewing frustration

    Any idea what would be causing such a mess?



    I'm sewing some fleece to ripstop and the thread keeps wadding up on the bottom.

  2. #2
    Senior Member PuckerFactor's Avatar
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    Bottom loops usually is evidence of top thread tension issues. Is the presser foot down? I forget to do that often when I work with thicker stuff.

    PF
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    Formerly known as Acercanto, my trail name is MacGuyver to some, and Pucker Factor to others.

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  3. #3
    Member ih8mice's Avatar
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    The pressure is set of 1 of 4.

    Perhaps I did leave the presser foot up. I'll be sure to be cognizant of that from here on out.

  4. #4
    Senior Member skyclad's Avatar
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    mice - hi
    check to make sure your bobbin is in the bobbin case from the right direction. some go in clockwise, some counterclockwise, and can cause this very problem if not in properly.

    good luck,
    sky

  5. #5
    Senior Member bigbamaguy's Avatar
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    It is in my experience that if its loose looping on the top then it is the stitch length that is set too long. Rip stop to fleece I think would be set at about a 2.5....If it is loose looping underneath then check the bobbin. Definately check that the pressure foot is down!!...That is a very common mistake made by us all!!!!

    Keep us posted on the progress.....
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  6. #6
    Senior Member mountain_man_mike's Avatar
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    Ditto to all those espousing attention to pressure. I have made several top quilts, some tarps and a few backpacks and dropped many a stitch due to either forgetting to lower the presser foot or having too much or too little tension on either the bobbin or top spool. I usually have it set on 0 or 1 as far as stitches go because I like many stitches per inch.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Bottom loops rarely if ever have anything to do with the bobbin as long as it is in the race properly. Even if it is wrong, it is morelikely to drop stitches entirely than leave loops like that.

    The top thread tension should be roughly in the middle of the range at first and adjust up or down from there.

    The presser foot is also a very likely culprit because if the presser foot is up it disengages the top thread tension. That essentially removes any top tension adjustment at all. I would suggest the following test. Set the tension in the middle of the range. Remove all fabric from the machine. With the presser foot _up_ pull the thread thru the needle and not the amount of tension on the thread. Then put the presser foot _down_ (no fabric in the machine). Pull the thread thru the needle and note the difference between the two settings of the presser foot. Put the fabric in the machine and lower the presser foot. Pull the thread thru the needle to sense which of the two test setting it feels like. If it is more like the first then your fabric is too thick for the presser foot to drop properly. If it is more like the second the presser foot drops enough to engage the tension. The begin to stitch and check the bottom for th the loops. If they are still forming increase the tension. If not then you have established the top tension as the problem. Play with the adjustment until the stitches look proper.

    Hope this helps.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  8. #8
    Senior Member Rat's Avatar
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    I think Ramblirev got it. I can't dew really thick stuff in my machine either as the presser foot doesn't get low enough to engage the thread tension. Still saving for the Consew...Loops like that are almost guaranteed to be top tension related though.
    "I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds
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  9. #9
    Member ih8mice's Avatar
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    Thank you all for your tips and suggestions.

    Top tension appeared to be the culprit. Made a few adjustments and it seems to be working better. I was able to finish the project without pulling my hair out. Thanks again everyone. There's not a more helpful group on the whole internet.

  10. #10
    Senior Member KerMegan's Avatar
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    Late to the party- but 1 thing that I see causing that (and it is top tension related) is when the thread jumps out of the slot in the top moving arm- the one that pulls the thread back up after the loop goes around the bobbin...and it is not obvious as the thread -when it has jumped,- goes directly from the tension wheel to the lower guide loops, and I mostly use a dark thread, so it is not a high contrast situation. obviously not your problem this time, but a tip for the future perhaps..

    glad it all worked out! KM

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