I can't figure out what it going on. I am trying to sew some loops for my tree straps...something I've done on 4 other pairs. For some reason this time the bottom of my stitch is loose. I have tried tightening my tension and loosening it. Nothing seems to work. I'm using an old Kenmore 1914 machine.
Topside of stitch
Bottom of stitch
The photos indicate there in not enough tension on the upper thread. So what is different this time? Different needle size?, thread size?, webbing?Originally Posted by Jtupnsmoke
I may be wrong, but that looks like the new webbing from Dutch. If it is and if this is the first time you've used it, try a larger diameter needle to open the weave allowing the bottom thread to be pulled up as it should. The Dutchware webbing is an extremely tight weave.
Tighten the top tension. Those loops you see on the bottom are the top thread from the spool staying loose. Instead of being pulled up tight by the take up arm, the thread is stripping off the spool leaving the loop loose. Easy fix if everything is working right. IMO do _not_ mess with the bobbin tension. That win't the problem but it can create a huge problem when trying to recover a good balance. Also... unthread the entire machine from the spool and rethread it again. Clean out the tension disks with a soft brush and rethread from the beginning. Even one missed spring or hook and make things go bonkers. If this is the same thing you have done successfully on other projects and it just started going off then a good cleaning is in order.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
You have some good eyes. This is the new webbing from Dutch and my first time sewing it. I'll up the needle size and try.
The Dutchware webbing is such a tight weave that it gave me fits the first time I used it. I couldn't get enough upper thread tension with my machine to pull the bottom thread up. I had to give up using V92 thread and go to the smaller diameter Gutermann Tera 40 thread, but I left the size 18 needle in the machine (which is larger than normally needed for the Tera 40). That worked out well for me.
May have to do the same thing if a larger needle doesn't fix it. I'm using the heavy duty gutterman
Had to resort to smaller thread. Just couldn't get it tight, even with a size 18 needle.
Don't know if it'll help with your machine, but here are the pages from our old Kenmore that address your exact problem.
Rain Man
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"You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims." --Harriet Woods
http://www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker
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Yup.
I paid a lot of attention to this when I was working on canvas/Sunbrella/webbing/sailcloth for my boat. Sailrite.com used to have info on setting up the machine for this work, and also used to sell heavier-duty replacement springs for the tensioner. There may still be info there that would be useful to you.
I'll check it out, but I even tried alternate thread routing that increased the tension considerably. I could barely pull thread through by hand.
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