The Joy of Quilting with Your Long-Arm Machine
27
KathyQuilts.com
The first time you adjust the tension, make a note of what the number is on your tension.
If you have an older machine then your top tension will not have numbers but finding
the good tension is not hard.
You will not often need to adjust the bobbin tension. If you change the bobbin thread
type, you can re adjust the bobbin tension to get it right for that thread, then adjust the
top tension as needed.
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE BLOCK ROCKIT MANUAL P. 31:
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOBBIN TENSION IS PROPERLY SET FIRST,
SEE PAGE 16 FOR DIRECTIONS ON SETTING THE BOBBIN TENSION. AS LONG AS YOU
HAVE YOUR BOBBIN TENSION CORRECT, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIX THE TENSION BY
ADJUSTING ONLY THE TOP TENSION. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO FIX YOUR TENSION BY ONLY
ADJUSTING THE TOP TENSION YOU MAY NEED TO RE-ADJUST THE BOBBIN TENSION.
Top Thread Tension
To tighten the tension, turn the tension knob
clockwise. To loosen the tension, turn the
tension knob counter-clockwise.
When you are first learning how to adjust the
tension, practice sewing on a scrap fabric sew off piece. At times, you may need to
make smaller adjustments to get the tension just right, or you may need to adjust it a
lot by turning the knob in large increments. How much you adjust the tension depends
on how hard the top and bottom threads are pulling on each other. To create the
“ideal” stitch, the top and bottom threads need to pull on each other with equal
force. Adjusting the tension changes the force that the top and bottom threads exert
on each other. If the top tension is pulling harder on the bottom thread (the bottom
thread will be pulled up through the top, causing small loops), then you will need to
loosen the top tension. If the bottom is pulling harder on the top thread (the top thread
will be pulled down to the bottom, causing small loops), tighten the top tension.
