What Does Balanced Quilting Tension Look Like?
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Good Afternoon, Quilters!
One of the most important things you can develop as a free motion quilter is your eye for a good looking stitch. The most important aspect of the quilting stitch is the tension.
A perfectly formed feather or row of circles will look awful if the tension is too tight or too loose.
On the other hand, a well balanced stitch makes slightly ill-formed circles look beeyutiful!
Pay attention to the look of each stitch as you sew and observe other quilts to develop your sense for what is good and not-so-good tension.
What is Balanced Tension for Quilting?
Modern sewing machines create a lockstitch (see this excellent video)
The lockstitch is created by a bobbin thread looping around the top thread.
Tension is considered balanced when the top thread and the bobbin thread interlock and are hidden between the top and bottom fabrics within the batting layer.
The top thread is not visible on the back of the quilt and the bobbin thread does not peak through on the top of the quilt.
In addition, neither the top or the bobbin threads are very tight or very loose. (This is somewhat subjective.)
Top Tension too High
If the top tension is too high, the bobbin thread is visible on top of the quilt.
Lower the top tension.
Top Tension Too Low
If the top tension is too low, the top thread is visible on the back of the quilt.
Increase the top tension.
Balanced But Too Tight
Another common quilting problem occurs when the top and bobbin threads are balanced and the loop is in the middle of the batting, but the quilting looks tight.
Often lowering the top tension is enough to remedy this problem.
Adjust the Top Tension
On most modern sewing machines, we can balance the quilting stitch by adjusting only the top thread tension. Manufacturers make this very easy with a knob or an electronic tension adjustment. In most of these machines, the top tension adjustment is well calibrated and you can lower the top tension to nearly zero if necessary for a specialty thread.
Always try to make tension adjustments with your top thread tensioner. It’s easier all around.
Adjusting the Bobbin Tension–Only if Necessary
Some sewing machines have a finger projection on the bobbin case. This increases bobbin tension.
Many manufacturers (like BERNINA) have bobbin cases designed to increase bobbin tension for quilting and embroidery. Check that out for your sewing machine.
If you must adjust your bobbin case with the screw adjustment, be sure to carefully mark the original setting with a permanent marker.
Flower Tutorials
Try the Fantasy Flower or Daffodils HERE
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Tomorrow:
The Balanced Tension Test
- What about YOU?
- Are YOU observant of the quality of the quilting stitch?
- Do YOU ever make tension adjustments when you quilt?
- Does your sewing machine give you a tension headache?
- We’d LOVE to hear!
Your Tension Free Quilter
(At least my machine isn’t causing me tension….)
Loopy Lori (Lounging Listlessly) after my second Covid vaccine made me Lazy
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thank you!
Visit my Etsy shop: LoriKennedyShop for all of my books! They are ALL bestsellers!
Thank you so much for this, Lori. You’ve hit the nail on the head twice this week…first with information about bobbin thread (the precise question I had asked myself the night before you posted) and now this one. I’m so glad I found you!
Thank you for these informative lessons!
You are truly appreciated, Lori!
Why do I have big loops on the back of my sandwich quilt? Sometimes it is fine and other times it is a mess.
Big loops is usually from improper threading or not lowering the presser foot while quilting.
Thanks for repeating again and again how tension is important. Sometimes I check the tension on the side on my quilting but I must agree that when I go on and the top looks good I don’t check again . Some time the back is not perfect. I was thinking about buying a camera to see the back while quilting. What do you think about that?
Have a good day
Are you using a longarm? That’s a really interesting idea. Let me know how it works!
Yes I have a Q24 for 4 years and love it. I read about camera on a Facebook quilter group and I thought it could be really an help to control the stitching without having a headache going back and forth under my Q24.
Lori thanks so much for sharing- I have all your books and refer to them constantly for information or inspiration. When I FMQ on my DSM I do just adjust the top tension which seems to work. However, like you I was fortunate enough to get a Q24 recently- yeah us! The tension is awesome but I do always check bobbin tension on TOWA gauge after changing bobbin and set it to 220. I did NOT Mark the original position with a marker. Dint think to. could you comment. Thanks for all you do to help us become better quilters.
You don’t need to mark the position if you have the TOWA. I was thinking of quilters who are using their sewing machines and have no way to see the tension of the bobbin case
Merci Lori pour tous ces excellents conseils. J’ai appris beaucoup de chose.
Il me tarde de mettre cela en pratique avec mes Bernina 550 et 750.
Je pensais utiliser le même fil en bobine et en canette, (conseillé par mon revendeur pour éviter de voir éventuellement le fil de canette sur l’endroit).
Merci pour tout.
Patricia