Tension Problems

[Lady Rebecca]

Yesterday, I started sewing a new cotton chemise, and all of a sudden, my tension went all wonky. I think it started happening while I was doing the blackwork on the chemise sleeves, but it's been sticking around for all of my straight seams (on the cotton, and on corduroy I'm making into a basic bodice) since then. I've fiddled with it, and tried everything from 2 through 4 on the tension dial (I have a Viking Emerald 183, bought in late May), but to no avail. Anyone have any idea why this started happening, and how I could go about fixing it?

[Lady Rosalind]

I always check the basics first: use a new needle*, right needle for the job, oil and clean, etc. What about the tiny screw on top of the bobbin holder? has that come loose?

*Sometimes even new needles can be damaged, so maybe replace it anyway...

Good luck!

[Lady Rebecca]

I'll give it a go again with a new needle. I had put a new one in while I was making the skirt that goes with the chemise, but maybe it just didn't like me.

What screw do you mean on the bobbin holder? I have a drop in bobbin with a clear plastic lid.

And oiling is where I'm at a complete loss - I'm a bad bad girl and I have yet to even buy oil for the machine. And I don't know where to oil it, or how. I promise I will buy oil this week when I go to Joanns!

[ladyharrogate]

Is it the bobbin thread that's loose and wonky or the top thread?  That will determine where you're having tension probs.  Try a new bobbin too and see if that does any good.  I'd just work with test fabric till you get it situated.

[Lady Rebecca]

The top seems to be causing the problems, but it's not loose. It's pretty much just laying a straight line down, which then means it's pulling the fabric a ton. The bobbin is mostly okay, though every so often, it makes a really really loose stitch and I don't know why it's doing that, either.

[gem]

I have this same machine, and it generally behaves itself.

Add to the "did you check the obvious" list: is the bobbin in properly? This machine will actually sew (sort of) with the bobbin in upside down. Make sure the thread is coming off COUNTER-CLOCKWISE.

On the rare occasion I've had issues, I've stripped it down to bare bones: new needle, rethread COMPLETELY, check the bobbin assembly for lint/dust/etc. Usually I've threaded something just slightly wrong (missed a tension disk or had the thread come loose of one of those two hook/corner things in front of the needle). If necessary, I let it rest for a little bit, then return everything to the factory defaults. Also, check your presser foot pressure (the dial on the right side of the case). If that got tweaked, it might be throwing things off.

Back on my Brother, which had tension issues ALL THE TIME, I would do test swatches where I'd change the tension WILDLY--like all the way loose or all the way tight. And I definitely had to tweak the bobbin tension (which you normally shouldn't have to do). On the Brother, it was where Lady Rosalind mentioned, but check the manual for where it is on the Emerald (I don't know). They tell you that it's set at the factory and you're not supposed to adjust it, but sometimes they don't leave you any options!

I'm just  that your machine is acting up! I love mine so much and it's generally soooo good!

[Lady Rebecca]

Problem resolved! I unscrewed the plate around the bobbin, cleaned out all the fuzz (though in my defense, it wasn't too bad), rescrewed it, reinserted the bobbin, rethreaded the needle, and set the tension to 4 (which I think was the original factory setting). And then I tested it out, and it's just fine! So I'm not sure what exactly it was that was throwing it off before, but I'm glad it's working now!

Now if only I could get my serger to not unthread every time I try to use it...

[Kate XXXXXX]

On my Lily, when this starts happening, it's usually an indicator that there is lint in the system.  I clean the bobbin area out and floss between the tension disks with a microfiber lens cloth.  That cures it.

[Adriana Rose]

My Brother does that all the blasted time. I have to tighten the screw on the bobbin casing and then once a year I try to take it apart and oil and vacume the whole thing out