How to Fix the Tension on Your Sewing Machine

Quilters, fashion designers, seamstresses, and every other sewer out there know how frustrating it is when the tension is off on your sewing machine. If you have ever tried to sew and gave up because your stitches were messy or knotted, tension problems probably got the best of you. This article will explain how to adjust the tension on your sewing machine. All sewing machines are different, and may have tension knobs located in different places. You have probably already adjusted the tension on your sewing machine incorrectly if you are reading this article, so we will just assume that you either know or can figure out where your sewing machine tension buttons are.

What is Tension on a Sewing Machine?

The term tension refers to how tight or taught the threads are when they unraveling from the spool of thread. Sewing machines have a top thread and a bottom thread (bobbin). As you sew, these two threads are locked together. If the tension is off, the knot where they join may be pulled in one direction or the other. That is, to the top or the bottom of the fabric. You can see it instead of seeing a smooth stitch on each side. Think of it this way - to form a nice even stitch, you want the top and bottom thread unraveling at the same tension, so they meet in the middle of the fabric.

How to Adjust the Tension on Your Sewing Machine

Sew a seam, using the same thickness of fabric you want to work with. Inspect the seam. If you see knots on the bottom of the fabric, you want to pull them up to the middle, so tighten the tension, or make it higher. If you see knots on the top of the fabric, you want them to drop lower, so loosen the tension. You may need to adjust the tension settings on your sewing machine several times to fine tune the setting for your project. Using different densities and types of fabrics can easily cause tension problems.

How to Think About the Thread Tension

When fixing tension problems on your sewing machine, you should think of them as adjustments, just like changing a needle or threading the machine. It is very easy to become frustrated by incorrect tension, and I once took my sewing machine out to the garage and left it there for a few years just because I could not figure the tension out. I really thought that my machine was broken. But, I finally figured it, and hopefully now you can too.