Tips & Troubleshooting - Husqvarna Platinum 3000 Owner's Manual

TIPS & TROUBLESHOOTING
Achieving good stitch quality
Understanding how your long arm machine makes a stitch will help you make the proper adjustments
to make the perfect stitch. The technique all long arm machines use to make a stitch is different then
the home sewing machine. The home sewing machine is designed to press together two layers of
fabric and sew while the fabric is held in place by the presser foot. Long arm machines are designed
to press and sew multiple layers together while the machine is moving. The difference is that there is
practically no needle deflection on a standard sewing machine and a large amount of needle
deflection on the long arm. The higher the tension, the more the needle will deflect.
Good stitches will interlock in the batting between the quilt top and backing. In real life, this goal is
rarely achieved. For this reason, you need to be aware that you will have "pokies" if you use different
colors of thread on top and in the bobbin. Pokies are where you can see tiny dots of the contrasting
thread where the bobbin catches the top thread. If there is slightly more tension on the top than on
the bottom, then you will see the pokies on the top side of the quilt. If the greater tension is on the
bobbin, then you will see the pokies on the back of the quilt. If the pokies are objectionable to you,
use the same color thread on both top and bottom.
TIP: A general rule of thumb is that if the stitch looks bad on the top it is the bottom tension.
If the stitch looks bad on the bottom it is the upper tension. The upper and lower threads play
tug of war with each other.
Tension
You need correct tension on the top and bottom threads, but you must also have correct tension on
the quilt held between the rails. You should have a small amount of "sag" in your fabric. This allows
enough movement of your quilt layers for the needle to penetrate and make good stitches.
Before you start making adjustments to your machine ask yourself, "What changed?" If your machine
was stitching great and all of a sudden it has loopies on the back or puckers, "What changed?" Did
you just change the bobbin? Did you just lift the take up rail? Did you lower the take up rail after
finishing your last quilt? Did you recently change the needle? Did you just roll the quilt?
If the take up rail with the quilted portion of your quilt is too high, it will result in poor stitch quality. You
need a finger tip space between the quilt and the machine bed. Higher will result in poor stitch
quality, too low and the quilt will create a drag on your machine's movement.
Look at your bobbin, a sloppy wound bobbin will not create a good stitch. Make sure that the threads
on the bobbin are snug and evenly wound. Check to see if there is a piece of lint in the bobbin case.
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