Tension!

I have learned so much about the tension and how to fix it.  I have always been taught to never mess with the bobbin case tension screws.  However, the Bernina requires it!   I learned from experience about bad tension!  Here is the front of my practice piece with the cording:  I looks great!  So imagine my surprise when I turned it over to look at the back!!!

  

Yep, the bottom tension was way off!  Gahhhhh!  Luckily, Bernina gives you the tools to keep your tension perfect.  Here is a little gizmo that came with my machine.  A tension checker/adjuster for the bobbin thread:

You snap your bobbin case with its threaded bobbin into the gauge, wind the thread around the little wheels, and gently pull on the thread.  The red needle in the gauge will show you what the bobbin tension is.  It SHOULD be around 220 for normal quilting.  (I will probably have to experiment with it to get any cording tension to be perfect.)  If the gauge reads something other than 220, you take a tiny screwdriver and turn the tension screw on the bobbin case, lefty loosey, righty tighty.  Then pull the thread around the wheels again, and adjust as many times as necessary until it is 220 or close.  Different thread weights may have a different "perfect" number, but at least you have a starting number, and can make adjustments accordingly.  Also, every time you wind a new bobbin, you should check it in the gauge.  You can adjust the top tension with a number in the display window of the Q-20, so between the 2 numbers, you should be able to get perfect tension every time.  After having learned about tension from experimenting, I found this is true.  I can get beautiful tension results every time now!

Learning Curve

A quilting machine is not like a sewing machine.  That was the first thing I learned.  I have read the manual multiple times, and watched YouTube videos, and can now thread the machine and wind bobbins, and even make the machine sew.  The biggest difference is that when you step on the Q20's foot pedal, it doesn't start sewing!  It merely activates the free motion quilting sensors.  You must move the fabric to sew.  There are no feed dogs.  No levers to raise the needle or the pressure foot. There are buttons to use to do those things.  Or you can back-tap the foot pedal.  I kept looking for the lever to raise the pressure foot.  There is no automatic thread cutter, this is a feature I use a lot on my sewing machine.  For the Q-20, You have to manually cut top and bottom threads. So many differences!  Also, this Q-20 needs more routine maintenance.  It needs to be oiled after every 4 hours of sewing, and fuzz and dust in the bobbin case are not acceptable!.  The machine doesn't like it at all, and dust, fuzz, and stray threads mess with the tension.  (Tension!  This is going to be the subject of a whole new blog page!!)

I have been practicing a lot.  I have some old padded place mats and have been using these to practice on.  I tried out the cording foot, this was very much fun!  I will be using this special pressure foot in the future!  Even for just plain sewing, the practice place mats were so helpful in learning how this machine works.  "Practice makes perfect," as the old saying goes, and I'm a long long way from perfect.  But I AM getting the hang of it, and can understand how things work now.  I think I have the basics down.  Now to try what I've learned on a real quilt.

Bernina Q20 Comes Home!

My new Bernina Quilting machine was delivered and set up today!  It was Special Delivery, shipped from Chicago, and came with 2 technicians to set it up and make sure it's working as it should (included in the delivery charge.)  The technicians obviously have set up many of these, they knew exactly what to do and how to do it, and in a couple of hours had it all ready to go.  I am very impressed with how Bernina packed the machine --I never saw such thick cardboard.  It even came with it's own set of screwdrivers for assembly and maintenance!

  

It fits beautifully in my dining room--it exactly fills a space where a big desk had been--the desk has been taken away, and even with the workstation occupying that space, the room seems so much bigger.

There are table extensions that support the quilts all around the needle, and can be stored under the workstation tabletop when not needed.  The sides of the tabletop can drop down as well, so when not in use, the machine doesn't take up much space at all.  Not even as much as the desk that was originally there.  

Now that it's all set up, and the technicians are gone, it's a little intimidating! I'm not sure what to do next. Included in the cost of my machine, I have 3 free one-hour classes, but I'd have to go to Chicago to take them.  (Chicago? Really?  I don't think so!) The technicians did show my how to do lots of things, but it is a lot to remember!   I can learn how to thread it, wind a bobbin and make it sew on my own.  That's what the Internet is for!!  So many features to learn about!  I'm excited to jump in and start sewing, but first things first--read the manual!  I don't want to break something!

Quilt Expo

Every September, Madison has a Quilt Expo.  I have gone almost every year for many years, and always come home all fired up and inspired.  Because Bob had been sick, and I had hip issues, I have not gone to the Quilt Expo for the past 2 years.  This year,  Dianne flew in from Colorado to attend the Quilt Expo with me.  We got two-day tickets, and spent a night in a hotel in Madison.  It was a mini-vacation for us, and we got to cruise the Quilt Expo for two wonderful days.  There was so much to see, and because we had 2 days to enjoy it, we took our time and thoroughly investigated every exhibit, booth, nook and cranny. We cruised the Hall of Quilts and our Shock-and-Awe meters went through the roof. So many outstanding beautiful awesome (superlatives to infinity...) quilts.  How DO they do that??  I felt humbled just looking at all those beauties on display!

There were so many venders, we had to make a "flight plan" so we didn't miss any. Of course we bought (more) fabric we didn't need, who could resist! Someday, somehow, we're REALLY gonna use those fabrics, right?  Only problem was which irresistible fabrics to buy!  So many choices can overwhelm a person!  (We managed nonetheless!)

Something else I couldn't resist was the Bernina Q20 Quilting machine.  I've been thinking of a mid arm sewing machine for a long long time.  When I saw the Q20 on display, I KNEW this was the one!  It's actually a long arm machine but not on a frame.  It's a sit-down model.  I bit the bullet, and bought it.  Now I will be able to finish my quilts with ease!  I upgraded from a desk-type table to a hydraulic workstation, which will allow me to raise and lower the machine so I can sit or stand to sew.  It has wheels, so I will be able to easily move it around.  It's still big and will take a lot of space.  Where in the world am I going to put it!!!??  I'd better figure it out soon, it'll be delivered next week!

This has been the BEST QUILT EXPO ever!  It worked so much better to do it in 2 days at a slower pace than trying to go at a feverish pace to squeeze everything into one day.  And having Dianne with me, sharing my passion, was the highlight of the event.  It couldn't've been better.