Burda Style For people who sew

Hello,

I hope one of you out there knows more about top-stitching than I apparently do!

I’m top-stitching a skirt made out of a mid to heavy cotton twill, using Mettler top-stitching thread (cordonnet). The top side looks great, perfect actually. However on the wrong side of the fabric the bobbin thread stitching looks kind of loose and loopy. I tried changing the tension, but this did not seem to help much, if at all. Finally, I just pulled the bobbin thread stitching tight. So, the front still looks fine, but there is now this kind of thread tunnel on the underside. It’s better than before, but obviously, not right.

What am I doing wrong?

If it matters, I have an older Bernina machine. I tried switching from Universal to Jeans needles, but this didn’t make a difference. I also experimented using different bobbin thread only, but that didn’t improve it either.

Thanks for your suggestions!
~Jen

Jul 26, 2011, 02.56 AM by jenss-1

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6 Posts

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  Jul 26, 2011, 09.37 AMby sabrina

  Have you tried re-treading your sewing machine with the presser foot up?
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  Jul 26, 2011, 04.02 PMby jenss-1

  Yes, I always thread it with the presser foot up. I also rethreaded it when I did the needle changes and experimental bobbin thread change. I think there’s some trick to using the heavy thread that I don’t know?
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  Jul 26, 2011, 07.47 PMby TabithaFoxx

  Im having the exact same problem. If you find out , please let me know :)
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  Jul 27, 2011, 12.13 AMby scandium

  Have you tried changing the bobbin tension as well as your top tension?
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  Jul 27, 2011, 03.16 AMby jenss-1

  Thanks for the replies. I’ve done more experiments today and have come to the conclusion that it’s mainly a thread/needle/fabric combination issue. Also, I may have had over ambitious top-stitching goals with this thread. For anyone who is interested, I did quite a few tests with the Mettler cordonnet/top-stitching thread, Gutermann cordonnet/top-stitch and also some Cotes & Clark button/carpet thread that I happened to have around.

  Normal tension on my machine is 5. The problem was this—when I set the tension tighter (+5), then the bottom (bobbin) stitching looked good, but then the top stitching looked like couching. This might actually be useful to know for some other project! But for regular top-stitching, the trick is to get a good balance between the two. I also read elsewhere about setting up the machine with the cordonnet in the bobbin and the regular thread on top, but I didn’t try this.

  I got the best results with the tension set at 2.5. That is the upper tension. Bobbin tension is not really humanly adjustable on this machine and I have been warned not to touch it. Maybe someone else with expert knowledge could do it without a problem, but I don’t think I can risk the repair bill right now…memories of a twin needle disaster, and the resulting bill, are still fresh : (

  In my experiments, the best result was obtained with the Cotes & Clark–which is a little stiffer and smoother than the other two–with regular polyester thread in the bobbin. Because of the thickness of the fabric, I suspect that the smoother texture was the significant factor. I also switched to using a blind-hem foot with its guide removed. I had noticed that the blind hem foot has a groove in the bottom much like Bernina’s cordonnet foot, which I do not have. (I think the cordonnet foot is more for couching anyway). The result is okay. The top looks fairly good, but the bobbin thread stitching is still a little loopy. Used a Jeans needle 110/18, on this somewhat heavy twill fabric.

  As for the Mettler and Gutermann thread, they were essentially identical in result. In the best combination of tension setting for top and bobbin thread, the bobbin thread still ended up a little loopier than the Cotes & Clark. This was also using regular thread in the bobbin, which was definitely better that using Cordonnet in both.

  In conclusion, probably my expectations were a little too high in consideration of the fabric and the thread combination. I will probably look for a different thread for this kind of top stitching, heavier than regular, but not quite as thick as cordonnet. Also, on another type of fabric, a topstitching needle would probably be preferable over a universal.
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  Jul 29, 2011, 03.09 AMby jenss-1

  UPDATE: Please ignore most of the above. I picked up some Gutermann Mara 30 in the Garment District yesterday. Using the Mara in the bobbin and regular polyester all-purpose in the needle, the top-stitching was perfect using just slightly less tension than normal. (About a half mark less than usual buttonhole tension on my machine). Stitching on both sides of the fabric looked great. Feeling lucky, I decided to try the usual set-up with the heavier thread in the needle and regular thread in the bobbin. This was almost as good, just a slight waviness on the bobbin thread stitching, but the top-stitching still looked great. Used a slightly higher tension in that case.

  I hope this helps someone else. I wouldn’t have even thought of putting the heavy thread in the bobbin but for someone who posted a comment on the Pattern Review website.

  It’s always good to learn something new.