I'm about to kill my new Bernina activa 230

I had that problem with my new Pfaff 2056. I discovered that the bobbin case fit in just a tiny bit differently than the Pfaff 1475's. So now I make sure the bobbin case is pushed all the way in before I let go of the latch.

Noooooooo, Martha. Bad girl. Sit. Stay. We do not kill our Berninas. Let's try the very simply steps first. Look carefully and see if there's a snip of thread hanging somewhere and causing your woe. Change the spool of thread on top to another one. Change the bobbin to a different one. Has your needle slipped down just a bit? Do you know how to check the tension on your bobbin case? Also, when you begin a row of stitching, do you 'catch the bunny by the ears'? ...simply meaning to hold both threads firmly out to the back of your SM. (This is usually not necessary but a step my killer home ec teacher demanded.) Polly

"Martha" It simply will not hold its tension.

Martha, take out the bobbin case and pull the thread. Make sure the bobbin doesn't hang up anywhere during the rotation. For my Pfaff, the case wasn't quite round and I had to gently bend the prongs at the end so they didn't catch. --Ann

Here are some issues that caused similar problems for me with my Bernina Activa:

• If you cleaned hook area, did you insert the hook correctly? Mine has a tight fit, and it must be inserted just right.
• Make sure that your bobbin case is inserted correctly -- did you hear the click when it set into place?
• Are there any burrs that might catch the thread?

Bev in TX

I forgot one, but it is really covered by Polly's reply. I also had similar problems when a tiny piece of thread somehow worked its way into the hook area -- it was very hard to see in there.

Bev in TX

I'm assuming you're using regular "dressmaker weight" sewing thread and at least a size 10/70 needle, so you're not dealing with thread wedging into the long groove of the needle -- this can look like a bad upper tension. And that you've tried another needle.

Cruddlies between the tension disks? Have you tried cleaning those? Dampen a fold of well-washed muslin with rubbing alcohol or unflavored vodka. Raise the presser foot to open the tension disks and put the damp muslin between. Lower the presser foot and pull the fabric through. Repeat. Finish up with dry, much washed muslin and try threading up again.

The other two mechanical causes I've seen of intermittent upper tension problems (on other machines, not yours) have been bad tension spring and a catch in the release that causes the disk to close when you drop the presser foot.

Do you always raise the presser foot at the end of the seam, and then lower it to start a new seam, and then the machine misbehaves from the start? Or does the problem ever start in the middle of a long seam?

The first case would suggest spring or presser foot connection problems, while the second sounds more like upper tension cruddlies shifting around and making mischief.

Oh, and is your presser foot properly attached? I did see one case with an old slant needle machine where the foot wasn't on quite right, but it jammed enough to allow decent fabric transport. But it wasn't letting the bar holding the presser foot drop enough to engage the upper tension. Remounting the foot cured the problem. That was one of those headdesk moments....

Kay, amateur sewing machine mender

Actually I just had this happen on my old Bernina 930...! The top stitches as I free motion quilted looked fine...picked up the table runner I was working on and all loose stitches !!! I changed needles...rethreaded the bobbin...making sure the thread was feeding the correct way...re threaded the machine... I was using Aurifil and a 14 quilting needle. Finally when I pulled the thread out of the top of the machine again...not dragging it through the lower part...out came a wad of black thread...and I had been using a yellow !!!.... All is fine now ....Try cleaning out the tension discs with a folded dollar bill ...just in case something is clogging up that area ! They don't tear easily so you don't have to worry about them getting lodged in there. Mary in VT ...

Oh , I like that way to clean the discs better than the folded up dollar bill !! Thanks, Mary in VT

I liked the idea of using vodka the best. We haven't heard from Martha since we started offering help. Do you suppose she's out buying vodka? Polly

Either that or she's drinking it......

She wouldn't be imbibing now would she??...Making sure it was a cleaning type and not a good drinking one...Don't suppose she bought Absolute by mistake, do you? If so, we might not hear from her in awhile and at that point loose and tangled stitches will look quite pretty to her. Mary

Wellllllllllllllllllllll, it has been awhile since she checked in.

Polly, please!

No sensible cat does that!

I have so enjoyed reading the responses to my plea for help!

Well, it turned out to be the thread.

I was using Valdani, which is what my LQS sells.

The machine repairer [Buzz] was actually preparing to make a *home visit,* because I had gone down there so many times.

Well, Buzz, as he was repeating the directions to my house, paused. And said, you're using Mettler, aren't you?

I said, no, Valdani. But I had some Mettler in the house; did he want me to try that first?

Well, it's been four days and not one broken thread or tension problem have I had!

And I tell you: Mettler is much smoother to the fingers than Valdani!

Thank you all! I don't know what I'd do with this group.

Martha

I presume you mean *without*, Martha >ggg

I never was a good tpyits!

Martha